This Rilke stanza, translated by Br. David Steindl-Rast, encourages us to love the turning point, even when change makes great demands upon us.

"Each of us can decide to treat this economic recession as the 'recess from excess' that is long overdue," writes Lynne Twist in an excellent article newly included in our Simple Living resources (scroll down to "Offsite Links").

Scroll down to "Links" in our "Religious Harmony" topic to find a new 40-day e-course (Jan. 5 - Feb. 13):  Practicing Spirituality with the World's Religions.

For the New Year, please let us be the first to greet you with glad tidings, through Mr. Moses.

Send a New Year's ecard!

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to be less judgmental, this guidance from Zen Abbot Norman Fischer will be of help.

Whether you miss snow or are making peace with its presence, you can design snowflakes for your friends in this new addition to our Creativity topic.  (Scroll down to "Snowdays" under "Links".)

December's newsletter focuses on resources that help us live by our ideals.

A new video cut from "Many Paths, One Truth" (1977) by Oscar-nominated director John D. Goodell looks at the part each of us can play in building a more peaceful world.

Common Sense Spirituality, Br. David's new anthology with a foreword by Sr. Joan Chittister, makes a wonderful holiday gift and inspiring New Year's meditations.

Take advantage of a rare opportunity to reorient yourself.  Sign up for the Ocean of Gratitude Cruise with Michael Beckwith, Rickie Byars Beckwith, and more.

How can we keep the spirit of upcoming holidays without feeling manipulated into wanting more than we need?  Meredith Jordan describes an intriguing approach in "27 Things."

Behind-the-scenes prayers in an unexpected setting.  A deportee bringing street dance and lessons about life to boys in Cambodia.  A Pakistani woman building an oasis of hope.  Let these and more Gratefulnews stories lift your spirits.

Együtt ragyogová tehetjük az egész világot:  "Together we can set our whole world aglow."  Our gratitude to Miklós Cseszneky De Milvány for translating our "Light a Candle" feature into Hungarian.

Please join us in a candle vigil for Mumbai. 

Join Br. David Steindl-Rast, Roshi Joan Halifax, and Tessa Bielecki for an inspiring retreat in Petaluma, California, February 20-22, 2009.  Registration is still open!

What inner stance and outer actions can we take amidst the current financial crisis?  You can find insights into these questions in our Fear/Peace and Simple Living topics.

If visiting the Angels of the Hours has brought you a measure of peace, you will enjoy this Round Dance slideshow with the full-length Fra Angelico paintings and accompanying quotes.

Helen Siegl's mosaic of Advent images speaks of the peace for which our hearts long.

Happy 8th Anniversary of Gratefulness.org!  Celebrate with our November newsletter.

Gratefulnews looks at promise:  in civil rights, Muslim-Christian relations, Miriam Makeba's legacy, and the spiritual pursuits of young people.

 Our Children and Elders topic has a new link to a video of a golfing prodigy whose life is inspiring for more reasons that just his remarkable swing.

Have you seen our Gift Shop? Your purchase of journals, t-shirts, greeting cards, and other holiday gifts helps support our free services (thank you!).

Enjoy two newly posted videos of Br. David's teachings, one at the Thanks-Giving Square World Advisors Meeting in 1996 and one from the new Living Yoga movie.

Thanksgiving ecards are ready for your expressions of gratitude to family and friends.

Margaret Wakeley expresses appreciation for a special dimension of reading.

During this Thanksgiving season, we continue to add to our "In the Press" page, where you will find excellent articles about gratitude and our work.

Sign up for a new e-course that allows you to practice spirituality with Joan Chittister, a theologian, Benedictine sister, social psychologist, communication theorist, and author of more than 30 soul-stretching books.

A five year old enamored of words can plumb the heights and depths of "Infinity and God," as Richard Jones' new poem shows.

California?  Costa Rica?  Your own backyard?  Wherever you want to go in the world, you are likely to find gratefulness there

What is it about A Network for Grateful Living (ANG*L) that draws people back time and again?  Our Annual Report explores the reasons and underscores the value of your ongoing moral and financial support.

At a time in which many people’s circumstances and spirits are plummeting, our October newsletter asks: "Is there any good word that can be said?"

Choose from many Halloween and other seasonal ecards as well as our wider selection.

October's Gratefulnews takes a look at resourcefulness:  In international mediation, through a prisoner's blog, at a benefit festival, and amidst nature's wealth.

At a critical turning point in our economic history, here's a bit of perspective on prosperity.

"The rhythm of the Great Heart of God has been drowned out by the cadence of hubris, greed, and violence," writes Environmental Studies Professor David W. Orr, "and we should ask why."

Listen to ten new audio clips (available for mp3 downloads) which explore topics like putting prayer on a human level and embodying what we stand for.

Common Sense Spirituality, Br. David's new anthology of meditations with a foreword by Sr. Joan Chittister, is now in print for you to enjoy and to offer as a gift to friends and family.

Send an ecard blessing for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year).

Our September newsletter asks:  How can we allow phases of our lives to come to an end and embrace what is emerging without fear?

How universal is gratefulness?  Our response to this question now includes an insightful description of grateful living as an encompassing ethic for our times.

 Don't miss the new e-course on the practice of Peacemaking in the links under our "Fear and Peace" topic.

Celebrate the coming of Spring (in the southern hemisphere) and Autumn (in the northern hemisphere) with Equinox ecards.

If you are intrigued by ways that technology can support spiritual practice, you will want to read this article about cell phones that ring for prayer times during Ramadan (check out other newly posted Gratefulnews, too!). 

Sister Michaela Terrio's response to a question about self-sacrifice in the Catholic tradition offers insight which anyone, from any background, can appreciate.

 "How can we truly be with dying, this invisible road of initiation that will open for all of us?" asks Roshi Joan Halifax in this second excerpt from her new book.

Our August newsletter gives you a framework for soul-searching about the obvious and hidden changes in your life.

The sound on Angels of the Hours is now updated to Flash/mp3 format.  Now more people can enjoy the European bells and monastic chants accompanying this feature.

If eating a tomato sandwich can teach us to live in the here and now, to savor the immediate experience, with thanksgiving, then that experience can connect us with divine grace.

Check out our Religious Harmony topic to find a new e-course about the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (scroll down to "Links").

What does it take to sustain a community?  This month's Gratefulnews looks at this question from multiple perspectives.

"What rituals do we have in our culture that denote and legitimize our transformative passages?" asks Joan Halifax in Part 1 of a two-part excerpt from her new book, Being with Dying.

Did you know that we offer a myriad of resources for starting your own local group on grateful living practice?  Visit our Groups page to learn how!

This powerful pledge fosters the attitudes necessary to bring about a world at peace.

Is it wiser to be visionary or practical?  We don't need to choose, according to M.C.Richards:  We can be both, "weightless and weighted."

July's edition of Gratefulnews is all about rescue.

Looking for an event near you?  Be sure to visit our newly updated page of workshops, retreats, and other adventures.  You will also find a range of ways to connect with kindred spirits through our Community portal.

Life's contradictions are often exactly what save us, allowing us to fly beyond limitations.  In "Jitterbug", poet Joyce McAllister plays contrasts off each other:  brittleness and speed, refusal and abandon, limping and flight.

"Every moment we have more than enough—if we are open to receive," writes Gunilla Norris.   

Did you ever consider that "by simply making a little space inside of nowhere, we can transform it into NOW HERE"?  This and other insightful word plays await you in these X-Z keywords. 

What do we do when we have loads that we can’t imagine carrying for another step?  June's newsletter offers perspective.

This banner by Claire Prucher Epperly and poem by Stephen Levine both capture a "terrible delight."

In Grateful News:  Marveling at what remains, coexisting without losing our uniqueness, older brains growing wiser,  and a disarmingly honest approach to poverty reduction. 

Celebrate the Solstice (Friday, June 20th) by sending seasonal ecards to friends and family.

The flyer for Br. David and Chungliang Al Huang's evening lecture in Zuerich is now available.  There is a wait list for the preceding weekend retreat at Mattli, which filled rapidly.

"To fully enter into the movement of Reality":  This goal for which many of us long can become surprisingly approachable in the face of terminal illness, as Jessie Dolch's poem shows.

Pathways to experience the Divine, grace as cosmic wisdom flowing between thoughts:  Br. David touches upon these topics and more in video clips from the 2007 Greek Isles trip.

Alice Walker writes, "It no longer bothers me that I may be constantly searching for father figures; by this time, I have found several and dearly enjoyed knowing them all."  Enjoy our Father's Day (and Graduation!) ecards. 

Our May newsletter looks at what to do when life doesn't turn out as you expected.

Enjoy magical performances by Jane Hirshfield, Coleman Barks, Drew Dellinger, Roger Housden, Annette Cantor and more, through free video clips of the Poetry of Gratefulness event and an opportunity to order the DVD or CD.

Who can measure the significance of an "ordinary" life?  Daria Donnelly's – as a mother, wife, and editor whose life was cut short by a fatal illness – was surely a gift, reminding us not to take each other for granted.

What can we do to ease the suffering that clings to our image of perfection?

Send a Mother's Day ecard to someone nurturing in your life or (in keeping with the day's origins) someone who works for peace.  If your mother has passed on, light a candle in her memory.

This month you can find Grateful News covering the gamut from a hopeful diplomatic shift to an intrepid role model, from malaria protection to a long-overdue reunion.

Send an Earth Day ecard, and gather fresh inspiration through the practice sessions and links in our Caring for the Earth and Simple Living topics.

"We can escape from absurdity by learning to listen to the word in everything we encounter," including these new keywords: way, wonderment, word, and work/play.

Bring new light to your gratefulness practice through the offerings in our April newsletter.

Gain courage from the thousands of organizations working to Light Up the World.  If you have one to recommend which is not yet on our map, please let us know.

"There is a mercy making its way/up through the ocean of the earth/to the shores of our feet," writes Stephen Levine.

Light a candle for Tibet and the universality of the Tibetan people's struggle (learn more).

Stop by our Caring for the Earth topic and check out what's new!   The resource links now include "12 Steps to Practical Problem Solving" by Paul Polak, an innovator in creative solutions to complicated social problems.

Jane Addams connected the dots between service to humanity and a strong pacifist stance, even when Teddy Roosevelt – whom she had considered a friend – denounced her as “the most dangerous woman in America.”

You can now view six video clips of Br. David's 2004 interview at the Synthesis Dialogues in Rome, including his thoughts about a life-preserving and healing Godview.

Our "At Home in the Body" topic has another new offering:  to neuro-anatomist Jill Bolte Taylor's powerful story of recovery and awareness after a stroke. (Scroll down to Links on this page.)

Equinox blessings to you!

In this month's Grateful News: a colorful Vietnamese pilgrimage; the work skills of blind professionals; help for writing thank-you notes; a courageous woman alleviating the pains of war; and how compost can protect against global warming.

Our sister site, Spirituality & Practice, is offering an e-course on "Practicing Spirituality During Illness," April 1-May 10, 2008. To learn more, visit our "At Home in the Body" topic and scroll down to "Links."

Visit our video section, which now includes an hour of teachings by Br. David and Joan Halifax Roshi on gratefulness, compassion fatigue, and letting change guide you; plus a short, inspiring video on peace.

"May you always walk in sunshine. May you never want for more."  And may you always find the perfect e-card for St. Patrick's Day, the turning seasons, and Easter.

Imagine needing only a spoon to get through life!

Join us in April for a retreat in West Virginia or come to Switzerland with us in September!

Thank you for brightening people's lives through more than five million candles lit since the beginning of our Light a Candle feature.

Listen to an interview on "Why Gratefulness Matters" with Linda Larsson and Dale Biron, board members of A Network for Grateful Living (ANG*L).

February's newsletter looks at some of the fascinating contradictory truths around us.

» click here for previous news

Jan 5,  Death date of George Washington Carver (1865-1943) — African-American botanist, chemist, and educator who served as Director of Agricultural Research at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. Carver invented hundreds of industrial uses for farm products like peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and pecans. more »

Jan 6,  Epiphany — +Christians celebrate today Christ’s Epiphany -- his shining-forth in the world. We can all celebrate the many ways in which divine light and truth shines forth in different religious traditions and in the events of our own life. more »

Jan 6,  Birthday of Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967) — Major American poet and prose writer who won two Pulitzer Prizes. Sandburg's works speak to the hearts of ordinary people. He wrote, "I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on the way." more »

Jan 6,  Birthday of Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931) — Lebanese-American essayist, novelist, poet, and artist who wrote in both Arabic and English. His best-known work, The Prophet (1923), is appreciated for its mystical and meditative beauty. more »

Jan 7,  Birthday of Jean Pierre Rampal (1922 - 2000) — French virtuoso flutist renowned as a soloist and for his contribution to chamber-group presentations. His recordings keep his luminous presence and artistry alive for us.

Jan 7 - Jan 16,  Muslim Feast of Muharram — This Feast, which opens the Muslim year of holy days, bears the name of one of Allah's four sacred months mentioned in the Holy Qur'aan. On the 10th day, Muslims observe the fast of Ashura.

Jan 8,  Birthday of A. J. Muste (1885 - 1967) — Clergyman, labor leader, and pacifist, whose preaching influenced Martin Luther King to study nonviolence. Asked if his protests changed U.S. policy, he replied: "Oh, I don't do this to change the country. I do this so the country won't change me."

Jan 8,  Birthday of John Ruskin (1819-1900) — British writer and art critic, who observed that "really great people have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them but through them. And they see something divine in every other person."

Jan 8,  Birthday of Elvis Presley (1935 - 1977) — American "King of Rock 'N Roll" who greatly influenced popular culture; recipient of 14 Grammy nominations (3 wins) and star of 33 films. Known for his charisma and kindness as well as talent, Elvis wanted to offer people hope and a feeling of belonging

Jan 9,  Birthday of Joan Baez (b. 1941) — American folk singer of ballads and spirituals; involved in nonviolent social action beginning in her high school years when she first heard Dr. Martin Luther King speak. more »

Jan 10,  Birthday of Robinson Jeffers (1887 - 1962) — American poet, the majority of whose works reflect his love of the California coastal area of Carmel and Big Sur, where he lived from 1914 until the end of his life. more »

Jan 11,  Birthday of Alan Paton (1903 - 1988) — South African author, whose anti-apartheid convictions and compassion in interracial conflict find eloquent expression in his novel, Cry, the Beloved Country (1948).

I think this is a beautiful site and I love that it is International ! Thank You for letting my heart reach out to others !  — Eleanor, Roanoke,Va

Thank you so much for this site. I'm not able to go to church to light a candle and this is a great way to do it. Thank you.  — Kaat, Belgium

It’s so important that some of our beloved ones know how much we care even at the distance, that this site is perfect to send our regards and hopes to them.  — Magali Gomez, Chile

Wow! I am impressed. I have always known the importance of true heart felt gratitude; but a whole site devoted to it. I will be back.  — KB, San Diego

I think your site is a best non-violent way to meditate/pray for worldwide peace. Need it today... Thank you.  — Paul, Holland

Thank you so much for the beautiful labyrinth... such an invitation to serenity and gratitude.  — Betsy Parsons, Maine, USA

Your site is truly beautiful in the way it connects people from anywhere in the World in love, Gratitude and Peace.  — Annette, Brisbane, Australia

Thank you so much for your site. I found it years ago and I often come back....I’m very grateful for this and many other things that happened in my life!  — Anne, Germany

This is the most precious gift you can give a grieving parent. God Bless you. Your candles are so comforting for families.  — Dee Evans, New York

the perfect place for soul reflection, gentle love and peace, thank you  — lebe, new zealand

Great idea and beautiful site! I loved it and I've marked it as a Favorite so I can come back again and again.  — CE, Sweden

My heart is full. Thank you for the serenity of the labyrinth.  — Karen, Virginia

Very good site. Thank you very much !  — Tatyana, Ukraine

Thank you for this interesting and inspiring site. I’m amazed at the depth and quality of the information here.  — Lauri, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Wow! This is really great! Thank you for this beautiful and inspiring website. May you all be blessed!  — Sonel, South Africa

Thank you. I came to your site looking for a way to light a candle of my own and found somewhere to become centered and peaceful, even in the middle of the day.  — ABZ, Torrance, CA

This site is a great opportunity for us to realize that there are others who struggle each and every day, just like us.  — Christopher M Lucas, Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

Thank you for this interesting and inspiring site. I'm amazed at the depth and quality of the information here.  — Lauri, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

My heart is full. Thank you for the serenity of the labyrinth.  — Karen, Virginia

Thanks from the heart for this beautiful site!!! No distinction or division on race, sexual orientation, religion, politics, male/female, nationality, etc. etc. Just universal peace, love, wisdom and harmony: really wonderful!  — soulangé, bonaire