"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace..."

Dear Diary,

Oh my goodness, I had completely forgotten the wonderful chaos of Christmas morning with little ones!  The ribbon and paper were flying in joyful abandonment!  Then it was time for dinner and everyone paused while Karen's granddaughter Natalia read some thoughts for us to ponder this Christmas day.  She began with the Gandhi quote: "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

The she proceeded to the wonderful prayer of St. Francis which says, amongst other powerful statements, quite simply:  "Where there is hatred, let me sow love;"  She ended with the two stanza's from the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow carol, I heard the bells on Christmas Day:

"And in despair I bowed my head;
"there is no peace on earth", I said,
"For hate is strong
and mocks the song
of peace on earth, good will to Men."


Then pealed the bells more loud and deep,
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The wrong shall fail
The right prevail,
with peace on earth, good will to Men!"

God bless us, everyone.