Writing in Snow

First Day of the 19-Day Fast

Istiqlál (Independence), 1 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) 174 B.E. - Friday, March 2, 2018
First Day of the Fast

"Fasting is the cause of awakening man. The heart becomes tender and the spirituality of man increases. This is produced by the fact that man’s thoughts will be confined to the commemoration of God, and through this awakening and stimulation surely ideal advancements follow."

Abdu’l-Baha12

At 71, I am no longer required to abstain from physical nourishment between sunrise and sunset. That does not mean I am no longer required to say the prayers revealed for the 19-day Fast, or to detach myself from material things that impede my spiritual development. Because of health issues and taking medication, I could not participate in the fast for a few years before I turned 70. When one does not fast, it is a little more difficult to detach from material impediments, but it is not impossible.

When I read the article by Kathryn Janene Adams, I was reminded that you cannot give up. If you encounter a setback one day, you can start over again the next day. There are more articles about fasting on BahaiTeachings.org3, which I want to read during this period of fasting. I have eighteen more days to go, so I will see how I do with detachment and reading those article. Another thing I want to do during ‘Alá’, is write poems about these spiritual attributes, which are also the names of the months of the Baha'i year: Splendor, Glory, Beauty, Grandeur, Light, Mercy, Words, Perfection, Names, Might, Will, Knowledge, Power, Speech, Questions, Honor, Sovereignty, Dominion, and Loftiness.

Poem Written on the First Day of Fast

Fragrance of Splendor,
on this the First day of the Fast,
I call out to You
intoning Your revealed Word.

Sentence by sentence
I inhale the aroma of eternal life
from the roses of your glory,
which grow in the Garden of Paradise.

The light
of Your new day
awakens my soul to the excellence
of Your glorious covenant.

Accomplished between February 26-March 2
posted on "Weekly Goals" 

Post to "I Write in 2018"  for Week 9. Submitted "Silent Compassion"  to "Stormy's poetry newsletter & contest" .
Review, at least, 4 items each day from Read & Review.
Respond each day to "Invalid Item"  prompt.
Complete "Invalid Item"  for February.

On Monday, February 26, I established seven goals for this week, and posted them in "Melting Snow"  "Motivational Monday: Time to Get Motivated" . I completed four of them, and still have three to complete or work on. Seven goals maybe too many for five days, however, I am going to continue making seven goals each Monday until the end of March. On April 1, I will decide if I need to post fewer goals on "Weekly Goals" .

Still working on

Post essay or poem to "Invalid Item"  for Week 30.
Check, at least, one thing off my procrastination list each day.
Post three or four times to my offsite blog this week.

I accomplished only one thing on "Things to Read this week". I still have several items on that list to read, plus I am adding items that I want to read. Therefore, I am changing the reading list title from "Things to Read this week" to "Things I want to read this Month", which means I have to read, at least, one article a day to finish the list. I should remove "News articles that catch my interest", since most of the news article only raise my blood pressure. Instead of removing it, I will be a bit more careful after reading the headline. If the headline irritates me, I will not read it because the article will raise my blood pressure.

Things to Read this week.

A Guide to Meditation for the Rest of Us https://lifehacker.com/5591576/a-guide-to-meditation-for-the-rest-of-us
The Ministry of Abdu’l-Baha Begins http://bahaiteachings.org/ministry-abdul-baha-begins
Informative or news article about Sri Lanka for "Invalid Item"  the links are in "Invalid Item" .
A Woman Sacrifices Her Life for Equality http://bahaiteachings.org/woman-sacrifices-life-equality
Back through the Wardrobe: The Power of Spiritual Allegory http://bahaiteachings.org/back-through-the-wardrobe-the-power-of-spiritual-alleg...
Why You Must Develop Your Artistic Talents http://bahaiteachings.org/why-you-must-develop-your-artistic-talents
News articles that catch my interest.

Footnotes
1  Star of the West, Volume 3, p. 305.
2  Quoted in the article " A Not-Quite Fasting Baha’i Thinks about Detachment" by Kathryn Janene Adams http://bahaiteachings.org/not-quite-fasting-bahai-thinks-about-detachment.
3  http://bahaiteachings.org/