We peer into our hearts to discover and discern.

All that we do must involve family and relationship.

On the horizon is our "brave new . . . "

Along the way, we encounter seemingly strange bedfellows.

Perhaps we are growing dreams in the desert or building the first city in this "new world."

The effort will require iron will.

Perhaps we’ll even boost whales up to (or discover them on) mountaintops.

The preceding poem was shared by Steve Richards as part of his reflection after participating in a Visioning collage exercise at the board retreat. All Peace Connections board members gathered for this retreat/workshop in early May. Vicki Muir, a creative journal expressive arts instructor from Edmond, Oklahoma, led the group through two Visioning exercises. Participants were asked to take several magazines and tear out pictures and words that appealed to them as they thought about Peace Connections. After an allowance of time, some or all of the pictures were to be cut out and combined into a meaningful collage. The first collage was intended to help board members think through themselves, and later relate to each other, what Peace Connections has meant for them in the past and how they have seen it functioning.

"What's in your heart?" was the focus of the second Visioning collage done during the retreat. Board members were asked to draw a heart in the center of this collage and really focus on what their heart's desire for Peace Connections in the next year would look like. What were they personally interested in? What direction should Peace Connections be heading? Again cut-out words and pictures helped the group express in a new way what their feelings were. Among the ideas that emerged were community - transformation - love - unity; globalization & teaching; relationships, understanding; education; facilitation - aiding people to do peace building activities in the areas of poverty and national policies; and creativity & activism.

What would be in your heart for peace if you were asked? As you think of your own path at this point in time, how do you see your next steps for peace unfolding? As Steve's poem suggests, are you ready to "peer into you heart to discover & discern?" Will you let yourself "called to go beyond the edge of [your] comfortable lagoon?" Send us an email, write a letter, give us a call - we are interested in your thoughts!