Gratitude breaks the spell of Writers Block |
Staring at a blank page is like staring into a snowfield. The snow, untouched by civilization and unmarked by living creatures, blinds you for a few minutes, it glistens reflecting subtle shades of pure white and rainbows at odd angles. If you stare at the snow too long, you get lost in the interplay of light and shadow. As the day wears on, you become awestruck at the beauty of the snow's perfection. You marvel at the way an oak tree cast its ebony shadow across the pure white snow. You watch the tree's shadow change, grow and shrink, as Earth turns and the sun moves from morning to evening. If you stand out in the snow too long without moving, you risk snow bite or freezing. If you are fortunate, a red fox will walk across your line of sight. The fox will leave his footprints written in the snowfield. As you watch the fox move, the spell holding you in one spot staring at the snow is broken. You are free to go inside out of the cold and out of danger. I must say, writing 500 words a day isn't difficult, unless I'm attempting to write on a single subject. On Monday, October 28, 2013, I began posting my weekly goals at "Weekly Goals" . On Tuesday, October 29, 2013 I began keeping track of may accomplished goals in this journal. "O SON OF BEING! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds." Bah'u'll'h The Hidden Words of Bah'u'll'h, Part I.'From the Arabic, #31, page 11 'Heinlein's Rules for Writers Rule One: You Must Write Rule Two: Finish What Your Start Rule Three: You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order Rule Four: You Must Put Your Story on the Market Rule Five: You Must Keep it on the Market until it has Sold' Robert A. Heinlein It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such as crafts, trades and the like. We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One. Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn. Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others. Thus hath it been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizon the day-star of wisdom and utterance shineth resplendent. Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah Revealed After the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Pages 21-29: gr 32 I changed the way I did entries in this book several times. Beginning on March 21, 2018 the entries will cover the topics of spiritual, inspirational, and religions. However, the genres it will be under are Women's, Inspirational, and Spiritual with a tag of Religious. |
Jalál (Glory}, 17 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Saturday, August 17, 2019 Gratitude List for 17 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is no overdrawn to ...for the merit badge I received today. ...that I was able to send $10.08 to my PayPal account from my Survey Junkie account. ...for fresh brewed black coffee. ...that I was able to transfer $10.20 from my PayPal account to my checking account. ...for the chocolate cookies I had with my coffee this morning. ...that I have 36 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the Starbucks lemon crunch parfait I had for my first breakfast. |
Istijlál (Majesty}, 15 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Thursday, August 15, 2019 Gratitude List for 15 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn this morning. ...for the chocolate brownie I had to go with my coffee this morning. ...that I have 687 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the chocolate milk I had with my breakfast this morning. ...that I have $34.07 in my Vindale Research account. ...that I have 63,200 in my YouGov account. Istiqlál (Independence}, 16 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Friday, August 16, 2019 Poet's Intuition1 Sometimes, a poet has to follow her intuition in writing an ode. Is a poet's intuition her muse? I can't answer that question, because there a times when I call it my muse and other times I call it intuition. Gratitude List for 16 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn this morning. ...for the chocolate cookies I have to go with my coffee this morning. ...that I have 985 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for fresh brewed black coffee. Footnotes |
‘Idál (Justice}, 14 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, August 14, 2019 Another Summer Poem2 A pleasant morning, triple digit afternoon another Las Vegas summer. Turn on the cool air, remain in door until it after sunset. Gratitude List for 14 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for the chocolate brownie with nuts I had with my morning coffee. ...that the monthly payment to MyGait hit my checking account today. ...for the fresh brewed black coffee I had this morning. ...that I have 415 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the beautiful and pleasant summer morning. ...that I have $32.57 in my Vindale research account. Footnotes |
Kamál (Perfection}, 12 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Monday, August 12, 2019 My Complaint3 I will not complain except about the weather, triple digit temperatures, and weird noises in the middle of the night. Gratitude List for 12 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for the fresh brewed black coffee I had this morning. ...that I have 152 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the Cesare salad I had for lunch. Fiḍál (Grace}, 13 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, August 13, 2019 I Want to Give Up4 I want to give up! I want to stop fighting the inevitable and accept defeat. It wouldn't be hard to give up, to sit down on the battle field and not fight any more. Instead of giving up, I'll open my prayer book, turn to the Tablet of Ahmad, and intone the prayer. Instead of giving up, I'll place my trust in Baha'u'llah, and see what else I need to do the change my situation. Gratitude List for 13 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for fresh brewed black coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...that I have 267 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the chocolate brownie with nuts that I had to go with my coffee. ...that I have 1,206,467 GPs in my Gift Points account. ...for the stuffed mushrooms I had for my breakfast this morning. ...that I have 62,700 in my YouGov account. ...for the pineapple chunks I had with my breakfast. ...that I have $30.82 in my Vindale Research account. Footnotes |
Jamál (Beauty}, 11 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Sunday, August 11, 2019 Facebook Status Update Beautiful Sunday Wind blowing through palm and oak Radio is playing Gratitude List for 11 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that I received an awardicon for "My First Crush" . ...for fresh brewed black coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn. ...that I have 1,200,567 GPs in my Gift Points account. ...that I have 31 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...that I have completed 78 poems to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Birth of the Bab. A Sleepless Night5 It takes a sleepless night to make you appreciate sleep. A night of tossing and turning, of getting up and down, and attempting to make yourself comfortable. Footnotes |
Istiqlál (Independence}, 9 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Friday, August 9, 2019 Gratitude List for 9 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for fresh bewed black coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...that I have nine editor's picks for my next spiritual newsletter. ...for the sausage sandwich I had for breakfast today. ...for the melon chunks I have for my afternoon snack. Jalál (Glory}, 10 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Saturday, August 10, 2019 Gratitude List for 10 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for fresh brewed coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...that I have 1,047 points in my Survey Junkie account because I can have $10.47 transferred to my checking account. ...for the soda I had with my lunch. |
‘Idál (Justice}, 7 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, August 7, 2019 Gratitude List for 7 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that I have one response from "Fantasy Newsletter (August 7, 2019)" for my September edition of the Fantasy newsletter. ...for fresh brewed hot black coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...that I have 756 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the sausage biscuit sandwich I had for breakfast. ...that I received a check from my sister today. ...that I received a new trinket today . ...that I have 61,600 points in my YouGov account. ...that I have $30.02 in my Vindale research account. ...that I received a merit badge today. Istijlál (Majesty}, 8 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Thursday, August 8, 2019 Facebook Status Update Today, I finished poem 70 of the 200 I'm writing to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Birth of the Bab. Yes, I know I'm a little bit behind. I know how many days I have left to finish the poems. I will finish the poem before October 29. Gratitude List for 8 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account isn't overdrafted today. ...for fresh brewed black coffee. ...that the $10.31 from Survey Junkie hit my checking account today. ...for the sleep I got last night. ...that I have 967 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the reusable water bottle I have because I can fill it with water form one of the gallon jugs in the refrigerator. It tastes better than water from the tap. ...that I have one editor's picks for my next edition of the fantasy news letter. ...that I received my prescription for Alendronate Sodium today. Say a Prayer for Unity6 Say a prayer for unity for the healing of humanity from the superstitions that separate the species into them and us. Footnotes |
Kamál (Perfection}, 5 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Monday, August 5, 2019 Listening to Spiritual Music7 Listen to the joy of praising the Lord in song and watch the video and your attitude will change from depression to praise. Gratitude List for 5 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn this morning. ...for fresh brewed black coffee on the beautiful summer morning. ...that I have 526 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the cinnamon roll I had to go with my coffee. ...that I have $28.80 in my Vindale research account. Fiḍál (Grace}, 6 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, August 6, 2019 Gratitude List for 6 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that I still have an internet connection today. ...for the fresh brewed coffee I am drinking this morning. ...that I have 572 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the Giant de la Rosa Mazapan I had with my coffee. ...that I have $29.32 in my Vindale Research account. ...for the orange candy I had for my afternoon snack. ...that I have 61,500 points in my YouGov account. ...that I received a reviewing merit badge for being #10 review in July. Footnotes |
Jamál (Beauty}, 4 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Sunday, August 4, 2019 Las Vegas Sunday8 Beautiful Sunday Wisp of white clouds in blue sky No birds are singing Gratitude List for 4 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for fresh brewed black coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...that I have 146 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the chocolate covered doughnut I have to go with my coffee this morning. ...that I have a theme and subject for my next spiritual newsletter due at the end of August. ...for the Arizona sweet ice tea I had as my afternoon snack. ...that I have $28.05 in my Vindale Research account. Footnotes |
Jalál (Glory), 3 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Saturday, August 3, 2019 Facebook Status Update Beautiful morning White clouds decorate blue sky Temperatures rising Gratitude List for 3 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America account is not overdrawn today. ...for the fresh brewed hot coffee I have this morning. ...that I have 101 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the chocolate covered doughnut I had with my coffee this morning. ...that I earned an achievement merit badge for 5,000 Newsfeed notes or comments. ...for the pleasant summer morning because I can leave to door open to get some fresh air. ...that I have $67.87 in my Google Adsense account. ...for the razzleberry Peace Tea I had with my lunch. ...that I received my prescription for the nasal spry and oxybutynin today. ...for the Cheetos puffs I have for my afternoon snack. ...that I have 1,153,482 GPs in my Gift Points account. |
Istijlál (Majesty), 1 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Thursday, August 1, 2019 Feast of Kamal Gratitude List for 1 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that I was able to transfer $10.31 from my Survey Junkie account to my checking account. ...that I was one of the winners in "Invalid Item" with "Unity: The Oneness of Humanity" . ...that my Calcitriol prescription arrived today. ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. Istiqlál (Independence), 2 Kamál (Perfection) 176 B.E. - Friday, August 2, 2019 Facebook Status Update Landline unplugged, smartphone turned off, reading and reviewing only comedy and spiritual items, and writing poetry because I'm taking a mental health day. Gratitude List for 2 Kamál Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn this morning. ...for the chocolate doughnut I had to go with my coffee this morning. ...that I was able to pay the rent today. ...for the fresh brewed black coffee I had this morning. ...that there is no electric bill payment required this month. ...for the fried chicken, salad, and vegetables I had for dinner. ...that I have finished 62 poem dedicated to the Bicentenary Celebration of the Bab. Mental Health Day9 Unplug and get away from the stress. Take a walk in the woods, or in the park with a picnic lunch and your pen and paper journal. Say a prayer, write a poem, read the sacred scriptures, or meditate on the beauty of nature. Footnotes |
Fiḍál (Grace), 18 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, July 30, 2019 Gratitude List for 18 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...for the muffin I had this morning for breakfast. ...that I was able to write two poems "The Power of God: To The Bab" and "The Voice olf God: To The Bab" before leaving for my podiatrist appointment this morning. ...for the coffee that I had while working on my poems this morning. ...that I have 767 points in my Survey Junkie account. ‘Idál (Justice), 19 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, July 31, 2019 Tired of Dealing with People10 I am so tired of deal with people that I want to cry. All morning, I've dealt with telephone and harassers, who obviously want to bring my blood pressure up. I need a mental health day, so I've decided to turn my cell phone off on Friday, and take the house phone off the receiver. I'd take a mental health day on Thursday, but I have a doctor's appointment and I need the phone that day. Gratitude List for 19 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...that I have three responses from "Spiritual Newsletter (July 31, 2019)" to put in my upcoming Spiritual newsletter for August. ...for fresh brewed hot coffee on this warm summer morning. ...that I have a theme and subject for my next fantasy newsletter, which is due on August 5. ...for the muffin I had to go with my coffee this morning. ...that I was able to finish the article {xlink:https://bahaiteachings.org/whats-in-word-the-sacred-writings-of-the-worlds-faiths} What’s in a Word? The Sacred Writings of the World’s Faiths{/link} by Masud Olufani. ...for the white chunk Macadamia nut cookie I had for my morning snack. ...that I was able the schedule a payment for my internet connection for August 5, 2019 ...for the nectarine I had for my afternoon snack. ...that I have 835 points in my Survey Junkie account. Footnotes |
Kamál (Perfection), 16 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Monday, July 29, 2019 It's Monday, July 29, I haven't made a gratitude list or posted to Poet999 - A Butterfly Emerges From Her Cocoon , so I need to get back to doing that. I did complete several poems dedicated to the Bab, and posted them in "Bicentenary Poems and Prose" . I still have several poems to finish in that project. With the exception of the poems and blogging, I didn't get a lot accomplished over the weekend. Gratitude List for 16 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...that I have six editor's picks for my upcoming fantasy newsletter. ...for the fresh brewed hot coffee I had this morning. ...that I have a little bit of money in my Bank of America savings account. ...for the doughnut I had to go with my coffee. ...that I have 609 points in my Survey Junkie account. Summer Poems11 Summer poems rise like the temperature spreading across the city of the poet's muse. Facebook Status Update The grasshoppers, that invaded the Las Vegas strip, ignored my section of town entirely. I've figured out the reason. I live in one of the poorer sections of town. The grasshoppers were afraid that we would catch them and eat them. Footnotes |
Istiqlál (Independence), 13 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Friday, July 26, 2019 Thoughts on Writing Poems12 Find the theme, sometimes it's a dream, write the first word-- an echo you heard. One line at a time, sometimes there are rhymes, focus of simile or metaphor: What is the subject you are looking for? Gratitude List for 13 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...that I was able to get my hair colored today. ...for the merit badge I received today/ ...that I have 1,099,317 GPs in my Gift Points account. ...for the fresh brewed hot coffee I have to drink this morning. ...for the chocolate doughnut I had with my coffee this morning. Footnotes |
Istijlál (Majesty), 12 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Thursday, July 25, 2019 In a World Free of Fear13 In a world free of fear eys sleep without tears. Humanity join hands, as a single species, in building bridges to unity. The melodies of heaven run through the human mind when eyes kiss eyes in a symphony of love. Gratitude List for 12 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...for fresh brewed hot black coffee on this beautiful summer day. ...that I have 505 points in my Survey Junkies account. ...for the doughnut I had to go with my morning coffee. ...that I was able to finish Half the Sky, Half the Land: The Power of the Female Farmer by Hugh Locke. This is the first in a series of articles called {xlink:https://bahaiteachings.org/series/the-role-of-women-farmers-in-transforming-global-agricultureThe Role of Women Farmers in Transforming Global Agriculture. ...for the yogurt I had as my morning snack. ...that I have completed 49 of the 200 poems I'm writing to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Birth of the Bab. Footnotes |
‘Idál (Justice), 11 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, July 24, 2019 Humanity Is One!14 Bound together By the ancient Covenant of God We are one race From the beginning That has no beginning God has renewed it With each generation With each succeeding Manifestation God's Covenant was renewed God will continue Renewing His Covenant to the end That will have no end Gratitude List for 11 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...that the $11.50 from Survey Junkie hit my checking account today. ...for fresh brewed black coffee. ...that the money for my power bill assistance hit my NV Energy account today. ...that I have 250 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...that "Season of Giving" was featured in "Spiritual Newsletter (July 24, 2019)" . ...that I have $27.30 in my Vindale Research account. ...that I have 59,500 points in my YouGov account. ...that I have $19.77 in my Inbox Dollars account. ...that I was able to finish The Navajo Spirit: The Diné Tradition and the Baha’i Faith by Christopher Buck and Bitahnii Wayne Wilson. Footnotes |
Kamál (Perfection), 9 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Monday, July 22, 2019 Gratitude List for 9 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...that I have 1,001 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for fresh brewed block coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...that I was able to transfer $11.50 from my Survey Junkie account to my checking account. ...that I have grapes fro my afternoon snack. Fiḍál (Grace), 10 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, July 23, 2019 Summer in Las Vegas15 Have I written this poem before? Summer in Las Vegas is triple digit temperatures, sometimes with rain and sometimes without it. Sometimes I miss Oklahoma with its tornadoes, rolling thunder, and crisp bolts of lightning. Sometimes I prefer Nevada with its dark storm clouds, crisp lightning bolts, rolling thunder, and triple digit temperatures. Gratitude List for 10 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...that the 10 Rid Fare book I ordered from Paratransit arrived today. ...for fresh brewed hot black coffee on the cloudy summer morning. ...that I was able to catch the postal delivery person and mail the information Forester Financial requested today. ...for the chocolate covered doughnut holes I had to go with my coffee this morning. ...that I have 182 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the grapes I had to go with my lunch. ...that I have $25.97 in my Vindale Research account. Footnotes |
Jalál (Glory), 7 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Saturday, July 20, 2019 Gratitude List for 7 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...for fresh brewed black coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for chocolate covered doughnut holes to go with my coffee. ...that I have 801 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the Arizona sweet ice tea I had with my lunch. ...that I have $25.97 in my Vindale Research account. Jamál (Beauty), 8 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Sunday, July 21, 2019 Thoughts on Humanity16 Humanity is a single race, with it roots in Africa. We are the children of migrations that carried the species out of Africa and dispersed it across Earth. Gratitude List for 8 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...for fresh brewed black coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...that my bank of America checking account is not overdrawn. ...for chocolate covered doughnut holes to go with my coffee. ...that I have 856 points in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the blueberry yogurt I had for my morning snack. Footnotes |
Istijlál (Majesty), 5 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Thursday, July 18, 2019 Gratitude List for 5 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...that the poem "Kevin Locke" received an Awardicon for 3rd Place in Shadows & Light Poetry Contest ~ Round 73. ...for fresh brewed hot coffee on this beautiful July morning. ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for the merit badge I received today. ...that I have 614 in my Survey Junkie account. ...for the check I received from my sister today. Istiqlál (Independence), 6 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Friday, July 19, 2019 Remembering the Moon Landing17 I sat awestruck watching the news! At last, humanity had landed on the moon, my world became smaller that day and the universe larger. I still get a lump in my throat when I remember those events: I thank God for being born in such an awe inspiring and exciting time in history. Gratitude List for 6 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America Checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for fresh brewed black coffee on this beautiful summer morning. ...for the new sandals that were given to me. ...that, as of today, I have 40 poems written to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Birth of the Bab. ...for the chocolate doughnut holes I had to go with my coffee this morning. ...that I was able to open a bottle of ginger ale without help today. ...for the organic grapes I have for my afternoon snack. ...that I have 707 in my Survey Junkie account. Footnotes |
‘Idál (Justice), 4 Kalimát (Words) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, July 17, 2019 The World Needs Poets18 Poets are necessary to the sanity of humanity, without poets the world would be colorless, hope would not exists, and we would not know the passion of a rose. Gratitude List for 4 Kalimát Today I am thankful ... ...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today. ...for fresh brewed hot coffee to drink with m y morning writing. ...that "Childhood" won this months "Stormy's poetry newsletter & contest" . ...for homemade fruit salad. Footnotes |