My soul is a butterfly
in the cocoon of matter
being transformed
by the grace and test
of the Almighty.
This is also posted in my writing.com port in the journal Writing in Snow. This journal can be found in the folder Awardicon Items. On writing.com I am Prosperous Snow.
Showing posts with label butterfly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label butterfly. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 07, 2018
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Nature is Wonderful
Istijlál (Majesty), 19 Jamál (Beauty), 170 BE - Thursday, May 16, 2013 about 11:05 AM Pacific Time
Nature is wonderful. Nature is beautiful. The birds are singing and have been for several days. For the past week, a white butterfly has flitted past my living room window and through my yard. I think the butterfly is attracted to the weeds in my front yard. In addition, to these beautiful creatures, I saw a white dove fly past my window yesterday. It is a joy to wake up, look outside, or stand on my front porch and listen.
a white butterfly
is flitting from weed to weed
a nightingale sings
Nature is wonderful. Nature is beautiful. The birds are singing and have been for several days. For the past week, a white butterfly has flitted past my living room window and through my yard. I think the butterfly is attracted to the weeds in my front yard. In addition, to these beautiful creatures, I saw a white dove fly past my window yesterday. It is a joy to wake up, look outside, or stand on my front porch and listen.
a white butterfly
is flitting from weed to weed
a nightingale sings
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Stressful Sunday: My Last Weekend Entry
Jamál (Beauty), 10 Kalimát (Words), 169 BE – Sunday, July 22,
2012 about 4:15 PM Pacific Time
This butterfly wants to go back into her cocoon. Weekends
have become extremely stressful and I find it difficult to write without going
into a rant. Therefore, unless I can find another solution, this will be my
last weekend entry. In fact, I am considering not going online at all on the
weekends.
I will make blog entries Monday through Friday, but skip the
entries on Saturday and Sunday because I cannot focus on writing. The only
things I have focused on today were taking care of Mom, cooking, and washing
dishes. I still have several things to accomplish before going to bed tonight.
I am tired and I cannot take a nap this afternoon.
I do not have any help with Mom on the weekends and focusing
on anything except taking care of Mom is too stressful. Therefore, something
has to go, therefore, it is the weekend blog entries and getting online on
Saturday and Sunday. If I do post anything on the weekends, it will be links to
intriguing websites or pictures, but nothing else and those posting may occur
at midnight when I cannot sleep because of a stressful day. If I cannot sleep
then I usually sit down at the computer and write or surf the web.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Too hot for butterflies
Kamál (Perfection), 3 ‘Azamat (Grandeur), 165 B.E. – Monday, May 19, 2008 about 7:15 PM PDT
It is too hot out doors for butterflies today. The temperature reach 108 degrees at McCarran airport, which is where the official temperature of Las Vegas is taken. The weather person expected it to get to about 109 before the sunsets and the city begins cooling down. Tomorrow the winds pick up and we are in for the blow dryer effect. After the winds pick up then the temperature will cool down to the 80s and 90s, but for now were in for, at least, one more hot day.
I put a new filter in the air conditioner Friday and turned the unit on. It appears to be working well though it takes a while to cool this house down. Fortunately, I will not know what the power bill for this month is until around June 4 or 5. I know it will come up because the last couple of months I have not had the unit on at all.
I will worry about the power bill when it comes in. I have more import problems at the moment. Starting Saturday, I am going to be doing my own yard work. Saturday I will pick up any trash in the front yard before it gets too hot. Then Sunday, if I can find my gardening gloves, see about trimming the oleanders in the front.
It is too hot out doors for butterflies today. The temperature reach 108 degrees at McCarran airport, which is where the official temperature of Las Vegas is taken. The weather person expected it to get to about 109 before the sunsets and the city begins cooling down. Tomorrow the winds pick up and we are in for the blow dryer effect. After the winds pick up then the temperature will cool down to the 80s and 90s, but for now were in for, at least, one more hot day.
I put a new filter in the air conditioner Friday and turned the unit on. It appears to be working well though it takes a while to cool this house down. Fortunately, I will not know what the power bill for this month is until around June 4 or 5. I know it will come up because the last couple of months I have not had the unit on at all.
I will worry about the power bill when it comes in. I have more import problems at the moment. Starting Saturday, I am going to be doing my own yard work. Saturday I will pick up any trash in the front yard before it gets too hot. Then Sunday, if I can find my gardening gloves, see about trimming the oleanders in the front.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
A butterfly inside its Chrysalis
Jalál (Glory), 6 Jamál (Beauty), 165 B.E. – Saturday, May 3, 2008 about 3:17 PM PDT
Life for a butterfly inside its chrysalis is stressful and perplexing. It doesn't really know what's going on as its body changes from that of an earth crawler to a flyer. I've felt like a butterfly in its Chrysalis for the past year. When I began this blog in about 2005, I thought the name was interesting. I didn't realize until recently how appropriate the name of the blog would become.
In the past year life has been extremely stressful. This year the stress has begun to leave or perhaps I'm just reacting differently to it. I'm still seeing ways I need to change, but transformation isn't easy. Transformation is growing wings and growing wings is difficulty for an earth bound creature.
Perhaps I am too impatient. I want transformation to occur immediately without the stress, the tests and the difficulties. Transformation doesn't occur without difficulties. If the human soul didn't encounter difficulties on its physical journey, it would never achieve its true potential.
I think that sometimes I let my fear and my ego interfere in the process. The soul is the spiritual part of the individual. The soul is a gift from God and it seeks to return to the eternal beloved. The ego is the part that is tied to the material realm. It can't see beyond into the next world and so it fears. The ego does its best to stop the process of transformation. The ego doesn't want the soul to develop wings. However, if the soul doesn't develop wings it will be at a disadvantage in the next world.
Life for a butterfly inside its chrysalis is stressful and perplexing. It doesn't really know what's going on as its body changes from that of an earth crawler to a flyer. I've felt like a butterfly in its Chrysalis for the past year. When I began this blog in about 2005, I thought the name was interesting. I didn't realize until recently how appropriate the name of the blog would become.
In the past year life has been extremely stressful. This year the stress has begun to leave or perhaps I'm just reacting differently to it. I'm still seeing ways I need to change, but transformation isn't easy. Transformation is growing wings and growing wings is difficulty for an earth bound creature.
Perhaps I am too impatient. I want transformation to occur immediately without the stress, the tests and the difficulties. Transformation doesn't occur without difficulties. If the human soul didn't encounter difficulties on its physical journey, it would never achieve its true potential.
I think that sometimes I let my fear and my ego interfere in the process. The soul is the spiritual part of the individual. The soul is a gift from God and it seeks to return to the eternal beloved. The ego is the part that is tied to the material realm. It can't see beyond into the next world and so it fears. The ego does its best to stop the process of transformation. The ego doesn't want the soul to develop wings. However, if the soul doesn't develop wings it will be at a disadvantage in the next world.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Butterflies and Milkweeds
‘Idál (Justice), 1 Jalal (Glory), 165 B.E. – Wednesday, April 9, 2008 about 3:19 PM PDT
One of my fondest memories of my childhood concerns butterflies and milkweeds. Every year milkweeds would grow in my grandparents' yard. Either my grandmother or my grandfather would remove them, but one or two would return. No matter how hard my grandparents tried to get rid of the milkweeds, there would be at least one in the yard all year.
The milkweed that remained always had a butterfly chrysalis hanging from it. After the chrysalis formed my grandparents would never remove the milkweed. The let the milkweed remain until the butterfly emerged. We would watch the chrysalis everyday until the butterfly emerged. It was a struggle for the creature to emerge from the chrysalis, but when it did it was beautiful. The wings were dry and the butterfly would take off and fly away.
The tenacity of the milkweed to continue to grow, even after they were dug up always amazed me; however, the butterflies efforts to emerge from the chrysalis that brought tears to my eyes. Perhaps that's why I can't give up, perhaps that why I keep trying and struggling even when life gets difficult.
One of my fondest memories of my childhood concerns butterflies and milkweeds. Every year milkweeds would grow in my grandparents' yard. Either my grandmother or my grandfather would remove them, but one or two would return. No matter how hard my grandparents tried to get rid of the milkweeds, there would be at least one in the yard all year.
The milkweed that remained always had a butterfly chrysalis hanging from it. After the chrysalis formed my grandparents would never remove the milkweed. The let the milkweed remain until the butterfly emerged. We would watch the chrysalis everyday until the butterfly emerged. It was a struggle for the creature to emerge from the chrysalis, but when it did it was beautiful. The wings were dry and the butterfly would take off and fly away.
The tenacity of the milkweed to continue to grow, even after they were dug up always amazed me; however, the butterflies efforts to emerge from the chrysalis that brought tears to my eyes. Perhaps that's why I can't give up, perhaps that why I keep trying and struggling even when life gets difficult.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Spring and Butterflies
Istijlál (Majesty), 14 Baha (Splendor), 165 B.E. – Thursday, April 3, 2008 about 5:19 PM PDT
I always associate spring with butterflies.
Maybe it is the beauty of the season
the flowers,
brightly colored birds building nest,
cottonwood trees and lilac bushes,
but I always associate spring with butterflies.
I always associate spring with butterflies.
Maybe it is the beauty of the season
the flowers,
brightly colored birds building nest,
cottonwood trees and lilac bushes,
but I always associate spring with butterflies.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Butterflies and Transformation
Fidál (Grace), 3 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 164 B.E. – Tuesday, March 4, 2008 about 1:12 PM PST
Butterflies and moths are the symbol of the soul. These beautiful creatures transform in their pupa cases becoming completely different from the larva; the larva crawls on the ground and feeds on plants, while butterflies and moths fly and feed on nectar. The larva are not as beautiful as the adult butterflies or moths.
The human soul while partnered with the physical body is bound to earth. At death, when the soul and body separate the soul is free to soar in the firmament of God's love. When a soul is with the body, it has a chance to develop spiritual attributes. These attributes go with the soul when the body dies.
Inside the larva case, the butterfly or moth acquires wings and its body shape changes. Through tests and difficulties faced while with the body, the soul acquires spiritual attributes. Once the human soul separates from the body it has only the spiritual attributes developed while on the material plain. It is on the material plain that we must grow our wings to ascend through all the worlds of God.
These are my thoughts today.
Butterflies and moths are the symbol of the soul. These beautiful creatures transform in their pupa cases becoming completely different from the larva; the larva crawls on the ground and feeds on plants, while butterflies and moths fly and feed on nectar. The larva are not as beautiful as the adult butterflies or moths.
The human soul while partnered with the physical body is bound to earth. At death, when the soul and body separate the soul is free to soar in the firmament of God's love. When a soul is with the body, it has a chance to develop spiritual attributes. These attributes go with the soul when the body dies.
Inside the larva case, the butterfly or moth acquires wings and its body shape changes. Through tests and difficulties faced while with the body, the soul acquires spiritual attributes. Once the human soul separates from the body it has only the spiritual attributes developed while on the material plain. It is on the material plain that we must grow our wings to ascend through all the worlds of God.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The Butterfly Emerges
7 Masa'il 164 B.E. - Tuesday, December 18, 2007 about 2:21 PM PST
All right this is fall and not the time of year when butterflies normally emerge from their cocoon. However, I'm coming out of my pupa case, I'm slowing becoming my true self, the person I'm meant to be.
For nine months, from March 12 to November 12, I was under so much stress I felt like I was giving birth. The stress hasn't entirely left, but I feel different. I feel more optimistic, I have more faith and I feel better about the decisions I've made in the past.
I still need to work on certain things. I still have a tendency to focus on the roadblocks placed in front of me instead of the path around them. However, I've found that whenever I push at (what I consider a roadblock) it either disappears all together or shrinks to a manageable size.
Everything in my life seems to being working out slowly. Sometimes I put a situation in Baha'u'llah's hands and then I attempt to take it back by worrying about it. However, thinking about the past few months and the blessing that Baha'u'llah has bestowed, I find that the things I worried about were taken care of and my prayers answered. Sometimes my prayers weren't answered in the way I thought they would be, but they were answered.
I've found I have a tendency to think a prayer isn't answered unless its answered the way I want it answered. This is a very selfish attitude and not in line with reality. Prayers are always answered. Sometimes they're answered with a yes, sometimes with a no, sometimes with a wait and usually in an unexpected way. So from now on I'm going to look for the answer rather then just presuming the answer is no.
All right this is fall and not the time of year when butterflies normally emerge from their cocoon. However, I'm coming out of my pupa case, I'm slowing becoming my true self, the person I'm meant to be.
For nine months, from March 12 to November 12, I was under so much stress I felt like I was giving birth. The stress hasn't entirely left, but I feel different. I feel more optimistic, I have more faith and I feel better about the decisions I've made in the past.
I still need to work on certain things. I still have a tendency to focus on the roadblocks placed in front of me instead of the path around them. However, I've found that whenever I push at (what I consider a roadblock) it either disappears all together or shrinks to a manageable size.
Everything in my life seems to being working out slowly. Sometimes I put a situation in Baha'u'llah's hands and then I attempt to take it back by worrying about it. However, thinking about the past few months and the blessing that Baha'u'llah has bestowed, I find that the things I worried about were taken care of and my prayers answered. Sometimes my prayers weren't answered in the way I thought they would be, but they were answered.
I've found I have a tendency to think a prayer isn't answered unless its answered the way I want it answered. This is a very selfish attitude and not in line with reality. Prayers are always answered. Sometimes they're answered with a yes, sometimes with a no, sometimes with a wait and usually in an unexpected way. So from now on I'm going to look for the answer rather then just presuming the answer is no.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Transformation the Theme of this Blog
2 'Ilm 164 B.E. - Tuesday, October 16, 2007 about 10:35 PM PDT
'Ilm, a new month has begun, a new nineteen day period to achieve the writing goals, the financial goals and the spiritual goals I've set for myself. That brought to mind the theme of this blog transformation and the butterfly. The butterfly is the symbol of both the soul and transformation.
The butterfly emerges from its cocoon a completely different creature from the larva that entered the pupa case. The larva was a creature of the earth, eating leaves and other plants to survive. The butterfly is a creature of the air, eating nectar. In the pupa case the larva goes through the transformation that creates the butterfly. This process isn't easy for the larva, it's stressful and difficult, but it's necessary for the larva to become a butterfly.
It's the same way with the human soul. The soul is a creation of God. It has the ability to reflect the attributes of God, but it can't do this without going through test and difficulties that bring out those attributes and let the soul fly.
Mashiyyat was a stressful month. Whether it was more stressful than any month since Baha begin 164 B.E. I'm not sure. It could be that the accumulation of stress finally got to me and I broke out in stress (literally). Anyway I decided that I'm going to do something about it and get the major problems solved that are causing the biggest stresses.
One thing I'm doing is setting aside specific times morning, afternoon and evening for prayer and meditation. I thought back to the period before all this stress started and realized that I no longer had specific time periods for prayer. I've usually gotten the obligatory prayer said, but I usually had to work it in my daily life instead of living my daily life so that I didn't have to "work it in". I've set A, B, and C priorities. The A priorities are spiritual and the other important goals are B priorities.
'Ilm, a new month has begun, a new nineteen day period to achieve the writing goals, the financial goals and the spiritual goals I've set for myself. That brought to mind the theme of this blog transformation and the butterfly. The butterfly is the symbol of both the soul and transformation.
The Butterfly and Transformation
The butterfly emerges from its cocoon a completely different creature from the larva that entered the pupa case. The larva was a creature of the earth, eating leaves and other plants to survive. The butterfly is a creature of the air, eating nectar. In the pupa case the larva goes through the transformation that creates the butterfly. This process isn't easy for the larva, it's stressful and difficult, but it's necessary for the larva to become a butterfly.
It's the same way with the human soul. The soul is a creation of God. It has the ability to reflect the attributes of God, but it can't do this without going through test and difficulties that bring out those attributes and let the soul fly.
Mashiyyat Stressful
Mashiyyat was a stressful month. Whether it was more stressful than any month since Baha begin 164 B.E. I'm not sure. It could be that the accumulation of stress finally got to me and I broke out in stress (literally). Anyway I decided that I'm going to do something about it and get the major problems solved that are causing the biggest stresses.
One thing I'm doing is setting aside specific times morning, afternoon and evening for prayer and meditation. I thought back to the period before all this stress started and realized that I no longer had specific time periods for prayer. I've usually gotten the obligatory prayer said, but I usually had to work it in my daily life instead of living my daily life so that I didn't have to "work it in". I've set A, B, and C priorities. The A priorities are spiritual and the other important goals are B priorities.
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