Forty-four years ago, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began co-producing, along with Phil Spector, one of the greatest songs utilized in the global effort for world peace. Imagine was recorded in May, and later released in October, and the world has never been the same since. The message is so simple, and so true. Imagine a world where everybody lives as one with no fighting, hunger, or greed. “Imagine all the people, living life in peace.” Over the past 44 years this song has become a lyrical symbol of the movement for world peace.

Without imagining a world free of terror, war, hunger, poverty, etc. we wouldn’t have an end goal to work towards. It seems imagination is an important first step in working towards world peace, so let’s get a deeper understanding in this week’s Weekend Word.

im·ag·i·na·tion

iˌmajəˈnāSH(ə)n/

noun

  1. the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.
  2. the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.
  3. the part of the mind that imagines things.

It’s because of our ability to imagine, that we are able to create goals that take us to new heights as individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. Without being able to form new ideas about the way things ought to be, we would have no goals to shoot for.

We were able to send a man to the moon, invent tablets and watches that keep us more connected in ways we never thought we could… all because someone imagined it was possible. While it takes hard work to achieve our goals, it’s clear that imagination is the important first step.

When our children were first living on the streets, without food or shelter and subjected to whatever terrors might come their way, they didn’t just accept this as fact. As if this was their lot in life and it would never get better. They used their imagination to dream of a better life; one where they were able to be self-sufficient and had basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter. Their imagination has given them a goal to shoot for, and thanks to the donors and everyone who works at our schools, they are given a resource to work towards that goal.

Every day, the children are hard at work getting an education so that one day they will have a better, more peaceful, life. World peace won’t come over night. But, it is our firm belief that if we can eliminate some of the end goals that people fight for, and educate future generations one child at a time, we can make the world a more peaceful place.

H4H Imagine

There are many ways that you can contribute to world peace. You can meditate, pray and focus on world peace, discuss world peace issues with others, or contribute your time and resources to projects that support world peace. If you’d like to do the latter of these, please consider supporting our students at Hope for Hearts. Any amount large or small helps in our efforts to improve children’s lives in Uganda, so that they won’t have to fight for basic necessities. You can make a donation in any amount, or sponsor a child and helping their dreams come true at hope4hearts.org.

Wishing you peace,

Cristen

Las Vegas had a taste of nippy weather earlier in the week. Tis the season of change as autumn is officially upon us. The weather is getting cooler (OK maybe not this weekend) and leaves are starting to fall as the colors of summer begin to make way for winter. The season of pumpkin spice has returned and the holidays are right around the corner. As the plants lose their luster to the cold and our lives seem to get even more chaotic and stressful, it’s easy to associate fall with gloomy, dark feelings. However, fall and winter months bring us many things to celebrate, such as the holidays, more time with the family and ringing in a new year.

As we prepare for the changing of the season and the craziness the holidays bring, fall into inspiration…

  • Home Décor – Just making a few small changes to your home décor can make all the difference in the look and feel of your home. Try switching out throw pillows and adding faux fur blankets to cozy up in during the cold months. My company, Graceful Spaces, supports Hope For Hearts. I can make your space graceful, a retreat for your mind, body and soul.
  • Fall Cleaning – Get your house in tip-top shape, not only for visitors, but your own piece of mind. Having an organized, clean home will help keep your stress levels down, as will incorporating essential oils. May I suggest visiting my Graceful Spaces dōTERRA page guidance and benefits essential oils bring to everyday life.

hello fall 2

  • Get Crafty – Gather the family for some fun arts and crafts. Why not channel the women of Uganda who make paper beaded jewelry to support their families. Follow this tutorial from com or check out our Pinterest Holiday Inspirations or A Creative Heart boards for fun and easy projects.
  • Philanthropy – Save the Date – Giving Tuesday is December 1. At Hope for Hearts monetary donations go a long way to supporting a Ugandan child’s education. But, heck since you did some fall cleaning, don’t forget to make a pile of things that can be easily donated locally. Foundation for Positively Kids and Boys Town Nevada are two I recommend.
  • Learn a New Recipe – Dive into the food palate from another culture! Check out our Pinterest – Food Warms Our Heart board for Ugandan recipes.
  • Go for a ride – November 22 is National Go for a Ride Day. Hop in the car and drive the family to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to see our beautiful display at Glittering Lights. In fact, watch our facebook page for some ticket giveaways in November!
  • Shop Early – Need to buy a present for your hairdresser, child’s teacher, friend or family member? Consider getting a head start to your holiday shopping by purchasing one of our handmade necklaces. Ranging in $15-35 they make the perfect inexpensive gift to let people know you are thinking about them this holiday season. Plus, proceeds support the children in our schools, spreading the thoughtfulness of your gift even further.

Wishing you a happy Fall.

Peace,

Cristen

What would you do if I sang you a tune… Ok, I’m not about to sing a song, but like the Beatles and the late Joe Cocker, I too “get by with a little help from my friends.” Don’t we all?

September is all about celebrating friends as it’s National Women’s Friendship Month. In 1999 the Kappa Delta sorority created National Women’s Friendship Day held on September 20 each year. A few years later it has turned into an entire month to focus on the positive relationships women build with one and other.

So in honor of National Women’ Friendship Month and Day we are going to explore friendship in this week’s Weekend Word.

friend·ship
ˈfren(d)SHip/
nouni

  1. the emotions or conduct of friends; the state of being friends.
  2. a relationship between friends.

Friendship is the word used to describe the relationship between friends. Friendships take time and work to build. They’re about creating and maintaining a relationship of trust, support, mutual respect and fun. Each partner makes each other happy, supporting each other through good times and bad. Everyone can do with a friend and friends can be found anywhere. From colleagues to schoolmates, fellow churchgoers, gym mates, etc. we form unique relationships with the people in our daily lives.

We get by with a little help from our friends

Friends make daily life more fun. Can you imagine what a life would be like without friends? Nobody to have fun hanging out with and explore life’s adventures. Nobody to talk to and catch up on said adventures over drinks or coffee. Nobody to celebrate happy occasions or confide in when times get tough. It sounds pretty lonely to me. Where’s the joy in celebrating the good times if you don’t have anyone to share the good times with?

Especially in today’s world where society’s pressures are getting higher and higher, and bullying is becoming more common, now more than ever we need our friends by our side. If bullying focuses on building negative relationships, we need positive friendships to counterbalance them.

While friendships are formed between both men and women and any combination therein, National Women’s Friendship Month and Day focuses on the bonds women form with each other. It reminds women to take a step back and appreciate the women in their life that are there by their side through thick and thin, making life more enjoyable.

Perhaps if we always focused on building more friendships, we’d have less negativity and bullying… Ok, I know, easier said than done, but one can dream. In the meantime, we’ll keep raising a glass and celebrating the friends we do have.

Peace,
Cristen

From major holidays to the bizarre and wacky days of celebration – there’s something to celebrate just about every day of the year. Today is one of those lucky days where we have two really important celebrations to recognize. Today is International Peace Day and World Gratitude Day as recognized by the United Nations.

It started in 1977 when the United Nation Mediation Group started world gratitude day to show appreciation to people and organizations that make a difference on a global basis.

In 1981 the United Nations added International Peace Day, day to recognize the first meeting of the general assembly of the United Nations. The United Nations encourages a cessation of all hostilities on this day, opting for commemorating this day through increasing education and awareness of issues related to peace.

Isn’t it funny that both these days happen to fall on the same day? Over time, the UN has created a day where we are encouraged to stop fighting and instead recognize and be grateful for the things we do have and the achievements we make in life. For as well known as the United Nations is, these days, however important they may be, are not commonly celebrated as some of our major holidays – but they should be!

With that in mind, we’re going to give you 5 ways to celebrate with your children so that we can inspire future generations to take time out to think about peace and gratitude.

  1. Start a gratitude journal. Let your child pick out a journal where they can write each night about things that happened during the day that they are grateful for.
  2. Encourage your children to write thank you notes to 5 people. This could be anyone, a teacher, a friend, family member. Showing gratitude isn’t just for kids – make sure you do this activity too!
  3. Host a gratitude awards ceremony. Gather the family to celebrate the things we do for each other. Have everyone draw a name from a hat. Give them half an hour and necessary supplies to decorate an award to show appreciation for the other person. Then let everyone take turns presenting the awards.
  4. Spend time volunteering with an organization in need.
  5. Ask your child to research an issue related to world peace and come up with a couple of possible solutions. Give them the day (or two) to research then have them discuss it with the family at dinner.

How to Celebrate Peace and Gratitude with Your Children

As a bonus, if your children are fighting with siblings or friends – encourage a “cease fire” in honor of International Peace Day. Think how much better the world would be if we all learned to fight less and appreciate more.

Enjoy the day!
Cristen

Today is Women’s Equality Day in America. A day that celebrates the important milestones in equal rights women have achieved in the U.S. throughout the years – starting with the right to vote. August 26, 2015 marks the 95th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment – giving women in the United States the right to vote.

For nearly the first 150 years of America’s history, women were forced to live in a country where they had no voice in the political arena that governed their lives. The success of the Women’s Suffrage Movement was a major victory for women in the U.S., but the work towards equality didn’t end there. Obtaining the right to vote was the first important step. It gave women a voice in the political arena that shapes their world. It gave women a tool to rectify inequalities elsewhere in their life.

Celebrating Women’s Rights

Thanks to this powerful tool, women have managed to make more strides to lessen the equality gap in compensation, education and other personal and professional advancements in less than a decade than in the nearly 150 years prior to the 19th amendment.

In 1962, nearly 42 years after women earned the right to vote in the US, women in Uganda earned that same right. Politically and culturally, women in Uganda face a much harder battle than women in the U.S. Women are constantly being challenged with issues such as discrimination, low social status, male dominance, lack of financial independence and self sufficiency economic, lack of voice in their homes… the list goes on.

Since Ugandan women have gained the right to vote, their battle to achieve equality has been slow but sure. While they certainly still have a long way to go, if the success of America’s suffrage movement has anything to show – it’s that giving women a voice in their government is a powerful first step to closing the gender equality gap.

It is our hope that through education and providing young women with the power to be self-sufficient, we can empower the next generation of women voters to help advance gender equality in their nation.

Here’s to celebrating women’s rights around the world.

With peace and love,

Cristen