Peacemaking

Good character is a pathway to happiness and peace of mind. 

When we are out of alignment with our core values, it eats us up inside, destroys our spirit, and undermines 
our society. When we are in alignment with our core values, it makes our souls sing. 

While I was bicycling through ‘Heartland America’ in 2002, people shared about how precious life had 
become for them: “There is no guarantee of tomorrow, so live more fully today.” I compared what they 
said with the code of firefighters who sacrifice their lives for us every day: “Be safe, survive, be nice, and 
prevent harm.” How’s that for practicing good character? What would our world be like if we all chose to 
just practice ‘be nice’?  

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Are you shining your Divine light?  Would you like to feel joyous, loving, and peaceful more of the time?

Please join us for an exciting 6-week “Ray of Hope” Commitment Program Intro sponsored by Unity of Mesa, from February 5 thru March 11.   (Click on the link above to watch an intro video by Joel & Ray.)

Based on Ray Madaghiele’s book Ray of Hope for Peace: Insights on Chaos and Consciousness while Cycling across America, this program promises to be an enlightening adventure—just as Ray’s was! 

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We all yearn for freedom. It is the reason the United States of America was created in the first place. As I bicycled across America in 2002 and asked hundreds of people, “What has become more important to you since 9-11?”, two of the most frequent answers I received were ‘my faith’ and ‘American freedoms’ (democratic process, speech, religious preference, etc.)

Events this past week remind me just how vital freedom of choice is to our well-being.

On Monday, I had the honor and privilege of speaking at a rally for two bicyclists who stopped over in Tempe, Arizona, enroute to Los Angeles, California, from Atlanta, Georgia. Seijin Tranberg and Josh Wildman are 23-year-old college students who were inspired to raise awareness of human rights violations occurring in Japan where some religious organizations are experiencing persecution. Seijin and Josh chose to endure the pain and uncertainty of cycling 2,300 miles in order to be “rays of hope” for improving human rights worldwide.  Seijin and Josh have chosen to make a difference by assuring that people have freedom to choose their own spiritual path.

Click here to view Ray’s “Be a Ray of Hope” 10-minute video.

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Which of these 5 human values is most important to you:  Love, Peace, Truth, Right Conduct, or Nonviolence?

Ray and I recently chose "Peace" as the most important value to us, and participated wholeheartedly in theWalk for Values USA 2012 event in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday, January 21, sponsored by the Sathya Sai Organization.  More than 700 people registered to walk for their "favorite" value.  This was not a protest, demonstration, or rally -- just a great opportunity to be a "ray of hope" by focusing on some very positive ideas that can make a difference in our world. 

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As a result of our Cycling for Peace journey in 2002 and our present-day RVing adventures, we have discovered that people crave engaging, encouraging discussions—especially when those conversations inspire hope in the midst of today’s chaotic circumstances. 

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