Charity does not simply mean giving money; that is just what people believe because it’s the easiest way to show it.  Charity has been defined as showing pure love, benevolent feeling and leniency in judging others.

This year, make the world a better place and extend yourself beyond writing a check.  I’m not talking about changing the world and I’m not talking about running for office.  I’m talking about doing one good thing, one more good thing than you did last year.  If you can’t think of a good deed you’ve done before, then you only have one thing to do to be better than before.

It can be as simple as shooting a smile to a stranger, shoveling the driveway of the old curmudgeon down the street or preparing a box of gifts and food for a needy family (the local churches have endless lists of families in need).

If you are a regular good deed doer, when you’re all deeded out, go do one more good deed than you normally would have.

If you have children, involve them!  Teach them to do these good things for others and show them by example; and don’t negate your good works by being a grouch the rest of the year.  And trust me about the small and simple things too; the smile of a stranger to those who find themselves having difficult times in their lives affects them more than you realize.

Spread cheer and turn the other cheek!  If you are not used to doing these things, get used to them.  Practice makes perfect, and being closer to perfection is something we all need.  The good Lord told us to be perfect and showed us the way.  He didn’t mean for us to get perfect immediately, He meant for us to do better each day and told us that His grace will make up for what we can not.

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
~ Jimi Hendrix

A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race
~ Joseph Smith

These quotes are from two men who lived completely different lives, but who learned some of the same lessons.  The purpose of this blog is to share my views, my perspectives on life and my philosophies to hopefully give a little bit of what I have learned from the veritable dichotomy that is my life.

Love is a powerful thing, probably the most powerful force in the universe.  Where does it come from?  Do we create it or does it just exist?  How do we obtain it?  What is true love?

I don’t know for sure the answer to these questions, but I do know what I believe.  I think love exists and that it is up to us to find it, to tap into the fountain from where all love flows.  Although love is intangible, it can be felt and it can be experienced; but it is deeply personal and can not be handed over from one person to the next.  The closest means we have of transferring love from one to another is by showing this love to other people through kindness and service and working to fill those who have room to be filled.

This holiday season is about love, loving, giving love and receiving love; all of those.  We can not truly love if we are not willing to both give and receive love.  Often times the scales are tipped in the favor of others and it may seem that we have a deficit in our lives.  But we must always remember, that as we continue to give, we carve holding places within ourselves to receive when the time is right; and when the time is right, we will receive.  Patience is borne of love and love is borne of patience.  They go hand in hand.

To truly receive, we must truly give.  To have it any other way is merely taking.

Merry Christmas!