I Blog Poetry and Prose

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: March 15th - What is your favorite color? Seems like a pretty boring question, right? Well, they say a person's favorite color says a lot about their personality. See here and here . What are your thoughts? Does your favorite color represent you?

My Favorite Color

In the periwinkle dawn
a poet inhales
the orchid passion of morning,
ignoring
both her horoscope
and what lavender reveals
about her personality.

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 1914: Discuss one of the quotes about the Ides of March
https://www.ibtimes.com/ides-march-12-quotes-about-loyalty-celebrate-march-15-18...

Loyalty and Self-Sacrifice

"Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice."
Woodrow T. Wilson

I contemplate corporeity 3
and self-sacrifice.

The first person who comes to mind
is Mulla Husayn--
first person to accept The Bab 4--
who sacrificed his all
in the path of The Gate of God 5,
thus demonstrating
both loyalty and self-sacrifice.

GROUP

The Reality of Love and Beauty

(E)
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#1901868 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 2308: Discuss something from the link about what happened in history on March 15th that appealed to you.
https://www.onthisday.com/events/march/15

The Ides of March:
This Day in History

On this day in history
someone died
and someone was born
neither of this events
caused the world to come to an end.

On this day in history
Julius Caesar died
a violent death.

He was neither the first person
nor the last person
to be murdered
on March 15,
but he was the most famous person;
at least according to the history
I remember being taught
in school.

Footnotes
3 Meaning "the quality of having a physical body or existence" https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/corporeity/?utm_source=wotd-english....
4 Meaning The Gate.
5 Reference to The Bab.

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March 14, 2019 at 4:32pm

#954336

Istijlál (Majesty), 13 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Thursday, March 14, 2019

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#1901868 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 2307: The idea of love is sometimes more engaging than the reality of it.
Use this thought to inspire a story or poem in your entry today.

The Reality of Love

"Love is a many-splintered thing."
Simpsons Episode

It is the idea of love
that inspires poets
to pen odes
dedicated to an ideal.

The reality of love
is a red rose,
with inch long thorns,
that perfumes the mind
with the savor
of chocolate covered
Carolina Reaper 6 peppers.

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a sly fox

Day 1913: "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even felt with the heart." Helen Keller-Annie Sullivan Write anything you want about this quote.

This is an interesting and thought provoking quote, I'm not sure I understand it because beauty is something we can either see with our eyes or feel in our hearts, which is a symbol for both our emotions and our souls. Ms Keller was blind and deaf, so perhaps she is referring to a sense that was more developed in her situation. Maybe her senses of smell and touch were more developed that those of people who have both sight and hearing. If that was the case, her concept of beauty and emotion would probably be focused on those senses.

Footnotes
6 Their heat ranking is 1,641,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

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March 14, 2019 at 3:13pm

#954334

Money

Istijlál (Majesty), 13 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Thursday, March 14, 2019

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Midweek Reflections: Self-knowledge

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: March 14th - Are you good at saving money? What was the last thing you saved up for?

Am I good at saving money? No. I have a saving account, which is attached to my checking account. I have the keep the change thingy that transfers a certain amount of money when I use my debit card in a purchase. Once a month there is an automatic transfer from my checking to my savings account. I'm still not good at saving money.

What am I saving for? I am saving money so that I can transfer money from my savings account to my checking account when my checking account gets overdrawn. I believe a wrote a poem a few years ago about an overdrawn checking account.

"Complaint To My Overdrawn Bank Account"
With Apology to Chaucer

To you, my bank account, and no other
I complain, because you are overdrawn!
I am sad because you were a lover
Who has now betrayed me and let me down,
You were true to my every desire;
But you have ignited debts undying fire:
You must be full again or my plight is dire!

Today is the day for you to fill up,
So that I again have money to spend,
Don't set there like an empty coffee cup,
I want you to again become my friend.
You who were my love and my one desire,
You have gotten me stuck in debt's deep mire:
You must be full again or my plight is dire!

Now bank account, you were my life's one light,
And my salvation, keeping me without fears,
Please fill up and assist me with your might,
Since you're overdrawn I have been in tears.
Without you to fulfill my heart's desire;
I am poor and deep in debt's swampy mire:
You must be full again or my plight is dire!

O conqueror of my soul's seduction,
Please hear and answer my expectation;
My lover-king, I speak this prayer to you
That you my request will not refuse,
But rather answer my supplication!

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March 13, 2019 at 5:12pm

#954282

‘Idál (Justice), 12 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Wednesday, March 13, 2019

GROUP

Grandma's Southern Fried Chicken

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A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 2306: Luc Sante said, " It is fascinating and often fruitful to try on another skin, but it is ultimately meaningless if one hasn't acknowledged one's own.." What do you think? Do you agree with him?

I strongly suspect there are a lot of people out there who aren't comfortable in their own skins, but are afraid to admit it. I have determined this from personal experience, and a few years of being uncomfortable in my own skin. Part of my problem came from being a woman and buying into the idea that women were only good for one thing and had to look beautiful or like a supermodel all the time. I have managed to overcome--at least partially--both of those false beliefs.

"As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs."
Baha’i Scripture

Several years ago--sometime in the last century--I realized that my beliefs about myself were preventing me from achieving my highest potential. In the process, I had to admit that I did not know what my highest potential was because I was backing off from pushing the limits of the instructions I picked up as a child from the way other people acted and talked. I know my mother and grandparent encouraged me to achieve my highest potential to the best of their abilities. Part of my beliefs concerned dogma I had picked up from other people in my life--such as the children I associated with and their parents.

Sometimes, I suspect, the biggest thing holding people back from achieving their highest potential is the inability (if that is the right word) to question the expectations of society and the example-instructions from the people around them. I know that, for a while, I was reluctant to do that.

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March 13, 2019 at 12:20pm

#954270

‘Idál (Justice), 12 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Wednesday, March 13, 2019

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#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: March 13th - What is your absolute favorite meal? Include as much sensory detail as possible in your entry. Make us taste it!

When I was growing up, my favorite food was Southern Fried Chicken. My grandmother would take a cut up roll it in a mixture of flour and spices, put it in a hot iron skilled--which had cooking oil in it--and let it cook until the chicken was done and the coating on the chicken was brown. While the chicken was cooking, she would take cooked potatoes and mash them. After the chicken was done, Grandma would make the gravy by mixing flower and milk into the hot cooking oil she had just cooked the chicken in.

I can remember being able to smell the cooking chicken throughout the house. The chicken was crisp, with the taste of rosemary and other spices. The gravy was hot, with a peppery taste because when Grandma made it she added both salt and pepper to the gravy, so we didn't have to add anything to it. My siblings and I could just set down and eat it. In addition to the chicken Grandma always made either rolls or biscuits. I miss Grandma's southern fried chicken, I will order the chicken in a restaurant (if it's on the menu), but it never tastes the same as that Grandma made.

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March 12, 2019 at 5:40pm

#954226

Memories of My Mother

Fiḍál (Grace), 11 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Tuesday, March 12, 2019

GROUP

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A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 2305: Write something about March.

My mother's 98^th birthday is Tuesday, March 19. Mom's soul ascended into the Abha paradise a little over six years ago. I'm not sure how I'll commemorate Mom's birthday. I'll probably say prayers for the departed to help her souls move through the spiritual realm. I could write a poem, I'll have to find one of her favorite scripture verses to see if that gives me any idea. The following is one of Mom's favorite prayers, she said it everyday before leaving for work.

"O God, my God! I have set out from my home, holding fast unto the cord of Thy love, and I have committed myself wholly to Thy care and Thy protection. I entreat Thee by Thy power through which Thou didst protect Thy loved ones from the wayward and the perverse, and from every contumacious oppressor, and every wicked doer who hath strayed far from Thee, to keep me safe by Thy bounty and Thy grace. Enable me, then, to return to my home by Thy power and Thy might. Thou art, truly, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."

Bahá’u’lláh 7

GROUP

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Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a sly fox

Day 1911 Can colors be attached to memories and emotions, and do colors bring back memories for you? What kind of memories or emotions come rushing back when you see a certain color?

Mom's favorite color was red, so red always has pleasant memories for me. Mom's favorite flowers were roses, especially red roses. Her favorite sweet was chocolate.

Red roses
and dark chocolate
always make me smile,
and bring back memories of Mama.

Footnotes
7 http://www.bahaiprayers.org/protection4.htm

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March 12, 2019 at 10:38am

#954201

Fashion

Fiḍál (Grace), 11 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Tuesday, March 12, 2019

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Trustworthiness, Life on Mars, and Telepathic Communications

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: March 12th - What is your opinion on modern fashion trends? Has your style of dress changed through your life? How do you imagine clothing might change in the future?

I have no problems with modern fashion trends. I think, as long as one covers the important areas of the body while keeping warm, a person should be allowed to wear whatever they want. I will compliment a woman's or man's sense of fashion if they were a piece of clothing or color that enhances their appearance; however, I will not criticize another individual's fashion sense no matter what they wear or don't wear.

As for my fashion sense, I wear what is comfortable and warm or cool depending on the weather. When I go shopping for clothes, I go to a second hand store and purchase gently used items. With certain exceptions, I don't spend money on new pieces of clothing. Gently uses items work well for me, without making me look like I'm homeless. I have one black formal dress I wear once or twice a year, otherwise I wear either skirts or slacks.

I don't attempt to imagine how fashion will look in the future. It doesn't matter to me how it will look in the future. Clothes are necessary to cover the body and keep it warm or cool depending on the season, and to prevent sun damage to the skin.

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March 11, 2019 at 11:15am

#954138

Kamál (Perfection), 10 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Monday, March 11, 2019

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#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: March 11th - To live a fulfilled life, the most important virtue is ______. Fill in the blank and defend your answer.

Trustworthiness

The most important virtue is trustworthiness. Trustworthiness is the chief of virtues, because without it nothing can be accomplished. Trustworthiness takes courage to practice because it is more than simply being trustworthy with other people and with God, it also encourages individuals to be trustworthy with themselves and their goals. It encourages individuals to bring themselves to account each day to determine how trustworthy they are. Trustworthiness motivates individuals to do do their best and pursue their passions.

"The fourth Ṭaráz concerneth trustworthiness. Verily it is the door of security for all that dwell on earth and a token of glory on the part of the All-Merciful. He who partaketh thereof hath indeed partaken of the treasures of wealth and prosperity. Trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquility and security of the people. In truth the stability of every affair hath depended and doth depend upon it. All the domains of power, of grandeur and of wealth are illumined by its light."

Bahá’u’lláh, 8

GROUP

(E)
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#1901868 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 2304: Use these words in your entry: Mars, life, mercy, independence, forgiveness, grace.

Life on Mars

Lately I've encountered several news stories about life on Mars. One of them ask the question "Is/was there life on Mars?" and another was about Mars being humanity's plan 2. To answer the first question, I think there could be life on Mars if there really is underground water or even water in Mars' polar caps. To find actually evidence of life on Mars we need a little more investigation by both robot rovers and human scientist on Mars.

As for Mars being humanity's plan 2, I don't think we need a plan 2. What we need is more people to practice their independence from dogma--both scientific and religious--by practicing the virtues of mercy, grace, and forgiveness toward their fellow human beings and themselves. It would also help if individuals began to investigate both scientific and religious truth for themselves.

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Sunday News: Stories and websites

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a sly fox

Day 1910: Suppose there is a new venture in communications area such as telepathic communications, which some already claim it exists. What do you think about it? Is it possible and can you live with it if it were widely used?

Telepathic Communications

I think telepathic communications is possible. I, also, believe that humanity--at this point in time--is too immature to deal with this type of communications. I suspect (and this is my personal opinion) that telepathy is or maybe a spiritual form of communications. This means that, until the human race is a little more mature, it will not be a common form of communications on the material/physical plane.

Footnotes
8 Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, 4. Ṭarázát (Ornaments).

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March 10, 2019 at 11:20am

#954066

Jamál (Beauty), 9 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Sunday, March 10, 2019

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Creation Saturday: Weather and Birds

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT for March 10th: What news stories are you currently following? If you’re not following any particular stories, share one national story and one international story that interest you.

I am not currently following any specific news story. When I log on my computer the welcome screen shows five headlines from different news sources. If I am interested in one of the stories, I click it on and read it. Otherwise, I bring up my web favorites. I have bookmarked the local newspaper and three of the local television stations. For some national and international news I have bookmarked BBC News and The Guardian . I have, also, bookmarked the Baha'i World News Service , because these are the only news stories I actively follow on a weekly basis.

One o my brothers shares news and magazine articles he finds interesting on Facebook. Sometime I click the articles on and read them. The only articles I share (on a regular basis) on Facebook are those found on BahaiTeachings.Org

. If I share other news articles it is randomly through out the year.

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March 9, 2019 at 10:38am

#954007

Jalál (Glory), 8 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Saturday, March 9, 2019

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: March 9th - With less than two weeks until spring in the Northern Hemisphere, my area is about to receive another dump of snow. For this Creation Saturday, write a story or poem about an unexpected weather event.

Unexpected Weather

One of the reasons I like living in Nevada concerns tornadoes, they very seldom occur here. If they do they usually don't touch the ground. So a tornado touching down in Nevada would be an unexpected weather event. We do get strong winds, and sometimes those winds via with the Santa Ana wind in speed and strength. When Mark Twain visited Nevada, he referred to what he called a "Washoe Zephyr"9, which he described as a dust cloud that hide an entire city.

The wind
blowing at 50 mph
carries the desert with it.

GROUP

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A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 2302: "In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." Mark Twain
Let this quote inspire you to write about Spring Weather.

Spring Weather

Spring is a wonderful time of year
it can rain in the Las Vegas valley
and snow on Mount Charleston.

The wind can blow so hard
that it moves the desert
from one side of Boulder Highway
to the other.

GROUP

Fantastic Friday: Blogging and International Women's Day

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a sly fox

Day 1908: A Bird's Eye-- write your entry about the view a bird has flying over the mundane things you see every day, give us a new perspective on the repetitive places and tasks most days bring you.

A Bird's Eye View

Looking down upon the city,
a hawk sees
towers of steel and glass,
a place to build a nest,
and pigeons to eat.

Footnotes
9 http://www.twainquotes.com/Zephyr.html

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March 8, 2019 at 10:24am

#953955

Istiqlál (Independence), 7 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Friday, March 8, 2019

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#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: March 8th - Browse this inforgraphic about blogging and share something new you learned. When did you first begin blogging and how has your blogging changed since you started?

https://www.dailyinfographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/The-State-of-Bloggin...

Blogging

If my memory is serving me correctly--at 72 sometimes it works good and sometimes is doesn't work as well--I began blogging about the same time I joined WDC. I used to have two offsite blogs, however I have reduced that to one Poet999 - A Butterfly Emerges From Her Cocoon . I attempt to post a poem there, at least, three days a week. I also add a link to WDC with each post. This year, I'm trying to be more consistent with the posts and the link to WDC.

International Women's Day

"Let’s make sure women and girls can shape the policies, services and infrastructure that impact all our lives. And let’s support women and girls who are breaking down barriers to create a better world for everyone."

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres 10

The theme for International Women's Day 2019 is “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change”11. We still have a long way to go before gender equality is accepted across the planet, that day is coming. It is coming because it is a part of God's plan for humanity. Women and men are the wings of civilization and civilization cannot fly on one wing, both wings have to be equal in order for the bird of civilization to get off the ground.

"Yet another of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is the equality of men and women and their equal sharing in all rights..."
'Abdu'l-Baha 12

Gender equality will bring help bring balance to humanity and civilization. It will assist in the coming of world peace. Women have many attributes that will help bring about world peace, and gender equality will reveal these attributes to the world.

Footnotes
10 http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/
11 http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day
12 Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, 202.

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March 7, 2019 at 10:37am

#953892

I Am a Mediator

Istijlál (Majesty), 6 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Thursday, March 7, 2019

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You Can't Go Home/Back Again

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: March 7th - What is your Myers-Briggs Personality Type ? If your eyes are crossed right now and you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out this free personality test first: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test. What do you think of the result? Accurate or a load of bologna?

I am a Mediator (INFP-t)

Mind, which is my interaction with my environment, is 44% extraverted and 59% introverted.

Energy, this is defined as the direction of my mental energy, is 77% intuitive and 23% observant.

Nature, this is the way I cope with my emotions and make decisions, is 28% thinking and 72% feeling.

Tactics--my approach to planning work, and making decisions--is 18% judging and 82% prospecting.

Identity, my confidence in my decisions and abilities, is 47% assertive and 53% turbulent.

I thin this is accurate for two reason. First, the results reflect the way I have worked and made decisions most of my life. Second, this is the second time I have taken this personality test and received the same results both times. I have taken a couple of different personality test over the years--when I was going for my degree two different of the instructors had us take personality tests--and the Myers-Briggs Personality Type is the only one that impressed me as being accurate.

" Personal Profile"

Am I a fault finder?
Blind to the transgressions of others,
The Seeker ascends the mirrored staircase.

Do I work efficiently?
Praising God through daily labor
The Seeker achieves the essence of worship.

Am I indifferent?
Conscious of humanity's needs,
The Seeker overcomes ego's fear.

Do I have an active imagination?
Inspired by the Word of God
The Seeker perceives the substance of existence.

Am I sociable?
In the companionship of the righteous,
The Seeker finds encouragement.

Do I tend to be quiet?
In contemplation God's Will is revealed,
The Seeker gains knowledge.

Am I unhappy?
Joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin;
The Seeker's quest is for the Beloved.

Do I tend to be disorganized?
Obedient to the Commandments of God
The Seeker remains steadfast in the Covenant.

Am I talkative?
Subduing the tongue's smoldering fire,
The Seeker climbs the ladder of self-knowledge.

Do I generate enthusiasm?
Audacious in declaring God's Cause,
The Seeker attains the quintessence of faith.

Am I careless?
Tempered by the fire of tests,
The Seeker passes through the degrees of perfection.

Do I get nervous easily?
Detached from everything except God,
The Seeker comprehends the meaning of independence.

Am I generally trusting?
Resurrected from the sepulcher of doubt,
The Seeker walks on the ocean of certitude.

Do I do a thorough job?
Unrestrained as the wind,
The Seeker proclaims God's ancient faith.

Am I emotionally stable?
United in thought and action,
The Seeker dauntlessly pursues reality.

Do I handle stress well?
Placing her entire reliance upon God,
The Seeker ascends into paradise.

Am I tense?
Understanding the importance of trials,
The Seeker rests secure.

Do I worry a lot?
Awestruck by the reflection of God's Glory,
The Seeker turns to the mirror of divinity.

Am I energetic?
Forsaking material success,
The Seeker inquires about the meaning of life.

Do I prefer the conventional approach?
On fire with the love of God,
The Seeker perceives divine unity.

Am I shy?
Dauntless in the quest for excellence,
The Seeker dives into the ocean of God's Word.

Do I value artistic experience?
The significance of artistic experience lies in
The Seeker's encounters with spirituality.

Am I reserved?
Learning to control the ego
The Seeker attains dominion over self.

Do I have a forgiving nature?
By forging the wrong doer of inequity
The Seeker removes a cancer from her soul.

Am I rude?
dIn the spirit of kindness and love,
The Seeker consorts with the followers of all religions.

Do I prefer routine work?
Obedient to God's law
The Seeker works diligently toward the goal.

Am I a reliable worker?
Faithful to the cause of God
The Seeker achieves immortality.

Do I prefer simple work?
Visualizing the end in the beginning,
The Seeker accepts the will o f God.

Am I lazy?
Desiring only to please the Beloved
The Seeker forsakes personal desires.

Do I cooperate?
Accepting without hesitation God's answers to prayers,
The Seeker obeys God's Manifestation.

Am I inventive?
Turning to the revealed Word of God,
The Seeker proclaims the Glory of God.

Do I prefer things simple?
Without pain birth would not occur;
The Seeker practices reliant acquiescence.

Am I considerate?
Each element of creation contains an attribute of God,
The Seeker focus upon spiritual attributes.

Do I prefer things clear cut?
The universe is a creation of God;
The Seeker is born to know and love the Creator.

Am I kind?
To love God is to love humanity;
The Seeker reflects divine love.

Do I remain calm in tense situations?
God's will is done in every situation;
The Seeker discards doubt.

Am I sophisticated in art, music, and literature?
The Manifestation of God is the founder of civilizations;
The Seeker obeys.

Do I get distracted easily?
Death is the door to immortality;
The Seeker fears only God.

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March 6, 2019 at 3:00pm

#953821

‘Idál (Justice), 5 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Wednesday, March 6, 2019

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Two types of Fate: Irrevocable and Conditional

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT March 6th Today I'm pulling a prompt straight from the Challenge War Chest! Begin your entry with the following:
If I had known then what I know now, I would have never ...

If I had known then what I know now, I would have never ... I, probably, would not do anything different. I repeated this phrase a lot when I was younger (under 50), but after turning 50 I realized--considering that I have repeated a number of mistakes (at least two times) throughout my life--I would no do anything different. Once I realized that, it dawned on me that the mistakes I made are what made me the person I am today.

"Returning Takes Too Long"

It takes too long
to retrace my steps
over the shards of memory,
and across the petrified tears of yesterday.

It takes too long
to follow paths covered
with the dust of history,
littered with scraps of illusions,
and strewn with the bones of vain imaginings.

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March 5, 2019 at 12:39pm

#953755

Fiḍál (Grace), 4 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Tuesday, March 5, 2019

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Books, Ideas, and Marching Fouth/Forth

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT March 5th - Do you believe in fate? Does everything happen for a reason?

Two types of Fate: Irrevocable and Conditional

I believe there are two types of fate. One type is irrevocable and the other is conditional. An individual cannot do anything to change the irrevocable type of fate. On the other hand, the individual does have some control over the conditional type of fate. An example of an irrevocable fate is the electricity going off when lightning strikes an electrical substation. In this case there is nothing an individual can do about the electricity going off and remaining off until the electric company restores power to the substation.

Conditional fate concerns the individual paying the electric bill. If you do not pay the electric bill, and do not call the electric company to make payment arrangement, the electric company will turn your power off until you pay the bill or make arrangements to pay the bill.

Does everything happen for a reason? Yes! There are laws governing the actions of everything--in the material universe--from the smallest subatomic particle to the the largest galaxy in the universe. The are also spiritual laws which have an affect on the souls of human beings. Simply because we have not discovered or do not understand any of these laws does not mean they do not exist or work.

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March 4, 2019 at 12:22pm

#953689

Jamál (Beauty), 3 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Monday, March 4, 2019

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#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT March 4th What was the last book you read that had a profound impact on you?

The last book I read that had an impact on my was The Dawn-Breakers: Nabil's Narrative of the Early Days of the Baha'i Revelation Translated from the original Persian and Edited by Shoghi Effendi. Nabil, the author of The Dawn-Breakers, was a Bahi--a believe in The Bab--before he accepted Baha'u'llah, as the one promised by The Bab. Nabil lived through the turbulent years of the early days of the Baha'i Faith, he witnessed the martyrdom of several early Babis and Baha'is, and he interview witnesses to those events. Since it was written by someone who live through those years, there is no question as to it authenticity.

"I stand, life in hand, ready; that perchance, through God's loving-kindness and grace, this revealed and manifest Letter may lay down his life as a sacrifice in the path of the Primal Point, the Most Exalted Word."

Baha'u'llah 13

Shoghi Effendi was the grandson of 'Abdu-l-Baha--son of Baha'u'llah--and he was educated in England. Shoghi Effendi's translations are authentic and the best that can be found.

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What Counts and My Past Week

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#1972895 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 1903: In what ways can you expose yourself to outside ideas, interests, and viewpoints to use in your writing, aside from your reading and the internet?

I get my ideas anywhere and everywhere. I expect to be getting several ideas this month because I have four doctors' appointment and a blood draw. Some of the doctors' waiting rooms are inspiring, considering they are normally full of people. Most of the offices anymore have televisions, which show either national news or medical education advertisements. I prefer the ones that show the educational advertisements because some of the suggestions are laughable, especially if you are a senior citizen that has trouble getting down on the floor to do exercises.

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#1901868 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 2297: March Fourth or March Forth.

I am marching forth this month, with four doctors' appointment and a blood drawn. This week is the blood draw on March 6. Next week I have two doctors' appointments on March 12 and 13, both of which were rescheduled so I can't reschedule them again. My next appointment is on March 18 at Desert Radiology and on March 27 I have a physical therapy appointment.

Footnotes
13 Quoted in The Dawn-Breakers

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March 3, 2019 at 10:56am

#953623

Jamál (Beauty), 2 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Sunday, March 3, 2019

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT March 3rd “Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.”
Respond to the quote above. If you need more to write about, give us a recap of your past week.

What Counts?

What counts? The answer to this question has changed as I matured. At 72, I'm closer to the door leading into the Abha Paradise than I was twenty-five or fifty years ago, this means that may answer to that question today is different than my answer would have been in the twentieth century. Now the things that count are the divine virtues I've developed over the last seventy-two years, and those I will develop before the Angel of Death severs the connection between my soul and body.

From "Meditations on Infinity"

You can count how many seeds in an apple...
but you can't count how many apples in a seed.
Wordperfect

The finite is knowable:
An apple produces a measurable number of seeds;
The number of atom in a water molecule are limited.

The infinite is unknowable:
An apple seed produces a measureless number of apples;
The number of water molecules in an ocean is limitless.

What counts? Now, in the twenty-first century, my answer is love, the Unknowable Creator, Baha'u'llah, infinity, and myself--to name just a few. These things count because my knowledge about them continues to expand. Knowledge counts because it assists in the survival of both the human soul and body. There are other things that count, as well; however, the majority of them have intangible components that have to be experienced rather than listed.

My Past Week

My past week was interesting and boring simultaneously. We got a little bit of rain, and the temperature has begun to warm up. I received a package I was expecting earlier than I anticipated. The Nineteen Day Fast began on March 2, which was the first day of ‘Alá’--the month of Loftiness. At 72, I am no longer required to fast; however, I can continue to say the prayers Baha'u'llah revealed for the Fast. Yesterday, I finished four poems "The Arrival of Spring"

, "Love yourself; it will be okay"

, "The Wayfarer's Journey Begins"

, and "Celebrating Spring"

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March 2, 2019 at 4:55pm

#953571

Celebrating Spring

Jalál (Glory), 1 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Saturday, March 2, 2019
Feast of Loftiness

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#1901868 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 2295: Use these words in your blog entry: flute, elevate, exuberant, pipe, defraud, nimble, butterfly, dominate.

Flute music reverberates,
as the nimble feet of spring
dances across the barren fields of winter.

The exuberant daughter
of Mother Nature laughs,
casting fear into the wind.

Sprouting from her footprints
tulips invite
a rainbow winged butterfly
to consume their nectar.

Spring has arrived,
the dominate emotions
joy and peace.

In the distance,
from the elevated heights
of verdant mountains
a reed pipe
can be heard,
proclaiming to all
that the snows of winter
can no longer defraud
the planet of happiness.

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March 2, 2019 at 11:20am

#953563

Get Away

Jalál (Glory), 1 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 175 B.E. - Saturday, March 2, 2019
Feast of Loftiness

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Nature, March Goals, and Spanish Rice

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WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT March 2nd What do you do or where do you go when you need to "get away?"

Get Away

A walk down the street
looking at my neighborhood,
prayers before going to sleep,
reading or writing poetry,
and listening to the neighbors
or the sounds of nature.

At 72, a "get away" is a state of mind and not a place. When I was younger, I thought I had to take a vacation or go to a park by myself to get away. As I aged, I begin to realize that I don't have to leave my house or my neighborhood to get away. All I have to do is find something I enjoy doing, such as reading, or writing to get away.

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March 1, 2019 at 2:41pm

#953493

Istiqlál (independence), 4 Ayyám-i-Há (The Days of Há) 175 B.E. - Friday, March 1, 2019

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#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT March 1st: I'm currently reading the book "The Nature Principle" by Richard Louv. In it, Louv discusses the powers of nature for both physical and mental healing and spiritual well-being. How is nature a part of your life? Is it a part of your writing?

Nature

On cloudy gray days
Green palm fronds provide contrast
Cast joy across the city

I live in a urban area with very few green views, wit h the exception of the queen palms, pine trees, olive trees, and oaks. The majority of the trees are queen palms, which are looking good because most of the owners of the apartment had the dead fronds cut and carried away last year. The one pine tree in the area appears to be dying, and the olive tree--which lost part of its branch in the wind last year--is hanging on.

I think, having a little bit of green in urban makes a better environment and encourages spirituality. I'm not sure whether there is any proof of this, but I like to think green helps brighten a person's emotions and give a nice feeling in any part of the city.

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#1901868 by Lyn's a sly fox

DAY 2294: It's a new month, what goals have you set for yourself? Writing contests? Deadlines?

Goals for March

Keep writing

Keep transferring poems to "Poem Experiments"

and "Poem Experiments"

Make and keep doctors' appointments.

Finish 200 poem dedicated to The Bab in the next 241 day.

Finish my monthly editions of the spiritual and fantasy newsletter by the Saturday before they are due.

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