This blog contains responses to blog prompts, & thoughts on spiritual or religious themes |
Disclaimer: Any views, about religion or sacred scriptures, expressed in this blog are my own and not the official views of the Baha'i Faith or any other religion. If you wish to know more about the Baha'i Faith, please check one of these websites: The Baha'i Faith: The Official Website of the Worldwide Baha'i Community or Baha'is of the United States . "The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers." Abdu'l-Baha1 Other Blogs and Journals Content Rating 18+ "Writing in Snow" "The Snowflake Chronicles" "Snow Melt" "More Snow Melt" "Welcome to My Life" "Melting Snow" "Memories of Snow" "Dreams of Snow " "Poem Experiments" "Devotional Poetry" Other Journals Content Rating ASR "Bicentenary Poems and Prose" "Treasures lie hidden beneath the throne of God; the key to those treasures if the tongue of poets." The Bab "O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord." Bahá’u’lláh2 Footnotes |
Istijlál (Majesty), 19 Sulṭán (Sovereignty) 176 B.E. - Thursday, February 6, 2020 Title: Amazing Grace Artist: Judy Collins Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home. The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures. Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who called me here below, Will be forever mine. When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun. March 19, 2020 will be my Mother's 99th birthday. November 29, 2020 will be the 8th anniversary of her death. One of Mom's favorite songs was Amazing Grace, which was Grandma Mary's favorite song. Grandma Mary was Mom's mother. Mom and Me After Mom's death, I lived in the house we shared for about a year before it was sold and I could move out. Moving out started a new phase in my life and in mourning Mom. I still mourn her, but in a different way. Now I can smile, instead of cry, when I remember her. When I was living in the house, I wrote the following poem. "Even Now" Even now, nine months after her death, I wake up in the middle of the night listening for the sound of the machine, the echoes of the oxygen concentrator, which sat on the left side of her bed. Even now, I hear her voice call my name and walk wearily down the hall before I remember that she now sleeps beneath a rose colored headstone in Palm Eastern Mortuary and Cemetery. I still hear Mom's voice in my dreams; however, instead of getting up to walk down the hall to check on her, I access the prayer app on my cell phone and say the following prayer reveal by 'Abdu'l-Baha5 for the progress of Mom's soul. "O Thou forgiving God! Forgive the sins of my loving mother, pardon her shortcomings, cast upon her the glance of Thy gracious providence, and enable her to gain admittance into Thy Kingdom. O God! From the earliest days of my life she educated and nurtured me, yet I did not recompense her for her toil and labours. Do Thou reward her by granting her eternal life and making her exalted in Thy Kingdom. Verily, Thou art the Forgiver, the Bestower, and the Kind." Footnotes |