Last Day of 2006

1 Sharaf 163 B.E. - December 31, 2006

Today is the last day of 2006. This morning the sun rose behind clouds giving a pastel red cast to the morning sky. There is an old saying that goes

Red sky at morning,

Sailors take warning,
Red sky at night,
Sailors delight.

I’m not sure how accurate that is to predict today’s weather, because at this moment there aren’t very many clouds in the sky. There are a few, but they don’t appear any threat, they look like there just suspended in the sky going no where.

I’m going to go to the store this afternoon, still need to get more stuff for New Years Day. I went to the store Friday for a package of black-eyed peas. My Grandmother always fixed black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. She said it brought good luck for the coming year. I’m not sure about the good luck part, but I do like to keep some of the traditions Grandma practiced. So tomorrow, we’ll have black-eyed peas with smoked ham hocks and jalapeño peppers. Grandma never put jalapeño in her black-eyed peas, but Mom and I like them that way. Grandma didn’t used smoked ham hocks either, she used the fresh or froze ham hocks that weren’t smoked. I’ve never had black-eyed peas with smoked ham hocks so it should be a tasty change in the recipe, if it is I’ll just make black-eyed peas that way from now on.

Used All My Gift Cards

18 Masa’il 163 B.E. - December 29, 2006

I’ve used all my gift cards this year. Not that I had all that many, I used two at the Red Lobster. Mom and I got the seafood stuffed sole for lunch. It came with baked potato (there were other choices) and a salad. The Red Lobster lunch was my birthday celebration. My birthday is December 24, but I avoid going out on Christmas Eve because of the last minute Christmas shoppers. So we went out to eat today and used the two gift cards I had to that restaurant.

The other gift card was a to Border’s Books. I went into the store, rather than ordering online. I enjoy going into bookstores and prefer to shop for my reading material in a brick and mortar store. The books I got were Sixty Things To Do When You Turn Sixty edited by Ronnie Sellers and The One Year Great Songs of Faith: 365 Devotions Based on Popular Hymns Compiled and edited by Robert K. Brown and Mark R. Norton with Devotions written by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen. The Great Songs of Faith give the words to the hymns and gives information about their writing.

Oklahoma Memories

3 Masa’il 163 B.E. - December 14, 2006

I was born and raised in Oklahoma, so I have many fond and not very good memories of the state and the towns of that state. I think the two types of memories go hand-in-hand. My favorite Oklahoma Memories are of winter. The nights were especially beautiful. You could see the stars clear and bright and make out the constellations. Most of the highways between the towns and cities were two lane blacktop or dirt roads. In the cities and towns there were streetlights, but on the highways and roads in between none.

One winter memory is of snow. We lived in Blackwell and my Grandparents lived in a house across from the airport. When it snowed the ground and road between my Grandparents house and the horizon was completely white. I could look out their front room window see an unbroken field of snow until the city snowplows came to clear the road. The snowplows would drive down the street pushing the snow out of the way and then the road would be clear all day. At night, it would snow again and the next morning the city would have to clear the road again. Thinking back it seems like such a waste of time and energy to clear all that snow, when the plow would have to do it again the next morning.

However, this reflects certain aspects of my life. The concepts and fears I’ve carried from childhood are the snow that falls covering the joy and new ideas that I’ve acquired in adulthood. The meditation and prayer are the snowplows clearing the road of those old concepts. We have to continue clearing out the old to make way for the new, if we don’t then the old just piles up and up until the road is block altogether.

Since my birthday is approaching, I’ve been attempting to clear out some of the old, outdated and self-defeating concepts. It seems a never-ending job, but I know that if I keep trying eventually I’ll get the job done.

The photo was taken when I was in high school.

My Favorite Birthday Present

2 Masa’il 163 B.E. - December 13, 2006

My favorite birthday present wasn’t meant to be a birthday present. It occurred on a visit to my Grandma Darbe’s house. The visit occurred during a Christmas holiday, when we were traveling from Blackwell to Shawnee. My Grandma Darbe lived in Burbank, Oklahoma. We detoured from the direct trip back to Shawnee, drove to Burbank and stayed with Grandma for several days.

I remember setting in Grandma’s kitchen watching her make bread. Grandma still had the old wood burning iron stove, I remember her cooking on all her life. She still made her own bread and chopped her own wood. She still wore the same old apron she’d wore all her life. It was made from a cloth flour sake. I think she had several aprons, because she always had a clean one every day and I don’t remember her doing laundry.

That visit was the last time I saw Grandma, she lived for several years but we never got back to see her again. I still miss Grandma Darbe, she was a wonder woman. The picture posted today is one taken at the time of the visit.

A Question of Age

1 Masa’il 163 B.E. - December 12, 2006

After thinking about my upcoming birthday for a while, I have decided that I am looking forward to my mature years. Therefore, I am not going to have a reoccurring sixtieth birthday party or celebration every year. I know several people who are in their late seventies and early eighties, who get along well and are having a ball.

I still haven’t decided how I’m going to celebrate this year. Maybe I’ll just stay home and review stories and poems on writing.com. I could just as easily go out, but if I do that I have to drive on Christmas Eve and I prefer not to celebrate my birthday by driving in the Last Minute Christmas Shopping Traffic. In addition, I enjoy reviewing poetry, stories and articles that posted on writing.com.

I don’t know why I’m spending so much time deciding what to do. Normally I just stay home and either read or go online and surf the web. My brothers and sisters live in other towns and won’t get around at that time. They will call and we’ll talk a little while.

I suspect that the idea of turning sixty is encouraging me. There was a time when I didn’t want anyone to know my age, but it doesn’t matter any more. Age is just a state of mind. If one feels old then that person is old. I don’t feel old, I feel excited and looking forward to the future; looking forward to traveling and seeing the Baha’i Holy places. ‘Abdu’l-Baha was in his seventies when he visited America in the early 1900s. Travel then was difficult, instead of taking a plane; he traveled on an ocean liner and not a luxury liner like those of today.

The photo I’m posting with this entry is of myself as a very small child. I’m not sure how old I was when the photo was take, but not very old.

Zee

19 Qawl 163 B.E. - December 10, 2006 at 11:25:38 PM PST

Zee is the end of the alphabet, 19 Qawl is the end of the month of Speech (Qawl), December is the end of the Gregorian year and this is the end of the alphabetical entries in this blog. I’ll start a different theme group of entries beginning on 1 Masa’il, which means I’ll either make the entry on the evening of December 11 when I get back from the Feast of Masa’il (Questions) or on the morning of December 12.

Since my birthday is on December 24, which is 13 Masa’il I’m thinking of doing a birthday series. A celebration of my first annual sixtieth birthday, that’s right I said my first annual sixtieth birthday. A poet I know has celebrated his fiftieth birthday for the past four or five years. Every year he has a birthday party at a poetry reading to commemorate his “annual fiftieth” birthday.

I think sixty is a good age to stop having birthdays. Although, my mother is eighty-five and she celebrates every year by adding one to her age. So maybe getting beyond sixty isn’t so bad after all. My mother writes poetry; in fact she didn’t start composing poetry until she was eighty-one or eighty-two. Not only that, but she shill worked in the public until the age of eighty-three. She’s still doing pretty good, still going strong and taking Ruhi study classes.

As I said, this is the end of the Alphabetical title series and I start a different title theme tomorrow. This time I’m going to post photos and pictures with the series. Maybe start with photos of myself when I was younger or other items that mean something and I can scan.

Yuletide

18 Qawl 163 B.E. - December 9, 2006 at 5:00:24 PM PST

Well it’s that time of year again. Christmas music, people saying “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Holidays”, “Happy New Year”, etc. Merchants have decorated their display windows with candy canes, snowmen, presents, etc. The bakeries make snowmen cookies, Santa Clause cookies, Christmas tree cookies, etc. People are decorating their yards and trees with blinking and flashing electric lights. They are decorating their yards with giant inflatable Santa Clauses’, snowmen, teddy bears, etc. It’s cold and snowing somewhere in America.

The T.V. news anchors are warning people to be aware of their surroundings, even when they leave grocery stores. Apparently, robbers are knocking people down outside of grocery stores and taking what is in their shopping carts. In parking lots, you need to lock your car and put your gifts in the trunk, because if you leave the present where they can be see, someone will break into you car and take the gifts, not to mention the car. If you’re not careful someone will even steal the yard decorations right out of your front yard.

T.V. commercials are suggesting that for Christmas you buy the one you love Royals Royce’s, Merced’s Benzes, diamond watches, diamond earrings, diamond nickels, etc. What happened to homemade gifts look cookies and food. OK, this entry is getting depressive, my only excuse is that I was born on December 24 and I have Christmas issues, or at least I used to have. Anymore I find Christmas and the other holidays that occur in December quite interesting.

I enjoy seeing the way people celebrate the different December holidays. It’s refreshing to go into stores and have someone wish you something else besides a “Nice day”. I don’t care whether someone wishes me a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday, either greeting is fine. It’s good to see people talk to a stranger rather than glare. Oh, there is the occasional “Bah Humbug” but that’s rare, especially when you go into a store to buy something. The clerks probably think you’re there to buy Christmas presents or something similar.

I don’t go into stores to buy presents, I usually go in to buy groceries or something else. If I were going to buy a present, it would be a birthday present. The most I do this time of year is sent relatives and friends’ cards commemorating whatever December holiday they celebrate, if they celebrate a December holiday.

X-The Unknown

17 Qawl 163 B.E. - December 8, 2006 at 11:19:38 PM PST

There used to be a T.V. show that talked about the Unknown and referred to it as X. I’m not sure, but I think the T.V. show was the Twilight Zone. Of course, that was a long time ago, I was younger than and I could have my T.V. shows confused. Anyway, this entry isn’t about the Twilight Zone (although that was one of my favorite shows). What the entry is about is how little we know about ourselves and about the universe around us.

All the great spiritual leaders and prophets of the past and the present tell us to learn about ourselves. Encourage us to know ourselves. Yet how many of us take those words to heart and seek to learn about what makes us tick. Knowledge of self is scary. If we know ourselves, we know why we do the things we do, we know why we don’t do the things we should do, we learn about our authentic selves. If we know ourselves, we have to make changes to bring ourselves into alignment with our authentic selves.

I’m attempting to learn about myself. To learn what divine attributes I need to develop. It’s difficult to overcome fear of knowledge. However, it is possible with work. In learning about myself, I’ve found myself doing some extremely interesting things lately. For instance, today I threw caution to the wind (which was a bit difficult since the wind wasn’t blowing at the time) and went to Starbuck. My mother and I got a coffee, just a regular coffee not the fancy kind with chocolate or peppermint in it, and snowman cookies. We sit in the shop, eat our cookies, and drink our coffee. I didn’t worry about how much it was costing or, the fact, that I could probably use the money for gas.

That’s not the only intriguing thing I’ve done lately. A couple of days ago, when we went to Wal-Mart, in addition to the wet cat food (for the cats), the butter and non-dairy whipped topping, I bought a box of crayons. I bought the box of fancy crayons, the kind with 96 different colors and a built in sharpener. Now, one may ask, what is a 59 almost 60-year-old woman going to do with a box of crayons? I’m going to color pictures, of course.

No, I’m not going through my second childhood. At the moment, I’m irritating my inner critic and fighting a case of writer’s block. True I have written some stuff lately, class assignments for my Masters’ course, but not a lot of poetry or new stories. What I’m trying to do is get out of my box, out of my rut and heal my inner child of some old fears. I am having fun learning about myself and giving my muse something to write about.

Writing

16 Qawl 163 B.E. – December 8, 2006

Writing is therapeutic! Getting both the bad of the past down on paper helps me heal. Writing helps, me let go of the emotions and accept the blessings of survival. When I write about a situation, I let go of the obsession, of the worry and the fear that it caused in my life. I learn to forgive. Writing allows me to put down on paper what I remember. It’s amazing that when I start writing about a situation, I find small details that I would miss other wise.

Writing poetry and short stories if my way of finding my authentic self and helps me find the self that traumatic experiences concealed beneath layers of wounds and scar tissue. The occurrence of a painful event wounds the soul. Writing about the event, no matter what form that writing takes helps the healing process and helps me to let go of the event and heal the wound.

Victory

16 Qawl 163 B.E. – December 8, 2006

Victory is finding your authentic self; finding the core, the secret self, capable of reflecting the Creator’s attributes. Each human being has two natures, material and spiritual. The authentic self is the spiritual nature; the inner reality, the part that can reflect the attribute’s of God.

Each day is a chance for victory over the lower nature. Tests and difficulties assist the individual to clean the soul’s mirror. The more one turns to God and prayer in times of tests the more the authentic self comes through and the better chance one has of revealing it to the world.

Urgent

15 Qawl 163 B.E. – December 7, 2006

At the moment the urgent item in my life is dry cat food. We normally get it at the Vets, but we ordered it several days ago and it hasn’t come in yet. I called the offices yesterday and the woman at the desk said either this week or next week. The problem is the cats are out of dry food. They have wet food, because on Wednesday we went to Wal-Mart and got a case of 24 cans of it. However, Spot doesn’t like wet food, he would eat dry food exclusively, and only eats it if there is nothing else. The rest don’t care whether the cat food is wet or dry, they will eat which ever I’ve go without complaining. Spot, on the other hand, complains.

One of the cats is one a special diet, he gets control die, so I normally get the dry food at the Vets, but it’s getting difficult because it takes so long to get it in and I don’t seem to think about ordering it before we’re about out. Sunday or Monday, I’ll check at the pet stores and see what they have in the dry food. In the mean time they are going to have to be satisfied with what I’ve got. Which means Spot is probably going to start complaining either Saturday or Sunday night.

The way he complains is that he goes through the house meowing. You call his name and he doesn’t come as he normally would. Instead it sits down in whatever room he’s in and meows until I or my mother goes to find him. Sometimes he does it during the day, but most of the time he pulls this little trick at night after I’ve gone to bed.

Trust

14 Qawl 163 B.E. – December 5, 2006 at 10:05:54 PM Pacific Standard Time

I’ve been thinking lately about the prayers revealed by Baha’u’llah. I’ve read a lot of them and have memorized some of them. One of the prayers that I’ve memorized is this one.

He who puts his trust in God, God will suffice him.
He who fears God, God will send him relief.
Prayer by Baha’u’llah
quoted by H.M. Balyuzi
in Baha’u’llah – The King of Glory, p. 138

This is a short prayer and one that I memorized relatively quickly. I like memorizing especially the prayers of Baha’u’llah, the Bab and ‘Abdu’l-Baha. The interesting thing about memorization is that for the young its usually easy, but as we get older it gets a little more difficult.

My experience is that the prayers I’ve memorized as an adult, which are all from the sacred scriptures of the Baha’i Faith mean a great deal more to me than the ones I memorized as a child. Of course, I didn’t memorize more than two or three when I was growing up. Now I memorize them because I want to, not because someone has told me I must memorize them. While I don’t have any specific prayers that are my favorites. Some I do say more than others, the one quoted in this entry is one of those. This prayer brings me comfort and joy when I recite it.

If I’m stress than saying this prayer calms me, if I’m depressed then it brings me joy, if I’m sluggish and uninspired then it energizes me. It’s amazing that one prayer of two short lines can do all that, but it does at least for me.

Stars

13 Qawl 163 B.E. – December 5, 2006

Star bright, star light,
First star I see to night,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

I wonder how many people learned that as a child. Nursery rhymes are so much fun. Other rhymes stand out in my mind, like stars in the midnight sky. One of the first prayers I learn, when I was a child rhymed.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

OK, so some of the rhymes we (those of us over the age of 50) learned as children probably weren’t age appropriate. I doubt that I would teach that prayer to a child of mine, at least not in that form. I’d probably rewrite it, but it is understandable why parent’s taught prayers like that to children in ages past. It was a different time, parents wanted to protect their children, but they wanted them to understand the fact of life, as well. Prayers and nursery rhymes helped them teach their children that.

To many of us, when we were growing up our parents and grandparents were stars, heroes, people we looked up to and held in high esteem. Our parents tried to do the right thing, they did the best they could with what they knew and when they found out better, then they did better.

My Grandpa Newland was my father figure, my star, my hero. I remember more about my Grandfather than I remember about my Father. Grandpa was the one who took my out of a refrigerator I got in during a game of hide-and-seek. Grandpa Newland was my guardian angel. I always think of Grandpa in that way.

What brought on this bit of nostalgia? It’s December, it’s the month I was born. My birthday is on the 24th. Yes, I was a Christmas Eve baby. Not only that, but I’m looking forward to my birthday this year. The best thing about December is the night sky, the winter stars. I like going outside the city and looking at the stars it seems to take longer to get away from the light pollution now than in the past.

I haven’t decided how I’m going to celebrate. I’ve thought of several ways, but none of them seem to appeal to me. I’m not going to drive outside Las Vegas and look at the stars. At least, not until I get the heater in my car fixed and a new tire, so whatever I do will have to be in the city. I’ll post the way I celebrate my birthday on that day, in the mean time I’ve got to figure out how to celebrate.

Ruhi

12 Qawl 163 B.E. - December 3, 2006 at 8:23:46 PM PST

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but my mother and I are taking two different Ruhi classes right now. One is Book 4: The Twin Manifestations and it takes place every other Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Although for December there will be a slight change to that schedule, we won’t meet again until December 30. The other is Book 6: Teaching the Cause and it meets every Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. There are slight changes to the December schedule for this as well, we will still be meeting every week, it’s just that two of those weeks the days will change.

This weekend we received homework in both the classes. In the Book 4 class we’re supposed to do some an art project either write a poem or do a picture. I haven’t asked Mom what she is going to do, my mother is 85 years old and she composes poems as well as does some other art.

I started the poem today. It’s going to be about the events that occurred in the Siyah-Chal (The Black Pit), but I don’t know what I’m going to call it yet. I haven’t even given it a working title, which is unusual because normally I give any poem a working title the first thing. However, if I don’t that usually means that the title I do give it is the one that will stay with the poem.

The homework for Book 6 is to create a personal teaching plan. I have four pages of questions to answer. There are just nine questions, but I have to write the answers in and take it back to the meeting in two week. That’s time enough to read the questions through, then pray and meditate about the answers. This is going to be fun, I’ve tried coming up with a personal teaching plan before, but this is the first time that I’ve attempted to go about it systematically. Looking at the paper for the personal teaching plan, I think I’ll answer the questions on the page and then copy them into Writing My Spiritual Journey Journal.

Quirky

11 Qawl 163 B.E. - December 3, 2006

I’ve been feeling a little quirky lately, maybe it has something to do with the cold temperatures here in Las Vegas. Thursday and Friday, we go down to freezing for the first time this year. Or it could be that it’s now December and my birth month. My birthday is the 24th and, for once in a year or two, I’m looking forward to that day. This year I will be sixty years old, that’s right the big 6 0.

I’m considering ways to celebrate. Maybe have my first annual 60th birthday party or something like that. Although, considering that it’s December, it’s probably too late to get the invitations out and expect them to be delivered before the 24th, besides if I made a cake it would have to be in the microwave oven. I’m also considering actually going out on the 24th and celebrate in a restaurant. Normally I don’t like to drive on Christmas Eve, too many last minute shoppers going from mall to mall looking for the perfect Christmas gift. I’m not considering going to a mall, I don’t mind crowds as long as I’m having fun, but I stop having fun in a crowded mall.

The only thing that appeals to me is the birthday celebration, but there is only my mother and me. And I can’t think of anything but a small party or celebration of some type. I’d really like to do something different, maybe ride in a hot air balloon or perhaps the Las Vegas monorail. I haven’t ridden the monorail yet. What else haven’t I done that appeals to me? I’m not sure just yet. Maybe I’ll think of something interesting soon.

Prayer

8 Qawl 163 B.E. - November 30, 2006

Today I was reading post to one of my Yahoo groups. One of the members used a prayer cup. This cup sits on the person’s desk and when someone asks for prayers; he writes the name and date on a piece of paper then put it in the cup. Once a day the person takes the slips of paper out of the cup and prays those of ask for prayers.

Another person uses a God Bag. She writes any problem or difficulty she’s having on a slip of paper, dates the paper, signs it, then at the bottom of the paper puts “Thy will and not mine be done.” she then puts the paper into the bag and forgets about the situation.
There are many ways to put a situation into God’s hands. In the Baha’i Prayer Book, there are prayers for every contingency in a person’s life. These prayers are reveal by Baha’u’llah and the Bab or written by ‘Abdu’l-Baha. It doesn’t matter what one’s need or problem is there is a prayer for the situation. True sometimes the prayer doesn’t specifically mention the problem on is facing, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a prayer for the difficulty.

The prayers are there, all a person has to do is sit down, open the book and read a prayer. If it helps to mention the problem before say the prayer, then mention the problem. If one isn’t sure precisely which prayer to say then say the Remover of Difficulties revealed by the Bab.

"Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding!" - The Báb, Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 27

There are many ways for a person to put their problems in God’s hands. The idea is to turn everything over to the Divine Essence and then get on with one’s life. Sometimes the problem is getting on with one’s life without worrying about what’s been turned over the Divine.

One

7 Qawl 163 B.E. - November 29, 2006

I love to look at pictures of Earth taken from outer space. Not only are they beautiful, but the reveal the planet in a way our ancestors never saw it. When you look at a picture of the planet, you see only the natural barriers that our ancestors had to cross, to conquer, as some would say, in their migrations.

The pictures of Earth taken from orbit don’t reveal the barrier of nation and country that humanity itself has created. The pictures of Earth taken by orbiting astronauts show Earth as a single homeland to the human race; as “one country” if you will. I like to meditate on the pictures of Earth floating in space. It helps me see myself as a citizen of the planet and visualize humanity as a single species, as one race.

Every time I look at a picture of the planet Earth I think of one of my favorite quotes by Baha’u’llah: “…Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch….” from Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 288. There are other quotes concerning the oneness of humanity and of the planet, but that is my favorite.

Sometimes the world situation seems so hopeless, but when I read the writing of Baha’u’llah I find hope. When I can find hope for myself then I can share it with others. If I am worrying or depressed about something I find myself feeling hopeless and unhappy, but when I read the scriptures and prayers revealed by Baha’u’llah my attitude changes. Once my attitude changes then I can give everyone a smile and speak to them with joy and happiness in my voice.

There is a great deal I don’t have and can’t do, but when I read the writing of Baha’u’llah the things I don’t have or can’t don’t matter any more. Keeping focused on the Baha’u’llah helps me achieve the goals I can achieve. If I don’t have a focus I look at my short comings and am disappointed, but I’m never disappointed with Baha’u’llah. The meaning of Baha’u’llah is the Glory of God. This is my one hope, my one joy, my one happiness.

Now

6 Qawl 163 B.E. - November 28, 2006

When I first learned to type, which was in the high school in Shawnee, Oklahoma, we used sentences written on the chalkboard (no it wasn’t a white board, but a real chalkboard) by the teacher. I remember two of the sentences (not necessary how they were punctuated, just the sentences themselves).

Those sentences were:
“The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.”
“Now is the time for all good men, to come to the aid of their country.”

Maybe it’s time to change one of those sentences to
Now is the time for all concerned people, to come to the aid of their planet.

Although I suppose today instead of writing the sentence on a chalkboard or even a white board the sentence is in a book or on a sheet of paper. I don’t think they use type writers anymore either. Today most people learn to type on keyboards. When I was growing up a keyboard referred to the white and black keys on a piano or similar type of musical instrument.

Times have changed and so have many people. Some human haven’t changed but many have and are in the process of transformation. Humanity is changing it’s world view moving to see the entire planet as humanity’s home land, as the native country of the human race. So maybe it’s time to change some of the typing (do people still call it that or is the word keyboarding now) exercise sentences to reflect the new and emerging view point of the human race.

I know I’ve changed my world view in the past several years. I’ve changed my opinion on a number of things. So change, transformation is possible, not easy mind you, but possible. If a person wants to change then that person can. In order to change one has to change the thoughts behind the actions and the actions slow change. I am becoming more aware all the time of how my actions are changing as I change the way I think about and the world around me and myself.

Meditation

4 Qawl 163 B.E. - November 26, 2006

Writing in a journal is or can be a form of meditation. It’s an action meditation and rather than emptying your mind of all thought before beginning you use the journal to writing every thought down. That is the gist of an article posted in one of my Yahoo groups. The title of the article is Mapping the Inner Journey. The article didn’t give specific on how to start a writing meditation, it just said to start writing.

When I meditate, I contemplate the sacred writings. I also chant the Most Great Name. The writing meditation sounds intriguing. It’s something I could use after reading a verse of the sacred scriptures. So how would I begin using the writing meditation in conjunction with the scriptures?

First, I would say a prayer revealed by either Baha’u’llah or the Bab.
Second, I would read the scripture over two or three times.
Third, I would set a few minutes contemplating the verse
Fourth, I would type the scripture into my journal.
Fifth, I would free write for about 5 minutes or so on the verse putting into my journal everything that came to my mind.

Light

2 Qawl 163 B.E. - November 24, 2006

God wants us to be happy! Light is one of the gifts that the Divine Essence gave us to make us happy. There is so much sadness in the world today that one doesn’t often remember that happiness is a spiritual attribute rather than a physical attribute. Happiness is light in the soul of the individual. It is joy and luminosity. Happiness changes the outlook of the soul and the mind of a person; at least I know it does mine.

I find many things in my life I find joyous. The two things that I often look to change my mood when I’m in a depressed mood is the sacred scriptures and my cats. If I’m depressed and read a prayer of Baha’u’llah, the Bab, or ‘Abdu’l-Baha my mood changes. In order to change my situation, and myself I have to look at the writing of Baha’u’llah and apply them to my life. It isn’t always easy, but it is possible if I just keep going and not give up.

Knowledge

1 Qawl 163 B.E. – November 23, 2006

I did a Google search on “How to cook a Turkey in a microwave”. I come up with several different sources telling me how to fix the turkey. The sources said I could fix use a microwave to cook a turkey, but neither my mother nor myself had ever fixed a turkey that way. We had a 12 lb. turkey and the sources said that a microwave would cook a 10 to 12 lb. bird.

What we did (my mother and I) was to cut the bird up and then cooked the drumsticks. We cut the drumsticks and the wings off. We still have to cut the rest of the turkey in half. We’re going to fix the breast in the microwave and put the back bone in the slow cooker and fix macaroni.

Anyway, for Thanksgiving lunch we had turkey drumsticks and green beans. There is only two of use and we don’t eat a lot, so there is no since in fixing a big meal. The rest of the turkey is in the refrigerator and we’ll cook it tomorrow.

Today I gained a interesting piece of knowledge. I didn’t know one could cook a turkey in a microwave. Now that I know that I’m more likely to have turkey more often. I don’t like cooking a big turkey in an oven, it’s way too much work. However, cooking a turkey in a microwave is easier and with just two people it’s better.

Joy

18 Qudrat 163 B.E. - November 21, 2006

The feast of Qawl (Speech) is going to occur tomorrow evening at 7:30 at the Baha’i Center. This is the day I celebrate becoming a Baha’i, because this was the first Feast I attended after I declared my belief in Baha’u’llah. Every feast is a joyous occasion because of the fellowship and the reading of the scriptures. However, the Feast of Speech is a special occasion for me because no matter where I attend, I always remember the first feast I attended.

At the time I declared my faith in Baha’u’llah, I was living in a different Las Vegas area township so I was in a different community. I lived in Paradise Township when I declared my faith. The first feast I attended was at the home of a friend who has now passed into the next world.

I attended feast not knowing what to expect. I knew it would be a different experience from attending church, but I didn’t know how different. A Baha’i feast has three portions (1) the Spiritual, (2) the Business, and (3) the Social portion. I was amazed at what occurred. The scriptures read during the first portion of the feast were from the writings of The Bab, Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha. During the consultation in the second part everyone contributed to the discussion and during the third portion we eat all sorts of goodies and had tea, coffee or soda. During the entire event, I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. At every feast I attend, I can feel the presence of the Spirit of God.

Industrious

17 Qudrat 163 B.E. - November 20, 2006

My entire weekend has been one big blur of activity. Whether it was industrious or not is a question that remains up in the air. The weekend was productive, but since I am doing an alphabetical theme in this blog industrious was the only word that fitted the title of the entry.

I wasn’t home either Saturday or Sunday. On Saturday, my mother and I attended two Ruhi courses. Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, we participated in Book 4: The Twin Manifestations on the east side of Las Vegas. Then stopped at a gas station, got gas and went home to feed the cats. After feeding the cats, (they got their dry food in the house) we went to the west side of town to the Baha’i Center. From 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m., we participated in Book 6: Teaching the Cause. Then we returned home, to find out we hadn’t remembered to turn the lights on when we left the house. I don’t remember what time we got home because I didn’t look at the clock.

Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (I think that was the time) we again participated in Ruhi Book 6, on the east side, and we finished the first section. Then we remained at the lady’s house until after her devotional service which was from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. I got all the tires aired on my car and then we went home. We fed the cats (this time the were able to have their food on the patio), rested a little while and then went to a panel discussion at the Baha’i Center at 7:00 p.m. after the discussion we stayed for refreshments and got home about 9:00 or 9:30 p.m.

That was my entire weekend. The only ones who eat at home those days were the cats.

Holiday

12 Qudrat 163 B.E. - November 15, 2006

The word holiday has an interesting history. According to dictionary.com the word itself comes from the Middle English word holidai, which meant Holy Day. Dictionary.com also gave the Old English word h lig dæg, which also means Holy Day and the origin of holiday. There were several different definitions for the word, but I’m not going to go into those here.

Anyway, what I’m getting at is that the origin of the word is Holy Day, which refers to a day of sacredness, of feasting, celebrating and prayer. In today’s world we don’t often think of the origin of the word holiday, much less the origins of the holidays we take a day off work to celebrate or commemorate or to give gifts. All holidays seem to be for today is spend money to buy things and give to people who could probably use the money themselves rather than the objects. More than likely the people, we give the gifts to would rather have the person giving the gift in their life more often than the gift.

The thing about holiday shopping is that most of the time we go overboard and spend too much. Sometimes we ask the person what they want for the holiday and sometimes we don’t ask. When we don’t ask for gift suggestions from the person, we get what we think the person would like rather than what that person really wants. Even when we do ask and get the gift the person wanted, we presume that was what the person really wanted.

Then there are the gift-exchange holiday parties. We buy the gift in or out of the proper price range without giving the gift itself any thought.

I think what I’m getting at is that when we buy gifts, we never really give it a lot of thought. We just buy something that seems appropriate.

Gratitude

11 Qudrat 163 B.E. - November 14, 2006

Thanksgiving is coming up. It is one of my favorite holidays. I’ve enjoyed Thanksgiving all my life. My earliest Thanksgiving memory is my Grandmother fixing a turkey. I don’t know how old I was at the time or even what kind of turkey she was dressing. I know the turkey was huge, even gigantic or at least it seemed to me then. I don’t know if the turkey were fresh for frozen.

I remember Grandma Newland taking dressing and stuffing it into to turkey. Then she sprinkled salt and pepper over the outside and brushed it with butter. Or perhaps she brushed it with butter and then sprinkled salt and pepper over it; anyway after that she put the bird in the oven and went on to something else.

We always had turkey for Thanksgiving. The menu consisted of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed corn, candied sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie and mince pie. When the turkey was done we all sit down at the table and Grandpa Newland would give thanks.

Grandpa never said a long prayer of thanks. It always thanked God for the blessing we received that year, that everyone was well and ended the prayer with Amen.

First

9 Qudrat 163 B.E. - November 12, 2006

“What is the first thing you do of a morning?” This is the question asked myself this morning. The obvious answer, of course, is get out of bed, but this isn’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the spiritual actions that are necessary to begin the day. Precisely what got me to thinking about this and looking at my morning actions, I’m not sure. Maybe it was the change in my attitude or mood yesterday.

Yesterday, November 11 (8 Qudrat), I woke up between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. Now I’ve got to admit that getting out of bed and struggling across a cold tile floor to turn the heat up isn’t conducive to sleep. It’s an awakening experience to say the least. Anyway the clock in the living room read 2:30 when I finally arrived in that room and turned the light on, so I must have actually woke up at 2:00 a.m.

When I get up the early I normally shoo a cat off the divan, sit down and wrap myself in a blanket until the house heats up, but yesterday I did something different. I opened my prayer book and said prayers. I have given myself the goal of saying ten or eleven specific prayer during a single twenty-four hour period. Yesterday I had said ten of those prayers before noon. My mood the rest of the day was positive and I felt joyous.

This morning I woke up between 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. I don’t have a clock by my bed so I’m not really sure what time I wake up of a morning. So far this morning, I’ve said two of the prayers and one of them last night before going to bed. Since I plan my life around a solar day, which is from sunset to sunset, this puts the first prayer I said last night in the goal for 9 Qudrat. The other seven or eight prayers I will say or rather read before sunset this evening.

I would rather spread the prayers out over the day. However, sometimes I get distracted with stuff and forget to stop what I’m doing and take a prayer break. After yesterday’s experience though I’m going to attempt to take the breaks at times other then just noon, about the time I say the short obligatory prayer.

Everyday

8 Qudrat 163 B.E. - November 11, 2006

Everyday is an historic event. Somewhere in the world, somebody is making history. It may not be a big event, but it does have the potential of changing the world.

Everyday children are born. Each child has the potential of doing good. Each child had the potential of making a difference in the world and changing the world for the good.

Everyday each of us wakes up and looks at the world through a curtain of our own thoughts and habits. We think it is going to be a good day if we wake up in a good mood.

Everyday each of us has the potential of doing something good for someone else. Every day we each have the opportunity to change the world for the better. How do we change the world? We change the world through the transformation of our character. We change the world by changing ourselves and acquiring spiritual attributes.

Day

2 Qudrat 163 B.E. - November 5, 2006

It’s been a while since I last posted to this blog. My days have consisted of completing the assignments for EDU 636 and considering making myself a time schedule. The time schedule is for achieving the goals I have decided to complete in one day. After considering the time schedule and the reason achievement of some of those goals are difficult, I’ve decided to see where I waste time rather then setting a daily time schedule. A limiting the time I spend on writing a paper or research isn’t going to help until I know where I’m wasting time.

I don’t have another class starting until November 12, so I can spend the week figuring out where I waste the most of my time. OK, so I know at least one spot I’m wasting time. This means that I can’t play FreeCell until I’ve completed a specific word count. That will help, but not completely. I still have other habits that waste time. Oh well, one-step at a time, one day at a time.

I will say this, I’m in a better mood than I’ve been in for a while. It’s fall and I’m in a decent mood and not worried about anything. Circumstances are looking up. I’ve got a pair of new shoes (new to me anyway). It’s interesting, I seem to be able to do the assignments for class no matter what my mood, but I have difficulty posting to my blogs if I’m not in a good mood.

Chilly

9 Ilm 163 B.E. - October 24, 2006

It’s a little chilly in Las Vegas today. It rained a bit this morning and now the air is dam and chilly. Of course, this being fall the weather is nice, not the triple digits that occur in summer here. I haven’t turned the heat on yet, I turn the cold air off in September. I suppose eventually I’m going to have to turn the heat on, but right now it doesn’t get too cold, just a little chilly and a sweater and some socks take care of that.

I didn’t hear much of the weather this morning, I think that a chance of rain was predicted, but the weather person was having some trouble with the weather computer at the station I watch. The computer was freezing up on him.

I got up at 4:00 a.m. this morning and it wasn’t chilly then. When I said my morning prayers, it was nice. So nice that I considered going on the patio after the sun came up. It rained after sunrise and got chilly so I stayed in the house. I hope it doesn’t rain around noon. I feed the cats on the enclosed patio, because they seem to like it there. If it rains, I have to feed them in the house and for the rest of the day they act up. I know the do that because they aren’t fed on the patio. When they eat outside, they don’t act up the way they do when they eat in the house.

It must be a little chillier than I thought because none of the cats are up yet. Lion or Troubles usually pester me when I’m working at the computer, they’re still asleep. They will make up for it later so I guess I better get as much done as possible before one of them starts. I can’t pet the cat and type at the some time.

Back

7 Ilm 163 B.E. - October 22, 2006

I’m back again, this time my absences wasn’t that long. The reason is valid, I got a bit behind on my homework and had to complete and post a discussion board subject. Then I had to respond to some of the other students’ post. This week I have both an individual and discussion board project due by next Saturday. Later I’m going to do some research on both the project, but I’m planning on posting the discussion board by Wednesday, at the latest.

Before I start writing on either of the project, I am going to out line them. This is something new for me. My normal way of doing a paper is to find the research and read it then writes the paper. However, I’m in a rut and need to approach my work in a different manner.

I am a bit worried about the grade I got on both papers that were due last week, but I always worry about the grade no matter how good a job I believe I did not it. I think I’m a worrier, which is unnecessary.

I don’t need to worry. Baha’u’llah has reveal a number of wonderful prayers to place things in God’s hands. All I have to do is go to my prayer book and find a prayer. I haven’t decided which one of the prayers revealed by Baha’u’llah for Tests and Difficulties is my favorite. In fact, I haven’t decided which one of the prayers revealed by Baha’u’llah is my favorite. Maybe I should put my prayer book on my reading list.

I started a reading list. Right now, its only got three items on it, but that’s only because I haven’t decided on order of the other books I want to read. Well I’d better go now, I’ve still got the research for my class to do. The first thing I’m going to research is a definition for asynchronous and synchronous. I need to include those definitions in each paper. The great thing about online classes is the research and the writing of the papers. The papers have to be in APA format.

Absent

5 Ilm 163 B.E. - October 20, 2006

I’ve been absent from this blog for a while. It isn’t that I didn’t have anything to write about. It isn’t that nothing is happening in my life. There are lost of things happening. I went to the Feast of Ilm on Sunday evening. On the way I smelled something getting hot in the car, but I check the heat gage on the car and it looked normal. Anyway to make a long story short I’m taking the car in Monday to have some work done on it.

As I said, I’ve been absent from this blog a while. I’ve been absent since 16 October. For me that is a while, especially considering the things going on in my life since then. Tuesday we walked to the bank and then went to the grocery story. The reason for that had to do with the car. I thought the car needed transmission fluid and I didn’t have any in the garage or anywhere else. So I went to get transmission fluid and something to eat.

OK, never mind that I have no concept of how to add transmission fluid to the car. I finally figured out how to check the fluid and found out where to add it if it need, but it didn’t need transmission fluid. There is something else wrong. My logic was absent on the transmission fluid idea. I got the transmission fluid, then I read the auto manual to see how to check and add the fluid. Then I realized that there are two different types of transmission fluid. Fortunately the type of fluid I bought, was equivalent to the type my car calls for, so I lucked out there. Actually, I doubt that luck had anything to do with that. Baha’u’llah was taking care of me.

I have learned one or two thing when it comes to cars. First, look at the manual when I need to check a fluid I’ve never dealt with before. Second, when in doubt take the car to a mechanic. So Monday, October 23, I’m taking it to a mechanic and having the seal on the engine taken care of. Seems the problem is an oil leak, which I knew about, but didn’t realize it was as bad a what it is.

I am going to attempt not to be absent from this blog in the near future. This is the first entry in the alphabetical theme I’m working on right now. I haven’t decided what the title of the other entries will be, but I am looking forward to see what pops up. Other than the car, everything in my life is … well let’s just call it interesting, intriguing and humorous. Well maybe humorous isn’t the right word, but neither is stressful. Occurrences appear to be half way between the two. Oh well, at least my sense of humor isn’t absent.

A New Theme

1 Ilm 163 B.E. - October 16, 2006

I’m going to start a new theme for the next twenty-six entries. These are going to be alphabetical entries. It’s something I’m doing with my writing.com blog. Each entry is one word and they are in alphabetical order. It should be interesting to see what subject I came up with in this experiment. The idea isn’t my own, but was tried in another blog on writing.com. I’ve come up with some creative entries in the Snowflake Chronicles up to now, so I though I’d try it on this blog.

The Reason for each item in my Spiritual Toolkit

15 Mashiyyat 163 B.E. - October 11, 2006

Yesterday I listed the nine items in my spiritual toolkit. Today I am adding a blank journal and several ink pens to the kit. Eventually the pens will have two or three different colors of ink, but now I have only one color of ink.

Spiritual Toolkit

A string of 95 prayer beads
Baha’I Prayer Book
The Katib-i-Aqdas
The Katib-i-Iqan
Gems of Divine Mystery
The Summons of the Lord of Host
The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys
The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah
The Tabernacle of Unity
Blank journal with colored ink pens

Blank Journal

There is a reason for each item in this toolkit. Everyone making up a spiritual toolkit must choose his or her own tools. The one thing that should be common to all spiritual toolkits is a blank journal with colored ink pens; this is so that a person can write any thoughts down after saying prayers or reading from the scripture or whatever book chosen for the toolkit. When choosing a journal pick one that makes you feel comfortable writing in; it doesn’t matter if the journal has line or not as long as it makes you happy. Then choose one color of ink to date the pages with and use the other colors to make and title your entries.

Prayer Beads

My prayer beads are green.
Ninety-five clear green glass beads on a double string.
To count when I chant God’s Most Great Name.

Poem

Intoned in morning’s silence,
God’s name on His lover’s lips.

Baha’I Prayer Book

This prayer book contains a collection of prayers written by The Bab, Baha’u’llah, and ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Among these prayers are The Remover of Difficulties (The Bab), the Fire Tablet (Baha’u’llah), and The Teaching Prayer for the Western States (‘Abdu’l-Baha).

The Katib-i-Aqdas

The laws and ordinances revealed by Baha’u’llah.

The Katib-i-Iqan

This contains Baha’u’llah’s explanation of the symbols from the holy books of past revelations.

Gems of Divine Mystery

In this Baha’u’llah writes a reply to a seeker, which concerns the revelation of The Bab.

The Summons of the Lord of Host

This book contains the authorized translations of several of Baha’u’llah’s major tablets, including the Surih of the Temple.

The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys

This contains translations of two mystical writings The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys.

The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah

Baha’u’llah revealed the Hidden Words in both Arabic and Persian, this book contains the authorized translation of each.

The Tabernacle of Unity

This book contains the authorized translations of several tablets revealed Baha’is from Zoroastrian heritage.

Those are the only things I have put in my spiritual toolkit right now. I may add some more books to it later, but not until I have read each of these books, written poems on their themes and applied the concepts to my life. I am including a picture of my prayer beads in this entry. In addition, in the next few weeks I’ll makes some poetic entries using the themes in the books.

Spiritual Toolkit

14 Mashiyyat 163 B.E. - October 9 - 10, 2006

I’ve been thinking about toolkits this evening. What brought toolkits to mind was a discussion about Bloom’s Taxonomy in my chat for EDU636 Instructional Technology. My next assignment is to write objectives for to go along with a Lectora assignment. In order to write the objectives, I have to use specific verbs based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. The instructor suggested one of the things necessary in a toolkit for use in instructional technology was a list of the verbs. So I googled the verbs for the assignment and then I realized that we have toolkits for lots of things in our lives. Therefore, I have decided to start a list of items in my Spiritual Toolkit.

Nine Things in My Spiritual Toolkit

A string of 95 prayer beads
Baha’I Prayer Book
The Katib-i-Aqdas
The Katib-i-Iqan
Gems of Divine Mystery
The Summons of the Lord of Host
The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys
The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah
The Tabernacle of Unity

I Dream of Blogging

9 Mashiyyat 163 B.E. - October 5, 2006

I dreamed of blogging last night, of typing words into a blog entry. I dreamed of writing about my day, of writing about my favorite scripture verses. In my dream, I composed poetry, essays, and stories.

I dreaded of blogging last night. The entry began to the word to or today. I wrote about my experience yesterday. Yesterday I went to a seminar at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. One of the speakers was the Duchess of York. I wrote about the experience in my dream. I wrote about walking through the Desert Passage to find the conference room to attend the seminar.

I dreamed of blogging last night. I typed the entry into a blank document. I wrote about how it feels to write. Writing changes my mood from dark to light. In the dream, I wrote a free-write. Free writing is sitting down at a computer or picking up a pen and paper journal and writing. You write without thinking what you are going to write. You write what ever comes to mind. If you are stuck, you repeat the last sentence. If you are stuck, you repeat the last sentence. Then you continue on writing, writing, and writing for either a timed or an untimed period. You just sit and write until you have written your subject out or covered every subject you want to write about or time runs out. I dreamed of blogging last night.

I am Tired of Junk e-mail

7 Mashiyyat 163 B.E. – October 3, 2006

I am tired of junk mail. I am tired of going to my accounts and finding phishing expeditions from people I don’t know, people I’ve never communicated with and who’s messages I delete immediately. I am tired of my e-mail boxes containing so much trash that it’s difficult to complete the business of checking my messages. If it weren’t so much trouble, I’d just cancel every account and start over again, but that wouldn’t help and it wouldn’t stop the junk e-mail. Besides, I don’t intend to let rude and inconsiderate people dictate the way I handle my life or business.

That said I’m going to have to take a day just to go through my boxes and clean them out. Because despite there are important e-mails in there that I must read. If the junk e-mail were really something that would bring in money, I don’t think I’d mind so much or maybe I would. It could be that the only thing I want to do is rant this morning.

The e-mails that irritate me the most are the one’s from across the world, that take God’s or one of His prophets names in vain. Here I’m taking about the e-mails that say its writer is suffering with some deadly and incurable, then ask to transfer a large sum of money to a bank account in America. These e-mails usually begin with “In …. Name” or something to that effect, they are offensive.

In fact, many junk e-mails are offensive. Most junk e-mails are offensive. I know that some of the business e-mails aren’t meant to be offensive, but they are. The intention of e-mails dated Mon Jan 18, 2038, is to keep the message at the top of the queue and get attention. These messages I deleted immediately, most of the time anyway. Sometimes I do check the messages, but not because I’m considering doing business with the person or the company. I check the message because I’m having a massive “writers’ block attack” and I’m desperate for inspiration. Today I deleted all of them without checking the message inside.

Finally Using the Technology

5 Mashiyyat 163 B.E. – October 1, 2006

I am finally getting into the technology of instructional design. The class I started today is EDU636 Instructional Technology, the software used is Lectora, and the book is Teachers Discovering Computers Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom by Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J. Cashman, Glenda A. Gunter, and Randolph E. Gunter. I started the research for the fist Discussion Board Assignment and the first Individual Project. I am so excited. At last using the technology for designing course work, I am salivating. My stomach is in knots.

Both assignments are due on October 7, but I want to have the discussion board completed and posted before that date. For this assignment, I have to write brief descriptions of four instructional authoring systems. Fining the product descriptions isn’t hard, the problem is deciding which four to use. I am waxing poetic about technology, now that that sounds like a good title for a poem. Perhaps Technological Musing might be better.

Since I haven’t posted to this blog since September 27, I should say what else is going on in my life. Let’s see what wisdom have I discovered since my last post. Well, I found out the car won’t run without gas, in fact it won’t even start without gas. Fortunately, I had enough gas to get me into my own driveway and the car into the garage. Now why I put the car in my garage knowing it didn’t have a lot of fuel in the tank I don’t know. I mean if somebody had tried to steal it, they wouldn’t have gotten it out of the driveway.

OK, so maybe I should pay a tiny bit closer attention to the little red idiot light. However, now I know what the light means. The light means that there is one gallon or less of gas in the tank and I need to stop at the next gas station or maybe the one after that.

Ruhi Study Circle

I Mashiyyat 1, 163 B.E. - September 27, 2006

I am taking the Ruhi Book 4: The Twin Manifestations. One of the activities incorporated into the Study Circle is art. At each meeting the participants do an some type of art project. So far, we have drawn pictures and did dramatic performances.

My description makes the study circle sound boring, but it’s not. Besides doing the activities in the workbook, we eat, laugh, do art projects, and memorize verse from the writings. Right now, I’m memorizing a verse revealed by The Bab.

My Favorite Bookmark

17 Izzat 163 B.E. - September 24, 2006

It’s been a productive morning, Mom and I went for a walk around the block. There is a slight wind, but it’s not as bad as it was on Friday. When we got back, Mom found a bookmark I’ve been looking trying to find for some time now. This is my favorite bookmark, because of two reasons. First, it’s purple and lavender my favorite colors. Second, it has a nine-pointed star on it; I bought the bookmark at a fundraiser a few years ago.

I’m going to use it to mark my place in the Ruhi Institute workbook The Twin Manifestations. This book 4 in the series, so far I’ve taken five of the courses. I’m attending the study circle for the present book every other Saturday morning. The homework I’m working on right now, is to memorize some scripture verses and write a ten-minute talk on The Raise of the Babí Faith. The only thing I have to research for the talk is what’s in this workbook. If I believe I need more information, then I’ll go to The Dawn Breakers.

This coming week is going to be busy. Besides the talk I just mentioned, I have homework in my EDU620 class and a leading journal entry for a contest I’m participating in at writing.com. Then there is the contest I’m running at writing.com.

International Peace Day

14 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 21, 2006

For generations people have read the promises in their sacred scriptures about “peace on Earth”. The promise of an age of peace is in all the holy books. The followers of every religion have prayed for it and imagined what it would be like to live in harmony with their fellow human beings. The United Nations General Assembly, 2002 proclaimed September 21 “International Peace Day”.

The question asked, “Is peace possible?”
The answer, “Yes, peace is not only possible, it is inevitable.”

Peace is God’s promise to humanity. The promise is in every holy book. However, simply because God promised it to us, doesn’t mean we can set idly by and wait for its arrival. Our assistance in helping in the peace process is important.

Wealth and Poverty

13 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 20, 2006

This morning my Mother and I went for our normal morning walk. I got to thinking about the spiritual definition of wealth and poverty. Precisely what brought these subjects to mind, I am not sure. When I walk, my thoughts wonder between spiritual matter, the beauty of the neighborhood, and half a dozen other things. Anyway I got to pondering the two concepts and decided to see what Baha’u’llah had to say on the subject.

I used the Oceans Research Library to find what I wanted, which was the spiritual definitions of poverty and wealth. This is what I found: “… Consequently by ‘wealth’ is intended independence of all else save God and by ‘poverty’ the need of God.” (Compilations, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 34) This meaning of course is not what people usually mean when they discuss these two subjects, but perhaps it should be part of the discussion.

We focus so much on the material definitions of words and concepts that we forget there are also spiritual meanings. It is the spiritual meanings and the way we incorporate them into our lives that transforms individuals. When a person raises his or her mental vision from the purely material and focus on the spiritual, then that individual is renewed and the circumstance of his or her life changes. Sometimes this change is slow and barely noticeable, yet it does occur. In these instances, the person just needs to “hang in there”, pray, have faith, and look for the opportunities approaching.

Hang in There Part II

12 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 19, 2006

Eventually you have to admit no one else is going to rescue you. Sometimes this revelation is the results of a gust of wind shaking the tree limb. Or you can just loose your balance, but eventually you end up hanging onto the limb by your front paws and head. Then you have to decide if you can or want to continue hanging on like this, or take a chance and let go.

The problem with letting go in this situation is that you can’t see the ground. You don’t know how far down it is or if someone or something soft it there to fall onto. You have to decide whether it’s worth the risk of breaking something when you hit the ground. I’ve encountered a lot of these situations in the past couple of years. I’m not sure if its getting better or worse. The one thing I’m sure of in these situations is that my faith play a large part in letting go.
When I let go of my limb and fall I find someone or something soft waiting to catch me. The people always there to catch me is Baha’u’llah and other Baha’is. Once I let go and place every thing in the hand of God or God’s Reflection to humanity, someone catches me or picks me up off the ground. The only thing I’ve ever broken by letting go of my limb is my fears and doubts. My faith always becomes stronger with the experience.

Hang In There Part I

11 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 18, 2006

All my life people, usually relatives or friends, have told me to “Just hang in there”, but what does it mean to “hang in there”. It isn’t that I don’t know what it means, it’s simply that I’ve had a good picture of it until now. Now I know what it looks like to “hang in there”. You can’t get a true definition of something until you see a picture of it, that because we think in pictures, or at least I do, rather than just words. Don’t get me wrong, some of my thoughts are in words, but what stays with me is the pictures and the graphics that show something happening.

Anyway, Mom was going through some boxes the other day and she found an interesting card. It was a blank card with the picture of a cat on the front and the back. The cat was in a tree and “hanging in there”. After contemplating the card, I decided that there are two phases to “hanging in there”. In the first part you appear to be doing all right, you are hanging onto the branch and just waiting for someone to rescue you. This is an illusion, because you normally aren’t rescued. If you are lucky you just keep hanging there safe in the tree with your front legs and head draped over the limb and your back legs and rear dangling on the other side.

Prayer for Peace

10 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 17, 2006 at 7:15:33 AM

The subject for today seems to be peace. I just finished posting to my “Thoughts on Spiritual Poetry” blog. The subject there was “Peace and Healing”. That was a prose peace instead of a poem. OK, so I had intended to post it to this blog, but posted it to that one instead. Why I did that I don’t know, it wasn’t because I not awake yet. I’m wide awake and planning to go for a walk in a few minutes. For anyone who wants to read my thoughts on “Peace and Healing”, I’m including the link to the other blog here http://spiritualpoetry.blogspot.com/.

Anyway, to get back to the prayer for peace, it is by ‘Abdu’l-Baha. The prayer is the one that came to my e-mail box yesterday. I’m subscribed to a Baha’i quotes newsletter and every day a quote from the Baha’i writings is delivered to my e-mail box. This happens to be one of my favorite prayers by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, so I’m going to share it today.

O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.
O God! Establish the Most Great Peace.
Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.

O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.

Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind.

Abdu'l-Baha
From a talk given at Cleveland, Ohio, USA 6 May 1912

What’s On Your Mind Spiritually?

8 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 14, 2006 at 8:11:40 PM Pacific Time

“What’s on your mind spiritually?” That’s not a question people ask very often. In fact, I’ve never been ask that question. The usual question is “What’s on your mind?” The answer to that question varies from “nothing” to “it’s none of your business”. I wonder what type of answer I would get if I ask “What’s on your mind spiritually?”

I wonder how people would react if, when they ask me “What’s on your mind?” I answered giving a spiritual response. If I said something like “I’m thinking about how much God loves me.” Or maybe “I’m thinking about how generous the Divine Essence is with the gifts bestowed on me each day.” Of course using I and me in this context sounds rather selfish. Therefore, maybe I should reply with “Just thinking about how much the Divine Essence love us.”

Three Birthdays

5 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 12, 2006

I have three birthdays coming up, one each in October, November, and December. October 31 is my writing.com birthday; the day I created my free writing.com account, since then I have upgraded to a paid membership. November 23 is my Baha’i birthday, the day I officially declared my belief in Baha’u’llah. December 24 is the day I was born.

Each of these three days has had an effect upon my self-image, on the person I am today and on my spiritual path. Each has redirected my path through life and caused me to ask hard questions about my belief system and myself. As I write this entry, I think about my past and my future. There are certain things that I have no doubt about. Most of the events in my life, that I am absolutely certain about occurred in the past. Some of those events I would like to forget, but cannot. Therefore, I have learned to deal with them and continue down life’s highway.

Being a member of writing.com has given me confidence in my own abilities as a poet. It has given me the courage to explore other forms of writing besides poetry. As a member of writing.com, I can post my stories, poems and articles on the website and receive feedback from other writers who read and review my work. Those who review it give suggestions on how it may be improved.

Being a Baha’i has changed my entire worldview. I see religion, God, humanity, and the world itself in an entirely different light than I did before I Declared my Faith in Baha’u’llah. I see humanity as “the leaves of one tree”, I see the different religions as chapters in a single holy book and I see the founder’s of religions as all revealing the attributes of God. For me “Earth is on country and mankind its citizens”.

The Day to Remember Heroes

4 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 11, 2006

This is the day to remember heroes. While it is true we should remember heroes everyday, we usually remember them only on specific days. Days set aside for either that purpose or the days when their presence in the world became suddenly and painfully obvious. Today is one of those days, a day when time stopped.

9/11 brings tears to our eyes, sends chills up our spines. It is the demarcation line between past and present. Most of us remember precisely where we were when we heard the news. We remember setting transfixed in front of a T.V. set watching heroes rush into one of the Twin Towers. We remember watching as the building collapsed around them. We remember staring in disbelief as the scene was replayed again and again. We remember and we pause for a moment of silence or a moment of prayer.

Yes, today is the day to remember heroes, the day to say thank you to those men and women, who daily put their lives on the line without asking anything in return.

Morning Walk

3 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 10, 2006

My mother and I took a walk this morning. It wasn’t a very long walk, just around the block. It was an interesting excursion, right after dawn. This is a quite neighborhood and not much happens. That early of a morning there wasn’t a lot to see. There were birds sitting on telephone wires and a cat curled under a car. The cat was a multicolored cat and apparently, she likes to lay under parked cars. I say this because she was under a parked car Friday when we went for a walk.

I was thinking how much we have to thank God for this time of year. The mornings are cool. Dawn is beautiful and this morning I saw the full moon still in the sky. There is nothing like seeing the full moon in a blue sky. I don’t think humanity thanks God as much as they should. True the world right now appears on the verge of falling apart, but that is only an illusion.

I realized this morning, as I was walking, that the present world situation is only a temporary condition. We are going through the birth pangs of a new civilization; Earth is in the process of becoming united, so the ideas and concepts that oppose this unity are being revealed to humanity. Humanity itself is maturing, becoming an adult and the concepts of childhood are moving into the past.

Epiphany at the Feast of Might

1 Izzat 163 B.E. – September 8, 2006

All my life I have felt like an outsider, except among the Baha’is. I realized this last night at the Feast of Izzat (Might). Precisely what lead to this realization I am not sure. We were watching a video of Baha’i activities in Boulder Colorado and I suddenly realized that the only time I never feel like an outsider is among the Baha’is. That was not my only realization last night.

I also decided that I am not active enough in the community, now I know there are people who will disagree with me; I know that this is a personal perception. Still I have not been going to devotional services or firesides. So tonight, I am going to a Fireside at the center and next week I am going to start attending devotional services on a regular basis.

Right now, I am taking the Ruhi course The Twin Manifestations every other Saturday. I have taken Ruhi Books 1 and 2, so I can facilitate those two courses. Tutoring or facilitating those courses are the next on my list, I think I will plan to start a Book 1 in October. That gives people to sign up for the course and lets me do a little more meticulous house cleaning.

It Rained Today

18 Asma 163 B.E. – September 6, 2006 A.D.

It rained today and as a result, the roads are slick. Anyway, I had to go to the post office to mail a letter; if I would keep stamps in the house then I could just have the post person take the letter when he delivered my mail. However, since I seldom keep more than a book of stamps in the house at one time, I did not have stamps to for the letter so I had to go to the post office.

I always say a prayer of protection before I leave the driveway or the garage depending on where the car happens to be when we decide to go somewhere. I said the prayer, backed out of the driveway, turned my lights on, and headed for the post office. On the way some guy took a corner too fast and hit the medium, no one was hurt this time and the person just drove on afterwards, but this happens every time it rains. Somebody approaches a stop light at a high rate of speed and then attempts to stop; because of the road conditions, they lose control. It does not always end without any injuries, but it did this time.

When it rains in Las Vegas, people just have to drive a little slower. If the its not raining, then the speed limit is alright, but when it rains you not only have to turn your lights on, but you have to go under the speed limit as well. In addition, you need to wear your seat belt.

Silence – An Interesting Subject

16 Asma 163 B.E. – September 4, 2006 A.D.

Silence is an interesting subject. How many of us can sit in silence and listen? Listen to the wind blow through the trees or the bushes we have in our yards. Listen to the birds singing as the wind blows through the trees. Listen to the sound of traffic on the expressway while we sit on our patios. Listen to the person next to us talking about nothing in particular. Listen to a person we love ramble from one subject to another, while they sit next to us.

How many of us can sit in silence and let our thoughts flow from subject to subject? Just let random ideas flow into and out of our minds, while we do nothing but sit and stare at the birds in the olive trees. Just let random thoughts flow from dendrite to axon, while we watch the wind blow through stone pine trees. Just sit and think of nothing in particular or everything in general, without talking, without writing anything down, without taking any action at all.

How many of us can sit in silence and remember our past without out questioning our choices? Without wondering, what our lives would be like if we made different decisions at, what we consider critical points in our lives. Who is to say those were critical points? How many of us can sit in silence and enjoy our accomplishments, without criticizing ourselves?

Silence is an interesting subject. Instead of sitting and criticizing ourselves for what we did or did not do, maybe we should just sit in silence and enjoy the world around us for a few minutes. Just sit and watch the neighbor’s cat walk across our roof. Just sit and listen to the neighbor’s dog bark at the cat or the birds or whatever. Just sit and listen to the traffic on the expressway or the whistle of a distant freight train, without doing anything but enjoying the sights and the sounds in the world around us.

One hour a week or thirty minutes a day of silence; of listen to the world instead of criticizing ourselves, that is all we need. In that short time we sit aside to listen to the world, we might have a revelation about ourselves, about the world around us. On the other hand, we could just sit and laugh at the cat walking across the roof or the dog chasing his tail. In either case, we would not be criticizing ourselves or anyone else for a few minutes each day or week. Of course, if we are laughing at the cat or the dog, we are not sitting in silence, but we are not criticizing anyone either.

Yes, silence is an interesting subject. We must train our minds to silence; it does not come easily to us. We humans cannot be silent for long. Moreover, if we do sit in silence for a few minutes, we start criticizing ourselves or we get up and turn on the radio or T.V. so we do not have to hear our own thoughts criticize ourselves.

The Day of Glory

14 Asma 163 B.E. – September 2, 2006

This is Jalal, the Day of Glory. The individual can reflect the glory of God by treating other as he or she would want to be treated.

The Day of Independence

13 Asma 163 B.E. – September 1, 2006

Today is Istiqlal, the day of Independence. This is an interesting spiritual attribute. The spiritual attribute of independence refers to being independent of all else but God. When we are talking about this concept from a spiritual point of view there are many connotations that we do not usually consider.

An individual can reflect this attribute by investigating reality for himself or herself. We investigate reality when we ask questions and we need to ask questions about everything in our lives. We accept the practice of asking questions about scientific theory, but we often do not consider questions the religious concepts or our own opinions. Do we know why we hold the beliefs and opinion we have? Do we know what we think about ourselves and why?

Another interesting thing about the spiritual attribute of independence, it does not preclude obedience to God. However, we do need to know why we chose to obey God’s laws. This is a part of being independent of all else save God.

The Day of Majesty

12 Asma 163 B.E. – August 31, 2006

Today is Istulal, the day of Majesty. Majesty is an attribute of God. As with the other attributes, an individual can reflect majesty. We do this by respecting our own dignity and that of other people. When we demonstrate self-respect, we are reflecting the spiritual attribute of majesty. We show self-respect when we think for ourselves, ask for assistance when we need it, and accept responsibility for our actions.

The Day of Justice

11 Asma 163 B.E. – August 30, 2006 A.D.

Today is ‘Idal, the Day of Justice. This is another attribute of God, which we humans can reflect. How does the individual demonstrate justice? This is a good question; we often think and talk about justice on larger scales than that of the individual. However, it is possible to practice justice the level of the individual.

There are six ways we can practice justice as individuals. First, we can think for ourselves and learn to ask questions even about our own opinions. Second, we can refuse to gossip. Third, we can avoid prejudices of any type. Fourth, we can admit our own mistakes and assume the consequences. Fifth, we can share. Seventh, we can stand up for our rights and everyone else’s.

The Day of Grace

10 Asma 163 B.E. – August 29, 2006 A.D.

Today is Fidal, the day of Grace. Grace is another attribute of God, which humans reflect either to a greater or to a lesser degree. When I meditate on grace, all sorts of connections come to mind. The most important thing that comes to mind is forgiveness. Forgiveness is bond to grace in a spiritual sense. I cannot think of one without contemplating the other.

An old nursery rhyme that says, “Tuesday's child is full of grace,” when this line is read the first images that come to mind are of physical attributes such as elegance, loveliness, refinement, polish, style, poise and charm. There are other attributes implied by grace as well. However, the other attributes or abilities are more spiritual than physical. These are kindness, kindliness, decency, favor, mercy, mercifulness, charity, benevolence, clemency, and leniency. Other concepts that come to mind are blessing, prayer, thanks, thanksgiving, adorn, embellish, enhance, beautify, decorate, ornament, dignify, honor, favor, and distinguish.

Grace is an intriguing attribute, with lots of connotations. Grace is a spiritual attribute possessed by human being. We just have to look for it, not only in other people, but also in ourselves.

The Day of Perfection

9 Asma 163 B.E. – August 28, 2006 A.D.

Today is Kamal, the day of Perfection. Now that is a rather intriguing title especially if it is the title of a poem. However, I am not discussing poems, but days of the week. In this case the second day of the week, so rather than thinking of today as Monday, think of it as Perfection.

Perfection is an attribute of God, one that humans can reflect to a certain degree. Another interesting thought, degrees of perfection, we perfect skills by practicing them, but how does a human ascend the degrees of perfection. A person does by practicing spiritual attributes, by praying, meditating, and passing tests. Tests and difficulties are those situations in life that come between a person and God or a goal.

Most people do not think of God as a goal, but knowledge of God is the goal of the human soul. The purpose of the individual is to know and worship God, the purpose of humanity is to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. Achieving both of these purposes or of goals is possible through reflecting and practicing the attributes of God. This we do by degrees.

The Day of Beauty

8 Asma 163 B.E. – August 27, 2006 A.D.

Today is Jamal, the day of Beauty. It last from sundown on Saturday to sundown on Sunday. Beauty, the first day of the week, is an attribute of God. Today the sun is shining, a breeze is blowing and there are no clouds in the sky.

The nice weather doesn’t necessarily make the day beautiful. It would be a beautiful day no mater what the weather. Beauty is in the mind of the beholder, we see a rose or a cloud and think it is beautiful. The definition for the beauty of anything is in a person’s mind and soul. We perceive with our eyes, but we truly see with our minds and souls.

There is beauty in every human being, sometimes that beauty hid from the human mind, but the beauty is there. It is a matter of training oneself to see the inner beauty of another person, rather than the outer physical appearance. Once we start seeing the beauty in other people than we will see beauty in ourselves.

Every created thing in the universe can reflect one of the attributes of God. Human beings can reflect all the attributes of God, it takes practice to both reflect those attributes and see them mirrored in other people. We must look for the beauty in the world to see it and we must look for the attributes of God to see them in ourselves and other people.

A New Theme for Next Week

7 Asma 163 B.E. - August 26, 2006 A.D.


Today I said a prayer of assistance (page 19) before beginning this entry.
Tomorrow Sunday, August 27, 2006, begins a new week and a new theme the entries in this blog. The theme for the coming week will be the name of the week day. In the Baha'i calendar each of the week days is named after an attribute of God. So for each day I will writing something on the divine attribute for that day.

Not only will Sunday begin a new blog theme for the week, but it is also the beginning of a new class for me. The class is EDU620: Principles of Instructional Design. So the next five weeks will be busy. My first two assignments are due on Saturday 2 September. In addition I am taking a Ruhi course called the Twin Manifestations about the lives of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. I'm finishing a rewrite and finishing a novella.

I like having a lot to do, if I have a lot going then I don't have time to do anything but focus on what needs to get done. I know that sounds strange, but it is how I feel. If I have a lot to do then I don't have time to worry or anything. All I have time for is work and pray and work and review and work and read the scriptures.

Up Coming Course

6 Asma 163 B.E. - August 25, 2006 A.D.


Today I said the Tablet of Ahmad before making this entry.

It is interesting that I worry about things and what I worry about never occurs. What does this have to do with an up coming class, I'll tell you. In the last class I worried about making an A, if was afraid I wouldn't and then there would be a problem with this class. However, I did make the A. In this up coming course, which begins Sunday I need to make at least a B.

I think what I need to do is set a schedule, follow it and place all my fears in God's hands. In fact, 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote a prayer specifically for placing one's problems in God's hand; Baha'u'llah also wrote prayers for the same thing, but the prayer by 'Abdu'l-Baha I've memorized and can say it without going to the prayer book. This helps when one is setting in front of a computer and doing home work. I can stop what I'm doing, say the prayer and then continue working on my class work.

Thankful Thursday

5 Asma 163 B.E. - August 24, 2006 A.D.


I belong to an online journal group one of the prompts on Thursday is to write ten things you are thankful. I've been thinking about ten things that I'm thankful for and how one shows thanks. One of the ways to show thanks is to say a prayer of thanks every day, but often times we don't stop and list the things we are thankful for. So today I'm going to list ten prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah that I am thankful for. Before I get to that the prayer I said before starting this entry was the Table of Ahmad (page 307 in the Baha'i prayer book).

Ten Prayer's I'm Thankful For

1. The Long Healing Prayer,
2. The Fire Table,
3. The Obligatory Prayer,
4. The Dawn Prayer,
5. Blessed is the Spot,
6. Intone, O My Servant,
7. Thy name is my Healing
8. Create in me a pure heart,
9. Magnified be Thy name,
10. The Evening prayer.

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Prayer is the Theme of the Week

4 Asma 163 B.E. - August 23, 2006 A.D.


The basic theme of my blog entries so far this week has been prayer. On Monday, I said "Blessed is the Spot" before writing the blog entry and wrote about Earth being blessed because of God sending his Prophets or Manifestations. On Tuesday, I said "Intone My Servant" and wrote my thoughts on prayer. Today I said the short Obligatory Prayer (Baha'i Prayer Book, page 4) before starting this entry. Each of these prayer were revealed by Baha'u'llah.

Prayer is an important part of the life of a believer in God. It really doesn't matter which religion you follow because prayer is a part of all religions. Prayer is an important part of a person's relationship with God. The reason for this is one soul needs to communicate with the Divine Essence and the way to do this is through prayer. The soul is the lover and the Divine Essence is the Beloved. A prayer can be one revealed by one of God's Prophets or it can be the person talking directly to God or to the Prophet.

The first two prayers I memorized as a child was "Now I lay me down to sleep," and the Lord's Prayer. The next scripture verse I learn was the Lord is My Shepherd. I still remember them, but since becoming a Baha'i I have added to the prayers I know by heart. As one gets older it seems to be a little more difficult to memorize prayers, however, it is not impossible. Now when I want to memorize a prayer, I read it aloud in the "privacy of my chamber" everyday; eventually I find that I have learned the prayer by heart. I have found that the longer the prayer, the more difficult it is to memorize; still it isn't impossible it just takes persistence.

Thoughts on Prayer

3 Asma 163 B.E. - August 22, 2006 A.D.


This is day two of reading a prayer by Baha'u'llah before writing this blog entry. Today the prayer I read was "Intone, O My servant," it is found on page iii, of the Baha'i Prayer book.
Prayer is very powerful. Prayer can change the individual reciting it and it can attract the hearts and souls of other people. Yet how many of us are aware of the power of prayer in our own lives. We pray for a specific items and if that precise item doesn't come, we think the prayer isn't answered. However, the prayer is answered, we need to look beyond what we pray for, look around and see what blessing God did bestow. Even if we don't get the item we prayed for our prayers are answered, we simply have to look around and see what God did give us in response to the prayer.

Then again sometimes we just need to keep praying, we need to be president in our prayers and keep asking. Or perhaps we need to start thanking God for what the blessing we have received, rather than just asking all the time. Thank God and share what we have. Then there is the possibility that we already have the ability to get what we're asking for ourselves rather than God simply giving it to us.

Earth is Blessed

2 Asma 163 B.E. - August 21, 2006 A.D.


The Earth is Blessed, it may not seem so when you look at all that is going on and going wrong in the world today. However, the planet is blessed, blessed because the is not a single place on earth where one of God's names is not mentioned and known. Not a single nation or land where the words of one of God's Prophets has not been spoken. Not place where prayers are not intoned, whispered or thought.

Often times we look at the negative and think that is how life is, but life is not completely negative. Eventually these wars will cease and humanity will realize that it is one race with many colors. We look at the differences and fail to see the similarities between humans, nations, or religions. Focusing on the differences cause them to overshadow the similarities that exist. If the similarities are not obvious one must look for them and pray to see them.

The Earth is Blessed, not just one country or region, but the whole planet. Everything on earth has a reason for being here, a reason to exist. If we don't see the reason we must look for it. Since the Earth it Blessed, humanity is blessed, but to see the blessing we must look for it, expect the blessing to appear.

NOTE: Today I said "Blessed is the Spot," page i, in the Baha'i Prayer Book. This prayer was revealed by Baha'u'llah.