Guest Blog by Bob “Mr. Happy” Moyers

Volunteers from around the globe will be encouraged to “take the pledge of forgiveness” this fall in celebration of the 5^th annual National Forgiveness Day. It falls on October 30th this year. It is always the last Saturday of October each year.

We are hoping to reach 5 million people this year and 50 million in 2011.  

Our objective is to encourage people and organizations across the nation to publish/print/distribute/share copies of our “Power Of Love Joy Of Forgiveness Health/Wellness Plan” by email, newsletters, and other publications to as many people as possible in conjunction with the event.

This year’s pledge of forgiveness is as follows: “I pledge to forgive others, forgive myself, and ask for forgiveness each day. I pledge to not let the sun go down on my anger, to ask for bitterness to be removed, and for my joy to be restored.”

In addition the following litany of forgiveness is encouraged as God’s people strive to do the will of God each day and to love one another as God loves them:

“Please forgive them. Please help me to forgive them. Please forgive me. Please help me to forgive myself. Please remove my bitterness. Please restore my joy.”

The history of the event can be traced back to 1994 when National Forgiveness Days were proclaimed in Canada and the United States for the first time.

The US event was launched in Fremont, Ohio, and died out after three years. The Canadian event was renamed Global Forgiveness Day and is alive and well.

The US event was “born again” on the last Saturday of October in 2006 in Liberty Center, Ohio, when the Center Of Unconditional Love held a rally and went door-to-door in conjunction with the national Make-A-Difference Day project.

We reached 500 in 2006 before seeking volunteers to publish and distribute the “plan” across the nation.

The grass roots event has multiplied 10-fold each year with 500,000 copies of the plan being shared in 2009. Last year’s successes included proclamations from each state touching Ohio and a feature story in Grand, a national magazine for grandparents. The White House gave a word of encouragement.

We hope for proclamations from the states touching the states that touch Ohio.

Our goal is for the White House to recognize the event and the US Health & Human Services Department to distribute the Wellness Works Plan to every American.

Volunteers are welcomed to join the celebration.

Visit www.unconditionallovelive.com. Sign up as friends. Send copies of the plan to as many people as possible. Take the forgiveness pledge!

Bob Moyers is known as “Mr. Happy.” He is president and founder of the Center Of Unconditional Love (COUL). He established the United States National Forgiveness Day in 1994.