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 |   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 ![Merit Badge in WDC Soundtrackers
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Jamál (Beauty), 7 Rahmat (Mercy) 176 B.E. - Sunday, June 30, 2019 Author's Note: ▼ The Penny Problem I've heard some people would like the government to discontinue pennies because they are a nuisance. Even if the U.S. government stopped striking pennies today, we would still be faced with "the penny problem" into the unforeseeable future. Why? Because pennies breed, the multiply exponentially. Put two pennies into a warm, dark coin purse or pocket and they become four. Then eight, then sixteen, multiplying to the capacity of the container before the stop breeding. If they can find a way of pushing their young out of the container, they will continue the procreation process, while their young migrate. "New" pennies will fall into larger purses and onto the ground or carpet. Because pennies need to exchange genetic materials to multiply. A single penny will remain by itself for eternity. Beware, if you have another penny within scent distance of a single lonely penny. The two pennies will find each other and begin to multiply. |
Jalál (Glory), 6 Rahmat (Mercy) 176 B.E. - Saturday, June 29, 2019
DAY 2414: Do you have a mission statement? If so, what is it? If not, what would you say if you were to write a mission statement? Mission Statement A mission statement is usually written by business, and is a paragraph stating the businesses goals. However, a mission statement can be written by anyone, or found in many of the sacred scriptures. There are numerous paragraph in the scriptures revealed by Baha'u'llah that can be used as a mission statement by the individual because they state the goal of the human soul. "For every one of you his paramount duty is to choose for himself that on which on other may infringe and one usurp form him. Such a thing--and to this the Almighty is My witness--is the love of God, could ye perceive it." My Mission Statement My writing mission is to encourage, inspire, and share my joy, my experience, and my faith with humanity. To proclaim to the world Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God, and His forerunner, The Bab. To heal the wounds left upon my soul by experiences from my past and present; experiences that helped me place my trust in God and in His Manifestation. That is the latest, and probably the last, rewrite of my mission statement. It's something I've been working on for several years. I know that most mission statements aren't rewritten, since this is a personal mission statement for my writing and my life it changes as I mature and learn more about myself, talents, and attributes. Footnotes |
Istiqlál (Independence), 5 Rahmat (Mercy) 176 B.E. - Friday, June 28, 2019 "The whole duty of man i n this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him. Let none therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle. The portion of some might lie in the palm of a man's hand, the portion of other might fill a cup, and of others even a gallon-measure." Baha'u'llah4 It's a beautiful Friday morning here in Las Vegas. There is a variable wind blowing through the palm trees. I've taken care of all the business I can take care of today, with the exception of doing surveys. I've decided to move my day off survey taking from Friday to Saturday because there appears to be more surveys available during the week. Flood of Grace I contemplate the flood of God's grace pouring across the planet in this day. I know it maybe difficult to see or feel the water of divine grace, but if I open up my soul to the possibility it's easier to feel and see divine reality. Footnotes |
Istijlál (Majesty ), 4 Rahmat (Mercy) 176 B.E. - Thursday, June 27, 2019 "...Whatever duty Thou hast prescribed unto Thy servants of extolling to the utmost Thy majesty and glory is but a token of Thy grace unto them, that they may be enables to ascend unto the station conferred upon their own inmost being, the station of the knowledge of their own selves." Baha'u'llah5 Discovering My True Self Through meditation, Each tests confronted review a new facet of my inmost being, and shines the mirror surface of my spirit. Footnotes |
‘Idál (Justice), 3 Rahmat (Mercy) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Today, June 26, is the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. According to the article Join the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture Torture, like genocide, is a crime against humanity. It's a crime that affect the minds and souls of both the victim and the perpetrator. The resolution was adopted on December 10, 1984, and went into force on June 26, 1987.7 Every year, on June 26, the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is proclaimed “with a view to the total eradication of torture and the effective functioning of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.”8 Footnotes |
Fiḍál (Grace), 2 Rahmat (Mercy) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, June 25, 2019 The first five months of 2019 have been difficult, and I suspect that is an understatement. I was on the verge of depression an hour or so ago, but that seems to have left. The depression was caused by a combination of things, most of it financial. Not all, my brother, Tom, called Sunday to say the doctor found a growth in his gut area. Right now he is in the Colorado University Hospital in Denver. Tomorrow they will attempt to take the grow out. On Thursday he has a biopsy, and will go home on Friday until the get the results back for the biopsy. So far in June, my checking account has not been overdrafted. However, there are still five days left in the month. I don't know what's going to happen. The problem is too much month and not enough money. I haven't looked at July's budget yet, which consists of what I owe. I'll have to take a look at my books on Friday or Saturday. I applied for help with the electricity, and I hope I get it. If not, I'm going to have to make payment arrangement with the power company, which means I'm going to have to find money that I don't think I have. Things have to get better. I'm behind on the poems I'm writing for the Bicentenary celebration of the Birth of the Bab. There are about 126 days left to the celebration, and I have 176 poems to write. I can't afford to get depressed because depression just stops me from writing. I've finished complaining for now. Writing helps improve my mood, even if the only thing I do is rant. I'm sure things will get better. I have enough paratransit tickets for the four medical rides I need on Monday, July 1, and on Thursday, July 11. I still have to purchase more tickets; which I don't need until closer to the end of July. |
Kamál (Perfection), 1 Rahmat (Mercy) 176 B.E. - Monday, June 24, 2019 Feast of Rahmat (Mercy) "With perfect compassion and mercy have We guided and directed the people of the world to that whereby their souls shall be profited. I swear by the Sun of Truth which hath shone forth from the highest horizons of the world that the people of Bahá had not and have not any aim save the prosperity and reformation of the world and the purifying of the nations." ‘Abdu'l-Bahá9 It's Monday, June 24, the first day of Rahmat, the month of Mercy. The day begin with birds singing, which is a plus this time of year because of the triple digit temperatures in Las Vegas. It's always nice to wake up to birds singing because it means the morning is cool. The birds stop singing around 11:00 A.M. or so when the day starts to heat up. Apparently, they don't like singing in hot temperatures. This morning I did some surveys on Survey Junkie, a review on writing.com, and posting a status update to Facebook. This afternoon I'm planning on doing some blog entries, checking the national and international news (online), and checking out the article For the Betterment of the World, to the Glory of God: The Emergence of Bahá’í Houses of Worship by Ann Boyles.This is the mercy of God, a place to meditate, pray, and gather. Through the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár10, Baha'u'llah sheds His blessings upon the human race. Nine doors reveal divine grace and loving kindness by inviting every individual in no matter what their religion, spiritual path, or lack of a spiritual path in. Each Mashriqu’l-Adhkár expresses unity, divine favour and compassion Inhale the providence of God and enter in peace. Footnotes |
Jamál (Beauty), 19 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Sunday, June 23, 2019 "O people of the world, ye are all the fruit of one tree and the leaves of one branch. Walk with perfect charity, concord, affection, and agreement. I swear by the Sun of Truth, the light of agreement shall brighten and illumine the horizons. The all-knowing Truth hath been and is the witness to this saying. Endeavor to attain to this high supreme station which is the station of protection and preservation of mankind. This is the intent of the King of intentions, and this the hope of the Lord of hopes." The Bahá’í Writings Oneness of Humanity: We Are Earth! We are Earth! We are the dendrites and axons Composing the planet's brain. We are Earth! We are the nerve cells Uniting the hemispheres of thought. We are Earth! We are the elements Of the planet's soul. We are Earth! We are black, white, Brown, yellow, and red. We are humanity, And we are the Earth! |
Jalál (Glory), 18 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Saturday, June 22, 2019
DAY 2011: Give us a taste of summer – either through a recipe, or a memory or story that expresses summer to you. Memories of Summer The memories of summer blow through my mind, like wind through the palm trees outside my front door. I listen for the laughter of Grandpa Frank, or the voice of Grandma Mary as we drive toward The Lake, that was filled by the Chikaskia River in northern Oklahoma. It was Friday, of a Fourth of July weekend, we had everything packed for the picnic, Independence Day celebration, and a weekend at The Lake11.
DAY 2407: Ice cream float, lemonade, sun tea. Pick one or write about them all. Have fun. Be creative. Sun Tea To make sun tea you need a large, at least 1 gallon, glass jar with a lid. Wash and rinse the jay, fill jar with water, put tea bags in the jar, put lid on jar, and set jar in the sun. When the tea is dark take the tea bags out, DO NOT leave the tea bags in the tea, and put the tea in the refrigerator. Put ice cubes in a glass and pour some of the tea over them, add anything you want to your glass of tea. Footnotes |
Istiqlál (Independence), 17 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Friday, June 21, 2019
DAY 2406: Happy Midsummer's Eve, or Midwinter's Eve Summer Solstice or Winter Solstice depends on where you live and how you see the day. Does color change your mood? Which colors affect you the most if they do? Summer Solstice: Poem One On the longest day of the year, in the Northern Hemisphere, the sapphire sky reflects my gratitude, and the joyful songs of sparrows echo my mood.
DAY 2010: Happy Midsummer's Eve or Midwinter's Eve Summer solstice or winter solstice depending on where you live and how you see the day. Use these words in your entry today: faeries, realm, Lilith, stag, bonfire, marshmallows, and supermarket. Summer Solstice: Poem Two In the Realm of the Faeries, Lilith walks barefooted through the forest, carrying a reusable supermarket bag. Above the full moon guides her through the night to a glen where a bonfire burns bright, where her friends and the stag of summer waits for the marshmallows, that is her contribution to the Midsummer celebration. |
Istijlál (Majesty), 16 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Thursday, June 20, 2019 Midnight and Dawn It is in the silent hours Without turning on the light, I reach for my smartphone, access my Baha'i Prayer app, and chose a prayer by either Baha'u'llah or 'Abdu'l-Baha. If it is midnight, I chose the Midnight prayer, and at dawn I chose the Dawn prayer. I read the words aloud and connect my soul to the All-Glorious Lord. |
‘Idál (Justice), 15 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, June 19, 2019 At exactly 11:54 AM on Friday, June 21, summer arrives, which is 9:54 AM here in Las Vegas. The triple digit temperatures for the past few days has given the impression it is already summer. The birds sing until the temperatures rise, after the temperatures reach about 95 degrees the birds stop singing. After the temperatures reach 100 degrees the birds stop walking around and withdraw into their nests or the shade until the evening temperatures drop. “What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” John Steinbeck Summer and winter, Spring and autumn, each season has its ow charm. Summer is here, with triple digit temperatures and summer storms. The best part of summer is cold watermelon and sweet iced tea. |
Fiḍál (Grace), 14 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, June 18, 2019 On June 18, 1983, 36 years ago today, ten women were hanged in Shiraz, Iran, because they were Baha'is. Ranging in age from 17 to 57, they were each ask to recant their faith before the executioner put the noose around their necks. Each one refused to deny their faith, and each was hanged--one at a time while the others watched. With radiant acquiesce, they accepted their fate knowing that their souls would ascend into the Abha Paradise to be with Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God. Let us repeat the names of the dead, Martyrs will not be silenced. Izzat Janami - 57 Ru’ya Ishraqi - 23 was Izzat's daughter Nusrat Yalda’i - 46 Tahirih Siyavushi - 32 Mashid Nirumand - 28 Zarrin Muqimi - 28 Akhtar Sabet - 25 Shahin Dalvand - 25 Simin Sabiri - 24 Mona Mahmudnizhad - 17 Tuba Zairpour, 56, is another woman who gave her life for her faith. Mrs. Zaipour was hanged on March 12, 1983. Jane Toth remembered all of these women in her 2017 article series The Women The Hanged |
Kamál (Perfection), 13 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Monday, June 17, 2019
DAY 2402: Motivational Monday: “Mondays are the start of the work week which offer new beginnings 52 times a year!“ ~ David Dweck Write about New Beginnings on Monday. 52 New Beginnings A Year 52 new beginnings, 52 chances to get it right as long as we keep the goal in sight. At 72 my goals have changed. I have different goals today than I did when I was 27. I see the world differently than I did at 27. The change in my world view and goals came slowly over the years. I've cried many tears. I've, figuratively, hit my head against stone wall many times because I was too stubborn to look for a door through or another way around those walls. I'm still stubborn, however, I'm attempting to redirect my stubbornness into steadfastness. Steadfastness is a spiritual attribute or virtue, while stubborn is an attribute of my lower self. I can't say I've completely overcome my stubbornness, because I haven't; I'm working on it. Thankfully I have 52 chances each year to work on overcoming my stubbornness, among other vices.
Day 2006: What was the best piece of advice your father or a father figure in your life ever gave you? Did his words and example have had an effect on your life? Fatherly Advice The best advice Grandpa Frank, who was my father figure, ever gave me was "Don't mulligrub around." Mulligrub or mulligrubs is a noun, which is normally used with a single or plural verb, and means ill tempered, colicky, or grumpy.12 Footnotes |
Jamál (Beauty), 12 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Sunday, June 16, 2019 This morning started off good. I read the second article in Steve McLean's series The Dawn of a New Faith "O Thou Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee; I have accepted curses for Thy sake, and have yearned for naught but martyrdom in the path of Thy love." The Bab13 In the above quotation the statement, "O Thou Remnant of God!", refers to Baha'u'llah, who was "Him Whom God Will Make Manifest", in many of The Bab's writings. The Bab, an independent Prophet who revealed sacred scriptures and a religion, was also the forerunner of Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God, and the one promised in all the sacred scriptures of humanity. I have poem 22 almost finished, I have to decide on a titile. Footnotes |
Jalál (Glory), 11 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Saturday, June 15, 2019 It's Saturday morning, the temperature is 93 degrees and sunny. I turned on the air conditioner, so that I could get a little bit of cool air. Fortunately, the air conditioner doesn't run all the time. It has a thermostat, so it reaches a specific temperature and shuts off until the thermostat activates it again. I'm attempting to get assistance with the power bill, but I won't know about that until after June 24. I need to call both the power company and my internet provider Monday or Tuesday to see if I can make arrangement to pay the bills that are due. All in all it's been a good morning. I wrote "Kevin Locke" and entered in in "Invalid Item" . Kevin Locke is a Lakota Hoop Dancer, Flute Player, and Story Teller. When I saw the information about the contest in my inbox, I immediately thought about Mr. Locke. In addition to being a Hoop Dancer, Mr. Locke is one of the people that Christopher Buck interviews in the series of articles Indigenous Messengers of God on BahaiTeachings.org .It's been an interesting, stressful, and oddly productive week. The reason I say "oddly productive" is that stress normally causes me to be unproductive. However, I managed to write a several gratitude lists, make some blog entries, deal with the rental management company, and finish poem 21 of the 200 I'm writing for the celebration of the Bicentenary of the Birth of The Bab. All of those poems are in "Bicentenary Poems and Prose" . |
Istiqlál (Independence), 10 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Friday, June 14, 2019
It's Friday, June 14, I think I've made the ten required blog entries for the "The Bard's Hall Contest" "Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel." I've always believed in the existence of the human soul. I've often wondered where the souls lives, and is it a part of my consciousness. I've never received satisfactory answers to either of these inquiries. I finally decided to just accept the existence of the human soul, knowing that eventually God would answer my inquiries, if I just kept praying, asking, and searching. After reading both f We Have a Soul, Where Does it Live? and Epigenetics Proves that We’re Not Just Physical Creatures , I'm satisfied with the idea that my consciousness is not just a part of my brain, but goes beyond the physical. I have also discovered epigenetics, which I need to investigate more thoroughly for a better understanding.One of the things I like about the articles and article series on BahaiTeachings.org is that many of the authors take both a spiritual and scientific approach when writing the articles. This type of approach reflects the Baha'i concept of the fundamental harmony of science and religion.Footnotes |
Istijlál (Majesty), 9 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Thursday, June 13, 2019
It's Thursday afternoon, I accomplished a great deal this morning. None of what I accomplished had anything to do with writing or reviewing. I did surveys on Survey Junkie, converted ove 1,100 points to cash, and transferred that to my checking account. According to the message, it will take about five days to hit my checking account. Which may or may not be too late to prevent an overdraft; however at this point I'm not sure whether I care or not. At this point I'm not sure if I care or not. I will have $10.00 hitting my checking account on Friday (I hope), and I have some in savings I might be able to transfer. I've placed the situation in God's hands, so now all I have to do is set back and accept the inevitable, whatever that is. The Reason I Don't Set a Wake Up Alarm The pain in my left shoulder and my right knee wakes me up at precisely 3:30 A.M. My plans for the rest of the day are simple, if not easy. I plan to read, review, write, say some prayers, and do some survey for Vindale Research. I will also check my Facebook account, at least once. I don't plan on doing anything else, however, that may change as the day moves on. |
‘Idál (Justice), 8 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, June 12, 2019
It's Wednesday, the writing.com weekly newsletters have arrived in our e-mail inboxes. So far, I have managed to read one of the newsletters. I read Kit of House Lannister I suspect there is a good reason for me having a lot of questions. I was born, after sunset, on the evening of December 24. December 24 falls in the Baha'i month of Masá’il, Questions; true this may or may not having anything to do with why I ask questions. I could be asking questions because questions are considered an attribute of the human soul. Another reason could be that, as a child many of the spiritual questions I ask never received a satisfying or adequate answer. In fact, I never found answers to those questions until I learned about Baha'u'llah and began studying scripture He revealed. "The first principle of Bahá’u’lláh is: The Search for Truth Man must cut himself free from all prejudice and from the result of his own imagination, so that he may be able to search for truth unhindered. Truth is one in all religions, and by means of it the unity of the world can be realized." 'Abdu'l-Baha16 Asking questions is one of the most important parts of searching for truth, because without being able to ask, we cannot receive answers. Without being able to ask questions, we cannot put our prejudices behind us and move unfettered into the future. Footnotes |
Fiḍál (Grace), 7 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Monday, June 11, 2019
A Lonely Pigeon It is Tuesday, and the pigeon nesting above my door is moaning his sorrow, his desire for a mate and eggs. He is alone, he has no one to flock or scavenge with so he moans his loneliness all spring and summer. In fall and winter he is silent giving into the loneliness of his chronic bachelor life until the seasons turn and the desire in his loins rises again. |
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