2011 - It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

New Year's are good. I think I'll do better each year. It's like a permission slip to improve, to change, to just put down the old habits, you know, cast them aside and start afresh. I like that.

I began my random list of all the things I have to do. I couldn't remember them all, but that's okay. They will eventually float to the surface, I'll keep my paper handy, and jot them down. It'll all be good.

Heavy things coming up this year. Family member coming home after being gone for 10 years. My husband's work contract will be looked at for renewal in October. Those are two really, really major events for us. We will need much prayer.

I want to remember this day, this beautiful calm day. I want to remember the beginning of this lovely day. The sun shines just bright enough, the green looks just green enough, my plants are starting to recover from the cold of the winter and are showing off their colors and glitter ... it gives me just a pleasant, calm feeling to look out the door this morning.

I'm going to hang on to that.

There are some things I've come to know:

Although each of us may wish that our paths were made clear to us, that is not always possible and we must learn to walk slowly in the fog.

It doesn't matter if one has reached the highest level of enlightenment if one cannot function in the Here and Now.

The earth is our home. We all have a responsibility to take of it. If everyone took care of just the part they walk on, imagine what an improvement that would be.

In my world, God is everywhere in all things. If I reach out with love and understanding, I find him there. And I've learned that he seeks me out if I don't. He sends me messages through friends who send me gifts and words of understanding, of caring, during times I did not expect anything, but was in a place where I needed a nudge to know I am loved and thought about.

Gandhi said, 'Be the change you wish to see in the world." Jesus said, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." Those two things make really, really good sense. I will be trying that.