Counting Down to 2018

Two days left in 2017, 

No time to finish this year's resolutions, 

Review, reestablish, or make them anew. 

Do you remember January 2017, 

The thrill of a New Year 

And new resolutions; 

It's time to step something new, 

With renewed hope. 

The Last Motivational Monday in 2017

It is the last motivational Monday in 2017, 

It is our last chance to motivate ourselves 

To accomplish our 2017 goals, resolutions, 

Or whatever plans we made on January 1, 2017. 

It is the last motivational Monday in 2017, 

It is time to review the goal-resolutions 

We mad at the beginning of the year, 

And determine why we didn't or did 

Accomplish them 

Over the past twelve months. 

Merry Christmas, 

And Happy New Year. 

Motivational Monday: December 18, 2017

It's motivational Monday, 

The day I state my goals for the coming week. 

It's motivational Monday, 

The day I begin achieving this week's goals. 

It's motivational Monday, 

Six days until my 71st birthday. 

It's motivational Monday, 

Thirteen days until 2017 ends and 2018 begins. 

It's motivational Monday, 

I need to clean off my computer desk before the end of 2017. 

Love defined on the Second Sunday in December 2017

The dawn of a new day, 

Rising rosy over hills of gray. 

God's eternal light, 

Giving hope through the darkest night. 

The generating impulse that began creation, 

And set the universe in motion. 

Midweek Reflections: Writing Poetry – A Poem

It is Wednesday, 

And I'm writing poetry 

Dedicated to the Blessed Beauty. 

Each day my  prayers are answered 

Either with another idea 

Or a completed poem. 

As of today 

At 5:01 PM 

Pacific Daylight Time, 

I have 65 poems planned 

And approximately 40 completed. 

By sunset on Sunday, 

October 22, 2017, 

I plan to have 

Two hundred poems completed. 

First Friday in February 2017

Istiqlál (Independence), 18 Sulṭán (Sovereignty), 173 BE - Friday, February 3, 2017 AD about 12:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

It's the first Friday in February 2017 (alright, there's nothing like stating the obvious in a blog entry) and I have a busy month in front of me. I have a contest to judge, blog entries to write, and contests to enter. Not to mention I need to clean off my desk and the wooden television try next to the desk. I also need to keep a closer eye on the date. 

I just realized there is only one more day in Sulṭán. There isn't any excuse for this because I use the Baha'I date in one of my journals. I keep track of my goals on a nineteen day basis because it's easier to determine what I've accomplished and what I need to accomplish. Normally I'm more away of the day of the month and when the Feast Day arrives. That wasn't the case this month. Perhaps I need to change the way I keep track of my goals. 

I have to admit that the goal entry in my goals journal is a little crowded. I'll change that when I set up the new month's entry on Saturday or Sunday. I'll probably set it up on Sunday because Friday and Saturday are full. I'm going to post this now and get on with something else. I still have a couple of items to judge for the contest. I've set the goal of reading three or four a day so that I have them read and reviewed before February 20. 

On the Last Sunday in January 2017

Jamál (Beauty), 12 Sulṭán (Sovereignty), 173 BE - Sunday, January 29, 2017 AD About 12:13 PM Pacific Standard Time 

On the last Sunday in January 2017, 

I contemplate the events 

Of the past week, 

The  past month, 

And the past year. 

On the last Sunday of January 2017, 

I feel the fear reverberating 

Through my neighborhood, 

Through Las Vegas, 

Through Nevada, 

Through America, 

And across the planet Earth. 

On the last Sunday of January 2017, 

I say a prayer of protection 

For those who 

Through no fault of their own 

Are stranded 

And facing an uncertain future. 

New Year 2017: Three changes I've made

Fiḍál (Grace), 7 Sulṭán (Sovereignty), 173 BE - Tuesday, January 24, 2017 AD about 10:57 AM Pacific Standard time. 

I decided on the first to make a few changes in the way I do stuff. I've made three changes in relationship to my writing.com portfolio and the way I do things. First, I now list my favorites on the right side of my screen because it saves time when I want to access a group folder. Second, I changed my review template to make it easier to do reviews. Third, I request and paid GPs for three reviews for items in my port that haven't been reviewed. When those reviews come in I will rewrite the items according to any helpful suggestions. 

I'll probably make some more changes in the upcoming weeks. When I do I will make another entry about those. One thing I'm considering is putting my name on the Request Review list and set a Gift Points (GPs) amount for each requested review. When I do that I will either change my review template or create a new template for requested reviews.