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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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ʻIdál (Justice), 1 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Day 2095: Write about the word believe in your Blog entry today. I believe that the present pandemic is God's way of demonstrating--to the nations of the world and humanity--that we need to unify to solve the world's problems. The world is like a single country, a virus or disease in one nation will spread quickly to the rest of the world. In order to find a vaccine or a cure we need to be able to work across national borders. One nation cannot build a wall high enough to keep a disease form invading it.
Wed. April 8th Prompt. What is the most ridiculous thing about what's happening this month? What is the most ridiculous thing happening this month? Partisan politics! Blaming another person, political party, nation, religion, or international body for what is happening instead of attempting to work in unity to solve the problem. No individual, nation, or religion is an island unto itself, because we cannot solve the world's problems unless we work in unity. We need to start tearing down walls between nations, religions, and individuals instead of building them. |
Fiḍál (Grace), 19 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Tuesday, April 7, 2020
What is the best thing to come out of staying at home (so far)? Do I have cabin fever yet? On this I wouldn't bet. What's the best thing about staying home? I can be alone, and put the clean clothes away without getting in someone else's way. |
Fiḍál (Grace), 19 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Tuesday, April 7, 2020 "Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise." Bahá’u’lláh3 I contemplate Your healing, O Beloved of the Universe, please help me apply these methods in my life so that I may proclaim Your Most Great Name. Footnotes |
Kamál (Perfection), 18 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Monday, April 6, 2020 "All praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast adorned the world with the splendour of the dawn following the night wherein was born the One Who heralded the Manifestation of Thy transcendent sovereignty, the Dayspring of Thy divine Essence and the Revelation of Thy supreme Lordship. I beseech Thee, O Creator of the heavens and Fashioner of names, to graciously aid those who have sheltered beneath the shadow of Thine abounding mercy and have raised their voices amidst the peoples of the world for the glorification of Thy Name." Baha'u'llah I shelter within the shadow of the divine, attempting to glorify His Name and to proclaim the Glory of God. |
Jamál (Beauty), 17 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Sunday, April 5, 2020
You get to pick three people- living or dead- to be quarantined with. But...in order to pass time, you have to play Monopoly. Who wins? Who cheats? Who cries? Who flips the table, sending pieces flying everywhere? You choose the players and how they see the game through its finish. Monopoly doesn't lend itself to happiness! Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100.00. I've never played an uncivil game of Monopoly. When my siblings and I played it as children and young adults, we attempted to play by the rules. None of us got angry or upset about who won the game. When we played it, it was just a fun parlor game. However, I do understand that isn't the way some people feel about The game itself encourages greed, selfishness, and many other emotions that encourage the winner take all mentality. Who would I invite to play a game of Monopoly, other than my siblings? That's a difficult question because I would want to make sure whoever I invited understood that it was just a game, and didn't take winning or losing it seriously. When I play a game, I want to enjoy the game and not deal with people's moods. A game is more fun when a person doesn't take the winning or losing as a life or death situation. |
Jalál (Glory), 16 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Saturday, April 4, 2020
Day 2696: Make a happy list with ten items.  Reading, memorizing, and saying prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah. One of my favorite prayers is the unity prayer."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’lláh5 Drinking coffee out of my writing.com travel mug. Listening to the sparrows sing on a beautiful spring or summer morning. Writing and reading poetry. Reviewing on writing.com. Finding a new and thought provoking quote. This morning I discovered the following.“The good road and the road of difficulties are made to cross, and where they cross the place is holy.” Black Elk67 Attending devotional and Holy Day services at the Baha'i Center or online. Watching and listening to musical videos on YouTube. Keeping in touch with my family either over the phone or on Facebook. Funny and/or thought provoking memes.
How many cups/glasses/mugs/etc do you have at home? Which is your favorite, and why? Tell us about how you got it. There are at least 8 coffee mugs in this house. There could be more because there are containers that haven't been unpacked since the last move. My favorite is the writing.,com travel mug, which was given to me by Schnujo is Late to Lannister  . It's my favorite because it keeps my coffee hot and it has a lid that makes it's difficult to spill the coffee.Footnotes |
Istiqlál (Independence), 15 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Friday, April 3, 2020 In this time of darkness, I can Light Up the World by sharing a prayer, positive thought, or uplifting video with humanity. |
Istijlál (Majesty), 14 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Thursday, April 2, 2020 "I myself was in prison forty years – one year alone would have been impossible to bear – nobody survived that imprisonment more than a year! But, thank God, during all those forty years I was supremely happy! Every day, on waking, it was like hearing good tidings, and every night infinite joy was mine. Spirituality was my comfort, and turning to God was my greatest joy. If this had not been so, do you think it possible that I could have lived through those forty years in prison? Thus, spirituality is the greatest of God’s gifts, and ‘Life Everlasting’ means ‘Turning to God’." I choose happiness, contentment with what I have, gratitude for everything that happens to me, focus on the joy and beauty of everyday existence, and placing all the negatives in my life in the hands of God. Happiness is a positive decision that transforms the midnight hours of tests and difficulties into golden moments that transform the soul, and bring peace to the mind. Footnotes |
ʻIdál (Justice), 13 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Wednesday, April 1, 2020
April 1 is supposed to be April Fool's Day. Since we're all #SaferAtHome, it's a bit harder to prank people. What are some things you can do remotely to somebody for a good laugh? It's Wednesday and time for some Midweek Reflections. It's also April Fool's Day, which normally makes me a bit nervous. That's why when I saw the meme on Facebook that said April Fool's Day was cancelled because no prank could come close to what's going on in the real world. I don't care for pranks anymore than I like April Fool's Day, neither make me happy. I don't find, most, pranks funny. I enjoy laughter and making people laugh. This is why I very seldom tell jokes. When I attempt to tell a joke I end up committing jokicide. I either murder the punchline or the entire joke, and people stare at me as if I'm an alien from another planet. So, how do I make people laugh? If I see something funny on Facebook, I will share it. If I can read a joke word-for-word, I will share it.
Day 2089t: Hope for the future. Use this line in your Blog entry today. At 73, I still have hope for the future. Hope that world peace will arrive. Hope that people will find happiness even when faced with difficulties. Hope that the human race will come together in peace, unity, love, and happiness. Hope and happiness are spiritual attributes, and choices that we make each day. |
Fiḍál (Grace), 12 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Tuesday, March 31, 2020 "If we are not happy and joyous at this season, for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look?" ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 10 This is the season of happiness, Raise your voices is joyful song, and sing "Praise the Lord! "There is no God, but God!" "O Thou Glory of Glories!" "God the All-Glorious!" Raise your voices in joyous exaltation because this is the season of happiness. Footnotes |
Kamál (Perfection), 11 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Monday, March 30, 2020
Day 2691: What scent evokes memories for you? Happiness is the aroma of morning, the perfume of fresh brewed coffee brings back memories of my childhood. Grandpa making cowboy coffee in an electric percolator, and then rolling his own cigarettes while he waited for the coffee to brew.
DAY 2087 What color evokes strong memories for you? Happiness is the color of lilac and of rose: colors that bring back memories of my mother and grandmother. Grandma had a lilac bush growing in her yard close to the cottonwood tree that gave shade in the summer. Mama's favorite flower was the rose. |
Jamál (Beauty), 10 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Sunday, March 29, 2020   The flame burns, The candle's sacrifice: giving its light to illuminate the world. Be candles in this dark age illuminating the world with the joy of your faith. |
Jalál (Glory), 9 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Saturday, March 28, 2020
Day 2689: How is your "stay at home weekend" going? Have you written anything you want reviewed? Have you reviewed anything you want to tell us about? Happiness is a weekend at home Happiness is writing a poem about staying home. Stay At Home11 Stay at home out of the crowds, stay healthy and don't bitch or groan. Stay at home until this health crisis passes, and when it does go to a movie, out to eat, or for a walk around the block. Stay at home and work online, or pick up the telephone and call a friend. Happiness is rereading a poem written during the proceeding week.
Happiness is reading and reviewing a poem or story.
Footnotes |
Istiqlál (Independence), 8 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Friday, March 27, 2020 Who Are You? Who are you? Who are you? You are another human being, who-- like myself-- is attempting to survive in a world gone mad. You aren't invisible! You aren't alone! We are in this together. even when we are practicing social distancing; we are in this together spiritually if not physically. |
Fiḍál (Grace), 5 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Day 2685: Write a psalms, praise, or song of praise to yourself or someone dear to you. Psalms to Baha'u'llah I raise my voice in praise to the Glory of God, to the healer of all my wounds, my protector in times of pestilence, and my staff in tests and difficulties. I intone my gratitude to the Pen of Glory, to the Lord of Hosts, to the voice of God on Earth, and to the promised one of all religions, |
Kamál (Perfection), 4 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Monday, March 23, 2020
DAY 5684: Welcome to the Season of Renewal Write about something that is renewed in spring. Welcome to the Season of Renewal Welcome to the season of renewal, when blessings are showered upon the Earth, when butterflies and flowers dance in warm afternoon breezes, and trees are transform into green homes for birds and insects. |
Jamál (Beauty), 3 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Sunday, March 22, 2020 Counting the Days Counting the days until it's time to gather-- either online or in person-- to celebrate Feasts or Holy Days: 17 days until the Feast of Jalal (Glory); 29 days until the First Day of Ridvan; 37 days until the Ninth Day of Ridvan; 40 days until the Twelfth Day of Ridva. Will these days become like Naw-Ruz, when shelter-in-place became celebrate-in-place? |
Jalál (Glory), 2 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Saturday, March 21, 2020 "Meditate on what the poet hath written: “Wonder not, if my Best-Beloved be closer to me than mine own self; wonder at this, that I, despite such nearness, should still be so far from Him.”… Considering what God hath revealed, that “We are closer to man than his life-vein,” the poet hath, in allusion to this verse, stated that, though the revelation of my Best-Beloved hath so permeated my being that He is closer to me than my life-vein, yet, notwithstanding my certitude of its reality and my recognition of my station, I am still so far removed from Him. By this he meaneth that his heart, which is the seat of the All-Merciful and the throne wherein abideth the splendor of His revelation, is forgetful of its Creator, hath strayed from His path, hath shut out itself from His glory, and is stained with the defilement of earthly desires." Bahá’u’lláh12 I read the verses of God-- Poetry Unites Poetry unites the world because there are poets in every nation writing poems of awareness. Writing poems that point out the differences between the way the world should be and the way it is. Writing poems of revolution and revelation. Poetry unites religions because every Divine Manifestation revealed the poetry of the Holy Spirit. The poetry of the Holy Spirit flows through the Holy Books of all religions, encouraging faith and transformation. Encouraging the faithful to strive for the good and express their love for the Unknowable Creator through the verse of their own poems. Footnotes |
Istiqlál (Independence), 1 Bahá (Splendor) 177 B.E. Friday, March 20, 2020 Naw-Ruz 177 B.E. and the Feast Day of Baha "God hath called that month the month of Baha, meaning that therein lieth the splendour and glory of all months, and He hath singled it out for Him Whom God shall make manifest." Naw-Ruz: To Baha'u'llah He is the splendor of the Spiritual springtime, the Glory of God's new day. His revelation the light shining in the darkness guiding to unity. His scriptures encourage humanity's excellence in the path of faith. Because of COVID-19 many of the Naw-Ruz celebrations have been moved online. I miss going to the Las Vegas Baha'i Center to celebrate Naw-Ruz with the Baha'i of Las Vegas. However, this is the way Naw=Ruz 177 B.E. will be celebrated. We, humanity, will move through the present health crises: We will survive! One thing, the main thing, that this crises has emphasized is the unity of the human race. This crises shows that a virus outbreak in one part of the world spreads the the rest of the world. It emphasizes the interconnection between countries, their citizens, and the other nations of Earth. The cure or vaccine when it is found needs to be one that can be shared with the all the citizens of Earth. Footnotes |
Istijlál (Majesty), 19 ʻAláʼ (Loftiness) 176 B.E. Thursday, March 19, 2020 Today, March 19, 2020, is the last day of the Baha'i year 176 B.E. At sunset the New Year of 177 B.E. begins. Today is also my Mother's 99th birthday, which she is celebrating in the Abha Kingdom. Mom's physical body died on November 29, 2012, and her soul ascended into the Abha paradise. I still miss Mom's physical presence in my life, and the encouragement she gave me while she was still on the physical/material plane. "O Thou forgiving God! Forgive the sins of my loving mother, pardon her shortcomings, cast upon her the glance of Thy gracious providence, and enable her to gain admittance into Thy Kingdom. O God! From the earliest days of my life she educated and nurtured me, yet I did not recompense her for her toil and labours. Do Thou reward her by granting her eternal life and making her exalted in Thy Kingdom. Verily, Thou art the Forgiver, the Bestower, and the Kind." Abdu’l-Bahá15 On the last day of 176 B.E., I pray for the ascent of my Mother's soul as she journeys on the spiritual plane. Footnotes |
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