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 |
Istijlal (Majesty), 8 Ilm (Knowledge) 177 B.E. - Thursday, October 22, 2020
DAY 2899: Use these words in your post... immortal, quandary spiral, ghosts, cotton, silk, and red. Words form images in my mind, Immortal echoes reverberate through time and space intoning the adventure of life upon the material plane, and the spirit's hope of rebirth into the spiritual realm. Ghosts-- the foggy images of yesterday's regret waiting to haunt the present and the future. Cotton white clouds concealing the sapphire firmament of faith descend, with the Lord Returned in the Father's Glory. Silk winds blowing from the Abha paradise carry to the believer the song of God's Nightingale and the scent of the Tree of Life. Red is the color of martyrs blood-- Christ upon the cross, and The Bab in front of 750 rifles. Quandary spiral: a believers perplexity moves around the fixed point-- of prayer, meditation, scripture reading, and over coming test and difficulties-- constantly decreasing to the point of steadfastness. |
Idal (Justice), 7 Ilm (Knowledge) 177 B.E. - Wednesday, October 21, 2020 "Halloween is opportunity to be really creative." Judy Gold Halloween is a creative time of year, A time for us to confront our imagined fears, Look within the darkness of your ego, Look for those fears that create your monsters, Once you have found them--get creative-- Write a poem, short story, or novel about them. Each of our monsters have their own story to tell, Each of their stories are a part of use and Need to be told to help us to become our true selves. |
Fidal (Grace), 6 Ilm (Knowledge) 177 B.E. - Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Day 2895: Autumn Flowers I got the idea for part of the title of this entry after reading the latest editorial in {x/ink:http://www.elixir-journal.org/issue11/}e*lix*ir issue #11, autumn 2020{/xlink}. The editorial, Looking with the Eyes of Faith by SLH (Sandra Lynn Hutchisen) mentioned "God's creation." After finishing the article, I realized that would go better with the prompt "Autumn Flowers" than the flower I had first considered. "...whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and names of God,..." Autumn flowers are part of God's creation, they reveal evidence of the Creator's existence. Footnotes |
Kamal (Perfection), 5 Ilm (Knowledge) 177 B.E. - Monday, October 19, 2020 Birth of Baha'u'llah
DAY 2269: In the book, The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail S. Halverson, a pilot threw down lots of candy parachuted by handkerchiefs to the children of Berlin, during the siege of the city by the Russians at the end of World War II. What are your thoughts on small but kind acts like this? Do they have the potential of bringing about World Peace? Small and/or random acts of kindness help bring people together, but they won't bring about World Peace. The one thing that will establish World Peace is the complete acceptance--from the grass roots level on up--of the oneness, the unity, of the human race. It doesn't matter what the nationality, religion, gender, color, etc. all human beings are of the same species. All were created by the same God. All are entitled to the same rights. The Creator loves all human beings, even those who doubt the existence of God. "We are bound to you by the strongest ties of love and unity. We long with heart and soul for the day to arrive when the tabernacle of the oneness of humanity will have been raised in the midmost heart of the world and the banner of universal peace unfurled in all regions. The oneness of humanity must therefore be established, that the edifice of universal peace may be raised in turn." Footnotes |
Jamal (Beauty), 4 Ilm (Knowledge) 177 B.E. - Sunday, October 18, 2020 Birth of the Bab I'm considered changing the name of my NaNoWriMo project from Letters From My Soul to Epistles From My Soul. According to dictionary.com, epistle means "a letter, especially a formal or didactic one; written communication."8 I don't want the letters to sound didactic, I do want them to be formal rather than informal. I also want them to focus on the spiritual path and beliefs, which--to me--suggests an epistle and not a normal long or formal letter. Footnotes |
Jalal (Glory), 3 Ilm (Knowledge) 177 B.E. - Saturday, October 17, 2020
Day 2891: What is your favorite part of October that has nothing to do with Halloween? October is a delightful month, that brings back joyful memories of autumn in Oklahoma. It was a time when cooler day meant changing leaves, and Grandma Mary canning veggies from her garden. October is a refreshing month, that brings cooler days to Las Vegas, which allows me to leave my front door open all day. October 2020 means celebrating the Feast of Knowledge on the fifteen, and the Twin Holy days on the eighteenth and nineteenth. On the Eighteenth of October we celebrate the Birth of the Bab, and on the Nineteenth we celebrate the Birth of Baha'u'llah. |
Istiqlal (Independence), 2 Ilm (Knowledge) 177 B.E. - Friday, October 16, 2020
DAY 2890:https://www.delish.com/food/g25572846/dessert-quotes/?slide=19 Pick a dessert quote and share a story that connects with the one you chose. "What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate." Katharine Hepburn O Lord, O Lord, Thank you for this white or black confection that sends joy through my entire being. |
Istijlal (Maqjesty), 1 Ilm (Knowledge) 177 B.E. - Thursday, October 15, 2020 Feast Day of Knowledge "Therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards God, and seek always to do that which is right and noble. Enrich the poor, raise the fallen, comfort the sorrowful, bring healing to the sick, reassure the fearful, rescue the oppressed, bring hope to the hopeless, shelter the destitute!" I attended the Zoom meeting of the Feast of Ilm (Knowledge) last night. The Feast opened with a video of a man singing Amazing Grace. After the song there was a prayer, followed by another song, Have You Heard. The next reading was the one (see above) by 'Abd'u-Baha from Paris Talks. There were two more songs and a scripture reading before we proceeded to the consultation-business portion of the Feast. The Feast ended with a healing prayer. O Lord, help me to make my actions beautiful prayers proclaiming the Glory of God. One of the subjects discussed at feast was Devotionals. I found out that I can hold a Devotional in my home, even if I'm the only one to attend. Therefore, I will be taking an hour each Saturday to say prayers and read the sacred scriptures. I can also call some one on the phone and we can say prayers, as part of the Devotional. Footnotes |
Idal (Justice), 19 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Wednesday, October 14, 2020
DAY 2888: Write a limerick or a short story about the word pumpkin. (A Limerick is a rhymed humorous or nonsense poem of five lines which originated in Limerick, Ireland. The Limerick has a set rhyme scheme of : a-a-b-b-a with a syllable structure of: 9-9-6-6-9.) There once was a pumpkin named Abel, Whose job was to decorate a table, His flashlight was so bright, That on Halloween night, The Vampires became quite unstable. |
Fidal (Grace), 18 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Tuesday, October 13, 2020 I look at the prompt quote or suggestion, I consider how I'm going to answer, and my mind is blank. I don't think I have writer's block, although that is a possibility. I suspect the problem is just that I'm overthinking the theme or subject of the prompt. I'm also having difficulty coming up with prompts, which isn't a big deal because there are dozens of websites that I can turn to for prompts. I've decided to try something different for my blog entries for the next 26 days. Starting on Wednesday, October 14, and ending on Sunday, November 8, all of my blog entries will begin with consecutive letters of the alphabet. |
Kamal (Perfection), 17 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Monday, October 12, 2020
DAY 2262: The Chinese-American author Ha Jin, when asked about what most impressed him when he arrived at the USA, answered: “A chemical smell here. It was very alien, very overwhelming. Also, a lot of people wore perfume. I know a woman who came here from China and said she couldn’t stop vomiting.” Why are smells so impressive and what do you think of perfumes? Keeper of Sweet Secrets: To Mohammed Abdel-Seyed Khattab Egypt invented perfumes, Now in Egypt they will end. Mohammed Abdel-Seyed Khattab Combining the sweet scented oils of roses violets amergris jasmine lilacs the last perfume maker in the practice of his art worships Allah Privy to the secrets of the ancients Mohammed Abdel-Seyed Khattab creates all-natural perfumes from the scented oils of bitter almonds anise seeds ginger root cinnamon bark cedar sandalwood frankincense myrrh The last practitioner of an ancient and honorable trade Mr. Khattab decorates the walls of his shop with decanters of Tutankhamen Nefertiti Aida Harem Scent of Araby Christmas Night Arabian Night Scheherazzade Secret of the Desert His legacy to an unappreciative world The Devil Runs From The Perfume waits unpublished for him to join the Prophet Mohammad in paradise Poet's Note: ▼ |
Jamal (Glory), 16 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Sunday, October 11, 2020 I'm caught up with the NaNo Prep challenge exercise I was behind on. Last night, I read two articles in the Would You Vote for Science or God? series by Maya Bohnhoff. The articles I read are A Debate: Does Science Refute God? and Life, Matter and the God Particle . I finished "A Cabin in the Woods" and submitted it to "Stormy's poetry newsletter & contest" . I'm a little slow today. Not sure what the problem is, because I don't watch the news on television or take a newspaper. I get all my news online, because it helps keep my blood pressure low. Maybe I'm catching too much of the news online. For the rest of the week I'll read only science news, Baha'i articles, and read specific blog entries. |
Jalal (Glory), 15 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Saturday, October 10, 2020
DAY 2260 Use this image to inspire your blog today. It's at Stonington Harbor in Maine, where my oldest son lives in Maine. Harbor Meditation Inhale the salt air, the silent tranquility of the sapphire sea.
Day 2885: This week I'm looking forward to ____________. Looking Forward To This week I'm looking forward to ... ...making out my mail-in ballot and sending it back to the Election Department. ...the Tuesday, October 13 at 6:30 pm Pacific Time (US and Canada) zoom meeting an "Evening of Enlightenment". This is an educational meeting about the history of racism in America. ...finding out when the zoom meeting for the Feast of 'Ilm (Knowledge) will be held, so that I can attend it. ...reading the article Life, Matter and the God Particle{/sxlink} by Maya Bohnhoff. This article is the 15th installment of the series {xlink:https://bahaiteachings.org/series/would-you-vote-for-science-or-god/}Would You Vote for Science or God? , which are all by the same author. ...writing and reviewing on writing.com. |
Istijlal (Majesty), 13 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Thursday, October 8, 2020
DAY 2883 Use this image to inspire your blog entry today. Tell us a story or write a poem. The old church-- The old church waited for the day of resurrection, and the Glory of the Returned Lord. The old church waited and wondered when the Day of God would dawn. |
Idal (Justice), 12 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Wednesday, October 7, 2020 I write poem and short stories about Halloween, no longer celebrate or commemorate it. If I need to use it in a short story or poem, I do research on its origins and its myths. I stopped celebrating it, when I realized it no longer held excited me. As a child, I love to dress up and go trick or treating with my sibling, and, as an adult, I sometimes attended Halloween parties at the places I worked. I attended the Halloween parties to be sociable or because friend were attending them. Now I use Halloween as an inspiration to write, but for no other reason. Halloween is a holiday that is neither scary nor frightening. Its history and myths are prompts to use in writing. If I do anything special on Halloween, I will pause and say and extra prayer for the departed. |
Kamal (Perfection), 10 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Monday, October 5, 2020 I am a "mystical aspirant"11-- I am a poet with mystical aspirations, who recognizes Baha'u'llah as the Divine Manifestation for this day, and strives to obey the will of God. Footnotes |
Jamal (Beauty), 9 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Sunday, October 4, 2020 The Past Week's Good News It is a joyous Sunday morning. This past week good news came from Israel. The good news came from the Baha'i World Center located on Mount Carmel in Haifa. The foundation to the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Baha has been completed. The gardens around it still need work and the shrine itself needs to be completed. The work there is going well and soon the the completed building will be ready for visitors. NaNo Prep Review for October 1-4 I completed five of the NaNoWriMo Prep exercises between October 1 and October 4. Now I have to decide whether I want to start Letters From My Soul in November with the introduction or the first letter. After much consideration, I think I want to start with the first letter. The introduction I will complete during October using some of the items from the Prep exercises. |
Jalal (Glory), 8 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Saturay, October 3, 2020
Day 2878: Sometimes in autumn, when the leaves begin to fall and a cold wind blows out of the north, I remember .... Sometimes in autumn, Grandpa had constructed a wooden bench around the tree so that we could sit and rest while playing in the front yard.
DAY 2253: What appeals to you more in Fall, the foliage or the temperatures? In Oklahoma it was the autumn foliage I looked forward to. Now, living in Las Vegas, the temperatures are more appealing. |
Istijlal (Majesty), 6 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Thursday, October 1, 2020
DAY 2876: “This tree must be falling for me, as soon as I sat under it, it dropped its leaves. Oh sweet October!” ― Charmaine J. Forde “Pumpkins in October, as fat as the full moon, they sit on our doorstep at night and glow.”― Richelle E. Goodrich Please pick one or both of these quotes to discuss in your blog entry today. Happy Harvest Moon! Welcome to October 2020, Look up and watch the Harvest moon dancing across the starry night sky: Do you hear a howl? Is it the call of a werewolf? Don't scream yet wait until Halloween when the Hunter's moon is full, you may hear or see a werewolf and that is the time to scream. Halloween is when you hear Jack O'Lantern's maniacal laughter accompanying the werewolf's hungry howl. |
Idal (Justice), 5 Mashiyyat (Will) 177 B.E. - Wednesday, September 30, 2020
DAY 2875: October was always a fun month with hayrides, corn mazes, ghoulish delights, costumes, decorations, haunted houses with ghosts or spooky cemetery tours that is until COVID 19. The virus that won't go away. So tell us how you're going to get your spooky on? Are you improvising or simply not bothering? Did you know Jaeff | KBtW of the Free Folk is resurrecting "Resurrection Jukebox" and there's always Angus "SCREAMS!!!" for your spooky needs. I'm not going to attempt to get my spooky on. If I think of a good or scary start to a story or poem, I'll enter a couple of contests. My focus in October is preparing for NaNoWriMo and keeping doctors appointments. I have a followup with one specialist on October 6 and I'm scheduled for an ultrasound on October 19. I will celebrate the Birth of The Bab on October 18 and the Birth of Baha'u'llah on October 19. I will make entries in "I Blog Poetry and Prose" and "Snow's Space Blog" either everyday or every-other-day. I don't celebrate Halloween because it doesn't mean anything to me. When I was a child it was fun trick-or=treating. When Mom was alive, she enjoyed seeing all the children dressed up in costumes, so we would give out candy. Sometimes Mom and I would go out to eat on Halloween, but it wasn't to celebrate Halloween. If I do anything for Halloween this year, it will be a blog entry about the Halloweens of my childhood. |