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DAY 2722: A new month lies ahead. What are your goals for May? Did you accomplish everything you wanted in April? Are you on track for your goals for the year?

Looking Ahead to May

I'm looking ahead to May,
to the glorious day
when I can go to a beauty salon
and get my hair cut.

I'm looking forward to May
to writing poems about days
of celebration and commemoration.

April 29, 2020 at 3:43pm

#982331

May Possibilities

ʻIdál (Justice), 3 Jamál (Beauty) 177 B.E. Wednesday, April 29, 2020
The Tenth Day of Ridvan

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Day 2114:"All things seem possible in May." Edwin Way Teale Use this quote in your Blog entry today.

May Possibilities

May is a month of
joy, sorrow, celebrations,
and commemorations.

Days of Celebration

Twelfth Day of Ridvan

Mother's Day

Feast of ʻAẓamat (Grandeur)

Declaration of the Bab

Days of Commemoration

Memorial Day

Ascension of Baha'u'llah

May is a month of possibilities,
a month of inspiration,
a month full of hope,
and a month filled with gratitude.

Midweek Reflections on Keeping Track of the Days

April 29, 2020 at 11:24am

#982316

ʻIdál (Justice), 3 Jamál (Beauty) 177 B.E. Wednesday, April 29, 2020
The Tenth Day of Ridvan

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How have you been (or not been) keeping track of the days?

One day at a time
is all that I can handle,
my smartphone shows me
the time of day,
the day of the week,
and the day of the month.

One day at a time
is the new normal
bringing joy and sorrow
into everyone's lives.

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April 28, 2020 at 4:25pm

#982273

Making Changes

Fiḍál (Grace), 2 Jamál (Beauty) 177 B.E. Tuesday, April 28, 2020
The Ninth Day of Ridvan

"O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.

O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá 3

I'm in a rut. I got an electric scooter today. It's the kind that you can sit down on and use to ride on the sidewalk. It doesn't go very fast, but I don't need fast. I'm planning on using it about an hour or so a day to get out into the sun. I'll also us it when I go to the doctor or blood services. I need to make a few changes in the way I do things, and this is the best way to start.

I'm going through one of my "I don't want to do this phases". Part of the problem might be vitamin D. I ran out of it a while back and haven't been able to afford it. I'll order some more on May 1. In the mean time, I'll just have to put up with the way I feel.

Footnotes
3 http://www.bahaiprayers.org/spiritual10.htm

April 28, 2020 at 10:41am

#982249

A Learning Experience

Fiḍál (Grace), 2 Jamál (Beauty) 177 B.E. Tuesday, April 28, 2020
The Ninth Day of Ridvan

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Curiosity and Justice: Divine Attributes

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Have you learned anything or acquired any habits during this quarantine/lockdown that you plan on keeping with you and/or practicing once it is lifted?

A Learning Experience

If approached with the proper attitude, everything in life (which doesn't kill you) is a learning experience. The main thing I've learned is that I need to control my negative thoughts while practicing patience.

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April 27, 2020 at 11:19am

#982183

Kamál (Perfection ), 1 Jamál (Beaut y) 177 B.E. Monday, April 27, 2020
The Eighth Day of Ridvan and the Feast of Jamál

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Day 2719: "Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious." Stephen Hawking Use this quote to inspire your blog entry.

Curiosity

Curiosity is a spiritual attribute! It helps humanity make sense of the universe around us. It encourages us to ask questions the universe and about the Unknowable Creative Essence we call God. Without curiosity we would be no better off than the lower animals, which are unable to ask questions about who created us and why we were created. Curiosity can lead an individual to accept the existence of God or reject God, depending on whether or not the individual listens to the promptings of their ego or those of their soul.

"The essence of all that We have revealed for thee is Justice, is for man to free himself from idle fancy and imitation, discern with the eye of oneness His glorious handiwork, and look into all things with a searching eye."

Bahá’u’lláh 4 5

Curiosity helps us to practice justice, which is also a divine attribute, and look into everything--even religion--with a "searching eye". Justice and curiosity help us to put behind us both learned superstitions and our own ego's vain imaginings in our search for the both the spiritual and scientific laws that govern the universe.

Footnotes
4 Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh
5 https://www.bahai.org/r/061871273

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April 26, 2020 at 11:08am

#982096

Thoughts on Lockdown

Jamál (Beauty ), 19 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Sunday, April 26, 2020
The Seventh Day of Ridvan

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How has your idea of lockdown/quarantine changed since the beginning of this month?

I contemplate my present mental state,
and the way I now get around town.

Has the stress and anxiety passed?
I knew it wouldn't last,
just as I knew the quarantine
would eventually be lifted.

The COVID-19 pandemic
has made me more aware
of the interconnection
between human populations,
and between the nations.

When a virus
born in one part of the world
can cause death in another section of the planet,
the Earth is truly a single country.

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April 25, 2020 at 11:35am

#982013

No Place To Hide

Jalál (Glory), 18 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Saturday, April 25, 2020
The Sixth Day of Ridvan

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Describe the best place to hide in your home (closet, bed - under it or the covers, basement, attic, behind the couch, in a cupboard, etc.), and why it is the best?

No Place To Hide

In my 73 years on Earth, I've never lived in a house or an apartment that had a good place to hide. I've lived in three houses that had attics, but no basements. I've lived in three apartments with neither attic nor basement. For someone suffering from arachnophobia, an attic--because of the real or imagined spiders--isn't a good place to hide.

One of the houses I lived in had a root cellar (it was in Oklahoma, so we called it a storm cellar). It didn't have electricity, so the only time you could safely hide it in was during the day, when you could leave the cellar door open. Hiding in it during the night, was an adventure in stress. You never knew what kind of eight-legged critters were crawling around and waiting to drop on your head.

I suppose the bathrooms would be a good place to hide. However, most bathrooms in apartments are too small for more than two people to hide in. No matter how immaculate a housekeeper you are bathrooms attract spiders and mice. I can tell you from experience, that mice get really pissed off when you are between them and their exit. Plus if the police are looking for you, they'll breakdown your door and send in the dogs. I don't think there's a good place to hide in any house or apartment.

I remember when I was in grade school, we had atomic bomb drills. During those drills the teachers taught us to hide under our desk in case an enemy dropped an atomic bomb on our town. I don't think hiding under the desk would save anyone's life. If an A-bomb had been dropped on the Blackwell Zinc Smelter, the entire town would have goon up in one huge mushroom cloud.

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April 24, 2020 at 11:28am

#981905

Music: Melodious Echoes

Istiqlál (Independence), 17 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Friday, April 24, 2020
The Fifth Day of Ridvan

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Word of the Day: Facilitate

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#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 2716: Write a post inspired by this word: Music

"We have made it lawful for you to listen to music and singing. Take heed, however, lest listening thereto should cause you to overstep the bounds of propriety and dignity. Let your joy be the joy born of My Most Great Name, a Name that bringeth rapture to the heart, and filleth with ecstasy the minds of all who have drawn nigh unto God. We, verily, have made music as a ladder for your souls, a means whereby they may be lifted up unto the realm on high; make it not, therefore, as wings to self and passion. Truly, We are loath to see you numbered with the foolish."

Baha'u'llah 6 7

Melodious Echoes

Melodious echoes reverberate,
Urging our souls to celebrate:
Sing the praise of the All-Glorious.
Intoning with love God's Most Great Name,
Chanting in tones that joy radiates.

Footnotes
6 The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
7 www.bahai.org/r/028875513

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April 23, 2020 at 2:03pm

#981830

Istijlál (Majesty), 16 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Thursday, April 23, 2020
The Fourth Day of Ridvan

"Question of the Day!"

for Thursday, April 23, 2020

You can only use one word for the entire day.
You can say the word again and again, but just that one word.

So, what's your word of the day?
Why this word?

Word of the Day: Facilitate

Facilitate: "to make easier : help bring about"8.

In order to facilitate my May 1 telephone consult with my nephrologist 9, I went to his office today, so that the phlebotomist 10 could draw my blood.

Facilitate,
a beautiful sounding word,
that is easy to pronounce.

It rolls off my tongue easily,
while rhyming with both congregate
and immigrate.

Footnotes
8 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitate
9 https://www.davita.com/education/ckd-life/choosing-doctor/what-is-a-nephrologist...
10 https://www.dictionary.com/browse/phlebotomist

Earth Day 2020: Prayer For Earth

April 22, 2020 at 10:20am

#981742

ʻIdál (Justice), 15 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Wednesday, April 22, 2020
The Third Day of Ridvan

“There is hope if people will begin to awaken that spiritual part of themselves, that heartfelt knowledge that we are caretakers of this planet.”

Brooke Medicine Eagle

Oh, Thou Glorious Lord,
Open our minds to see
Earth as a single country
And humanity as a single species.

Oh, Thou Glory of Glories,
Awaken our souls see
To the beauty of the planet
And give us the desire to unite
As protectors of Earth.

Oh, Thou Glory of the All-Glorious,
Forgive us the sin of selfishness
That has caused the present environmental crises,
And assist in making humanity and Earth
The bottom-line.

April 21, 2020 at 10:50am

#981683

Five Minutes of Silence

Fiḍál (Grace), 14 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Tuesday, April 21, 2020
The Second Day of Ridvan

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April Inspiration: The King of Festivals

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Be silent for 5 minutes with your eyes closed. What do you hear? What regular sounds does your house make that you aren't consciously aware of?

Five Minutes of Silence

Eyes closed,
I listen
and I hear
the tinnitus in my left ear.

I wander why
it's called a ringing in the ear,
when mine hisses
like a tire slowly losing air.

I live in a world without silence!
The hissing can't hide
the noise of the refrigerator,
the distant mumble of a television
left on all night,
or the passing of a car
outside my window.

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April 20, 2020 at 3:10pm

#981618

Kamál (Perfection), 13 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Monday, April 20, 2020
The First Day of Ridvan

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#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 2105: What inspires you about April?

The King of Festivals

"The Divine Springtime is come, O Most Exalted Pen, for the Festival of the All-Merciful is fast approaching. Bestir thyself, and magnify, before the entire creation, the name of God, and celebrate His praise, in such wise that all created things may be regenerated and made new."

Baha’u’llah, 11 12

On "The First Day of Ridvan"

,
I reflect on past celebrations
when social distancing
wasn't required
and we could celebrate the King of Festivals
in both physical
and spiritual proximity.

I remember,
"Celebrating Ridvan"

with my mother--
at both the Baha'i Center
and in the homes of friends--
on the first day
when we would elect a new Local Spiritual Assembly,
listen to scripture readings,
pray,
and socialize.

Ridvan,
my April inspiration,
is the joyous celebration
of the 1863 declaration
of Baha'u'llah.

Footnotes
11 Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah
12 Quoted in Ah! For a Dose of Paradise! Reflections on Ridvan by Anne Gordon Perry https://bahaiteachings.org/dose-of-paradise-reflections-ridvan/.

April 20, 2020 at 11:50am

#981608

The First Day of Ridvan

Kamál (Perfection), 13 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Monday, April 20, 2020
The First Day of Ridvan

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Reading The Seven Valleys: Day 1, with Poem 1

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#1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

Day 2712: “Every day is a good day. There is something to learn, care and celebrate.” ― Amit Ray, Walking the Path of Compassion What can you find to celebrate today?

The First Day of Ridvan 13 14

On the First day of Ridvan,
Baha'u'llah entered the Garden of Paradise,
where--
accompanied by the perfume of roses
and the singing of nightingales--
He declared His mission,
and prepared for the journey to Constantinople 15.

"Verily, all created things were immersed in the sea of purification when, on that first day of Ridvan, We shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of Our most excellent Names and Our most exalted Attributes. This, verily, is a token of My loving providence, which hath encompassed all the worlds."

Baha’u’llah 16 17

These are the Days of Ridvan--
the Days of Paradise--
the King of Festivals,
and the most Holy time of the year.

Raise your voices in thanksgiving and praise,
the promised one has come
and the prophesies in the Holy Books
is fulfilled.

Footnotes
13 Pronounced rez-vahn.
14 Ridvan means Paradise.
15 Istanbul.
16 The Most Holy Book
17 Quoted in The Baha’i Definition of Paradise: The First Day of Ridvan From the Editors https://bahaiteachings.org/bahai-definition-paradise-first-day-ridvan/.

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April 19, 2020 at 11:55am

#981477

Jamál (Beauty), 12 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Sunday, April 19, 2020

Last night I began reading The Seven Valleys, page 9 to 53 The Call of the Divine Beloved: Selected Mystical Works of Baha'u'llah. This is the second or third time I've read The Seven Valleys; however, this is a new rendering of the tablet. This translation is based on the original, 1945, translation, with some changes made for "clarity and accuracy."18 I'm not sure how long it will take to read The Seven Valleys because I will reread parts that aren't clear several times before continuing to the next section of the tablet.

Prayer to the Manifestation of God

O Thou incomparable Temple,
I want to understand
what little I can
of Your mystic sweetness.

Notes

"excellent Temple"19 refers to the Manifestation of God.

Footnotes
18 Preface, page xii.
19 Page 11

Staying at Home: Up We Go! Mountains, & Thoughts on Words

April 18, 2020 at 1:56pm

#981418

Jalál (Glory), 11 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Saturday, April 18, 2020

Today is Saturday! Today is the first day of my week! This is the second entry I've made in this blog. The first entry was " Raining Down" , which was inspired by Rashḥ-i-‘Amá (The Clouds of the Realms Above). I read this poem last night before going to sleep, as a result I dreamed about writing a poem titled "Raining Down." I had such an enjoyable and restful sleep last night that tonight I will begin reading The Seven Valleys.

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Staying at Home: Up We Go!
Dig Deep. Share your best, most profound uplifting words of wisdom for those who have become disheartened and down.

Up We Go!
Words Of Wisdom

Learn to like yourself!
Accept all of your weirdness
as uniquely you.

Learn to love yourself!
There is only one of you,
your life has purpose.

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Day 2710: Write about either a figurative mountain or a literal mountain.

Mountains

I live in a valley, surrounded by the spectacular peaks of the Rocky Mountains. I have witness many glorious sunrises and sunsets. Once, when driving to work at dawn, I saw Sunrise Mountain crowned in glory because the rising sun turned the mountain's crest to gold. I have all witness sunset in which fire appeared to rain from the sky. Winter is especially wonderful because I can look up to Mount Charleston to see it crown by snow.

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DAY 2104: Use these random words: marine, damn, chauvinist, crew, sulfur,unfix, and edition in your post today.

Thoughts on Words

Damn:
A word I've used too much in my life,
it only causes misery and strife.

According to the Oxford dictionary a chauvinist is a "person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism" or "displaying excessive or prejudiced support for their own cause, group, or sex"20, which is a very good description of politics and many politicians.

Sulfur is a pollinate!

Was anyone in my family a Marine? My brothers were both in the Navy. My father served in the Army Air Crop. I'll have to do a little research to find out if any one in the family swerved in the Marine Corp.

Unfix isn't a word I could ever use.
Once something broke, I encountered problems fixing it much less unfixing it.

For some reason, almost every place I have worked one of the managers would refer to the employees as a crew. I've never worked on a ship of any kind, and in most of the places employees or associates was a better description.

Edition is a beautiful word.

Footnotes
20 https://www.lexico.com/definition/chauvinist

April 18, 2020 at 11:12am

#981402

Raining Down

Jalál (Glory), 11 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Saturday, April 18, 2020

Raining Down:
Inspired by Rashḥ-i-‘Amá (The Clouds of the Realms Above)

From clouds on high blessings are raining down;
From clouds on high God's love is raining down.

Souls magnetized by divine love attract
The heavenly blessing that are raining down.

Rejoice! This is the day of God's Glory;
When the blessing of peace are raining down.

Reading The Call of the Divine Beloved

April 17, 2020 at 11:58am

#981319

Istiqlál (Independence), 10 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Friday, April 17, 2020

The Call of the Divine Beloved:
Selected Mystical Works of Baha'u'llah

“For whereas in days past every lover besought and searched after his Beloved, it is the Beloved Himself Who now is calling His lovers and is inviting them to attain His presence.”

Baha'u'llah 21 22

The mystical works in this book are
The poem Rashḥ-i-‘Amá (The Clouds of the Realms Above)
The Seven Valleys
From the Letter Bá’ to the Letter Há’
Three Other Tablets
The Four Valleys

"Reading Plan for The Call of the Divine Beloved"

I finished the preface last night. I'm working on a poem inspired by the quote at the beginning of this entry.

Listen
to the call of the Beloved
echoing through the atmosphere
calling His lovers
to His presence.

Footnotes
21 The Call of the Divine Beloved, Preface, page xii.
22 https://www.bahai.org/r/334417601

Staying at Home: Love Me Tender

April 16, 2020 at 2:18pm

#981260

Istijlál (Majesty), 9 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Thursday, April 16, 2020

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Staying at Home: Love Me Tender
Share a tender moment you’ve had with a family member or friend during the lockdown time. A moment you’ll treasure when this is all over.

My sister called on Wednesday, April 15, to ask how I was doing. We had a pleasant talk about the weather, the lack of activities in Searchlight, and the fact that I still need to get a blood draw before I see Dr. Lim.

On Tuesday, April 14, I got a text from my brother about the his DNA results from Ancestry.com.

On Wednesday, my roommate fix her specialty French bread pizza.

April 16, 2020 at 11:39am

#981248

Pray, Love, Eat

Istijlál (Majesty), 9 Jalál (Glory) 177 B.E. Thursday, April 16, 2020

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Day 2102: Eat. Love. Pray. Use these words I your Blog entry today.

I pray
saying the prayers
revealed by Baha'u'llah,
The Bab,
or 'Abdu'l-Baha
because they are the most powerful prayers
in this day.

"Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation of God been decreed by virtue of the Will of Him Who is the Source of power and wisdom."

Bahá’u’lláh 23 24

I meditate on the four types love
as spoken of
by 'Abdu'l-Baha in Paris Talks 25 26:
The love of God for humanity;
The love of humanity for God:
The love of God for His own Identity;
The love of the individual human being for another human or other humans.

I eat to live!
To experience another day of prayer,
and of God's love.

Footnotes
23 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXXVI
24 https://www.bahai.org/r/994654469
25 Part Three:58
26 https://www.bahai.org/r/845069428