m.e.d.i.t.a.t.i.o.n.

(Note: The following post was originally written and published on this blog on 3-30-2009. It has subsequently been under attack from people spamming the comment stream, and today I decided to put an end to it, erase the original, and copy it to a fresh new post. Have a nice day!)

Minihaha Falls, Minneapolis

MEDitation...

"The inspiration received through

meditation is of a nature that one

cannot measure or determine. God

can inspire into our minds things

that we had no previous knowledge

of, if He desires to do so."

meDI-TAtion...

"...There are no set forms of meditation

prescribed in the teachings, no plan,

as such, for inner development. The

friends are urged--nay enjoined--to

pray, and they also should meditate,

but the manner of doing the latter is

left entirely to the individual...

mediTAtion...

"The inspiration received through meditation is of a

nature that one cannot measure or determine. God

can inspire into our minds things that we had no

previous knowledge of, if He desires to do so."

MeditaTION...

"The believers should not be required to use

prayer beads nor should they be prevented

from doing so, as the Teachings do not contain

any specific instructions on the subject."

MMMeditation...

I am completely intrigued by the lack of need for any ritual for meditation in the Baha'i Faith... When I read the Baha'i writings on this topic I feel them saying (even though these are clearly my own words) "don't adhere to some ritual of meditation, BUT meditate none the less!"...

WHY?

I wonder in His infinite Vision He sees

that there are far more effective ways

of meditation than we know, and unless

it is Religious Law by Baha'u'llah to NOT

adhere to one form, maybe we will never

find it...

WHO knows?

God I suppose...

huh. *sigh*

LINK TO ALL QUOTES ON THIS PAGE

Today's blessing: Connecting with hearts

It is so inspiring JUST having something you believe in.

I had a great day, first connecting with my sister Amy, who

was on a mission of finding the best garage sale in all of

her city in Washington State, then with my roommate,

later with a new friend I recently met, and then I just

spent the last 6 hours with some friends, some new, some

old. I really enjoyed every minute of it. We prayed

together, then sadly :( , only a few of us were able to go

out to a restaurant. We did go, and it was fantastic.

We connected and really talked about things that

MATTERED

(when does that happen, right? Well, turns out

ALL THE TIME, if you want it!).

It was beautiful.

I find so much energy and vitality in connecting,

spiritually, with others. Sometimes we are too

busy in this world and our conversations are idol

talk but in other situations you can really get into

the life and breadth of the spirit and connect that

to others. Those relationships last forever, whereas

the former seem to dwindle or at the most produce

no real Fruit.

I am so enamored to be surrounded with so

many lovely souls. I will take a moment right

now to mention how my heart is a little bit

sad, no, maybe a lot bit sad that my friend

Mona Majid is now living in another state...

her friendship is truly missed. I really love

having people in my life I can be so frank with.

She is a gem and is now touching the lives and

hearts of a whole new community in one of the

Carolinas... don't know which one...

Anyhow, it is late and I should get my things together, go to sleep and wake up to connect with more hearts tomorrow...

Thanks Baha'u'llah! And, thanks friends!

This weeks blessing: Amy, my older sister

I can most certainly say that my relationship with my older sister is so deeply rooted in spirit and love that it has me very thankful. I am so grateful that after my return from the Holy Land (feel free to click on that link) so recently, that she called me numerous times to hear all about my pilgrimage. Funny thing is, none of my other family members really seemed to care to call and ask a thing. One showed light interest, but Amy (feel free to click on that link) had a burning desire to hear what my experience was!

It was so surreal, I expected that my

whole family would all be talking to

me and that as a family we might get

together so I could tell them about

my experience, and I supposed that

interest and everything would naturally

come about, but it never did.

(note: Don't get me wrong, this isn't a need of the ego, this is just something my spirit wanted to share with my entire family)

It had me feeling like if I wanted to tell any one

of them, which I did, how it went, that it would be

a one sided "me wanting to tell them things they

don't care to hear" moment... this left me sort of

depressed about it. But then I kept getting these

missed calls, and text messages saying that my

older sister really wanted to hear about my experience!

This had me so so so HAPPY!!! Thanks God.

It was enough to lift the veil of sadness and expectations off my eyes and just appreciate her sincere desire, and also God's grace in giving me a listening ear in my family to hear all the beautiful gifts I had just received after all these years of waiting, all these days yearning to attain the presence of my Beloved as much as is possible in this life.

We talked for a long time, a couple or maybe a few hours about what the experience was for me and what I learned, she then filled me in on some progress in her life and it made me feel so good to hear it knowing how hard I had prayed for her in the Shrine of Baha'u'llah specifically... I don't think I told her how much I prayed for her in there... I love her so dearly.

It is amazing, these beautiful relationships that God just gifts us. It has me constantly thankful, and why wouldn't it, this is the grace of God we are talking about!

So, yeah, this weeks blessing: My older sister

Humbled... (this was written on the 14th of May, 2010)

I am humbled when I consider the magnitude of the OCEAN of pure joy I recently swam in for 11 beautiful days.

note: I am referring too my Pilgrimage to the World Center of the Baha'i Faith in Haifa, Akka, and Bahji Israel respectively.

Having returned about one week ago today, I can say that it was truly the most invigorating and beautiful experiences of my entire life. As much as I long to return, I know that now the task before me is to implement all that I had learned in that heavenly place.

Good-bye to March...

Well, good-bye to

March... pesky little

month anyhow... lol

anyhow, it witnessed

my full fasting period,

which all-in-all was

potentially transforming.

It really taught me a lot, that month.

---

Now I am acting on what I had listened too.

---

I am taking steps to grow at a rate that I had not in previous months/years thought possible.

---

Most of my potential growth has to do with starting by managing relationships.

---

Then the fun begins :)

---

Some of this had to do with seeking new relationships with certain people, and some was ending others and yet again, sometimes it required me to simply put some on "hold" for now so that I could focus on growing to a certain point before they will be able to be resumed.

huh... Yeah, I am not being too descriptive you say?

Well, I am not intending to be if that helps you.

This entry is more for the journalling value, so that I will have it to look back on.

In the near future I will be going to the Holy Land.

I am so excited. It will be my very first Baha'i Pilgrimage!

My brother will quickly follow me when he goes in July! I am so excited!

Thanks to God alone for certain realizations and understandings which have lead me to the place I am now. Also, I have a wonderful health coach/practitioner which has also helped me along my path. I thank her as well, or at least I thank God for having put her in my life.

ok that is all.

:)

Lost and found...

Sometimes in life we are on a path. Sometimes the path becomes so much different than we expected, that it seems we have made a mistaken turn. Maybe not. Maybe this is the path. Maybe my mistakes are a part of it...

I have recently discovered more about the importance of being a "sovereignty" as Baha'u'llah asks us to become in the first of His 'Hidden Words'. My relationship with an individual in my life has had to be put on hold for the time being so I can collect myself and when I am around that person I won't feel so infiltrated emotionally. I am finding it a very healthy process, and my prayers for detachment and my daily work towards becoming more sovereign from all save God is really going to pay off. It is difficult, but must be done. It is good to be empathic, but can be unhealthy if you have no known limits. There has to be boundaries, limits.

SO. Is there someone in your life that makes you feel negative whenever you are around them? Do they seem to have a "power" over a part of you? Do you deserve that? All questions that led me to the point where I am now: regrouping. And I feel all the more healthy for it!

Thanks Baha'u'llah, for this is the lesson of boundaries and limits in a world full of oceans of limitless bounties!

me.

Teaching the Cause...

I am so jacked (that is 80's slang for "pumped up")

about teaching the Faith but what's more is how

much I love how Baha'is are taught to "teach" the faith.

Employing the ideology of allowing others to make

their own decisions and just being a person to bring

the person to certain information really relieves me

from having to feel like I am "sneaking" around, or

doing something that isn't absolutely and 100%

AUTHENTIC.

note: get used to that word, authentic, I have an inkling you are going to start really hearing it a lot from this blog.

Story Time!

So, today I was talking to a client of mine, whilst installing a washer, about the event in Haiti and a news story (that I am sorry I can't find at the moment) all about neurotheology.

We then talked about our personal feelings about prayer and it was enough for me to get past my own fears about asking others to pray with me for something, so I came straight home and knocked on my neighbors door and asked if we could pray together when their family all got home for the day. The lady of the home agreed and smiled brightly at the idea and told me to return an hour later when her husband would come home from work! I then went to see if my roommate was down and he said he was totally free and available to come too!

So, we get there, talk a little bit about personal beliefs and then about the chaos in Haiti and other catastrophes around the world to prepare ourselves to really have the right events in our minds to pray about. Then we prayed. Simple, one prayer each, and then I think I threw in a song and another short prayer at the end (I couldn't help myself).

Then the man of the home says he really enjoyed having us over and would like to do it again in less than a week and that we should invite more neighbors! It was so awesome! It was nice to share some Baha'i prayers, I believe they have a great affect, but moreso what I really wanted to share was this core activity.

Why?

Cause they are for the world, not for Baha'is exclusively.

Q. Are Baha'is taught to "convert" people and make them Baha'i?

A. No

And I love that. We are simply to unite with all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, realize our commonalities and accentuate them- and look! It was contagious! The man decided to have another devotional with more neighbors in less than a week! It shows us that we are all from one Source, we all desire the same peace! Let us continue to work harder and harder for it!

So!

(cue core activity plug in 3... 2... 1...)

If you are ANYONE who wants to help the world feel comfortable praying together, imparting spiritual knowledge to children, helping elevate the character of Jr youth, or to study in groups of people about the nature of the soul and hear all the beautiful opinions and thoughts that all the diverse religions, cultures, and schools of thought have to offer, then the 4 core activities are for you!

How do I see it?

Well this is how a Baha'i teaches his faith; he sews the seeds of change amongst mankind and waters them the best he can to his capacity! I know mine is a humble effort, but that it is effort at all makes me know I am on the right path.

Thanks Baha'u'llah! You have been so very wonderful too me! :-)

“Sow the seeds of love in the heart and not the seeds of hatred. The reflection in the glass proves whether we are laughing or frowning. By our actions we reveal what is growing in the heart. Actions are mirrors of the soul.” ~ `Abdu'l-Bahá