All around we look we see hardships and sorrow. Turning on the news is usually a depressing thing. There is always some sort of crime or injustice played out in front of us. Many times I have asked myself where is the love? I ask myself what happened to values and morals of humanity? My heart aches at what we are all enduring and what our brothers and sisters are facing everyday. Now is the time we can all work towards change and peace for all. It can change with YOU.

It starts with how you view others. Look upon your own life, where is it that you can change your outlook or attitude? When you view others can you see the divine spark within them? It’s easy to place our judgments upon people due to their actions, or their appearance. The truth of the matter is that we should rejoice in our differences. Differences should be celebrated knowing that god gave us the freewill to be whatever we choose.

The Spiritualist’s seventh principal states; We affirm the moral responsibility of individuals and that we make our own happiness or unhappiness as we obey or disobey natures physical and spiritual law. What this is basically telling us is that you make the decisions and you choose how your life will go.

God does not sit upon on high giving punishments for our actions; WE make our own happiness or unhappiness by the choices we make. If we are in charge of our own lives in this way there is lots of room to change it, and this in turn affects others around us and starts a chain.

There is much that can be learned from one another in these differences. I think we can all agree a world with people that were all the same would be quite boring, but it doesn’t have to lead to hardship and sorrows. In the differences it gives us an opportunity to learn.

We can learn different ways of viewing the same thing, we can learn love, tolerance and compassion when we can look inside and see the divine spark within each soul. If you take away everything human and everything that you have done you are still that brilliant spark of god sent down to this earth to learn and help others along the way. Its time we start viewing others in this light, the way that god sees each of us.

One person truly can make a difference in this world of ours. Not only by how we live our lives, but teaching the love, compassion, and morals to those in need, and those ready to receive it. View each person as an opportunity to love, teach and learn from. Even the smallest of children have something to teach us, therefore when you look upon another ask yourself what is it that I can learn from them, and can I offer a word of comfort, a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen?

 I truly believe in my heart most people who are in need only want someone to listen to them, to care about them, and to let them know that YOU see the divine in them even if they don’t. We all need that reminder from time to time. You can be the angel that is there when someone needs it, you can be the one who helps others to see the bigger picture, to give them the love they so desperately need to get them through.

If only a handful of god’s children started to do this to make a change for the better, it would start a chain reaction. By being there for someone, you are teaching them. With your actions you are saying that the world is a beautiful place and that love and comfort really do exist here. They in turn will do this for another when they see the need.

We can be the ones to make that difference. It’s time we set our differences aside, time to stop seeing people’s outward differences but looking for the sameness inside each of us. Its there that you will be able to reach people because inside we are all the same, all beautiful souls god created who want love, and want to give it. We want peace and happiness, some of us just go about it in the wrong way, or lash out from a lack of it.

Start looking for opportunities to spread this love around. Sometimes a simple smile and acknowledgement goes along way for people who are feeling lonely or sad. A conversation with someone sometimes help them forget about their problems for a short time and gives them a respit from the monotony they are experiencing. A joke is always good to lift someone’s spirits and help them see that they don’t have to place their whole focus on their problems; hugs are equally nice as well.

Making a difference in this world costs nothing but a little time. We each have unique gifts to share with others, whether it is the gift of love, healing, comforting words, or a good ear to listen. We cant solve other peoples problems for them, but we can inspire them or help them to place their focus elsewhere if only for a short time.

We cant tell them what decisions they can make, but we can tell them about the decisions we made when we were faced with that same thing, and what went wrong or right for us. You have much wisdom although it’s often overlooked by us or downplayed. Each thing you have experienced in your life was for learning. Every hardship, every tear it was all an accumulation of learning and gaining new knowledge.

Thinking of our hardships as lessons helps us to also know that its time to start using this knowledge. There are many ways to go about sharing and using this knowledge. If you survived an abusive family, there are shelters you can go to and volunteer. You can help someone else get through this with the knowledge you gained by experiencing this yourself. Lets look at our experiences and our knowledge and use them to help others facing the same thing. You can never tell them what to do, but by sharing your story it may help them to see they are not alone, or it may help them to have the strength to endure what they are facing.

Helping others also helps you. It’s true what they say you reap what you sow. It doesn’t take much to plant a seed as I have talked about here with you today. Whatever you give always has a way of coming back to you. It may not be in the expected time frame, but when you need it that angel will come back to you and help you through it.

What type of seeds do you choose to sow? Will you choose to be the one to be observant to those around you and help, or will you turn your head thinking only of your own problems and concerns and waste the opportunity to spread some light and love in this world. Give what you lack and know it will be a circle that comes right back to you. In filling others needs, you are in turn filling your own.

What are your needs today are you lonely? There are senior citizens homes with people who are lonely. Are you feeling helpless? There are children’s hospitals where god’s children are feeling the same way. Do you feel the need for more love? There is someone right now thinking of you or needing you in your own family. Are you feeling lost? There may be someone next to you feeling the same way right now, and you may be able to share some knowledge on how you got passed whatever they are facing. You will never know the needs of another unless you take the time to look and get to know them.

If we all looked at life this way; giving what we lack, what kind of world would this be? No more would children feel so sad that they lash out in anger and hurt, for someone would be there to listen and understand. No longer would people place their judgments upon others, for they would see the god spark inside of them. Loneliness would be a thing of the past, for someone would come and spend time with them and give them love. Feeling lost, not a problem for someone will come along who has been where you are and show you how to get through it or give you the strength to endure. Need money, that would be a snap those who have an abundance would see your need and help you to get back on your feet again.

No longer would we live in a world where people go without the basics of, food, water, shelter and love. If we all looked at our neighbors and see where we can help, we are taking the steps to help bring this about. This can become our reality if we only tried. We could eliminate many problems the world over if we just changed the way we view things.

This is a story about a man named Joe who knows exactly what I speak of. The author of this is unknown, but there is a link to the site where I found this wonderful story on the links page.

He was driving home one evening, on a two-lane country road. Work, in this small midwestern community, was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac, but he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter raging on, the chill had finally hit home.

It was a lonely road. Not many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill, but he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and knew the country.

He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working, that came in handy. It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down. He'd better get a move on.

You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help her for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe, he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill that only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Joe."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Joe crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire, but he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening the lug nuts, she rolled down her window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Joe just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Joe never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. There was someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Joe added "...think of me".

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed home, disappearing into the twilight. A few miles down the road the lady saw a cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor-it didn't ring much.

Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Joe.

After the lady had finished her meal, and the waitress went to get her change from a hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on a napkin. There were tears in her eyes, when she read what the lady wrote. It said, "You don't owe me a thing, I've been there too. Someone once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here's what you do...Don't let the of love end with you."

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could she have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right; I love you Joe."

Joe instinctively new that helping someone in need is what we, as god’s children should be doing. In doing this, it came right back to him, although he may never realize just how. The same goes for us, we may not see how it came to us, or how it ended up benefiting us but it does come back just the same.

I ask you once more, search your heart and your wisdom. Think of what you feel you are lacking and go out in this world and give it to someone else. Do it in the spirit of love and know that you are touching someone’s heart and they will in turn remember what it was like to have that help and give it to another when the opportunity arises. This is how we as one person can change the world. It doesn’t take much and the rewards are tremendous.

The journey of a thousand miles starts with one single step, are you ready to take it?

God bless you and thank you for allowing me to speak to you today.