Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All

It's the day after Christmas. However, Christmas isn't over for our home. We chose to celebrate the season a little differently this year. We chose to put Christ back into our Christmas.

I am a man of faith. I believe that the babe born in Bethlehem was the Son of God. I accept that He was more than a great teacher, but the Messiah sent by a loving Father to save us all. I witness that His atonement, not only cleanses us of our sins, but it empowers us to accomplish things we could not do alone. He taught us to love and serve one another. Finally, I know that He burst the bounds of death through His physical resurrection--and lives today.

Angles proclaimed peace on earth, goodwill to all men (both male and female) at His birth. That peace and goodwill returned to us this Christmas. Three different people commented yesterday that I seemed at peace. They noticed the difference in my attitude, my demeanor, and my countenance.

I found peace this year in noticing the small things people did for others. I found it in the woman that served little children at our local homeless shelter. Her service was not limited to this season. She worked with the children more than 100 times this year. I found peace watching my neighbor consistently remove the snow that fell on four homes. I found peace in the families that dropped off little tokens to others. The peace was not in the size of the gift, it was the personal effort and intent given to create them. I found peace as I served others.

I found goodwill because I highlighted the good in others. I reduced my own petty, judgemental, and ill thoughts about people I knew. I tried to eliminate negative discussions about others. I read and watched films that elevated my thoughts and feelings. I remembered His invitation "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." My judgement of others dissolved in the recognition of my own flaws.

I found peace and goodwill because I looked for it. I recognize the pain, the suffering, and the death that covers this globe of ours. My work has taken me to some of the poorest places on earth. I've seen people volunteering their time to bring water to the homes in Cape Verde. I've seen others working to lift people out of the poverty of the favelas in Brazil. I've seen people teaching literacy, music, and health to disease riddled people in Asia, Africa, Europe, and all three Americas. I know a man who spent two years helping an entire country triple their food production. I've lost friends who gave their lives trying to help total strangers obtain life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Darkness, despair, and abuse surround us. Sometimes, they overwhelm us. We can overcome them. Jesus Christ gave His life to empower us to do better.

One of His prophets taught "Men (male and female) should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men (male and female) do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth it with a doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned (stopped)."

I believe those words. I proved them, over many years, to be true. I witnessed so many others prove their truth. We can accomplish many good things. We possess the power to change our lives and the lives of others. All we have to do is act, act in faith, and act in excellence. Christ told an anguished father, "All things are possible to him that believeth." I believe that.

These passages (together with one other, "Man is the he might have joy") form the foundation of my work to help people achieve worthy goals. I know that we can achieve anything that we put our minds, and the power God gave us, to do. I try to help all people set worthy goals and achieve them. I encourage them to then teach others to do the same.

I found peace this Christmas because I sought it. I sought it through the babe born in Bethlehem. He opened my eyes to see it. He put it in my heart. I hope to keep that peace by assisting others to improve their lives. I hope to keep that peace by helping thousands of others pass on the service they receive to still more.

So, with the angels of two millenia ago, I proclaim; peace on earth, goodwill to all.