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.

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-