With the recent events in the news and all of the information that we are being given, it is easy to think that our country and even our world is falling apart. There is so much violence in the news, and it seems that we cannot go a day without hearing about some tragic event. These events sometimes draw us together, but then in the wake of the disaster we begin to pull apart. We begin to argue among ourselves about the right way to solve the problem. We fight and argue and disagree so aggressively that many times we forget about the tragic events that led to the arguments in the first place. We have all been created to have our own opinions and beliefs about things. This is what makes each of us special and unique. It is what makes our country great, and it is what sets us apart from everyone else. However, we all need to remember that it is important to celebrate our differences instead of tearing each other apart because of them. I can believe one thing, and someone else can believe something entirely different. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The bottomline is that we lash out because we are scared. We are afraid of losing control, and we are afraid that things are going to get worse. We look for people and laws to blame. We look for new leadership and new laws to solve our problems. This has been going on for centuries, and unfortunately it will continue to go on long after we are gone.

There is a problem in this world, and it is a lack of peace. I believe that we can all agree on that. Peace is what is missing from our world, and that quest for peace should bring us together, but often it tears us apart. We should all try a little harder to accept our differences of opinion, and we should all agree to disagree with love and respect. We should step back and realize that we are contributing to the problems by lashing out at our neighbors, friends, and family members just because they see things differently than we see them. We should all be able to express our opinions without fear of being ridiculed. We should be able to make a statement without a fight ensuing. We can all do this if we remember the commandment to love thy neighbor. That does not mean that we have to agree with our neighbor. That does not mean that we should allow our neighbor to tell us what we should believe, but it does mean that we should respect each other. We should show kindness to each other, and we should avoid the arguing and bashing that so many people participate in. Our loudest voice and are biggest concern should be about peace, love, and acceptance. If we can all do that a little more and argue a little less, I truly believe it will make the world a better place. Will all the problems of this world suddenly disappear? No, but it will give us a chance to experience more peace in our lives.

How we see the world is really up to each of us. We can choose to see the world as a terrible place full of strife and violence, or we can choose to see the world as a wonderful place full of love and goodness. The decision is really up to each of us. It is an individual choice and one that should not be taken lightly.

So in my quest for peace and my belief that the world is really a beautiful place to live, I am going to be sharing things that bring me peace. For my first four entries, I will be sharing collections that bring me peace. You may be thinking how can a collection bring you peace? The answer to that question is quite simple. A collection can bring us peace when we look at it. It can bring us peace because it makes our homes beautiful, and it can bring us peace because it takes our minds off of the things that do not bring us peace. This feeling may be fleeting, but while it lasts it can change our attitudes and begin to spread to the rest of our lives.

The collection I am sharing with you today is my leather book and hogscraper candlestick collection. I love these items because of the worn surfaces and their age. I love these items because they bring character to a room, and they fill my heart with joy. I hope you will enjoy this collection and the other collections that I present in the weeks ahead. I hope that you will begin to think about the things that bring you peace and realize that it truly is the little things in life that can bring us the most joy. Maybe thinking about those things will bring you a little more peace and you will begin to realize just how much PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~