Self reflection...

Life is Good.

I have been spending an incredible

amount of time and money on myself

in the past months. I have begun the

venture of finding true health, that is

what I would call it anyhow. I have

really honed in on my diet a lot more

and am much more aware of what I

need to be eating and what I don't,

which, believe it or not leads to

learning what prayers one should

say on a consistent basis, what time

one should take for themselves, what

environment one will flourish in best,

and so on...

I see it like this- once I really began to exert

a lot of energy and intention on one major

factor in my life, in this case diet/physical

health, so many other parts of my life began

to fall in to balance. I should say that this has

all been accompanied by weekly acupuncture

which has helped me onto a more balanced

path with emotional health as well.

I think that this seeking for balance appeared to others as being "distant", and as much as I could be concerned and apologetic, I am not. I have to say I am happy I have taken this time. I want to be able to use this short life to serve humanity, I couldn't do that before, buried in all my own unbalanced crap. So, if you saw my distance from you as rude, uncaring, ill-compassionate, unfriendly, (and I know there are at least a few of you) well please know that a different perspective would really serve you well. In retrospect alone, I know that I totally needed that time, and I think I might just take some more, it feels great! I love it!

The Kiss of Faith

Amidst the peace that has been this new found balance, I have found myself more readily prepared to take on bigger things in life, of course from struggle and striving comes growth. A very close family member recently had a MAJOR operation which would prove to be detrimental to other parts of there system. None the less, faith was there as a gift from the One greater and they are doing very well now, relatively speaking. I still pray and meditate and pray for telling dreams that might guide my understanding as to what will come.

Loss of Life

On the flip side, I also lost someone very close to me at

about the same time the aforementioned operation was

in progress. I know that in the writing's of Baha'u'llah

He states:

"O SON OF THE SUPREME!

I have made death a messenger of joy to thee.

Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light

to shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil

thyself therefrom?"

That quote has been a source of comfort and realization as I ponder the loss of this loved one, so precious.

I love my humble human nature, I also love my sacred spiritual nature. It is comforting to know of them both when going through these tests in life.

Get Motivated!

Two words first off- Tunes man! I am finding that Music doesn't play a small roll in motivation in my life, it plays a HUGE one! With it can be summoned untold forces and energies that I don't usually feel. It is so amazing. Last night I made a playlist on youtube of super energizing (to me) hip hop and in no time all the rest of my unpacking in my bedroom was done! Well "no time" is an exaggeration... I think I went to bed at 7pm.

Clarity

So, with my room cleaned, I though "I really need to still work today, but don't want to go any longer without sleep". So, what did I do? Well, I turned to God. I thought of what I would need to do to meet my quota and still get in a good long nap (or nights sleep during the day...) and told God what it was. I then asked that it all work out. I re-posted all the necessary ads on-line in the next 15 minutes, set NO alarm, turned my ringer off, and fell asleep... 8 hours later, I woke up to a bunch of voicemail to check and within 15 mins I had sold my quota for the day and had JUST enough time to get to my wholesaler, buy the necessary appliances for my customers and go deliver and install them. The key to this all working out- FAITH. We must have faith. We are given this life so that we will finally realize it, this is my firm belief.

"And now I give you a commandment which shall be for a covenant

between you and Me -- that ye have faith; that your faith be steadfast

as a rock that no storms can move, that nothing can disturb, and that

it endure through all things even to the end... As ye have faith so shall

your powers and blessings be.

This is the balance --

this is the balance --

this is the balance."

~Abdu'l-Bahá (my emphasis on the word "faith")

Moving on with life...

Oh Ya Baha'u'l-Abha! I am so excited for tomorrow, the next day and the week after that and next year, and forever... Through all of this I think I have become much more hopeful, I suppose that is the result of faith... duh Benjamin. Anyhow, yeah, hopeful. What a refreshing feeling. I am anxious for more tests to see how much more I can grow, I know it can be different when you are in the midst of one, none the less this is how I feel right NOW.

So, in no particular order music,

acupuncture, diet, prayer, family,

faith and authenticity seem to be

the current keys to balanced my life.

what are the keys to yours?

Lastly, I want to say that I have been getting better and better in general at not comparing myself to others, life is relative ya'll, and you NEVER know what others are going through completely, so let us take a breath, thank God for our individuality. Through knowing thyself we realize our part in Oneness.

me. right. now.

Me-

Sometimes I am very weak. I seem to get there recently by letting others attitudes and emotions effect change in me. I am finding myself struggling to be a stronghold for my worth. Sometimes it is so difficult. I have sadness around me at times, and not much reason to have it inside, I think. Yet it does linger inside of me from the outside... What I got from my Chinese herbalist is that I need to really focus on not letting that in. I will try to begin to protect my heart more. It is difficult, you want to open up and let others in at the same time you need to protect your heart.

Wait, this is all starting to make more sense...

See ya- gotta go live MY life

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