New Year

I am so grateful for all the joy and wonder of the past year and am excited at the possibilities of the new year.

While I appreciate that each moment is a gift and all we truly have is the present, I do like the feelings that the new year brings.

Our family is committed to treading lightly on this earth, giving thanks to God for our blessings, and making a difference, even if it is only by a series of small changes.

So for the first month of One Small Change, we will be no longer making our coffee on the electric stove in the morning, but instead will be more patient in the and let the coffee brew on the top of our woodstove. Just six months ago, our family lived in a mobile home, off grid, for a period of 2 years and 3 months. We must not forget the lessons we learned and how little we truly need.

This seems like such a small thing to do, however, even this step will make a difference.

From "A HandmadeLife, In Search of Simplicity" by Wm. S. Coperthwaite ~

"Each time we learn to live more simply, we aid the world in two ways:

1) We use less of the world's resources for our own life;

2) We help set an example for others who are now striving to copy the affluent life of their neighbors.

The greater the striving for affluence, the more wretched will be the poor, and the greater will be the chasm between the haves and the have-nots. Violence will be inevitable... Not only do we need to simplify in order to be able to share more of the things the world needs, but we need to distribute power, authority, and freedom as well. The more decentralized we become, the more opportunity will there be for individual decision-making."

Wishing all of you a beautiful, joyful and peaceful new year.