justice...

"...verily justice is my gift to thee and the sign of my loving kindness..."

-Baha'u'llah 

There are so many times we see inJustice throughout our days.

One could get wrapped up in 

their love for Justice that they 

could begin to hate inJustice to

 the point that they become angry 

from its presence, because they don't 

know how to deal with it, or they may 

just flee not wanting the fear, anger, or 

anxiety that can come from it's presence 

in our lives. 

I have seen people do this. 

I have done this. 

I am learning to love in Justice. 

Loving it the same way I love the dark.

 Without knowing of its existence, I would never appreciate light to the same depth... 

Baha'u'llah says to see the good in ALL things. 

Wouldn't that include the negative? 

And to simply agknowlage injustice

and mildly "appreciate" it's existence 

may not be enough. It is a funny 

relationship, cause although we 

should work for it's abolishment 

we can still love it for the perspective 

that it offers. 

Any thoughts on this anyone?

Just realized- some of you that read my blog may not have seen this video from-

my youtube page.

So, HEEEERE you go!

The intro is a lil long winded, but I hope you enjoy it anyhow...

Peace.

5:28 am...

I wonder what today will bring...

Undoubtedly there will be placed in my path things to learn from,

guidance, assistance,

possibilities, opportunities,

obstacles, etc.

I wonder about all these things and how few I actually catch vs. what's really there...

huh.

I am excited to go see my Dad today. He is in the VA Hospital again...

I don't like telling people about my Dad and his sickness
and how bad he is doing at any given time... It is weird to
be told "we don't know if he will make it through the night"
or similar things, but every month or two having to hear
that gets a little more than weird. It seems intolerable...
I have a friend who has been dealing with these things
for much longer than I, she has so much patience...

But alas, I know I have been given everything
I need to cope, deal, succeed, and be just fine with it.

Thanks Baha'u'llah.




~me~

Another Wednesday, another noodle...

A few years back a couple of my good friends began a weekly get together for all people. Turned out to be a great place to socialize with neighbors, peers, co-workers, family and friends, as well as a great way to teach people about the Baha'i Faith! The creators found pasta was something they could both buy for a low price, as well as please a lot of mouths by keeping it a vegetarian menu.

The title of this would be auspicious endeavor?

'PASTA NIGHT'

(has a nice ring to it eh?)

simple.

direct.

concise.

Why do I bring it up?

(note: I knew you would ask!)

Well, this is a pretty fantastic time to bring it up actually! It is Wednesday.

----------- ----------- ------------ ------------ ----------- ------------- ------------- -------------

(please fold and tear your screen at the dotted line)

I just saw some kids getting off the
bus outside before I came upstairs
to write this, they are all Jr. Youth.
They were asking "Hey, when can
we come to Pasta Night?" there
were 8 of them! I was like "Dudes
and Dudettes! It's tonight!!
Come at 7pm!!". So that's pretty
sweet. Hopefully they all
wanna/can come...

Whateves, we keep that in Baha'u'llah's hands and keep on keepin' on.

That's just how we do.

detachment

(hopefully I have some left... scarce these days...)

So now it is time to tidy up what the last couple days of irresponsible living have reeked on our apt (as i look around it seems about 15 mins worth of work) and then it is time to go to the store, and come home to cook up some pasta!

Totally diggin' it.

Still.

Thanks only to the Dayspring of the morn of Reality.

Kickin' it at work...

I love my job...

I got here at 6:00 am and drank coffee and read a book (seinfeld)
till 7:48, which is when the first plane came in that I had to work on, or under to be precise.

Now I am blogging about it on my blackberry.

Why?

Well, I'll tell a why--

cause I have no work to do at the moment!

Oh! A plane just arived, see ya later blog.

*waves*

Benjamin

Phillips Jr. Youth Class #2

So. Katie and I began our adventures at one apt building today trying our hands at a Jr. Youth class...

There were only 2 of the 6 youth there today.

But, it was FANTASTIC. I LOVED IT.

The youth were so happy to learn out of the book, to read out loud to each other and practice articulation. It was blessed. We laughed together and talked about family, which is what the first lesson is inside of 'Breezes of Confirmation'.

We also sang 'O Lord, My God' with them... Awesome.

--overall--

Dope session. Can't wait to do it again.

Reflections on Teaching with Anna's Presentation II

Here we go.

Great time. Today Marjan and I went out for a couple of hours, and although we did encounter an individual who was hurt and angry by life, the next substantial meeting with a man in a park was AWESOME. He was Native American and talked about how he just is kinda "neutral" on religious stuff. We talked with him in a great conversation for a while, in which he invited us to a pow-wow (sweeeet), and then Marjan delivered Anna's Presentation.

I love watching someone
else do this presentation.
It is so amazing to see someone
else teach about the Baha'i
Faith. Cause you know how
you would do it if it was you,
but to see someone else
get really into it is so great!

--Random thought--

I love the idea of the "medicine wheel" in Native culture. To me I like to think of it as the bringing together of all the colors and cultures of people into one "hoop", one way that will heal the world (maybe one universal cause, one common faith?)

Back to teaching...

So, now I have a POW-WOW
(its about 1/3 of the way down
on the link page)to
attend on the 10th and 11th!!!
So excited! SOO excited! Maybe
at the event we will meet some
folks to talk about the Faith too,
or just experience their culture
with them. He was so inviting
and said it was for all people...
Awesome.

Later we went to Pouderhorn Park at like 36th st and 13th Ave. It was cool, we saw one of Marjan's old classmates who she got to re-connect with and a bunch of kids she was with that were showing us how to dance to "Soldier Boy". What is it with kids and this song? We need to get them some different Hip Hop. NOW.

Oh, and we sat to a man who spoke Amharic, so he wasn't down to chat because of the barrier of language. I asked him if he knew of Baha'u'llah, and he said he was from Ethiopia. Then I said the name of the Jesus, then the Prophet Mohammad, then Baha'u'llah, and he just shrugged like "I don't know what you mean". But we could agree that it was a glorious day, and Marjan and I were on our way...

Then we finished up with some lovely snacks from a local Dairy Queen.

---------------------------

Marjan always likes to say the Tablet of Ahmad before we go teaching... Amazing prayer! I love that...

It is such a powerful prayer... Such a great way to remember to allow people to accept or reject what you offer, and leave it at that...

Phillips Jr youth class #1

Beginning a Jr Youth class is amazing. It can be so intimidating, but once action takes place, the momentum is really driving.

A friend and I just had the bounty of helping to start a new Jr. Youth class in Minneapolis in the Phillips neighborhood. How fun. Seriously!

We met with the parents last week and they were all excited. We taught them a lil about the Baha'i Faith, they all seemed relatively interested, and signed all the kids up.

Total kids- 6
Total time-7wks (pilot project)
Ages-7, 10, 10, 10, 10, 15 (admittedly some a lil young, but it's all good.)

If you or anyone you know would want to help with this Jr Youth class after the 7 wk pilot project is finished, CONTACT ME!!!

Yeah, so then tonight Katie and I went there for planing and ended up talking to 3 parents and a grandparent of the kids, overall, good planning session. I am going to put a prayer for parents to music and also find some recycling center in the TC's and see about getting a tour arranged for the kids. Katie is going to see if a there are any exhibits in the area talking about recycling. We will descuss with the kids tomorrow if they want to use recycling as their main project or not.

Here we to!

Reflections on Teaching with Anna's Presentation I

Today Marjan and I went to North Minneapolis to see if there were any receptive places there, where people would want to hear about the Baha'i faith. Not really "door knocking" just talkin' to folks on the street.

Things I learned:

I think that if I am sitting while the other person
with me is standing doing the presentation, that I
am much more inclined to just focus on being
present, saying a prayer in my heart for the situation,
and just be supportive in that way (which we have
found to be a great way to support the other person
delivering the presentation so you don't "kill the flow"
for them)

I am intimidated to walk around a mostly black community, but was much more relaxed once we were doing it.

It really helps to be WITH a friend and not be on your own so that you have that "support"; that person to reflect with each time.

When you say "Can I share more about
the Baha'i Faith with you?" you end up
feeling so much more alive, so much more
motivated, when those words have crossed
your lips. "It is in their hands now" Marjan
said.

Teaching the faith with someone you have diversity with in any way racially, sex, or age can really help, because, my thinking is, that the benefit derives from being able to touch more people. That is to say, if two white, 25 yr old, females go to teach, they may find in this theory, that if one of them was of a different race or gender or just 10 yrs older or younger, they would have more to share with more people in way of "relation"- until it is fully understood in the conversation that we are all human and in that there is enough...

-end of learning so far-

Just wanted to pause to write some things that I am curious about.

I am first curious to go up to someone and after having introduced my self and friend(s) saying "HEY! Have you heard about the Baha'i Faith yet?" only, in a genuinely energetic and inspired way! Why wouldn't I be excited? I mean, if this is the Day of God, how are you going to deliver this to people, a dry quiet "here ya go..." or are you going to be more successful being a vibrant soul? I think I would be more inclined to believe that being a "vibrant soul" (which by the way I just realized having that on a t shirt while teaching would ROCK MY SOCKS OFF!!) while teaching is a far better way...

In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Baha'u'llah states:

"Consort ye then with the followers of all religions, and proclaim ye the Cause of your Lord, the Most Compassionate; this is the very crown of deeds, if ye be of them who understand."

I am so happy to have been a part of that in some small way... And feel so blessed that I am even able to try!

Thanks, O Divine Source of Inspiration!

Nice to meet you!

I just met an elderly Baha'i couple yesterday... Amazing couple... Amazing.

Heres the scoop:

The husband (2 months older than his wifes father...) found that his would-be-bride's parents would not give them consent due to his being 25 years older than her. He finally won their confidence when he promised them he would take care of her his entire life and that he would see to it that she wasn't left alone. The parents then consented, putting their faith in a man who was older than they, to now take care of their only daughter.

The man soon altered his diet to include only organically grown foods. In conjunction with his diet, his rigorous exercise played a large part in his being told by his DOCTOR at 65 that he had the body of an 18 yr old guy!

His wife and him soon had three wonderful children who would grow up to serve this beloved Cause in three very diverse capacities. His wife would get very ill around her 55th year and begin to need personal care every day. He learned how to do all of this and was her aid in her time of great sickness. She was expected only to decline. Would she? No. He waited on her hand and foot until she became better.

He is now 94 while she is soon celebrating her 70th birthday.

These two were just graced with the blessing of moving to a beautiful assisted living home which looks out over a large lake. I saw them when they first walked in. They had never seen it before. It had after all been arranged by their daughter because they were both to sick to go and see it for themselves prior to their move. I never saw two people seem to feel so blessed, but owning the detachment that if it was all taken from them tomorrow they would still shine that "blessed" feeling. They just love. They see the great in everything.

She told me stories of when she was younger having traveled to Haifa to the Baha'i World Congress and sharing a cab with some of the Afnan (family of the Bab, the forerunner of Baha'u'llah who is the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith). She spoke of her children and all the great things they had done. She spoke of her blessing at having such a kind and caring husband who she feels so happy to watch over, now that he needs some watching over as well.

Both saints in each others lives and in the world.

Indeed this Institution of Marriage that they created really did serve humanity.

I love it.

-END OF TRANSMISSION-

home sick...

Meh, being home sick from work is cool...

(note: tons of sweet links at end of post!!)

It's like a free day that you would have never expected, with all it's usual drawbacks and/or limitations of

1. being sick
2. not going out so as not to infect others
3. not going out so as not to get worse
4. being more lethargic than usual
5. having really yellow pee cause of all the extra vitamin C you are taking

Wait. Is that last one a limitation or drawback... *thinks*

Anyhow, here are all the things you can do that are not normally acceptable when you are well... generally speaking of course

• waisting your time reading fun crap
• walking on tip toes in ur kitchen seeing the world from a different perspective (amazing)
• laying around watching all the crap movies
  
• downloading podcasts
  
• blowing spit bubbles...
  
• calling random 1-800 #'s

(secret: I actually wrote this whole blog post based on about 5 minutes walking around in my kitchen on my tip toes and it was AWESOME! Seriously, try it. You will like it!)

Sweet. I know you are going to try this.

Other things you could do while sick (with some helpful links!)

1. reaserch world records and break one!!
2. organize your entire junk drawer!!
3. read OLD blog entries of people you never would have before!!
4. make a collage!!
5. make fun, fast food creations (but remember you ARE sick already)!!
6. take even more vitamin C and see if your pee can turn nuclear.

Basically,

remember that today is your day!

You are sick!

Take a moment to be completely random and have fun, after all, happiness heals!

And then the Master penned these words...

"Oh! that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions and raising the call of Ya Baha'u'l-Abha in cities, villages, mountains, deserts, and oceans, promote the Divine Teachings! This, alas, I cannot do! How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it."

--America and the Most Great Peace, p. 78 [part of The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh]

Before I start I am going to read this one last time... *reads again from the words above*

`Abdu'l-Bahá wrote these words when speaking to the American Baha'is about traveling around the globe...

totally awesome.

[AND WHAT'S MORE IS...]

Much more historically significant?

THIS:

---->what was said before and after this statement<----

Here is the statement in its entirety-

"The hope which `Abdu'l-Bahá cherishes for you," He thus urges them, "is that the same success which has attended your efforts in America may crown your endeavors in other parts of the world, that through you the fame of the Cause of God may be diffused throughout the East and the West and the advent of the Kingdom of the Lord of Hosts be proclaimed in all the five continents of the globe... Thus far ye have been untiring in your labors. Let your exertions, henceforth, increase a thousandfold. Summon the people in these countries, capitals, islands, assemblies and churches to enter the Abhá Kingdom. The scope of your exertions must needs be extended. The wider its range, the more striking will be the evidences of Divine assistance... Oh! that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions and, raising the call of Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans, promote the Divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do! How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it." And finally, as if to crown all His previous utterances, is this solemn affirmation embodying His Vision of America's spiritual destiny: "The moment this Divine Message is carried forward by the American believers from the shores of America and is propagated through the continents of Europe, of Asia, of Africa and of Australasia, and as far as the islands of the Pacific, this community will find itself securely established upon the throne of an everlasting dominion. Then will all the peoples of the world witness that this community is spiritually illumined and divinely guided. Then will the whole earth resound with the praises of its majesty and greatness."

(All italics, bolding and enlargements of words was my own emphasis)

All of the things I bolded, were so amazing, cause the American Baha'i community of the PAST (before most of us were alive) DID these things FOR US!

IT WAS they WHO were the "Knights of Bahá'u'lláh"

THEY were the great number of Baha'i "Pilgrims" who were charged with GREAT TASK that `Abdu'l-Bahá layed down for them!

That's SOOOOOO cool that they did that!

and now,

if you look at it historically, WE, THE CURRENT AMERICAN BAHA'I COMMUNITY are now reaping the benifits and rewards of all that
Great work!

AND!!!

Now, at the end of the statement the Master says- "Then will all the peoples of the world witness that this community is spiritually illumined and divinely guided. Then will the whole earth resound with the praises of its majesty and greatness."


YO! "this community" is us! We are now on the other side of the hurtle of spreading the Cause to all the regions of the world! How cool is that!?!

NOW.

Q. What do we do?

A. Well, exactly what Bahá'u'lláh, blessed is His name, would have us do!

THE FIRST STEP WAS to keep the fire of the faith going in the land of its birth and surrounding areas [DONE.]

THE SECOND STEP WAS to spread the teachings to the west that with their freedom and ability they could teach freely to the rest of the world. [DONE.]

THE THIRD STEP WAS for those souls in the west TO SPREAD THE CAUSE of GOD throughout the world to where? everywhere, cause Bahá'u'lláh, blessed is His name, said that without the Baha'i faith being universal, that it would NEVER succeed. So this HAD to happen. [DONE.]

THE FORTH STEP WAS to create an institute course that would be able to reach millions of people, did I say millions, cause I meant billions! [DONE.]

LASTLY FOR NOW...

THE FIFTH STEP IS implementing the institute on a local level so we can have growing Baha'i communities which will be able to soon grow in their strength!!!!!

peep this

"The elements required for a concerted effort to infuse the diverse regions of the world with the spirit of Baha'u'llah's Revelation have crystallized into a framework for action that now needs only to be exploited."

(Universal House of Justice- 27 December, 2008)

the Baha'i Faith is growing fast. it will only get faster.

Yo!

Back to my original point (now that you are back from our little journey) THIS IS WHAT THE MASTER IS REFERRING TO at the end of the statement, the work we are doing RIGHT now!



The courage and audacity that the Baha'i community is
showing by going out and serving our communities, the
likes of which (yes even here in Minneapolis, MN) the
world has never seen.

We are teaching with a new vigor, we have learned
to connect with Baha'u'llah, blessed is His name,at such
a level that we are doing thing so praiseworthy that the entire world is slowly, and more recently quickly,
recognizing!

AAAHHHHHH! THis is it! we are so close to


THE Most Great Peace YOU can taste it in the


like the tantalizing scent of a rain


storm soon setting in!

let it rain.

You guys! Yesterday there
were Baha'is giving a speech
at THE U OF M about the
Faith to many people!

(IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING OUR BAHA'I BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN

OPPRESSED
NATIONS

WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO DO THAT IN THEIR NATIONS, and indeed they have AND ARE!)

Today a jr youth group was started in Minneapolis! As a result 5 more jr youth (at least) are going to learn what it is to live a life of service.

thats peace.



There are already many children AND parents learning about Baha'u'llah, blessed is His name, each week right here, that don't even live in Baha'i homes. I was a part of this community when it was once the common perception that we didn't know how the heck any of this would/could happen! Now it is happening...

REMEMBER this:

"It is always harder to see greatness when you are in the midst of it and it is all that surrounds you, than when you are at a distance." ~me

Let us be greatful we are in it's midst!!

Let us CELEBRATE!

[ S E R I O U S L Y ]

Seeds have been planted for years... it is time for us to harvest what rightfully belongs to Baha'u'llah, blessed is His name,; the "cities of the hearts of men"!!!!!

be there the end
of may for our next IPG

Do they EVEN know...

Do they even know that they are the ones who inspire me? Do they know that their actions are a huge part of the impetus for my progressions through actions?

Could you imagine living 160 years later than a manifestation of God and finding out you are related by blood to the first few believers in His Cause?

Now peep this, on a much deeper level what if you were to understand through the writings of the core of your faith that you were a direct SPIRITUAL decedent of courage gifted souls, souls who's very breaths were breathed that they may speak to another about the Greatness of the Day in which they live, ones who would overcome the most weighty of obstacles and torturing that their Beloved Cause may see another day, the ones who had the complete and total honor of being called 'Dawnbreakers'!?! Because if "reality" is actually very much spiritual and not physical, wouldn't a "spiritual dependence" be far more deep, far more impressive, far more part of your soul and what makes up who you REALLY are?

Well, yeah, that happened.

And you are what makes up the world around me. The closest people to me in my life. My dearest friends. I see you act, I see you move, I see you change for the better, I witness you being Spiritual Decendents of those amazing Dawnbreakers, and it touches me. It not only touches me but is, as I said before, part of the impetus for positive change and movement in my life. What more inspiration do I need than you? Why would I ask for any more? You don't know that I look up to you, perhaps because I haven't cared to give anyone that burden, but I say it here cause I feel you should know.

Your collective attributes resembles what some call God. I see beauty in your individual dedications to whatever it is that you dedicate yourself, your time and your lives too. I have been told that sometimes when I am this straight forward with people, even close friends, that it can make people shy away, that maybe it is TOO sincere. Thus I write this on my blog. You can skim over it, know I am talking about you, and leave it at that, or you can comment about this, or give me a call. Doesn't matter to me in the slightest, I just wanted you all to know this about how I feel for you.

MUCH love my BeLOVEd Friends!

Benjamin

An ever advancing civilization?

My thoughts on this are that I feel we need to understand that our world right now is still a "group" of people trying to get to the final stages of group dynamics when we can finally (only then) begin the process that will lead to world peace; it's just bigger than any other group that humanity has ever witnessed, thats all... No pressure.

It is found in group dynamics that there are certain levels of collective levels of "understanding" that take place, one of these earlier phases is "storming". The gloom and doom that news usually preaches is only their mistaken understanding of a process that our world will inevitably pass through on our way to eventual (more importantly, inevitable) peace.

This insightful wiki article explains the process quite nicely... in the second paragraph under "Storming" it states: "In some cases storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never leaves this stage. The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the team will ever move out of this stage. Immature team members will begin acting out to demonstrate how much they know and convince others that their ideas are correct. Some team members will focus on minutiae to evade real issues"

Isn't that a statement of what our world is going through? My point isn't to just call people immature and leave it at that, no, quite the contrary... This is a NECESSARY phase, we must realize this, and immature action is a characterizing feature of it. When we inevitably move to the next phases, those immature actions (or in most cases: immature re-actions) will be turned into informed decisions which then will fuel further action!

Beautiful!

In the words of Garth from 'Waynes World': "It's almost tooo easy!"

Love you all, and thanks again inspiration stop