Midweek Reflection on Religion, Spiritual, and Inspiration

'Idal (Justice), 7 Raḥmat (Mercy), 173 BE - Wednesday, June 29, 2016 about 11:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time 

The writing.com newsletters arrived in my inbox today. The title of the Spiritual newsletter was "Spiritual but not Religious?" And discussed the difference between spirituality and religion. The title of the short story newsletter was "What Happened?" and discussed inspiration resulting from news stories. The questions at the end of the short story newsletter whether the news inspired the reader even if the story were bad.  

These two newsletters got me to thinking about what inspires me. After a few minutes of meditation I realized that some of my inspiration comes from news stories, my religion, and my quest for spirituality. I also receive inspiration from taking morning walks. However, it is my religion and quest for spirituality that produce the most inspiration. 

I am one of those people who is both religious and spiritual. I know that a person can feel spiritual awe if he or she is not religious, however, with me my spiritual  pursuits go hand-in-hand with my religions. I have found, that even when a news story inspires me, my spiritual beliefs tend to show up in my finished work. 

Meditation Monday: Prayer

Kamal (Perfection), 5 Raḥmat (Mercy), 173 BE - Monday, June 27, 2016 about 5:15 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

Prayer alleviates worry and put every situation or problem in God's hands. Today I had to spend about  $132.00 for a new battery. I purchased the battery from AAA and it came with a six year warranty, which is good in this climate. I have enough in my account to pay for the battery, but that puts me a bit short for the rent due on July 1. 

My Social Security check usually arrives on the third of the month, which will help cover the shortage for the rent. I have about a five or ten day grace period for the rent, so I'll be able to pay the rent by the third. However, this will put me short for either the power bill or the internet bill.  Both, of which, are not  due until the middle of July. 

After realizing I would be short, I said one of the prayer revealed by Baha'u'llah. I feel better now. I am no longer worried because I know the money will arrive when I need it. Prayer works wonders in alleviating worry because it helps focus the mind and soul on a higher power. It also helps the mind figure out how to solve a problem because a prayerful mind is not a stress filled mind. 

Creation Saturday: Sucking on Ice – A Free Verse Poem

Jalal (Glory), 3 Raḥmat (Mercy) 173 BE - Saturday, June 25, 2016 about 12:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

Summer Saturday 

A cup of ice to suck on 

Makes the triple digit summer days 

Easier to deal with. 

I remember growing up in Oklahoma 

Waiting for the ice cream truck to pass by 

So I could purchase a strawberry or grape popsicle 

To suck on while I sit under the cottonwood tree. 

I remember make iced tea 

And then when the glass was empty 

Sucking on the iced cubes 

Until Grandma ask 

If I wanted another glass. 

Midweek Reflections on Walking in Las Vegas

Idal (Justice), 19 Núr (Light), 173 BE - Wednesday, June 22, 2016 about 3:10 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

I have to get out and walk. Early in the morning, sometime after dawn, would be best because it is cooler. The problem with walking is that it's boring. The only ones out that early are the birds, cats, and dogs. I can say hi to them, but the don't  meow or bark back at me. The only time a dog barks that early is when it's chasing a cat or one of it's people has forgotten to let it back into their apartment. However, I need to get out and walk because I need to lose some weight. 

We've experienced excessive heat in Las Vegas for the past few days. The temperatures are going down, but it’s summer so the temperatures aren't going to get below 100 degrees. I'll put a bottle of water in the freezer tonight so that I can take it with me when I go for my exercise on Thursday. Tomorrow I have to pick up two prescriptions and deposit a check in the bank. Yes, I still go to the bank to deposit checks. If I used an app then I wouldn't have an excuse to get out of the house. 

If I go to the bank and use the ATM inside the bank then I have to get some exercise. Which is also the reason I go to my pharmacy to pick up my meds instead of having them mailed to me. I have to work with myself and one excuse to get out for exercise is as good as another. 

Happy Father's Day

Jamal (Beauty), 16 Núr (Light), 173 BE - Sunday, June 19, 2016 about 1:03 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

Happy Father's Day from Las Vegas. This morning I shared a picture of my father's gravestone on Facebook. Then I finished my Father's Day entry in my writing.com blog. After that, I downloaded a graphic from my one of my e-mail boxes to a photo album. I still have to upload the graphic to another website, but I can't seem to figure out how to accomplish this. I've uploaded stuff before  to this website, but it's been a while since I uploaded a graphic. 

I know uploading is simple, but I haven't upload a graphic in several years. I'll call the help desk on Monday to see what they say. In the meantime, I'll work on something else. Since we're under an excessive heat warning here in Las Vegas I'm going to stay indoors as much as possible. I may have to get out  of the house sometimes this week to see my doctor for a prescription refill. I have enough of the meds to last until Wednesday, so I'll call for a appointment on Wednesday or Thursday. I would rather wait until Thursday because the excessive heat worning is supposed to be over by Wednesday when we are expecting 115 degree temperatures. 

Saturday Speculations: Cleaning out my e-mail inbox

Jalal (Glory), 15 Núr (Light) 173 BE - Saturday, June 18, 2016 about 10:33 AM Pacific Daylight Time 

Prompt: Let's talk about email here on WDC. What do you do to keep your inbox under control? What should be saved and what should be trashed? Organization is important to me, how about with you? 

Above is the prompt from one of the blogging groups I belong to on writing.com. I'm responding to it in this blog because I couldn't think of a response when I made today's entry in my writing.com blog. Apparently I need to warm up before I can respond to a prompt about organizing my e-mail box. All right, I'm not the most organized person in America or on the planet. I attempt to organize my e-mail inboxes, but I quickly get bored. As soon as I get bored with the job then I get distracted. 

I have managed to clean my writing.com inbox a bit. I deleted some of the mail and others I put in folders to deal with later. The problem is that only about three of the folder titles tell me what's in the folder. I'm a little more organized with the folders in my cox.net inbox. At least, those have titles that suggest the type of e-mail in them. 

I think I'll have to set aside thirty minutes each day to work on one of my inboxes. I can deal with e-mail for thirty minutes without getting bored. If I do thirty minutes each day then it won't take me long to get the inboxes and the folders organized properly. 

Midweek Reflections on working the Primary Election Polls

'Idal (Justice), 12 Núr (Light), 173 BE - Wednesday, June 15, 2016 about 6:22 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

On Tuesday, June 14, I worked from 6:00 AM to 7:30 PM at one of the primary election sites. I enjoy working the polls because of the interesting people I meet. The election site I worked at  yesterday was in my old neighborhood, so I saw some of my old neighbors. It was nice talking to them even though we did not have time for a long conversation. 

The joy was a bit tiring because I could not leave the polling place. I could get up and walk around in the building, but I could not go down to the sidewalk. I did not go and stand at the front entrance because of the heat. I will work the general election polls in November, but I am not sure if I will work in 2017, I have to wait and see how I feel after November. 

I was so tired when I came home yesterday that I went to sleep right after I ate supper and did not wake up until 9:00 AM this morning. When I left the house yesterday, I knew I would be behind, but I did not know how far behind I would be. It is going to take me all week to catch up with the surveys I take and the writing I have planned. That's all right because even though I came home tired last night, I enjoyed myself. Enjoying yourself is what is important.

Thankful Thursday on the Second Thursday in June 2016

Istijlal (Majesty), 6 Núr (Light), 173 BE - Thursday, June 9, 2016 about 1:06 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

Today I am thankful... 

1. ...that I was able  to early vote today because I am gling to be working the primary election polls on Tuesday, June 14. 

2. ...that I have an active internet connection to this apartment because if I didn't I would have to drive to the Community Center on the corner of North Eastern Avenue and East Stewart. 

3. ...for the fresh brewed hot  coffee I had for breakfast. 

4. ...that I have electricity to  this apartment because otherwise I would not have a working refrigerator or freezer. 

5. ...that I found several of my mother's poems which I am transferring to a collection dedicated to Mom. 

6. ...that I have a working air conditioner in this apartment because it make triple digit days bearable. 

7. ...for cloud storage because it helps me save my writing where it is easy for me to access. 

8. ...for Reese's peanut butter cups. Anyone who likes chocolate and peanut butter understands why I am thankful for peanut butter cups. 

9. ...for frozen bottles of water because they help keep me cool on triple digit days. 

10. ...for the prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah, The Bab,  and 'Abdu'l-Baha because they give me comfort when I am stressed. 
     

Midweek Reflections on Excessive Heat Warnings

'Idal (Justice), 5 Núr (Light), 173 BE - Wednesday, June 8, 2016 about 3:19 {M Pacific Daylight Time 

It's that time of year again when temperatures rise into the triple digits and the national weather bureau issues Excessive Heat Warnings for the Las Vegas valley. This means that you need to make sure your pets have plenty of water and shade. In addition, you need to provide a fan for your outdoor dogs to keep them cool. Yes, I wrote a fan. I heard on  the news last night that there is a law that states you have to provide a fan for  your dogs if they stay outside. 

I think this is a good idea. I know when I had a dog she was stressed if she was left outside during the day. Of course, I always brought her into the house during the day. It's always cooler for dogs in a house with air conditioning. I owned a Springer Spaniel, so every year at the end of March or the beginning of April I would take her to the groomer (which was in the vets office) to have her shaved. She didn't seem to mind losing all her winter hair at once. It helped her stay cooler and it cut down on how much hair she shed. 

 

Motivational Monday: Today's Motivation

Kamal (Perfection), 3 Núr (Light), 173 BE - Monday, June 6, 2016 about 5:47 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

What motivated me today? This morning my writing motivation was a question about the difference between prose poetry and a short-short story. I did a little research to find out the difference. I found that prose poetry focuses on metaphor, simile, and imagery with passages of rhythm, rhyme, and meter. While a short-short story focuses of character and plot. All right I already knew  that, but there is nothing wrong in doing a little research to find out that what you already knew was right. 

I was also motivated to pick up my Senior Commodity allotment today and go  to one of the food banks to get some other items. My SNAP allotment was cut down the last time I applied, so I will have to go to other food banks for some more food later this month. Next month I have to recertify for the Senior Commodities, so I am motivated to make out the paperwork for that. 

The only other interesting thing I did today was to apply for a burial plan. I am 69 years old and, even though I am in fair health, my eventual death and burial is something I need to consider. I have a burial lot paid for, but, as I found out when we buried my mother in 2012, there are other costs besides the lot and the casket. The burial plan will cost about $50.00 a month which means I am now motivated to figure out where that $50.00 will come from. You see, I am living on a fixed income so that money cuts into something else. However, I have to consider the extra cost of burying my body when my soul passes into the next world. 

Thankful Thursday: The First Thankful Thursday in June 2016

Istijlal (Majesty), 18 ‘Aẓamat (Grandeur), 173 BE - Thursday, June 2, 2016 about 1:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

What am I  thankful for today? 

I am thankful that my checking account is not overdrawn. 

I am thankful that I still have an active internet connection to my apartment. 

I am thankful that I still have electricity to my apartment. 

I am thankful that I have a working air conditioner in my apartment. Today the temperature is supposed to reach 105. 

I am thankful for fresh brewed coffee. 

I am thankful that my sister came into Las Vegas today. 

I am thankful for cold bottles of water. 

I am thankful for this beautiful late spring day. 

I am thankful that I have some cash in my purse. 

I am thankful that I found my Grandmother Mary's clothes brush when I cleaned out a desk drawer.