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 This blog contains responses to blog prompts, & thoughts on spiritual or religious themes |
Disclaimer: Any views, about religion or sacred scriptures, expressed in this blog are my own and not the official views of the Baha'i Faith or any other religion. If you wish to know more about the Baha'i Faith, please check one of these websites: The Baha'i Faith: The Official Website of the Worldwide Baha'i Community  or Baha'is of the United States ."The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers." Abdu'l-Baha1             ** Image ID #1802740 Unavailable **        Other Blogs and Journals Content Rating 18+ "Writing in Snow" "The Snowflake Chronicles" "Snow Melt" "More Snow Melt" "Welcome to My Life" "Melting Snow" "Memories of Snow" "Dreams of Snow " "Poem Experiments" "Devotional Poetry" Other Journals Content Rating ASR "Bicentenary Poems and Prose" "Treasures lie hidden beneath the throne of God; the key to those treasures if the tongue of poets." The Bab "O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord." Bahá’u’lláh2 ![Merit Badge in WDC Soundtrackers
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Jalál (Glory), 2 ‘Aẓamat (Grandeur) 176 B.E. - Saturday, May 18, 2019
PROMPT: Write a poem or stream of consciousness entry about something you do every day. I'm a Survey Junkie3! Survey after survey building my point to 1,000, then transferring $10.00 to my PayPal account. Am I addicted to surveys? I'm a member of five survey groups, and each day I build the points or dollar amounts in my accounts so that I can request a check or sent dollar amounts to my PayPal account and transfer them to my checking or savings account. Footnotes |
Istiqlál (Independence), 1 ‘Aẓamat (Grandeur) 176 B.E. - Friday, May 17, 2019
PROMPT: A lot of medical research today focuses on developing cures to ageing. Presumably, with the right breakthrough, humans could live forever. How do you feel about this? Write an entry describing the advantages and disadvantages of extremely long life using facts and opinions to support your answer. I don't think the humans were created to live forever on the material plane. Humans are dual natured creatures with physical bodies, which are part of the material creation, and souls, that are part of the spiritual world. The body and soul become partners at sometime after conception and before birth. While much of medical research appears to be the developing a cure for aging, I don't see this as the goal; true it may be the goal for many researcher, but not for all of them. Old age, in and of itself, is not a disease, but a results of the living on the physical body being born and living material plane. Thee are certain disease and bad habits that result in problems in the human body as it ages. These can be alleviated or eliminated by the discoveries of medical science. However, that does not mean that the human body will continue to live eternally, because eventually the body and soul will separate. At that time the body will begin decomposing and the soul will ascend into the spiritual realm. "The rational soul—the human spirit—did not descend into this body or subsist through it to begin with, that it should require some substance to depend upon after the constituent parts of the body have decomposed. On the contrary, the rational soul is the substance upon which the body depends. The rational soul is endowed from the beginning with individuality; it does not acquire it through the intermediary of the body. At most, what can be said is that the individuality and identity of the rational soul may be strengthened in this world, and that the soul may either progress and attain to the degrees of perfection or remain in the lowest abyss of ignorance and be veiled from and deprived of beholding the signs of God." 'Abdu'l-Baha4 Medical research helps people live longer and more rewarding lives on the material plane. These longer lives help our souls develop the spiritual attributes they need to thrive in the spiritual realm. Medical researchers are discovering the bad habit human beings have developed that interfere with us thriving on the material plane. Over the past century, medical science has made some progress in extending human life5. We will make more progress in the coming decades; however, on question remains: Can medical science reverse or stop the aging of our cells?6 Is there a limit to how long we can extend the life of our cells? Yes, I think there is a limit. I don't think we have encountered that limit yet. Footnotes |
Istijlál (Majesty), 19 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Thursday, May 16, 2019
PROMPT: Congratulations on making it halfway through the challenge! Today, we’ll do something a little different. Instead of writing an entry of your own, take the time to show some love to your fellow 30DBC challengers! Write thoughtful comments on at least five different blogs from this month’s competition. Then, post the links to the entries you commented on in your own blog and share one thing you learned. Have fun!  "It's About Time" by Robert Waltz  "Complex Numbers" "4 is a Hot Issue" by Apondia  "Sanguine Tenacious Tidings" "Staying motivated" by WakeUpAndLive  "Blog @ Work 2nd Edition" "Invalid Entry" by Andy~hating university  "Invalid Item" "Invalid Entry" by Charlie ~ "Invalid Item" I learned that one can keep a mantis as a pet. This is an addition to my interesting pets list. I've known people who had tarantulas, snakes, and white rats as pets. I've never had any exotic pets myself. My pets have always been cats, dogs, and birds. |
‘Idál (Justice), 18 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, May 15, 2019
PROMPT: Share an instance when something blew your mind. The Mashriqu’l-Adhká: The Dawning Place of the Mention of God Every time I look at a video or photograph of one of the Baha'i Houses of Worship across the planet, I am awestruck at their beauty. The money for construction of each of these temples was donated by the Baha'is of the world. When the temples were constructed local laborers of every religion and race were hired to build these temples. The Lotus Temple, in India, is one of the Baha'i temples. The video above tells about its construction. |
Fiḍál (Grace), 17 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, May 14, 2019
PROMPT:Discuss the “Four Burners Theory” as it is outlined in this website: Which burner in your life burns the brightest? If you had to completely turn off one of your burners to be successful in the other three, which would you turn off? I'm sure my life is out of balance, because if it was balanced I wouldn't have so much difficulty with finances. If my life was balanced, I could do more work around the house than just wash dishes. If my life were balanced I would have more of a social life than simply online. If my life were balanced I would be able to attend the nineteen-day feast, Holy Day celebrations, and give too more than one of the Baha'i Funds. If my life were balanced I wouldn't have to worry about over-drafting my checking account, and I would have more than $ 7.00 in my savings account. What is causing this imbalance in my life? Does this imbalance have anything to do with the "The Four Burner Theory?" The first burner concerning my family is turned down so that that it appears to be off. I have very little contact, with the exception of Facebook, with any of my siblings or their offspring. The second burner concerning my friends has a little more heat to it, but it is still turned low. The burner connected to my health is not hot, and sometimes--when I'm depressed--appears to be turning itself off. The burner connected to my work is the only one that appears to cook anything most of the time, and, even that one, doesn't work well w hen I'm depressed. How do I get my life back into balance? What do I want? I want a home that is the center of my social life or, at least, social activity. I don't have that. I want a home like the one 'Abdu'l-Baha talks about in the following scripture verse. My Home My home is the home of peace. My home is the home of joy and delight, My home is the home of laughter and exaltation. Whosoever enters through the portals of this home, must go out with gladsome heart. This is the home of light: whosoever enters here must become illumined. This is the home of knowledge: the one who enters must receive knowledge. This is the home of love: those who come in must learn the lessons of love; thus may they know how to love each other. 'Abdu'l-Baha7 I want to life a balanced life, and I'm not living a balanced life. I want to have a home that I can invite my friends into. I want a new recliner because the old one became infested with bedbugs when we moved into this apartment and I had to get rid of it. I want to stop telling myself "I screwed up again.", I know I haven't screwed up, but that's how I feel when things don't go right or I do something I think someone will get angry with me for. Th is happens when I start to descend into a depression, and I suspect I'm on the verge of becoming depressed. I want to live a balanced life! Footnotes |
Kamál (Perfection), 16 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Monday, May 13, 2019
PROMPT: Discuss the “Goldilocks Rule of Motivation” as described on the website below. “Human beings love challenges, but only if they are within the optimal zone of difficulty. Tasks that are significantly below your current abilities are boring. Tasks that are significantly beyond your current abilities are discouraging. But tasks that are right on the border of success and failure are incredibly motivating to our human brains.” Monday Motivation While the coffee brews, chant the Most Great Name at dawn: mental To Do List. This article explains my problem with housework. I always put off the distasteful task, such as cleaning toilet or mopping the floor, until the absolutely had to be done. If I knew I was going to have visitors--which is why I prefer people to call before they come--I would clean the toilet and mop the floors. I didn't mind sweeping, vacuuming, and dusting as much as I disliked mopping. My problem with mopping was always streaky floors. Grandma Mary could mop a floor, with any type of mop, but I never could. Right now,I'm in the middle of cleaning off my computer desk, which is unmotivating because I let it go so long. I'll get finished either today or tomorrow. I can't let it go any longer because I suspect there is stuff I need to call people about. I'm not lazy, the problem is the task is boring and doesn't motivate me. This brings me back to the article, which is right about the Goldilocks zone. |
Jamál (Beauty), 15 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Sunday, May 12, 2019 Mother's Day
PROMPT: Write your entry inspired by the word “nurture.” What does it mean to nurture something or someone? How were you nurtured growing up, how are you currently nurtured, and how do you nurture others? Mother's Day: Thoughts on Nurturing Nurturing goes beyond the body to include nurturing of the mind and the soul. Mothers, who are the first instructors of their children, nurture on all three levels--sometime simultaneously. As I found out, when I was taking care of my mother,it isn't always the parent that does the nurturing. My mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease, which stole her mind, memory, and changed her personality. Nurturing Mom became a process of feeding her body and her spirit, while attempting to find a way to nurture her mind. "O ye loving mothers, know ye that in God’s sight, the best of all ways to worship Him is to educate the children and train them in all the perfections of humankind; and no nobler deed than this can be imagined." Abdu’l-Baha8 I don't know how good a job I did nurturing Mom. I'm told I did a good job, but I don't know for sure how good a job I did. Sometimes I think I did a good job, and sometime I think I didn't. The only thing I can do now is wait until my soul ascends, and I meet Mom face to face again. In the mean time, I will say prayers for the progress of her soul. Footnotes |
Jalál (Glory), 14 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Saturday, May 11, 2019
PROMPT: Write your entry today from the perspective of an animal. You could choose a pet, a lioness on the hunt, a rhino being pursued by poachers, or any other animal of your choice. I Am The Nightingale I am the nightingale singing in the garden of splendor, intoning my adore for the rose. "Oh, My Beloved, how can I choose to sleep when the fragrance of your hue perfumes the night air with the aroma of dawn." Look at the glorious rose, its rainbow complexions beautify the garden, arouse my affection, and inspire my song. |
Istiqlál (Independence), 13 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Friday, May 10, 2019
DAY 1969: Coffee or Tea Surely you drink one or the other know someone who does write about it. Coffee or Tea Grandpa drank coffee, and Grandma drink tea; despite their difference they shared 50 years of wedded bliss.
DAY 2364: Write a poem or short story or blog entry about numbers that have special meaning to you. Special Numbers: Eighteen Eighteen is a multiple of nine! The Bab had eighteen disciples, who he called Letters of the Living. Each of the Letters of the Living searched for the Bab independently and found him without assistance from the others. The Shrine of the Bab is on Mount Carmel in Israel, nine terraces ascend the Mountain to the terraces of the shrine, and nine more terraces ascend from the shrine up to the building that cover the crest of Mount Carmel. |
Istiqlál (Independence), 13 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Friday, May 10, 2019
PROMPT: Fact! Today is Sum1  's birthday!   Write something to celebrate the dedicated Head Judge of the "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" .Happy birthday, Sum1 !May your day be filled with a galaxy of fun. Birthdays are special, intended to created good memories and pleasant experiences. In addition to Sum1 birthday,it is Military Spouses Day . |
Istijlál (Majesty), 12 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Thursday, May 9, 2019
PROMPT: What is the farthest you've ever been from the place you call "home?" It's the second Thankful Thursday in May 2019, and I'd rather be anywhere except Las Vegas. I'd like to go back to New, which is the farthest away from home I've ever been, or to Mars or any other planet in the known or unknown universe. I'm tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I haven't gotten much sleep for several weeks. I don't expect to get a decent night's sleep in the foreseeable future. I know what the problem is, we have bedbugs. I'm sleepy. I have bed bugbites all over my body. I could be depressed, but since I'm sleepy I'm not sure about the depression. We've used every home remedy we could think of to get rid of the bedbugs, and none of them have worked. A neighbor is going to purchase something at one of the stores for us to use. It should help because it isn't a home remedy. However, it will be a slow process because according to the information on line it takes a couple of three weeks to get rid of all the damn bugs. Once there are no more bugs we have to reapply it again and again over the next several week. Lack of sleep has begun to effect me physically and emotionally. Th is could be a problem because I have to schedule a wellness exam around the end of May or the beginning of June. Part of the exam is a depression screening, Gait Examination and Cognitive Evaluation. I can tell you right now that, as a results of no sleep, I'm dealing with issues in all three of those areas. Gratitude List Today I am thankful...  ...that I visited New York before the twin towers we l were taken out. ...for the hot coffee and oatmeal raisin cookies this morning. ...for the chocolate milk and cup cakes I had as my morning snack. ...that I was able to request payment from Survey Junkie to my PayPal account because that will help cover a draft that's coming out of my checking account. |
Istijlál (Majesty), 12 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Thursday, May 9, 2019
DAY 2363: Use these words in your entry: plow, hearth, care, family, defiant, serenity, and nurse. Tests and difficulties plow the field of the soul: turn the soil of faith. Standing at the hearth of certitude, the defiant seeker falls upon her knees begging forgiveness. In the serenity of meditation, the contrite lover chooses to care for the family of humanity and to nurse it back to health. |
‘Idál (Justice), 11 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, May 8, 2019
PROMPT: In the future, if space travel became possible, would you want to go? What would most influence your decision whether or not to leave Earth? Exploring the Universe For me, the possibility of space travel isn't and if but a when. Right now, with humanity divided into political and national factions, space travel is an if. However, when humanity realizes that the only way we can survive on this planet is to unite, space travel will become possible and cheaper. When it does become possible, I'll either be much too old or my soul will have passed into the spiritual realm. This thought is a bit depressing because I have dreamed of traveling the universe since I first read Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clark. "...Know thou that every fixed star hath its own planets, and every planet its own creatures, whose number no man can compute." Baha'u'llah9 What would influence me to leave Earth? The opportunity to communicate with other intelligent life forms. Yes, I believe that there are other intelligent and soul possessing creatures in the universe. I have no doubt that humanity, when it begins to explore the universe, will encounter other life forms. Life forms that are both sentient (soul possessing) and non-sentient. Footnotes |
Fiḍál (Grace), 10 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, May 7, 2019
PROMPT: They say art is subjective. What is art to you? Question About Art: Is Art Subjective This is a question I've never contemplated. Most of the time, I can tell what it is that I like about a piece of art. I suppose that can be considered subjective. Sometime I will see a piece of art I like, but I don't knew what I like about it; however, this is rare. I've seen some pieces of art that I didn't care for, but this is rare. I don't ever remember seeing a piece of art that hated. Is that half moon shaped object on the top of building D at the West Charleston Campus of the Community College of Southern Nevada an owl's aviary, the Cheshire Cat's smile, an avant-garde watermelon slice, a radio telescope, or a cradle for the accumulated knowledge of humanity? |
Kamál (Perfection), 9 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Monday, May 6, 2019
PROMPT: Regarding your craft of writing, is there something specific you want to improve on or give more attention? What steps will you take to motivate yourself? On this motivational-blue Monday, I'm drinking my second writing.com travel mug of motivation and attempting to stay awake, or at least not fall asleep in the keyboard. I can feel a depression coming on, and I don't like it because when I'm depressed I can't do anything constructive or even destructive. I'm working on 200 poems dedicated the The Bab,"Bicentenary Poems and Prose" , for the bicentenary of His birth.How do I find motivation? This is a good question, at this point I'm just writing and hoping the motivation comes. I figure if I just keep writing the motivation will come. Of course, if I fall asleep at the keyboard it might be a bit difficult to write. That is if I don't fall asleep at the keyboard.... I go away from this for a bit, and took a nap. The nap helped. I'm still looking for motivation, so I think I'll pretend I found it and push forward the rest of the day. |
Jamál (Beauty ), 8 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Sunday, May 5, 2019
PROMPT: Happy Sunday! Take the time in your blog today to reflect on your week. Share one thing you accomplished this week and one thing you hope to accomplish next week. Sunday Reflections I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, when I read the prayers revealed by The Bab or Baha'u'llah. It's been an interesting week. As usually, interesting weeks are stressful in one way or another. I suppose interesting is better than boring. Most mornings were quite and peaceful, and I managed to sleep through the night, at least, once. I made several blog entries, wrote several poems, and did several surveys I cancelled the one appointment I had because I didn't have the co-pay or money to take the paratransit bus to and from the appointment. My main accomplishments was that I survived. At 72, I'm amazed that--with all the stupid stuff I did in my younger years--that I'm still alive. I'm sure there is a good reason for me to be alive even if I don't know what it is. I suppose that I will eventually find out what it is, although I may have to wait until my soul passes into the next world to find out what it is. What do I want to accomplish in the coming week? I would like to continue to survive. I want to finish poem thirteen of the two-hundred I'm writing to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Birth of the Bab. |
Jalál (Glory), 7 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Saturday, May 4, 2019
PROMPT: Stand outside for two minutes. Make a list of ten things you can smell, ten things you can hear, and ten things you can feel. With the exception of people, emergency responders, and cars going the wrong way down a one-way street, it's difficult to find ten of anything. It's Saturday and no one is airing their dirty laundry in the street, so thing appear to be fairly peaceful. Ten Things I Can Smell 1. Coffee. 2. An occasional whiff of Marijuana. It's cool enough for everyone to keep their doors open, so sometimes I detect some odd aromas. 3. Cars that need some work done on their engines or whatever. 4. Some passer by wearing too much perfume. That's the limit of what I can smell. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Ten Things I Can Hear 1. Buzz saw. Some of the property managers are ren0vating the apartments so that they can raise the rent. 2. Music. 3. Gate slamming. 4. Distant train. At least, I think its a train. This is something we hear every Saturday morning. 5. Car door slam. 6. Cars going too fast down Sunrise Avenue. 8. Dogs barking at nothing specific. 9. Traffic noise, either from the express way or Eastern Avenue. I can never tell which direction these noise come from. 10. People talking (not shouting) as the walk toward Eastern Avenue. They could be talking on their smartphones. Ten Things I Can Feel 1. Happy that it's Saturday. 2. Hungry, so I think I'll warm up t he spaghetti in the microwave. 3. Rested. I slept well last night. 4. Worried about my sister who tends to go into deep depressions. 5. Warm. The sun is shining. 9. Curious. Birds keep walking back and forth in front of my apartment, as if they are looking for something or someone. Eventually they go to another apartment and do the same thing. 7. Slight breeze caresses my arms. 8. Irritated at myself because I took my blood pressure pill later than normal. 9. Sneezing because of the olive tree. 10. Impatient because I have work to do. |
Jalál (Glory), 7 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Saturday, May 4, 2019
DAY 2358: Use these words in your blog: butterfly, baffle, vivacious, boat, bait, furious, gift, surprise. Saturday Poem Butterfly flutter, as dawn's vivacious echoes scatter night's furious birds. Sol sails his boat of light across the blue lagoon of morning. In verdant valleys, the lovers of light awake, and give thanks for the gift of another day. Intoning the joy of day the children of light bait the hooks of curiosity. Their joyful songs surprise and baffle the creatures of night, who lay concealed in their dark burrows. |
Istiqlál (Independence), 6 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Friday, May 3, 2019
PROMPT: Tell us a fact about one of your ancestors. Where does your family come from? How far back can you trace your ancestry?  I'm Scotch, Irish, English, German, and--if the rumor is true--Native American. I haven't traced my ancestors or had a DNA test, so the only information I have is from family. Knowing ones ancestry is fine, as long as it doesn't make an individual feel superior to the rest of the human race because of it. There are advantages and disadvantages of knowing ones genetic heritage. If knowing ones family and DNA heritage is going to make one feel superior to the rest of humanity, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.  I have my parents and grandparents to thank for my DNA, for my genetic and family heritage. Who I am goes beyond family or genetics. I am a spiritual being having a physical experience. My soul, my spirit, is eternal. My soul will continue to progress in the next world when my body dies and turns to dust. My spiritual family is all humanity, and not just the physical family I was born into.  |
Istijlál (Majesty), 5 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Thursday, May 2, 2019
Day 1961: What things in life make you feel at peace? Where Do I Find Peace of Mind? Peace of mind is difficult to find unless you have a view that looks beyond this present darkness. "Hear Me, ye mortal birds! In the Rose Garden of changeless splendor a Flower hath begun to bloom, compared to which every other flower is but a thorn, and before the brightness of Whose glory the very essence of beauty must pale and wither. Arise, therefore, and, with the whole enthusiasm of your hearts, with all the eagerness of your souls, the full fervor of your will, and the concentrated efforts of your entire being, strive to attain the paradise of His presence, and endeavor to inhale the fragrance of the incorruptible Flower." Baha’u’llah10 Where do I find peace of mind? In the sacred scriptures of the Baha'i Faith. In the scriptures revealed by The Bab and Baha'u'llah, I see a world completely different from the one I live in today. Through prayer, reading the scriptures, and meditation, I can look beyond this present chaos to see the vision of a world united in all aspects of life. A world where the different religions are no longer compete for the souls of humanity, but rather are all part of God's plan because each reveals a different stage in the material and spiritual evolution of humankind. DAY 2356: “Where words fail, music speaks.” ~ Hans Christian Andersen Let's talk about music's effect on our craft. Do you agree with Anderson? How much does music influence the words on the page, your thought process? Music Speaks Music speaks to our souls, but we have to be careful about the music we choose to listen to. Listening to uplifting music brings us out of depression, while listening to some of the other types deepens the depression. Footnotes |
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