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 |
Jamal (Beauty), 14 Izzat (Might) 177 B.E. - Sunday, September 20, 2020 "He is God! Thou seest us, O my God, gathered around this table, praising Thy bounty, with our gaze set upon Thy Kingdom. O Lord! Send down upon us Thy heavenly food and confer upon us Thy blessing. Thou art verily the Bestower, the Merciful, the Compassionate." Sunday the first day of the week on the Gregorian calendar. On the Baha'i calendar it is Jamal, the day of Beauty. It is church day for some, and, for others, it just another work day or a day off from work or school. For me, today is a day of memories. Memories of growing up in Blackwell, Oklahoma, and attending Sunday services at the First Southern Baptist Mission in the Smelter Heights. My family also attended the First Southern Baptist church in downtown Blackwell, and when we moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma, we attended the Baptist church there. However, it's memories of attending the Mission in the Smelter Heights that are the clearest. My Grandparents lived in the Heights, so on the weekends and in summer my siblings and I stayed at their home. We went to the Mission on Sundays and for Vacation Bible School in summer. Every Sunday, after church, we would have dinner (our biggest meal of the day) and Grandpa would say grace at the table. When Grandpa said grace he used his own words. After Grandpa died, I got out of the habit of saying grace at the table. When I attempted to get back into the habit, I used my own words. However, my own words didn't seem adequate and always sounded selfish. Now I use the prayer revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha, because, I feel, they adequate and don't sound selfish. Footnotes |