Seriously what gives you that Christmas morning feeling?Is it music is a family friends is it presence?
Is it all the food? Is it kind of anti-climatic by the time we get to THIS Christmas morning and all of the feelings have come along with it?
You know, there’s an answer to all of those questions. . .
Three simple letters
Y O UWhat say
Y O U
May all of the Lights of this Day
be yours
to see
to be
to free
in you
for others
always for Others
so that all may know
That Christmas Morning Feeling
H I N E N I
It’s been a whirlwind all over the world in these past two weeks and it has the feel of not ending any time soon, and worse, ending well. . .
I’ve heard a lot of words over this time and I’ve said a lot of words and there’s one word that came to me when I was looking to hear it or say it but now feel the need to share it:
H I N E N I
It’s a Hebrew word that means:
HERE I AM
But here’s the thing about words, or in this case
A WORD. . .
They don’t mean anything
Said or Heard
until they are experienced
until they are Living Verbs. . .
I’ve had to ask of myself:
JUST HOW AM I SHOWING UP
(and how often?)
I’m wondering (and now hoping you’ll be a little wondering, too) how am I saying, being HINENI to my family, my friends, my town, my state, my country, my world? How am I saying HINENI in a way that shows others how much they matter and that I am here? How am I answering THIS call?
It feels like we have lots of questions a few answers or is it really just this simple:
Why is the seemingly simple so complicated if not for my lack of
HINENI
Now
is so much more than saying a Word
or even hearing one
Looking at an inspiring picture
Gawking at a-should-never-be-seen-horrific-scene
We are way past AGREEING with this one
and DISAGREEING with that one
N O W
in our own individual way
with our own individual skills
It’s time to be an authentic, living
H I N E N I
and to be it profoundly
to Each’s
O T H E R
I BELIEVE
I first heard this song when it was only sung by Andrea Bocelli all the way back when BORDERS knew no borders; I stood there listening to it on their headphones that allowed you to hear songs/cd’s before you purchased; BRILLIANT but even more so, was that I stood there and listened and listened and listened and listened until I just bought the compilation cd for just this ONE SONG. . .
Ohhhhhhh that these words may now become a prayer that it may sooner than soon become an ANSWERED/REALIZED PRAYER
I Believe”
One day I’ll hear
The laugh of children
In a world where war has been banned
One day I’ll see
Men of all colors
Sharing words of love and devotion
Stand up and feel
The Holy Spirit
Find the power of your faith
Open your heart
To those who need you
In the name of love and devotion
Yes, I believe
I believe in the people
Of all nations
To join and to care
For love
I believe in a world
Where light will guide us
And giving our love
We’ll make heaven on earth
I believe in the people
Of all nations
To join and to care
For love
I believe in a world
Where light will guide us
And giving our love
We’ll make heaven on earth
Yes, I believe
I believe in the people
Of all nations
To join and to care
For love
I believe in a world
Where light will guide us
And giving our love
We’ll make heaven on earth
I believe
Ohhhhhhh that these words
may now become a Prayer
that it may sooner than soon
become an
ANSWERED/REALIZED PRAYER. . .
BE THIS PRAYER
Let There Be Peace On Earth
IT never fails…especially when I hear a group of kids sing IT. . .
LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH…AND LET IT BEGIN WITH ME!
Uhhh, yeah. . .I tear up. . .
A L W A Y S !
The song was written in 1955 by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller. Jackson, who had been suicidal after the failure of a marriage, later said that she wrote the song after finding what she called the “LIFE SAVING JOY OF GOD’S PEACE AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.”
The story goes that on a Summer evening in 1955, a group of some 180 teenagers of all races and religions were meeting at a workshop high in the California mountains. Locking arms, they formed a circle and sang a song of Peace. They felt that singing the song, with its simple basic sentiment–LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH AND LET IT BEGIN WITH ME,” helped to create a climate for the World Peace and understanding.
When they came down from the mountain, these inspired young people brought the song with the and started sharing it. . .and IT began
It traveled the World in a very fast pace (AS GOOD THINGS REALLY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO DO). Soon the song was being shared in all fifty states–at school graduations, PTA Meetings, at Christmas and Easter Gatherings and as a part of the celebration of Brotherhood Week. It became the Theme for Veteran’s Day, Human Rights Day and U.N. Day. American Legion, the B’nai B’rith, the Kiwanis Clubs and CORE.
IT traveled the World.
IT was being sung by big name artists.
IT was winning awards.
The simple thought, LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH AND LET IT BEGIN WITH ME, first born on a mountain top in the voices of youth, continues to travel HEART to HEART–gathering people everywhere who wish to become a note in a song of understanding and peace–for for ALL People Everywhere.
It matters not how you hear it. . .
It matters not how you sing it. . .
It matters not how you harmonize. . .
It matters. . .
HOW YOU SHARE IT. . .
How Your Peace becomes Another’s,
For a Moment and then another one until EACH Knows IT
EVERY SECOND. . .
OF EVERY LIFE!
BE the SPLASH that begins the endless Ripple of Peace. . .
LET IT BEGIN WITH YOU–
right where you dwell. . .
but never where you STAY!