I Blog Poetry and Prose

30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

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’llah 3

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
3 Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, pp. 320-321.

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May 2, 2019 at 9:16am

#958064

My Mother's Prayer Beads

Istijlál (Majesty), 5 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Thursday, May 2, 2019

FORUM

(13+)
WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: Remember bringing something from home for “Show and Tell” at school when we were little? Today, I want you to do the same in your blog. Pick an object that means something to you and describe it. What does it remind you of? How did the object come into your life? Does it bring you comfort? What is the story behind the object?

My Mother's Prayer Beads

My Mother's prayer beads are a pinkish-rose color. There are 95 beads on the cord. and they are used the chant “Alláh-u-Abhá”4 every morning. I have a string of green prayer beads, which I put away because I use Mom's pray er beads. In 2018, I used Mom's prayer beads one day and mine the next, however, this year I've started using Mom's beads every day.

Prayer Beads assist Meditation & Prayer

(E)
Prayer and meditation are spiritual necessities
#1856952 by Prosperous Snow celebrating

After Mom died, I considered giving her prayer beads to someone, but I didn't know who. Mom and I are the only Baha'is in my family. I put her beads away and forgot where I put them. When I was cleaning out a desk drawer I found them again. That's when I started using them off and on. Now I've put my prayer beads away (I know where they are), and have decided to use my Mom's prayer beads.

Footnotes
4 “God the All-Glorious.”

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May 1, 2019 at 8:36am

#957974

Midweek Reflections on My Plans

‘Idál (Justice), 4 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, May 1, 2019

FORUM

30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS

(13+)
WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

PROMPT: Crazy as it may sound, we are now officially 1/3 of the way through 2019. Write about some of your goals and plans for the remainder of the year. What are you looking forward to?

I moved in December 2018, and I'm still attempting to get things straighten, especially my finances. I haven't been sleeping well because of unwanted creatures in my bed. I didn't have this problem until we moved into this apartment. On the bright side, I haven't seen a mouse in this apartment in a little over a month. In addition, a neighbor gave coffeemaker, so I don't have to boil my coffee any more.

Plans

Finish the group of poems I'm writing to celebrate the bicentenary of the Birth of The Bab.

Increase income.

Enter "I Write in 2019"

Attempt not to overdraft checking account.

Review

Attempt to remain awake while making a blog entry.

Inbox housekeeping.

I'm looking forward to attending the Bicentenary Celebration of The Bab. I'm enjoying doing surveys again, possibly because I'm making some money at it. I would be looking forward to a lot more if I could keep awake and not doze on my keyboard.

"The Best of Days: The Festival of Ridvan and Happy May Day"

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May 1, 2019 at 7:17am

#957971

The Best of Days: The Festival of Ridvan and Happy May Day

‘Idál (Justice), 4 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, May 1, 2019

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

Day 1960: Best Day Ever! What was your best day ever?

The Best of Days:
The Festival of Ridvan

These are the best of days!
These are the King of Days!
These are the days,
when Baha'u'llah entered
the Garden of Paradise,]
and God cast the splendor
of all His names
on creation.

GROUP

Tuesday Contemplation on Ajpril 30, 2019

(E)
A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

Day 2355: Happy Beltane.. Happy May Day. It's the halfway point between the spring and summer solstice.. Or if you're down under the half way point between the fall and winter solstice.Time flies when you're having fun. Speaking of fun, let your imagination take you away to some where special.

if you could have a place or space anywhere, where would it be and what would it look like. be creative too and represent yourself by showing us your goals once your there.

Happy May Day

The spirit of May,
wearing emeralds in her hair,
dances across the Northern Hemisphere
perfuming the air
with lily-of-the-valley.

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April 30, 2019 at 11:16am

#957918

Fiḍál (Grace), 3 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, April 30, 2019

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 1959: “We turn memories into stories, and if we don’t, we lose them. If the stories are gone, then the people are gone too,” says Amy Harmon in What the Wind Knows
To what degree do you use your memories in your writing? If you use them, do you think of preserving them or do you use them because they fit your story or poem?

My memories inspire my stories and poems. After that my creativity moves into The Zone. The Zone is that part of my soul or subconscious mind that continues to write after the inspiration come. Once the soul or subconscious mind begins working on the story, I don't worry about it any more. Nor do I worry about whether the story is lost or anything else; I just continue to write until the story or poem is finished.

Looking Ahead To May

I have written 12 poems dedicated to The Bab, and I have 188 to finish before October 29, 2019.

I am participating in "I Write in 2019"

I have to finish the Spiritual newsletter for May.

I have to compose the fantasy news letter for May.

I am participating in "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"

I am participating in "Invalid Item"

review challenge.

Surveys.

Submit poems to two online mags.

Clean out Inbox.

GROUP

(E)
A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 2354: If trees could talk what would they say to humanity. If you have a favorite tree make it the speaker.

A Cottonwood Tree Speaks

Please plant trees
in memory of a loved one
or for the sake of your children.

Plant a Billion Trees

Nature's Beauty and Monday Motivation

April 29, 2019 at 10:09am

#957838

Kamál (Perfection), 2 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Monday, April 29, 2019

GROUP

(E)
A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY: 2353: In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful. Alice Walker Let this inspire you to write a blog entry about nature's perfection and/or beauty.

Nature's Beauty

Nature's beauty
is God's gift to humanity
intended to inspire awe and gratitude.

Monday Motivation

It's Monday. I didn't get much sleep last night, because when I was reading my prayers I fell asleep and presumed I was ready to go to sleep. I put the eye drops in my eyes that go in before I go to sleep. I was wrong about being sleepy. I wasn't as sleepy as I thought. Unfortunately, I can't turn on the light ore read anything for about two or three hours after putting the eye drops in. This meant that I laid awake listening to the weird noise. I don't know if I waited two hours before turning the light on or reading stuff on my smart phone. As a result of not sleeping well, I was looking for motivation this morning, and I found it in a prayer revealed by The Bab.

"Say: God sufficeth all things above all things, and nothing in the heavens or in the earth or in whatever lieth between them but God, thy Lord, sufficeth. Verily, He is in Himself the Knower, the Sustainer, the Omnipotent."

Selections from the Writings of the Báb, 4. Excerpts from the Dalá’il-i-Sab‘ih (The Seven Proofs)

April 28, 2019 at 1:12pm

#957751

Feast of Beauty

Jamál (Beauty), 1 Jamál (Beauty) 176 B.E. - Sunday, April 28, 2019
Feast of Beauty

"O Son of Man!
Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty."

Baha'u'llah,5

Today, Sunday, April 28, is the Feast Day of Beauty. Last night, before going to sleep I read some of The Hidden Words and said prayers revealed by The Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha. I miss going to the community Feast, but reading more of the Holy Scriptures on the evening of the Feast helps refocus my energies, while helping me to sleep. In addition, it helped me compose a prayer-poem asking Baha'u'llah for assistance.

Baha'u'llah,
on this the Feast Day of the Month of Beauty,
I supplicate your assistance
to compose poems and prose
dedicated to The Bab.

Footnotes
5 The Hidden Words, Part One: From the Arabic, #3.

A Butterfly Lighting Her Candle

April 27, 2019 at 9:33am

#957643

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Jalál (Glory), 19 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Saturday, April 27, 2019

He Is the Glory of Glories

This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem of divine virtue.

Baha'u'llah 6

Gems of certitude
The essence of religions
Divine unity

Things are going fairly well. A neighbor gave us a coffeemaker so I'm not boiling my coffee in the morning anymore. We had a bit of excitement this morning. A police tactical team was looking for a domestic problem. Apparently someone called the police about a woman screaming, but they never found anything.

Footnotes
6 The Hidden Words, Part One: From the Arabic.

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April 26, 2019 at 9:15am

#957574

Istiqlál (Independence), 18 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Friday, April 26, 2019

"These energies with which the Day Star of Divine bounty and Source of heavenly guidance hath endowed the reality of man lie, however, latent within him, even as the flame is hidden within the candle and the rays of light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross which cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their own unaided efforts, nor can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross. It is clear and evident that until a fire is kindled the lamp will never be ignited, and unless the dross is blotted out from the face of the mirror it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and glory."

Baha’u’llah 7

I am a butterfly
encased in her cocoon
going through the process of transformation.

Sometimes the blog prompts don't inspire me. I'm not sure why, unless it's an indication I need to change something about the way I make my blog entries. (I think I've written that before, but I'm just too tired this morning to go looking through blog and journal entries to find out.) I've decided to go back to the one day a week gratitude list on Thursday. I plan to continue blogging everyday; however, I'm going to attempt to start the entry the night before instead of waiting to the next day.

I am lighting my candle
through prayer and meditation
on the scriptures revealed by The Bab and Baha'u'llah.

I think the move, in December 2018, disrupted my routine more than I thought. There was the move, followed by the mouse problems in this apartment, and now there is the issue of dust mite, itch mites, or whatever. I can't sleep knowing they are there. I can't sleep feeling them crawling on me and stinging me. Last night, about midnight, I got up, took everything off my recliner, sprayed it with rubbing alcohol, put the bedclothes back on, and attempted to go to sleep. The rubbing alcohol didn't help. However, since it's my only option--at this time--I will make another attempt this afternoon.

I can't sleep in the recliner. I can't read prayers in the recliner. The only thing I can do is itch or apply cortisone cream to the areas of itching. I can set in my walker and say prayers, but I can't sleep in the walker. I finally went back to the recliner about 3:30 a.m. and got a little sleep, unless that was a dream.

Footnotes
7 Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 65.

Thankful Thurssday and The Fifth Day of Ridvan

April 25, 2019 at 10:09am

#957508

Istijlál (Majesty), 17 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Thursday, April 25, 2019

This is the Fifth Day of Ridvan, the Festival of Paradise. In 1863, Baha'u'llah spent twelve days in a garden outside of Baghdad. The name Baha'u'llah gave the garden was Ridvan (rizvan), which means paradise. In the Garden of Ridvan, Baha'u'llah declared that He was the one the Bab referred to as "Him Who God Will Make Manifest". On April 21, Baha'u'llah, with a number of the faithful crossed the Tigris River to the Garden. On the April 29, the Baha'u'llah's family joined Him. On May 2, the Twelfth Day of Ridvan, Baha'u'llah left the Garden and was escorted by Turkish troops on the next leg of His exile.

Thankful Thursday Gratitude List for 17 Jalál

Today I am thankful ...

...that we have a working air conditioner in this apartment.

...for the coffee I had this morning.

...that I have 384 points in my Survey Junkie account.

...for the food bank that is in walking distance from this apartment.

Midweek Reflections on Life and May

April 24, 2019 at 11:41am

#957427

‘Idál (Justice), 16 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, April 24, 2019

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

Day 1953: "Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong." Charlotte Bronte What are your thoughts about this?

Life

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."
Louis B. Smedes

Nursing animosity only hurts the person nursing the animosity. Forgiveness is difficult, but a necessary part of letting go of the past and the hurt. Forgiving doesn't mean you forget the hurt because forgetting and letting go are two different processes. A person forgives in order to free themselves from the past.

GROUP

(E)
A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 2348: May is almost upon us and I hope I'll be healthy enough to tackle my garden. There is so much to do, if I want everything planted before the heat of summer. What are your plans for May? Gardening? Traveling? Writing?

May

Invalid Item

This item number is not valid.
#2188408 by Not Available.

I will be reviewing as part of the "Invalid Item"

group. I don't know what else I will be doing in May. Hopefully getting a little more sleep than I did in April.

April 23, 2019 at 2:39pm

#957351

Singing and Sunset

Fiḍál (Grace), 15 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, April 23, 2019

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

Day 1952: “Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.” Plato Is Plato right? What do you think of the quote?

Singing

My song is not incomplete,
nor is it a solo performance
because I have found my Beloved
in Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God.

Gratitude List For 15 Jalál

Today I am thankful ...

...that I have $4.24 in my Vendal Research account.

...for the coffee and breakfast pastries I had this morning.

...that I have 269 point in my Survey Junkies account.

GROUP

(E)
A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 2347: I remember an evening in April when ...
Finish this sentence and describe the evening and what happened.

Sunset

I remember an evening in April
when the sun set behind the Rocky Mountains
and turned the crest of Mount Charleston
into gold.

Test of Faith, Gratitude List, Lighting the Flame of Search

April 22, 2019 at 11:16am

#957236

Kamál (Perfection), 14 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Monday, April 22, 2019

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

Day 1951: “Sometimes it is good to fly close to the flame, see and experience the heat, but then fly away again, to survive, to be wiser in the art of heat,” says Robert Black.
Doesn’t flying close to the flame take courage though? From where can we find that courage and how can we know when to fly away again without getting hurt?

Test of Faith

Flames burn
or consumes the moth
that flies too close.

The danger is known,
but life
is too short
not to take the risk.

Faith
requires action;
requires us to test
our wings
near the blaze
of love.

Gratitude List For 14 Jalál

Today I am thankful ...

...that my Bank of America checking account isn't overdrawn today.

...for the chocolate filled bear claw I had with my coffee this morning.

...that I was able to reschedule my Therapy appointment to Thursday, May 2, at 10:30 A.M.

...for the clouds decorating the blue sky today.

...that I have 190 points in my Survey Junkie account.

...for the bottle of ice water I have to drink this afternoon.

...that I was able to attend the First Day of Ridvan celebration yesterday.

GROUP

(E)
A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 2346: If you give people light, they will find their own way. ~ Dante Alighieri
What do you think?

Lighting the Flame of Search.

Speak
don't remain silent
because silence is darkness
concealing the path.

Speech is a light,
a flame,
revealing the way
out of darkness.

By proclaiming truth
as you perceive
you light the fire of curiosity,
of search,
the the mind of another.

Once the flame of search
is ignited
it cannot be extinguished.

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April 21, 2019 at 10:10am

#957158

The First Day of Ridvan

Jamál (Beauty), 13 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Sunday, April 21, 2019

"This is a festival wherein all things have been adorned with the vesture of the names of God, and wherein His bounty hath compassed all things from first to last. All hail then to this, the Festival of the Lord, that hath shone above a dayspring of resplendent holiness!"

Baha’u’llah 8

On the First Day of Ridvan,
the Blessed Beauty entered the Garden of Paradise
and nightingales sing.

One hundred fifty six years ago, Baha'u'llah entered a garden located on an island outside of Baghdad. This was a world changing event because while He was in this garden, which those who entered with him called Ridvan, Baha'u'llah declare that he was the one promised by the Bab and foretold in all the sacred scriptures. The time had come for the maturity and unity of humanity. The time had come for world peace, as announced in all the Holy Books.

On the First Day of Ridvan
the Best Beloved of the world entered the Garden of Paradise
and roses bloomed.

This is 2019 and, while it may not appear as if the world is any closer to World Peace, the process of the maturity of the human race is moving forward. The present condition of the planet is the fault of humanity and not God. Peace and unity is God's promise and God's will, therefor it cannot be stopped. The choice humanity has today is to assist the process or fight it, because humanity cannot stop it.

Footnotes
8 Days of Remembrance quoted on Daily Verses of God on April 21, 2019 http://dailyversesgod.blogspot.com/.

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April 20, 2019 at 12:10pm

#957086

Fantasy and Silence

Jalál (Glory), 12 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Saturday, April 20, 2019

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

Day 1949: David Burns say, “The reason fantasy is an old but thriving literary genre is because fantasy stories speak to emotional truths.” Do you agree?

Myth and fantasy
speak directly to our souls
revealing humanity's
strengths and weaknesses.

Gratitude List For 12 Jalál

Today I am thankful...

...that my Bank of America checking account isn't overdrawn today.

...for the breakfast pastries I have to go with my coffee.

...that Ridvan begins at sunset today.

...for the boiled eggs, cheese, and grapes I had for breakfast.

...for the peanut butter I had for my morning snack.

GROUP

(E)
A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 2344: "I decided it is better to scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity." ~ Nadezhda Mandelstam
What do you think?

Silence is the enemy of justice!
When injustice prevails
no human being is free or happy.

Hate and injustice
are partners,
and degrade the species
and the individual soul.

Don't remain silent
when confronted
by injustice,
but shout
or scream
when pointing out its presence.

The Gold Bracelet and The Joy of Ridvan

April 19, 2019 at 11:37am

#957002

Istiqlál (Independence), 11 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Friday, April 19, 2019

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 1948: Write about a family heirloom or simply an object that's been passed through the generations in your family.

The Gold Bracelet

Fifty years of wedded bliss
bless the gold bracelet
that Grandpa Frank gave to Grandma Mary.

The bracelet
was given to my brother
and his third wife
on their wedding day.

The Joy of Ridvan

"It is the Festival of Riḍván, the vernal season wherein the Beauty of the All-Glorious was revealed betwixt earth and heaven. In this wondrous Day the gates of Paradise were flung open before the faces of all people, at the behest of Him Who is the All-Praised, and the outpourings of divine mercy rained down from the clouds of celestial favour upon His countless embodiments and manifestations in the world of being."

Baha'u'llah 9

Raise your voices in praise,
Nightingales of paradise,
For the All-Glorious
Has proclaimed a new heaven
And a new Earth.

Raise your voices in praise,
Nightingales of God,
For the gates of paradise
Are open to all humanity.

Gratitude List for 11 Jalál

Today I am thankful...

...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn.

...for the breakfast pastries I have to go with my coffee this morning.

...that we have hot water in our apartment.

...for the pleasant Friday we are experiencing my my neighborhood today.

...that I received a merit badge last night.

Merit Badge in Improvement
[Click For More Info]

Congratulations on completing 26 of March's [Link To Item #mmhc] tasks. You're doing a great job! *^*Heart*^*

Footnotes
9 Days of Remembrance, Ridvan: 24

Easter Memories and Update on Poems Dedicated to The Bab{

April 18, 2019 at 12:13pm

#956912

Istijlál (Majesty), 10 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Thursday, April 18, 2019

GROUP

Bicentenary Poems and Prose

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

Day 1947: Easter. Write anything you want about Easter.

Easter Memories

Easter memories--
like the faux grass
from childhood Easter basket
that was scattered across
the linoleum
in my Grandmother's living room--
collect in odd corners
of my mind.

Gratitude List For 10 Jalál

Today I am thankful...

...that I can read the Baha'i Scriptures online, because I can access them with my smartphone and read them in the evening or morning.

...for breakfast pastries to go with my coffee this morning.

...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn today.

...that I have completed twelve poems of the two-hundred I'm writing in celebration of the Bicentenary of the Birth of the Bab.

...that I could transfer money from my PayPal account to my checking account.

Update on Poems Dedicated to The Bab

(ASR)
Celebrating the two hundredth Anniversaries of The Birth of Baha'u'llah and The Bab
#2112404 by Prosperous Snow celebrating

There are 194 days left until the Bicentenary Celebration of the Bab on October 29. I have written 12 poems and I have 188 left to write. The poems I have written are "1 Muharram 1235 AH"

, "Intoning the Prayer of The Bab"

, "The Great Trumpet Has Sounded"

, "Portal of Grace: To The Bab"

, "The Wayfarer's Journey Begins"

, "Who is The Bab?"

, "Declaration of The Bab"

, "Invocation to The Bab"

, "Morning Star: To The Bab"

, "Queen of Carme Mountainl: The Shrine of the Bab"

, "He Opened The Door: To The Bab"

, and "Light of the Holy Spirit: To The Bab"

April 17, 2019 at 11:23am

#956826

April 17, 2019

‘Idál (Justice), 9 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Wednesday, April 17, 2019

"Verily, all created things were immersed in the sea of purification when, on that first day of Ridván, We shed upon the whole of creation the splendors 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."

Bahá’u’lláh

On Sunday, April 21, the Baha'is in Las Vegas and around the world will be celebrating the First Day of Ridvan. In Las Vegas, will wil celebrate this Holy Day at the Baha'i Center. The Twelve Days of Ridvan celebrates the Declaration of Baha'u'llah, which took place, in 1863, in a garden that was located on an island, in the Tigris River, outside of Baghdad. The Garden of Ridcan, which means paradise, was full of flowers and nightingales.

Gratitude List for 9 Jalál

Today I am thankful...

...for breakfast pastries to go with my coffee.

...that my Bank of America checking account is not overdrawn.

...for the Arizona sweet ice tea I have this afternoon.

April 16, 2019 at 11:18am

#956740

Uncertainty and Stress

Fiḍál (Grace), 8 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Tuesday, April 16, 2019

GROUP

(E)
Blog City - Every Blogger's Paradise.
#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 1945: According to scientists, human mind craves certainty. If so, how can we best endure and deal with uncertainty?

Uncertainty is a test of faith. It encourages us to place our trust in the All-Mighty creator. When we place our trust in God, by whatever name we call the Divine Essence, we no longer have to worry about the uncertainties of the material world. Uncertainty is an attribute of material existence, while certitude or certainty is a spiritual or divine attribute. When we place our trust in God the uncertainties of material existence stop bothering us because those uncertainties will stop when our souls ascend into the spiritual world.

"God is sufficient unto me; He verily is the All-sufficing!
In Him let the trusting trust."

Baha'u'llah 10

GROUP

Questions, Research, and Gratitude List

(E)
A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 2340: April 16 is National Stress Awareness Day. Do you have a special way to deal with stress?

Uncertainty is one of the major causes of stress, and both of these are characteristics of material existence. In order to deal with both of these problems we have to do two things. First, we need to put our entire trust in God and we have to plan (as much as possible) our projects. Planning a project doesn't always mean it is going to go smoothly or even end the way we thought it would. That's why we need to place our trust in God. Sometimes God has other plans for us. This is why we need to place our trust in God, especially when our own plans don't go as we planned them.

Footnotes
10 This is the prayer Baha'u'llah taught His fellow prisoners to chant while they were in the Síyáh-Chál, the Black Pit of Tehran.

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April 15, 2019 at 12:01pm

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Kamál (Perfection), 7 Jalál (Glory) 176 B.E. - Monday, April 15, 2019

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#1972895 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

DAY 1944: "Advances are made by answering questions. Discoveries are made by questioning answers." —Bernard Haisch Do you agree with the quote? And what if the answers and the continual questioning of them lead to chaos?

I agree. Advances are the results of continually asking and answering questions. One of the principles brought by Baha'u'llah is the independent investigation of truth or reality. This means that we have to ask questions before we can find an answer. Our investigation needs to caver every opinion we have, as well as our religions, political affiliations, and scientific discovers.

"Another new principle revealed by Bahá’u’lláh is the injunction to investigate truth—that is to say, no man should blindly follow his ancestors and forefathers. Nay, each must see with his own eyes, hear with his own ears and investigate the truth himself in order that he may follow the truth instead of blind acquiescence and imitation of ancestral beliefs."

'Abdu'l-Baha 11

One of the biggest problems we have today concerns peoples ability to ask questions. Many times we teach children to accept, without questioning, whatever information they are given by clerics, politicians, guardians, etc. Unless one is taught to ask questions and the proper way to phrase the question, we don't ask. Rather we accept everything that an authority figure tells us. If we aren't taught to ask questions, we have to teach ourselves to ask and how to phrase questions, so that we can get valid answers.

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