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 |
Kamál (Perfection), 6 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Monday, June 10, 2019
It's Motivational Monday and I'm not motivated to writing this afternoon. I was motivated this morning, unfortunately morning was filled with stuff that absolutely had to be accomplished today. Anymore, I prefer to write of a morning, but it wasn't always this way. At one time I wrote best at night, and at another in the afternoon. Now I prefer morning, although sometimes I write at night. At night, I make notes in my smartphone's note pad about poems I'm working on or planning to write.
DAY 1999: What do you think clutters our lives, both in the physical and psychological senses? Psychological Clutter Overthinking and worry clutter both mind and spirit: and cause writer's block.
DAY 2395: "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams (The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul) Let this quote inspire you blog entry today. I'm where I'm needed. I'm where I'm needed, to work on God's plan for my life. I'm where I'm needed to proclaim Baha'u'llah's name. |
Jamál (Beauty), 5 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Sunday, June 9, 2019
It's Sunday, and I've discovered another series of article on BahaiTeaching.org to add to my article reading list. This series is The Dawn of a New Faith , and the first article is The Bab: The Dawn and Herald of the Baha’i Era by Steve McLean. This first article, discusses Siyyid Ali-Muhammad, The Bab, a descendant of Muhammad through His grandson Husayn Ali. The death of both Husayn Ali and The Bab are described. Mr. McLean also discusses the relationship between Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i Faith, and The Bab, the forerunner of Baha'u'llah. The Martyrdom of The Bab The silence in the market square way palatable, the crowd listen to the last words of Siyyid Ali-Muhammad-- descend of the Prophet Muhammad through His grandson Husayn Ali. The crowd waited, inhaled as The Bab and Anis hung suspended before the regiment of rifles ready to fire. The regiment fired, the bodies of the The Bab and Anis were merged. Their deaths did not prevent the renewal of religion through Baha'u'llah the promised one of all religions. Poet's Note: ▼ I have finished 20 poems of the 200, with 180 left to complete in 142 days. I placed a copy of this poem in "Bicentenary Poems and Prose" under "The Martyrdom of The Bab" . |
Jalál (Glory), 4 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Saturday, June 8, 2019
In "Writing in Snow" " Poem, Gratitude List, Aricle Series to Read" , I listed four article series, on BahaiTeachings.crg , that I started and want to finish. Last night, before going to sleep, I went to the beginning of the series Indigenous Messengers of God , and read the first two articles. I read Native American Messengers of God and Quetzalcoatl, the “Plumed Serpent” both by Christopher Buck. Today I read article 41 Why Baha’is Respect Indigenous Sacred Traditions by Christopher Buck and Kevin Locke. It's possible that I should have begun with the first article and read them in the order they were written. However, that isn't the way I beg reading them, so I will continue reading them in this way. The series of articles on BahaiTeachings.crg I'm reading. The Existence of the Human Soul The Baha'i Model of Penology Indigenous Messengers of God God Speaks Again As a Baha'i I accept the common foundation of all religions, and that each religion was sent by God through a series of Divine Messengers or Manifestations. Some of the Manifestations of God that were known to me before beginning Indigenous Messengers of God are Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, The Bab, and Baha'u'llah. Since starting to read this series I have discovered White Buffalo Calf Woman, Deganawida, Sweet Medicine, Lone Man, Breathmaker, Quetzalcoatl, and Viracocha. I'm looking forward to discovering other Indigenous Messengers of God. "O God, Who art the Author of all Manifestations, the Source of all Sources, the Fountainhead of all Revelations, and the Wellspring of all Lights! I testify that by Thy Name the heaven of understanding hath been adorned, and the ocean of utterance hath surged, and the dispensations of Thy providence have been promulgated unto the followers of all religions." Baha’u’llah3 In a passage from Gleanings From the Writings of Baha'u'llah (page 145), Baha'ullah tells us the God has sent Messengers to every nation and city on Earth. I take this includes the Indigenous Messengers of God. This is joyful news because it answers a question I ask when I was a child in a Southern Baptist Sunday School. I ask, "What about the people who were born before Christ? Will they go to heaven?" The teach never did give me a satisfying answer. I had to wait until I was an adult and discovered the scriptures revealed by Baha'u'llah to get the answer. Footnotes |
Istiqlál (Independence), 3 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Friday, June 7, 2019
It's Friday. It's a beautiful day in Las Vegas. It's my day off from doing surveys, so I decided to attempt to respond to the blog prompts for "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" and "Blogging Circle of Friends " . I begin composing these responses last night before going to sleep. I was able to stay awake long enough to start one poem, and read the Long Healing Prayer. I put my eye drops in my eyes, turned out the light, and attempted to fall asleep. After I turned out the light, my mind decided that I didn't need any sleep. Eventually, when my mind figured out I wasn't going to play that game, it let me go to sleep.
DAY 1995: She studied her face in the mirror and it shattered in a million fragments. Have fun with however you take this... Creation in Progress The mirror shattered into a thousand pieces scattering through the aeons of hyperspace, and transported her spirit across the light ages into the yin and yang, into the cause and effect of creation. Staring down at the swilling nebula of galaxies and universes she watch-- awestruck-- as black holes consumed matter and energy in one universe to create another infinitely expanding universe.
DAY 2392: Use these words in your writing today...involuntary, ironic, isolation, issue, irrevocable and peanut butter. Internet Advertising Nonrandom echoes reverberate through the reaches of cyberspace, arousing involuntary desires for the products displayed on the computer's monitor. Irrevocable decisions are made in isolation and on the spur of the moment, to issue orders for unnecessary or necessary items to sate the appetite for 200,000,000 jars of peanut butter. It is ironic that if the credit/debt card is accepted a person could overdose on smooth or chunky butter of the peanut. |
Istijlál (Majesty), 2 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Thursday, June 6, 2019
Today I am thankful for the article Walking a Spiritual Path on Social Media by Moneshia zu Eltz, because it caused me to consider why I use social media. The only social media platforms I'm on are Facebook and YouTube. I'm on Facebook because most of my family and numerous Baha'is across the world use that platform. I attempt not to rant or share personal issues, unfortunately, sometime my depression overshadows my good sense. I will attempt to do better the rest of the year. Waves of splendor flow Illuminating the night With divine scriptures It's been a productive morning, I finished several survey on Survey Junie and brought my account balance up to 973, which means I need only about 100 more points to earn before transferring $10.00 to my PayPal account. I'm hoping and praying that I can keep the $10.00 and any more survey money I earn in my PayPal account. So that I can use my PayPal debit card to access the money in that account. For the past few months (since December) I've had difficulty keep my checking account out of the red. I think the problem is the little extras we need, close to the middle of the month. If I can keep enough money in my PayPal account to use that debt card, I might be able to prevent overdrafting the checking account. For the past couple of months I've had to go to relative and/or friends for extra cash, and I've still managed to overdraft the checking account. It's the overdraft fees that are the biggest problem. I still have to do some surveys for Vindale Research because once I get the money in that account up to $50.00 I can have it transferred to my PayPal account. Survey Junkie and Vindale Research are the only two survey groups I'm consistently active in, at the moment. The reason is simple, I know I can earn cash, rather than products, from those two. I have to be persistent, but it's worth the persistence. At least, I think it's worth the persistence at the moment. The only time I don't do surveys is on Friday or one of the Baha'i Holy Days. |
‘Idál (Justice), 1 Núr (Light) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, June 5, 2019 Feast of Núr
“O beloved ones, be firm and steadfast! O imploring ones, trust in God and rely upon Him! O humble ones, be attached to God and cling to Him! . . . Let us encourage each other and set all in motion. Let us strive to diffuse the Fragrance of God and engage ourselves in exalting the Word of God! . . . The Feast and the enjoyment of the Kingdom are in complete harmony, and the Dawn of Favour is breaking with the Light of Guidance! It is the Melody of the Kingdom of Abhá which is descending from the Supreme Concourse . . ..” ‘Abdu'l-Bahá-Star of the West, Star of the West- 3 A bright sunny day Perfect to consume love's light From the scriptures God's Glory The Nineteen-Day Feasts are unlike any spiritual service I have ever attended. Each Feast is divided into three portions: () the Spiritual Portion, (2) the Business Portion, and (3) the Social Portion. During the Spiritual Portion the scripture and prayer of Baha'u'llah, The Bab, and 'Abdu'l-Baha are read. The Business Portion consist of the discussion of community business. During this portion letters from the Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assemble, and reports from the Local Spiritual Assembly are read. In the Social Portion food is served and the community members socialize. The Baha'i year is divided into nineteen months of nineteen days each. The first day of each month is the Feast Day. Each month is named after an attribute of God, so the month of Nur is the month of Light. The first day, which is when the Feast of that month is normally held, is the Feast of Light. The Baha'i day begins and ends at sunset, so the first day of Nur begin at sunset on June 4 and ends at sunset on June 5. I miss attending the community Feast, which I haven't attended in quite a while. However, this does not mean I can't celebrate the Feast by myself. I can read the prayer, the sacred scriptures, and any letters sent to my e-mail box from the Local or National Assemblies. Invariably one of these e-mails will contain a copy of a letter from the Universal House of Justice. This year, the Feast Day of Nur falls on the Day of Justice. |
Fiḍál (Grace), 19 ‘Aẓamat (Grandeur) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, June 4, 2019 This is the first of, at least, ten entries for "The Bard's Hall Contest" . There's a good chance that I could make more then ten entries for this contest. I enjoy blogging (most of the time). Unfortunately, in May I did two or three rants, which is over my rant limit for a month. I like to hold my monthly rants to one. If I do more then one rant you know I'm under a lot of stress. Fortunately, I think the stress has passed, at least I hope so. Rose petals reflect The Alluring rays of dawn Dazzling rainbows dance I hate being under stress because it interferes with my writing. I can't think when I'm stressed, and I can't write anything. I usually write or plan a poem at night before I go to sleep. I keep the notes in my smartphone, so I don't have to turn on the light and let anyone outside know I'm awake. When someone knocks on the door at night my roommate answers it, if she's awake and hears the door. If it's anyone who wants to take to her, they will call her cellphone. I don't answer the door after dark, unless I'm expecting someone. I don't answer the door at all after I lay down in my recliner. June burst into bloom Reflecting summer's full moon As it dances through the night At the beginning of the year one of the goals I set was to write 200 poems celebrating the Bicentenary of the Birth of The Bab, which will be celebrated on October 29 (147 days away). I finished 16 poems and begun number 17 before the stress interfered with my muse. Yesterday, I wrote number 18, "Who is The Bab? - A Monchielle Stanza" in response to the Week 1 "Invalid Item" and posted my entry in "Snow's Writing for 2019, 2020, & Beyond" . I also put a copy of the poem in "Bicentenary Poems and Prose" , which is where I put the other poem dedicated to the Bicentenary celebrations of 2017 and 2019. I still have to finish poem number 17 tentatively titled Letters of the Living. I'll have to push myself to finish all 200 poem before October 29. Particles of light Waltz across cold hydrogen Candles burning in deep space |
Kamál (Perfection), 18 ‘Aẓamat (Grandeur) 176 B.E. - Monday, June 3, 2019 It's Monday, June 3, six months into 2019. When the year started out I set myself one main writing goal, which was to write 200 poems dedicated to The Bab before October 29. That is the Bicentenary Celebration of His birth. So far, I have finished 16 poems, and begun number 17. There are 148 days until we--the Baha'is across the world--celebrate His birth. I have 184 poems to finish, which means I have to finish number 17 and get going on the rest. In addition to the poem, I'm reading two article series on BahaiTeachings.org . The first is titled the Indigenous Messengers of God , and it has about 40 articles (so far). The second is The Baha'i Model of Penology , and the articles in this series discusses the Kitab-i-Aqdas: the Most Holy Book, which was revealed by Baha'u'llah. I read the first article in this series, Baha’i Behavior: No Mere Code of Laws by John Hatcher, on Sunday, June 2. See "The First Sunday in June" .
DAY 2388 Prompt: Use these words in your blog entry: rose, dream, dazzling, gift, dominate, alluring, nuts, acquit. "It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation of God hath lived is divinely ordained, and may, in a sense, be characterized as God’s appointed Day. This Day, however, is unique, and is to be distinguished from those that have preceded it. The designation “Seal of the Prophets” fully revealeth its high station. The Prophetic Cycle hath, verily, ended. The Eternal Truth is now come. He hath lifted up the Ensign of Power, and is now shedding upon the world the unclouded splendor of His Revelation." Baha’u’llah4 The dazzling rays of a new day spread the joy across the planet, and awaken the children of God. This is the cycle of fulfillment, the rose of unity grows in the garden of religion. The dream of world peace is coming true. This is the day of God! The gifts of the Creator are, one by one, being unwrapped: the oneness of humanity, the common foundation of all religions, and names of God reflected in the gem of Divine Unity., The alluring scent of unity flows across the Earth. The dominate emotion of xenophobia is giving way to xenophilia. A new divine messenger, reflecting the attributes of God has appeared renewing God's ancient covenant and reemphasizing love and compassion as the nuts and bolts of humanity's oneness. Oh, people of the world, acquit yourselves of estrangement and step into God's new day.
DAY 1991 Prompt: Although envy is one of the deadly sins, do you believe it may somehow hide a redeeming quality inside? I'm not all that sure that there is any such thing as a deadly sin. Humans have a choice between envy and friendliness, that's why we have free will. We can chose which negative or positive emotions we practice. Envy is a negative emotion, which is a part of humanity lower nature. Once a person realizes they have a choice between the emotions the practice and reflect they can ask forgiveness. Footnotes |
Jamál (Beauty), 17 ‘Aẓamat (Grandeur) 176 B.E. - Sunday, June 2, 2019 "Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!" In December 2018, we (my roommate and I) moved into a one-bedroom apartment. I sleep in the living room in a recliner, because I'm no longer able to sleep in a bed (it doesn't matter how firm or soft the mattress), while she sleeps in the bedroom. Anyway, ever since moving into this apartment we've been confronted with one problem after another. It's gotten to the point where I'm falling or have fallen and tend to rant about my problems, which doesn't solve them. I can't deal with the depression any more, so last night I decided to start sating the Tablet of Ahmad. I know that there is a solution the these problems we're facing, I just can't see it. Therefore, I will stop whatever I'm doing at periodic and random intervals to say the Tablet of Ahmad for guidance and a solution to the problems that have seemed to mount higher and higher since December. I said the Tablet of Ahmad last night, and had a dream. In the dream I went to my bank and applied for a credit card. I haven't had a credit card in years, and I haven't applied for one in years. I haven't applied for one because the last time I did I was turned down. I know that shouldn't stop me, especially if applying for a credit card is an answer to a prayer. I might be able to get on this time, I took out a payday loan (maybe not the wisest thing I've ever did) and was accepted. I'm making payment on the loan, but that hasn't helped my finances. I'm not sure if a credit card would help; it might help with the money shortage at the end of the month. The thing is, I'm worried about making both the credit card payment and the loan payment in the same month. This morning, when I checked the articles on BahaiTeachings.org . There was a new series called The Baha'i Model of Penology focusing on The Most Holy Book. The first article is Baha’i Behavior: No Mere Code of Laws by John Hatcher. I read the first article today, and will focus on reading the rest of the articles when they are published. Footnotes |
Jalál (Glory), 16 ‘Aẓamat (Grandeur) 176 B.E. - Saturday, June 1, 2019 On the first day of June, On the first day of June, I wonder what surprises, what successes, and what failures await me this month. On the first day of June, I take a deep breath and place the month in God's hands.
DAY 2386 Prompt: June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month. What is your favorite fresh fruit? What is your favorite fresh vegetable? Do you have a recipe or recipes you would like to share containing these foods? I don't have a favorite fresh fruit or vegetable because I can't decide on which one I like best. When I was growing up Grandpa Frank planted a garden every year. We had all sorts of fresh vegetables from those gardens. but we usually purchased our fresh fruit from a supermarket, so at that time selection was limited. One of my favorite vegetable recipes is stew. I like vegetable, chicken, or beef stew. Grandma Mary usually fixed chicken stew because she and Grandpa raised chickens. Grandpa would kill the chicken, Grandma would pluck the chicken, burn off its pinfeathers, dress it (cut the chicken up), and put it onto cook. After the chicken was done, she would remove the chicken parts, put the vegetable into the stew pot to begin cooking, and remove the chicken meat from the bones. After she removed the meat from the bones, she put the meat back in the stew pot with the vegetables. I've never made chicken stew the way Grandma did. First, I don't kill my own chicken; not that I couldn't, I just don't. I purchase thigh or leg quarters, put those in a stew pot with water and seasoning. While the chicken is cooking, I add the vegetable. I usually add onions, potatoes, carrots, and squash or some other type of vegetable. |