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 |   Drop by drop the snow pack dies, watering the arid lands below. |
    Other Blogs and Journals containing the continuing writing adventures of Prosperous Snow celebrating   "The Snowflake Chronicles"  "More Snow Melt" "Writing in Snow" "Welcome to My Life" "Memories of Snow" "Dreams of Snow " Poet999's Thoughts about Writing and Other Stuff http://poet999writingthoughts.blogspot.com/ Poet999 - A Butterfly Emerges From Her Cocoon http://poet999.blogspot.com/ |
| 12 Rahmat 164 BE – Thursday, July 5, 2007 9:29:16 AM PDT “Pray as you can, don’t try to pray as you can’t.” Dom John Chapman – Quoted in Prayer: A Baha’I Approach by William & Madeline Hellaby, p. 8 I can pray driving across town or the country, I can pray making coffee, I can pray shopping, I can pray almost any place except the bathroom, praying when I’m on the toilet or in the tub seems disrespectful. |
| 11 Rahmat 164 BE – Wednesday, July 4, 2007 4:47:55 AM PDT The fourth of July always brings back memories of my Grandparents. My Grandfather always enjoyed the Fourth. Usually we went to Lake Blackwell (I think that’s what they called the lake outside of Blackwell, Oklahoma) and shot off fireworks. Sometimes we went to Lake Carle Blackwell (different from the one above). For three years in a row, Grandpa took us to Lake Carle Blackwell. A family of cousins went with us. The adults drove two cars. The first year we went, my youngest brother almost drowned. He was wearing a life jacket (Grandpa always insisted we wear life jackets when we went in the water) and the jacket got water soaked. My brother was unable to get out of the water and got pulled under. Grandpa rescued him. Grandpa was our guardian angel. The second year one of my cousins pulled a skillet of hot grease off on herself. The skillet was on one of those camping stoves. The handle, of course, was where she could grab it so she did. They took her to a nearby town, but I don’t remember the name of the town. The third year one of my male cousins set off a cherry bomb. It exploded sending rocks into his eyes. I can’t remember if they took him to a hospital ER or not. That was the last year we went to Lake Carle Blackwell, I don’t think anybody wanted to take the change of anyone getting killed because of an accident. It’s strange what we remember from celebrations of our childhood. The Fourth stands out. After retiring Grandpa rented a site at Lake Blackwell and put a trailer house (Mobil home) on it. He had a boat. On the Fourth of July, we’d go to the Lake to water ski, fish and set off fireworks. Roman Candles were legal then. I remember Grandpa sitting on the hood of the car and holding a roman candle while it sent it’s colors into the air. I remember once it backfired on him, he made sure his shirt wasn’t on fire and we continued to celebrate. All things considered, we were lucky. |
| 10 Rahmat 164 BE – Tuesday, July 3, 2007 7:31:04 AM PDT Consider the pen you write with the feel of it in your hand the sensual warm of this presence as words flow from your mind to the paper through the axons and dendrites of your brain. Of course, I don’t use a pen the write with any more. Not that I don’t have pens laying around the house. Not by the phone where I need them or at least I don’t have working pens laying by the phone. The pens by the phone are usually empty or the ink in them is dried. This means that when I choose to answer the phone and take a message I have to look around for a working pen. I have an answering machine, this is probably the reason I let it pick up because if I need to take a message I never have a pen handy and the tap in the answering machine does a better job of taking a message than me writing it down. I haven’t been telling people that the reason for not answering the phone when I’m home and off line. Those who I feel it’s important to know are informed that I don’t answer the phone unless I sure some is on the other end. Someone calls this number and when I answer he, she or it doesn’t respond, the person doesn’t say anything, no heavy breathing, not obscene words, nothing. It’s irritating, so I let the machine pick it up. If someone isn’t going to take to me or my Mother when we answer, they’re certainly not going to take to a machine. Besides when my brother and his wife bought the phone and machine for us they paid good money, the answering machine may as well be used. However, getting back to the pen with which I write. I do carry a paper journal and pen with me. This is for writing ideas for poetry and stories down, as well as taking notes when I’m at a meeting. I suppose if my paper journals last a hundred years, whoever sees them will get only notes about ideas, my life and phone number (some with names and others with odd notations). I need to review some of my old journals, I didn’t always use journals in this way. There was a time when I used them I actually used them to start writing stories and poem. There must be lost in the old journal and some intriguing ideas in the new. I need some more ideas, not that my muse isn’t working. She is, but ideas still help. I was going to use the title, Consider the Pen You Write With as a warm up exercise for writing. However, I changed my mind and decided to use it as a blog entry. My warm writing exercise this morning (and probably from now on) is a letter to Baha’u’llah in my Writing My Spiritual Journey Journal. I decided this morning that my warm up exercises from now on will a daily letter to Baha’u’llah. By writing a letter every morning or evening, I get my goals focused and look at what I must change in the near future to accomplish the goals. Besides, it puts the goals on a spiritual level and that’s what I need at the moment. Not the only thing I need, of course, but by putting everything on a spiritual level first, I have my priorities straight. |
| Rahmat 164 BE – Monday, July 1, 2007 [Insert Time] PDT Zing! Well I did it, after a marathon session of reviewing I managed enough gps to upgrade for another month. I didn’t complain, I didn’t listen to my inner critic say It’s impossible! and You’ll never do it!, I just did it. Therefore, now I’m in a positive mood, maybe confident mood is a better term here. Anyway, I know that I can find a way to do anything or most anything, I set my mind to. I have to admit I was tired and I didn’t get a lot achieved yesterday. I went to bed early, which means I got up early today. My body can only handle so much sleep and so much non-sleep. I feel better today, but today I got up early enough to take my meds and yesterday I was still away when I needed to take them so I took them yesterday as well. Zing! Goes the strings of my heart. OK, I couldn’t resist writing the line to that old love song. Sometimes not matter how silly, ridiculous, or weird a phrase is you have to either put it down on paper or say it and it’s better to write it down. That way if you have the start of a story or poem, you remember it. Zing! I’ve got a working alarm system now. Friday a salesman came by the house and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I’m not a push over, but it was a good offer and we needed a working system. Zing! I’ve decided to review at least nine items a day, ordinarily this would be a problem. However, since writing.com time is three hours, or something like that, behind the time in Las Vegas I don’t think there will be much of a problem. Of course, I could be wrong about that, but I’ll worry later. If I come to writing.com every time I get on line and review one item then it might work even on those busy days when it’s difficult. That is, of course, presuming I have an internet connect and electricity. Zing! I wrote a new poem today and entered in into "Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor . The poem, "Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor |
| 6 Rahmat 164 BE – Friday, June 29, 2007 7:45:25 AM PDT Yes, I will eat chocolate-covered cheese even though I’ve never heard of it or even eaten it. It doesn’t matter since I like both cheese and chocolate, it sounds like a good snack. While reviewing I came across a delicious poll under the food genre. The poll is "Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor . It gave a list of several different foods all of which sounded good. I chose the chocolate-covered cheese.Yes, I heard gunshots a couple of nights ago. I was sitting at the computer reviewing and I heard the shots. They didn’t sound like they were very close, but they frightened the cats. My house is situated so that it’s near both East Charleston as well as Boulder Highway, so if someone fires a gun on either of those streets then we hear them at the house. I didn’t hear a siren that night or anything on the news the next day, so I don’t know what went down. Yes, I can’t resist reviewing and rating an item that hasn’t been rated yet. While review surfing I encountered an intriguing poem under the Activity genre. "Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor that was posted on June 28, but hadn’t been reviewed or rated, so naturally I had to review and rate it. So naturally, I had to go to the author’s port. I am inspired!Yes, I woke up this morning in a different frame of mind more optimistic than I have been in a long time. Yes, is my answer to all the questions asked in the description of the following blog: "Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor . I’ve never encounter this author before, but the blog is interesting and inspiring. So naturally, I had to go to the author’s port. |
| 5 Rahmat 164 BE – Thursday, June 28, 2007 10:04:51 AM PDT Sometimes we need to make an extra effort to achieve goals or receive answers to prayers. God doesn’t always answer our prayers immediately or in the way we expect. I’ve had a lot of lessons lately concerning that. Also, sometimes God expects us to make a little extra effort for our prayers to be answer. I’m finding this out also. A person prays for something, but God often expects us to make an effort to achieve or find the answer ourselves. Sometime ordinary effort is require, sometimes little effort is required and sometime an extra effort is expected. It’s the effort that’s expected and what I’m expected to do that trips me up. There are times when it is as obvious as a pregnant cat, but other times its murky as a fog shrouded morning. It’s finding what the effort is and how much is required. It seems lately I’m expected to make a lot of extra effort to achieve, which is OK except it takes time. That’s my problem lately is time. I suppose it will level out when I get the house cleaned. I’ve been attempting to clean house for three months. I can’t be that messy. I’ve had laundry (lots and lots of laundry) to do and dish (I still can’t use the dishwasher). Everything seems double lately. Oh well, I think I’m complaining again and that doesn’t help it only makes things worse. I’ve been making an extra effort to review lately, usually at night. I’m also attempting to review at least one item when I get on to post something else or read my e-mail during the day. An interesting item I reviewed this morning is "Life is Easier" [ASR] by 🪽intuey🕊️  , I found it in the Spiritual Newsletter. After reading that article, I realize that instead of saying I don’t want to do dishes. I don’t want to do laundry. I can find a solution to [put name of problem here]. I should say I love doing dishes. I love doing laundry. The solution to [put name of problem here] is obvious to me. |
| 4 Rahmat 164 BE – Wednesday, June 27, 2007 [Insert Time] PDT The Wanderer or the seeker roams through seven valleys or seven cities in search of the Beloved. Each valley has it’s own steed, it’s own tests and a specific spiritual attribute that The Wanderer must reflect before she or he can go to the next valley. To succeed in this quest The Wanderer must overcome self, preconceived ideas and superstitions to read the home of the Beloved. To achieve the goal of his or her quest the wandering seeker must sacrifice everything from acquired knowledge to the mundane desire of daily existence. In one sense, we are all seekers, but many times we don’t know what we’re seeking. In order to fill the void in our souls, we attempt to acquire material treasures, but the soul or spirit isn’t satisfied with these items. It wants something more, something that can only be supplied on a spiritual level. We are Wanderers roaming through the valley of shadows searching for something, but not knowing what. While we remain in the shadow’s valley we can’t find the goal of our desires. To find the Beloved we must leave the valley and ascend over treacherous mountainous terrain a path that often disappears as we climb toward the cloud-shrouded crest. Once we have left the valley of shadows and reached the mountain’s crest our goal isn’t reached. The only thing we have conquered at this time is the point of no return. It is too late for us to go back, even if we wanted to. The journey to the crest was so difficult that we began abandoning everything we carried with us because we needed to lighten our load to ascend the steep and sometimes vertical pass. If we carried a map with us, that was probably the first thing we abandoned, because we found it didn’t reflect the trail we were walking on. Each person must conquer this pass for him or her self, the passage that worked for one person doesn’t work for another. The trail that one person mapped, was destroyed by icefalls and earthquakes. We may find babbles and gems strewn along the path that earlier travelers, who accidentally came across this section of the climb abandoned when they realized that the items didn’t apply to them or encourage them. If these things give us encouragement, we pick them up and carry them with us as long as the give us help, encouragement and hope. Otherwise, we leave them laying on the trail, perhaps for another seeker to stumble on in the future. Or to be picked up by birds and animals that carry them back to their dens or nests. In reviewing today, I ran across one of these gems. "Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor gives encouragement to the seeking wanderer as she or he travels toward the crest of no return. I would encourage anyone encountering this journal to read, rate and review it. There are other gems, hidden among the genre on writing.com that gives the seeker encouragement. There are gems scattered in libraries and across the internet, we just have to search for them. We must search for them with an open mind, putting aside preconceived knowledge either acquired or given to us. To find the Beloved, the soul and spirit must be free and unchained to anything that will prejudice it. Another gem I’ve found that may help the seeking wanderer is The Seven Valleys by Baha’u’llah and translated by Shoghi Effendi.While in the valley of shadows, the soul remains chained to superstition, fear, and dogma. Once the soul decides to break the chains and leave the shadow’s valley, and take the step of search the tests and sacrifices begin. |
| 3 Rahmat 164 B.E. – Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:01:27 AM PDT The voices inside of you and of me speak through words typed on a computer keyboard. The voices inside of us speak through metaphor and simile of things that only the soul can see. The whisper secret heard from the universe about the stars and planets orbiting galactic cores. The voices inside of you I can’t hear. I voices inside of me speak into my inner ear. The voices inside of you and me laugh, weep, yawn, a thousand other vocalizations, that only the mind can hear, and the soul see. The voices inside of me echo the odes stars whisper to their planet lovers. The voices inside of me transcribe interpreted transliterations coming for the soul. The voices inside of me reverberate with the sonnets of gratitude and love. The voices inside of me I transcribe onto blank pages in a computer’s memory. The voices inside of me sing, shout, whisper, and reverberate with the spirit’s immortal song. The voices inside of me are the words you see. The voices inside of me speak as my ego, as my soul, as my inner critic, etc. The voices of my ego fear the voices of the others because to listen to another means the ego can’t speak. The voices inside of me are the odes, essays, short stories, flash fiction, blog entries and letters that I write. |
| 2 Rahmat 164 B.E. – Monday June 25, 2007 3:20:17 PM PDT Why did I fall in love with you? It wasn’t your looks because you weren’t handsome, you weren’t ugly either, you were just ordinary. Why did I fall in love with you? There was nothing special about you. You weren’t a genius, but you weren’t dumb either, I mean you had sense enough to come in out of the rain, which is more than can be said for the yellow tom cat I gave you. Why did I fall in love with you? Or was it even love? It wasn’t lust, because there was nothing about you to lust after. Why did I fall in love with you? You weren’t a great kisser, you weren’t an exceptional lover, but you were a good drunk. So why did I fall in love with you? |
| 1 Rahmat 164 B.E. – Sunday June 24, 2007 10:10:24 AM PDT Wolf Runner stood on the edge of the snowfield, watching the full moon rise over Mount Sanctuary. Behind him he could hear the pack on the prowl, the alpha male was howling calling his companions to the scent of fleeing prey. Runner knew that he couldn’t hid his scent from the pack, any more than he could hide his sin from the Star Clan. Stepping into the snow, he heard it crunch and felt its icy cold penetrate his bare feet. Runner had always wondered why the snowfield began precisely nine miles from the mountain. However, he had never received a satisfactory explanation from either the Shaman or the Wise Women of the tribe. They always said that it was the Creator’s will and that he shouldn’t ask such questions, that he should accept it on faith alone. There was very little that Wolf Runner could accept on faith alone without asking why. Indeed, even the concept of accepting a practice without question was beyond his understanding. The Creator had given his tribe and the other tribes’ minds and souls. Why weren’t they supposed to use them? Why were they expected to accept without question the beliefs and practices of their ancestors? “Perhaps,” he said as he paused at the edge of a snow free trial. “That is what led me to sin.” As he stepped onto the path, Runner remembered the advice of his mentor Gray Snail. Snail had always said, “When you come upon an unknown path in the woods, always go to the right because the left path always leads to evil.” Looking right, Runner saw that it led back the way he came. When he looked left, the path pointed straight to the foot of the mountain that was his only salvation within 100 miles. After an hour, he came to a huge rock and a path spit. One fork going right and the other left, with the mountain, its crest covered with snow, lying directly behind the rock. Runner looked at the markings on the rock, but none of them gave any indication as to which fork he could use. He started to turn left, but stopped suddenly. A thought penetrated his forehead and entered his mind “Runner, take the other fork.” Where the though had came from he didn’t know, but he knew from experience that he should follow its advice. Taking the right fork, Runner hurried toward the mountain. On either side of the path, surrounded by snow, roses and hyacinths bloomed. As he inhaled their fragrance, memories of his mother returned. Her words and stories flooded his mind. One story especially haunted him; it was the saga of his people’s arrival on the planet. Runner’s mother had always told him the story in private. She never spoke of it when others were present, she even warned him not to tell anyone else about the story. One day his father, accompanied by his wolf-hunting companion, had walked into the tent when she was telling it. Runner’s father was infuriated; he struck his wife knocking her across the tent. Then he commanded the wolf to attack her. Runner screamed and cried as the creature tore his mother apart. “Shut up,” his father said hitting the six year old. “She sinned, she spoke of forbidden knowledge. That story only a Shaman or Wise Woman should tell you when you reach manhood. Then it should never be spoken of again outside the temple.” The path ended at a wall of stone, Runner reached out his hand and touched the stone. It was as solid as the path beneath his feet. Behind him, he heard the howl of a wolf, turning he saw his half brother’s hunting companion, followed by the rest of the pack, advancing on him. Trapped between the stonewall and the pack, Runner drew his dagger and placed his back against the stone. As the wolf charged, the wall moved causing him to fall backwards onto a tile floor and the stone moved back into place before the wolf could reach Runner. “So you finally came,” said a Raven-haired woman helping Runner to his feet. “I’ve been waiting a year for you!” “You are?” “I’m Silver Moon and what’s your name?” “You’ve been waiting for me a year and you don’t know my name!” “I haven’t been waiting for you as an individual,” she smiled leading him to a table with two chairs. “I’ve been waiting for a man to come through the wall. The Guardians of Sanctuary said I couldn’t advance deeper into the mountain without a mate. They said that if I was patient one would eventually be provided for me.” “I’m Wolf Runner of the Star Clan, what’s the name of your tribe?” “The Tribe of the Third Moon, but I don’t think tribal affiliations matter in Sanctuary.” |
| 19 Nur 164 BE – Saturday, June 23, 2007 10:03:07 AM PDT It’s the little sacrifices that stress the ego and stretches the soul. Giving your mother the majority of the ice cubs and putting water in her glass before taking what is left for yourself. The little daily sacrifices prepare us for the big ones; prepares us for obedience to the laws of God and to his Mirror. We make daily sacrifices without thinking or we choose not to make the sacrifices without thinking, without considering the consequences. What are the consequences of sacrifice? It cleans the mirror of our souls, prepares us to reflect the beloved to the world. The ego fears the sacrifices, but the soul endures and is happy. Happy because sacrifice is its bath, its cleansing ritual, and the soul knows why the sacrifices are necessary, but it doesn’t always tell the ego. Soul and ego dwell in the same body, but don’t speak to each other. Even if the soul does speak to the ego, then the ego doesn’t listen. The ego wants what it wants without consideration of whether or not its desires are good for it and the body. The soul knows what is good for the body, the ego and the spirit. We make daily sacrifices for the Beloved. The sacrifices keeps the soul in shape just as regular exercise and a proper diet keeps the body in shape. The sacrifices keeps the soul clean and sharp, just as mental exercises and proper diet keep the mind in sharp. Living is a continues sacrifice giving up the immediate for the long range. Accepting the pain of lose and knowing that in the end love always returns more than what it gave. We willingly make sacrifices for the Beloved and for our families. Often no one but the individual making the sacrifice know what it is, because what may be a sacrifice for one individual won’t be a sacrifice for another. It works with ordinary human beings this way and, despite what our egos tell us, we are all ordinary human beings. Another interesting aspect of sacrifice is that the longer one lives the more sacrifices he or she asked to make. It’s as if the universe is preparing the soul for the greatest sacrifice it will ever make. Leaving the body it became a part of at conception to go into the next world. The soul, despite all that is written in religious literature about paradise (the next world), doesn’t always know what to expect. This is because paradise can’t be described in material terms. Humans can use material terms as metaphors or similes for life after death and living in paradise, but it can’t describe the experience precisely as the soul will encounter it when the time comes. “…Nor shall the seeker reach his goal unless he sacrifice all things. …” Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 7 |
| 18 Nur 164 BE – Friday, June 22, 2007 4:43:42 PM PDT My tickets arrived today! On Saturday, August 18, the Antique Roadshow will film an episode in Las Vegas. A couple of months ago I e-mailed a request for tickets. They picked my name, so Mom and I are going to the Roadshow in August. Mom now has something to work toward in her therapy. When she goes to the Convention Center on the 18th, she want to use her walker and not the wheel chair. I’m going to have to set a schedule for Mom’s exercises. She has three different types, plus using the walker. It’s sometimes difficult to get them all in, so I think the best way is to do the exercises one right after another and then let her rest a bit before she walks or visa versa. Her out patient therapy starts Tuesday, she will have two sessions a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m looking forward to going with her and seeing how she progresses. Mom’s already progressed a lot, but she need to do more. On the back of the tickets, it said each person could bring two items for appraisal. I’m going to have to look and see what we have. I know we have a few things we could take, but I don’t know what it will be yet. This is going to be fun. Both of us enjoy watching the antique roadshow, now we get (hopefully) to be on it. See later entries for updates on what we’re considering taking. |
| 17 Nur 164 BE – Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:34:39 PM PDT OK, I’m on somebody’s snail mailing list. Today I got a letter asking me if I had a favorite scriptural quote. The letter defined favorite scriptural quote as one that provides comfort and confirms God’s promise through His sacred word. As a matter of fact, I do have several favorite scriptures. Some of my favorite sacred quotes are from the Baha’i Scriptures; some are from the Bible, the Qur’an, the Bhagavad Gita, etc. I find verses in all the Sacred Books that both provide comfort and confirm God’s promise. The scriptures I’m attracted to cover sever different subjects. One of this is from the Bhagavad Gita Edwin Arnold’s translation. This quote discusses opposites and firmness in faith, it attracted me because humanity is a dual natured creature with a body and soul, humanity is a creature of opposites built into the model. By passion for the "pairs of opposites," By those twain snares of Like and Dislike, Prince! All creatures live bewildered, save some few Who, quit of sins, holy in act, informed, Freed from the "opposites," and fixed in faith, Cleave unto Me. Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) Another is a quote from The Bab that defines worship and love of God. WORSHIP thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being. Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God's creation a partner with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men. The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 77 So I can’t give one favorite scripture verse when asked the question. I’ve found that I have different favorite quotes at different times in my life. For instance, I’ve been going through some difficulties lately so my favorite quote from the writings of Baha’u’llah is this. Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 284 I’m still not sure how I got on the snail mail list. I probably sent for something that was free and they put me on their list. I can’t remember what I sent for, so it probably didn’t make a big impression on me. I suppose I should try to get off it, I have way too much “junk” mail coming to the house and to my e-mail boxes. I think what I’m going to have to do is just consider how much I’m interested in a freebee before sending for it. Actually, nothing is free, there is always some price to pay for whatever one gets, with the “freebees” it’s usually only a way to get you on a mailing list that is eventually sold to similar lists. The price I pay for requesting “free” stuff is a mail box, actually an entrance hall, full of junk (I don’t have a mail box, the postman puts the mail though a slot in my door). The price humanity pays for all this mail that ends up shredded and in a landfill is the lose of trees. I think I’m going to think before sending for “free” stuff anymore and asks a few important questions of myself. |
| 16 Nur 164 BE – Wednesday, June 20, 2007 The Thesaurus gives the following words under patience – endurance, staying power, tolerance, lack of complaint, persistence, fortitude, and serenity. For impatience it shows these words – annoyance, irritation, edginess, intolerance, eagerness, keenness, anxiety, hurry, haste, impulsiveness, impetuosity, rashness, zeal, enthusiasm, and excitement. The reason I looked up patience and it antonym impatience is the realization that I need to be a little more patient in specific situations. OK, I thought I was patient, but I’m not patient in all situations and lately the impatience is rearing its ugly head. I also have difficulty with procrastination (I think I’ve mentioned this before), negative thinking (especially in the past few months), and a few other thing. Lately the problem is that when I decided to set a goal, achieve something or do something, then the universe sets out to stop me. OK, maybe this is something I’ve had a slight problem with before and never confronted. I didn’t expect to be writing about patience and my problems with it today. When I started this entry yesterday and go interrupted, the subject was prayer. In fact I even started a poem about prayer, but then the universe kicked me in the teeth (which probably explains why I have only five teeth left my lower jaw). I’ll include the start here before going on with patience. Prayer Silently Earth prays Giving gratitude to God Now back to patience, which is a virtue. I suppose that make its antonym a vice. I’ve been getting pissed a lot lately, especially with the situation I’m in. I think there is something I should be able to do about it, but I can’t see what. I think that’s the main problem, normally if I can see how to alleviate a problem I’m fine. It’s when I can’t see a solution or can’t find a way to take action myself that I seem to get impatient with myself and the situation. I can be patient with other people, most of the time. Traffic and other drivers seem to bring out my impatience. I don’t like driving in traffic when it’s too hot or too cold, the reason for this is I have to keep the window on the driver’s side rolled down all the time (I might get into that later or not). Anyway the hotter it gets the more impatient I get (this also may explain speeding ticks and the ticket for running the red light). My mother says I’m not as happy as I used to be and I worry more. This could be a symptom of impatience. Maybe I need to concentrate on developing patience or increasing what I already have. Until I look up the word in the thesaurus, I didn’t realize there were so many subtle implications to the virtue. Patience has a great deal to do with faith: faith in one’s self, faith in God and faith in prayer. In fact, patience has an effect of the achievement of goals, which may explain my difficulty in setting and achieving. I don’t want to wait, to endure, to persist until it’s completed. I want it to be easy to achieve despite the fact that I know goals need to be set somewhat difficult to stretch a person’s talents. A too easy goal will prevent one from developing and a goal that’s too difficult will just disappoint. “O you who believe, seek courage in fortitude and prayer, for God is with those who are patient and persevere.” Al-Qur’an 2:153 Food for Patient Thought Question: What is the most patient creature on earth? Answer: A snail! One thing I would like to know is this. Why is it when you encounter a virtue or vice that you have difficulty with everything after the realization test it. In this case, everything seems to be “testing my patience”. I do mean everything; even my web browser is testing it. Maybe I’m just too sensitive to it right now. |
| 14 Nur 164 BE – Monday, June 18, 2007 5:31:04 PM PDT Oops! I looked at the goals for this blog recently and found that I haven’t been vigilant about those when posting. Apparently, I need to have things like that right in front of me or I forget them. I’m going to post the goals in the introduction to this blog, that way I can have them right in front of me when I go to post and entry. Oops! I haven’t updated my blog in about two or three days. It wasn’t that I didn’t have an idea, I did. I was composing an entry titled Observations, it’s just that I couldn’t focus on it. I don’t know why maybe it’s been all that’s going on in my life. I think I’m falling into a brown study, become a bit depressed, but that shouldn’t stop me from writing. I’m not that depressed, at least, I don’t think so. I really don’t know what’s been wrong with me lately. Anyway, I finished my Sixth Decade list of things I want to do before I turn 70 years old. Oops! Ok, I just put that there to go along with the above entries. I’m going to post the Observations entry I composed the other day. Observation 1 The Lord has a sense of humor. When test confront us, the same test keeps confronting us until we pass it. When we have made up our mind that a situation is one way, then God shows us that it is another. OK, I’m speaking in generalities here, because I’m attempted to get a few thing straight in my mind and I don’t want to go into specifics until … at this point. As I said God, the Lord or the Beloved whichever name a person want’s to use for the creator has a sense of humor. He’s given me one test right after another lately, of course some of these are my own fault for ignoring my gut feeling in the past. So maybe the solution is to ignore my logical brain from now own and only follow my gut feeling. That may take care of a lot of problems, test and difficulties, not all of course, but some. Observation 2 I like tiramsu, I had that wonderful desert for the first time last night. It is heavenly. It is better than chocolate. I know some chocolate lovers may disagree, but only those who haven’t tried tiramsu. That marvelous desert if one of those offered at the Macaroni Grill. Go there and order it, if you order nothing else. I don’t know how much it cost, because my dinner last night was paid for by someone else. Observation 3 It’s easier to keep your house, e-mail box and life uncluttered then to unclutter it after the fact. Observation 4 My car has an odd odor to it. I’m not precisely sure what it is that smells but it reminds me of a stable or a barn. Actually a barn, because I’ve never been in a horse stable and I’ve been in a number of barns. I imagine a stable probably smells similar to a barn. I need to clean my car out, and then I need to get it washed. I got an idea about washing the car; if I get a bucket, I can put water in the bucket and wash the car in the garage. That way the water police may not see me washing the car and give me a ticket. I’ve had speeding tickets and tickets for running a red light, but I’ve never had a ticket for washing my car when there is a water shortage. Observation 5 I will be so glad when my garbage disposal is fixed so I can use the dishwasher without worrying … |
| 12 Nur 164 B.E. – Saturday, June 16, 2007 There are lots of necessities in life. For me writing is a necessity, food is a necessity, faith is a necessity, money is a necessity, time is a necessity, prayer is a necessity, etc. I’m not sure what kind of tests I’m going through right now. I do know that everything seems to be more difficult; when I make a decision to do something or not to do something any more, then obstacles fall across my path. Perhaps I’m seeing problems where they don’t exist. Perhaps I’m looking at shadows which will disappear when I reach them. I’m not even sure that what I’m writing makes any sense. All I know it that, I make things more difficult for myself by the way I think. OK, is that a mental test or what? I feel that I’m just waking up from a dream and I’ve found myself on another planet. Nothing is like I thought it was. Where I thought snow was white it’s now green (I’m not even going to mention yellow snow here). Where I thought rain was wet it’s now dry. Nothing seems the same as it used to be, I know this sound crazy (or is the word insane) and illogical. I don’t know if things are falling apart or whether my life is screwed up or not. I suspect if I keep writing long enough I’ll get to the root of the problem. I just don’t seem to have time to write that long. I have two more sections of the house to unclutter tonight and tomorrow. Then I have to mop the floors. The problem with the mop is it’s a sponge mop that doesn’t appear to get the dirt up properly. I get the feeling I’m not wanted. I have a feeling of alienation. I’m complaining, I’m bitching and, oddly enough, smiling while I’m writing this rant. Now my inner critic is interfering, or maybe “he” is continuing to interfere and I’m just noticing the “impossible” and “you can’t” messages more. I want a vacation from tests and difficulties and I’m not getting it. I just keep getting more tests and difficulties. Everything is stacking up and making a wall between the future and me. I think I’ll try a different approach, I think I’ll attempt to be more thankful. See if that changes the situation. I didn’t make a Thankful Thursday entry, but I suppose I can figure out what I’m grateful for today and make the entry. It’ll be a bit late, but it will be an entry. This has not been a good morning. It probably isn’t the worst morning, but it hasn’t been a good one. I have to go to the bank, I have to make a payment on the power bill, I have to pick up meds for Mom. Then this evening I have a 5:00 PM meeting across town and 7:00 PM reservations to eat with someone. I’m going close this rant and do something else. Apparently ranting is a necessity. If I look very hard, I can find other necessities as well. I know I could use some assistance, but I’ve been informed or at least given the impression that assistance is not going to be given and that I shouldn’t ask again. I’m really going to close this time, because I think I’m ranted out for the present. Although that may change as the day wears on. |
| 10 Nur 164 B.E. – Thursday, June 14, 2007 I encountered an intriguing poem while reading this week’s Poetry Newsletter. The poem "Making Maps" [E] by ridinghhood-p.boutilier  concerned a person’s mid-life map. This poem is written in lune, 5/3/5 syllables, which is a form I’ve never ran across before. There are actually two forms of lunes, the first form is written in syllables of 5/3/5, the second form, uses a word count of 3/5/3.Lune 1 Guides to the future yesterday’s desires rearranged. Lune 2 Piece by piece the map I can’t read crumbles to dust. Maps are interesting subjects for me. I’m directionally challenged, which is a politically correct way of saying I have no sense of direction. If the sun didn’t rise in the east I’d never know which direction was west. As it is, in order for me to read a map; I have to pull over to the side of the road, get out, spread the map on the hood of the car so that it faces the direction indicated, and then figure out where I am. Needless to say, it makes going anywhere difficult and adventurous. Speaking of maps and newsletters the Fantasy Newsletter had an interesting subject The Hero’s Journey: The Road of Trials. This is a road that, I strongly suspect, has no map because if it did the hero would never learn anything from failure and then would not succeed in his or her quest. The editor of this week’s edition gives some intriguing and helpful questions to answer when creating a hero and the hero’s journey. Those questions are Given this person's background and experience, what kinds of trials or ordeals make sense for him or her? What would be truly challenging for this person? What does the person fear and how will this fear be represented to him or her? What does the person consider to be obstacles to progress or growth? Does the person have some personality or character traits that will be mirrored back to him or her in a challenging way? What strategies, skills, insights, known or unknown strengths or talents, etc, does the person use or develop to survive or resolve these trials? What assistance, seen or unseen does the person have or receive to deal with these trials? All thought provoking questions; a map to creating a hero and a story. I’ve tried writing character sketches and usually end up not using them. Normally I write characters, without too much of a formal sketch. However, since I am a glutton for punishment I think I’ll try creating a character and a story in a later entry using those questions. The Spiritual Newsletter also brought maps to my mind. The subject of this week’s edition is time and getting one’s spiritual house in order. OK, anyone reading this entry may ask, “What do maps have to do with getting your spiritual house in order?” A great deal! Our religious and/or spiritual path (in some cases they are the same) gives each of us a roadmap to heaven, paradise or whatever we want to call life in the next world. If one follows that map (given that one can read it) then we arrive in the next world, at least, partially ready. In many cases, the problem is reading the map. This is where one turns either to prayer and meditation on the sacred scriptures (one’s spiritual map), or to a spiritual leader. The thing is, we are each responsible for ourselves and no one else. When a person’s body dies and the soul arrives in the next world, in paradise, that person must answer for him or herself, any spiritual leader can’t answer for any other the person standing before the throne of God. |
| 9 Nur 164 B.E. – Wednesday, June 13, 2007 1 Leaves their shapes genetically preconceived; do trees remember from one year to the next the names of last years crop, anymore than hookers remembers the names of last night’s johns. 2 Leaves orange memories of summer’s splendor dropped singly or in groups to the cold autumn soil; their smoke rose above the neatly raked mounds that decorated the fall landscape of my childhood. 3 Leaves laugh in the passing wind. |
| 7 Nur 164 B.E. – Monday, June 11, 2007 As everyone knows, who has read my last blog The Snowflake Chronicles I’m an arachnophob. I have an illogical and unreasonable fear of spiders. The little beasties send chills up my spine. So you know any encounter I have with a spider of any type will end up in one of my blogs. I hand an encounter with a spider yesterday, June 10, 2007. The encounter occurred in my kitchen. I had left the thingy that I use to take dried food off dishes in the sink. It was one of those that looks like a web of some sort of metal. Anyway, I turned the water on and started to rinse dishes from the night before. I looked down and a huge (OK, maybe the eight legged bitch wasn’t as big as I thought she was) black widow crawled out of the scrubbing pad. I immediately dumped water on it and the creature crawled or got washed back into the metal web. I dumped three or four cups of water on it. Then found a plastic grocery bag with garbage in it. I picked the metal thingy up by one end and dropped it in with the rest of the garbage. I tied the bag tight, then took another plastic grocery bag and put the one with the spider in. The one with the spider went in with the tied end at the bottom of the new bag. I then tied that bag shut, took the whole thing to the garage, put it in a larger trash bag and tied that bag shut. It’s still waiting for Wednesday, in order to go to the trash. When I saw the spider, I jumped back from the sink, but I didn’t scream aloud. There are just two people in the house and me screaming like an insane driver on Las Vegas Boulevard at rush hour isn’t going to do any good. I took care of the problem; at least I think I did. The rest of the day chills continued to crawl up my spine. The rest of the day I imagined, that out of the corner of my eye, I saw spider crawling on everything, including me. The thought still sends chills up my spine. I have a very vivid imagination. When it comes to spiders, my thoughts border on the paranoid. Not that I haven’t learned to deal with the problem. There was a time when I couldn’t kill or even dispose of one of the creatures. Now at least I can get them out to the trash or kill them. I’m not saying I’m cured, but I’m learning that I can face the fear and deal with it. I’m not saying I deal with it logically, but I’m dealing with it. Now we come to the illogical and paranoid part. Spider (OK, I’m not sure I can write this with a straight face) if they aren’t sealed up in something will come back to get the person to attempts to kill them (That doesn’t even sound logical, that sounds funny and weird even to me). |
| 6 Nur 164 B.E. – Sunday, June 10, 2007 From the Long Healing Prayer “I call on Thee O Well-guarded One, O Lord of Joy, O Desired One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!” Baha’u’llah, Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 93 1 I raise my voice in praise as my soul ascends on wings of joy. Thank you for your healing and your love. 2 Lord of Joy, Protector of the downtrodden, Lover of the unloved, Forgiver of the sinner, Thank you for your healing. |
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