... in working for peace, starting within our own lives. This can be hard work sometimes, because things like greed and hatred and violence can be very strong. When we encounter negative things like these within ourselves or from others, we must remember to stand strong in peace to rise up with strength and courage, to carry it forward with all our might. As MLK Jr. once said "power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic." I believe we need a powerful peace in the world, and to have that we must begin by strengthening peace inside ourselves.

Scott
Henderson

...that God is love, and that love is the all pervasive energy that is at the foundation of all matter, heavenly bodies and life forms.

I believe we all have God (Buddha, Atman, Brahma) within ourselves, and are, therefore, part of a continuum or a one-ness of everything.

I believe we have choices in life, and our choices are often affected by our experiences - which can block or hinder the God or love energy in us, manifesting as fear, jealousy, hatred, or rage.

I believe our highest goal in life is our own spiritual search for our true selves, which "unlocks" our God or love energy.

I also believe that love (God) is a noun and a verb.

I believe we are doing God's (love's) work when we actively seek, activate, and/or display the love/God within us.

I believe it is the responsibility of each of us to seek and find that energy in ourselves - conduct our own spiritual journey, and that others can help us in this.

Laurel
Hardin

... that there is a higher consciousness somewhere in the universe. It may or may not know or care that we exist. I doubt it has any concern about our individual moral performance.

It may or may not have played a role in our being here... But somewhere, perhaps EVERYwhere in the universe, there exists a higher consciousness. We are not the best the universe has to offer. This I believe...

I also believe the Cubs have a good chance of winning their division.

Terry
Ward

... that adventures make memories and stories to live by.

One of my earliest memories was of my Dad, letting my brother and me go with him, almost no matter where, around our farm. Sometimes when I was five or six he would pull out the choke on the pickup, let me slide over into the driver’s seat where I could sit up on my knees and steer while he and my brother – who was six – would climb into the back of the pickup and toss hay to the cattle as I carefully steered the pickup around the pasture. That was an adventure in stretching to do something new.

One time Dad took my brother and me and two of our friends to Oklahoma City (170 miles away) and let us off at the front gate of the state fair, gave us $5 each and said he’d pick us up at the same place at 5. “Don’t get separated,” he told us. We were 9 and 10 years old. That was an adventure in responsibility.

In college, some of us decided that when we graduated we would go to the east coast, work for awhile, and then travel around the world. I married one of those friends – not married to him anymore, but in any case, -- we spent a year hitchhiking about halfway around the world. That adventure was a life changing experience.

My children probably have been the greatest adventure of my life, as every day when they were still at home could bring some new great adventure for them or me. Children are an adventure in love.

As I get older, my adventures become less – well, less adventurous -- and not all of them are happy adventures. The two weeks my sister and I spent with my mom when she was dying was an adventure in a gracious and courageous death and I was very glad to be there.

Every day, I wake up and look to see what color the sunrise will be this morning. This is an adventure in beauty, and it is there every day. I go for a walk and feel the air on my skin and the warm sun on my face. I say hello to another walker or someone watering flowers. A rabbit has been run over by a car. My brother or sister or sister-in-law or a friend sends me an e-mail for no real reason at all. These are everyday adventures; they make every day special.

I wrote a special tag line for my e-mail: “Don’t ever do something routine if you can do something truly special.” Life is one great long adventure – every day offers the possibility of adventure – some of it exciting, some of it routine, some of it happy, some of it sad, but all of it special and meaningful.

Anne
Schneider