A Baha’i so exemplary. Congratulations  on your victory! -gw

I guess I’m not supposed to be distracted from what I’m doing right now, which is:

1) Celebrating one year of intense recovery from food addiction and a loss over 80 pounds as of October 1

2) Being fully present in my life and taking the “next right action” instead of pondering and daydreaming about the future

3) Marveling at the fact that God has kept me serene and abstinent while placing my mother in a skilled nursing facility …

I don’t know when I’ll be back online, but in the meantime, please believe that I mean this — I hope all of you experience astounding miracles in your daily lives as I have in mine. I never thought I even had a slight chance of being in a normal sized body. It’s not only possible, it’s happening! I just show up do the 1% of the work. God does the rest. He keeps me calm and comforted in the midst of the storms of life. Miracles are real! Ya Baha’u'l Abha’!

Posted by Angelfly72 at 5:01 PM 0 comments

Labels: alcoholic families, elderly parents, food addiction, God, hip replacement, miracles

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http://angelfly72.blogspot.com/2008/10/still-off-line.html

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Photo:Yess! Uploaded on January 13, 2007 by Scott Ableman on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

http://www.will-lion.com/digitalbites/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/sets/72157604490685881/show/

Baha’is use the Internet. The Baha’is who communicate with each other on the Internet constitute a community, but Baha’i community life is much more than what happens among Baha’is online. Baha’i life requires being-in-the-presence-of contact with other Baha’is. A virtual community is no substitute for a physical community.

Consider: a person can fall in love with the Faith through reading about it online, but at some point the online seeker needs to meet Baha’is face-to-face and develop the ties that bind. Baha’i community life provides the matrix for growth and development spiritually.

A person can serve the Faith online, through blogging or some other marvelous project using the newest technological innovations. A  person can spend a whole lot of time on the web and justify it as service. Yet just as it is not through retreat from the world to a life of contemplation that we acquire the attributes of God, living a life solely on the Internet is ultimately neither satisfying nor good for us. Teaching on the Internet requires teaching face-to-face for ultimate satisfaction for the teacher.

The Internet is changing the world. It is also literally changing our brains, not necessarily a bad thing. The Internet is good for the Cause, but Baha’i lives must reflect the Cause. And so we strive for moderation in all things. We exercise our brains, but we must also exercise our bodies, if we wish to maximize the possibility of living a long life of service. We talk about establishing peace and unity in the world, but if we can’t muster the social skills to get along with the neighbor on the other side of the fence, then there is somethng obviously missing.

What sparks these tangential thoughts? This article. Below are some excerpts. Whatever you do, check out the Digital Bites interactive gallery above before you go. -gw

Is surfing the Internet altering your brain?

…while technology can accelerate learning and boost creativity it can have drawbacks as it can create Internet addicts whose only friends are virtual and has sparked a dramatic rise in Attention Deficit Disorder diagnoses. …

“We’re seeing an evolutionary change. The people in the next generation who are really going to have the edge are the ones who master the technological skills and also face-to-face skills,” Small told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“They will know when the best response to an email or Instant Message is to talk rather than sit and continue to email.” …

He said a study of 24 adults as they used the Web found that experienced Internet users showed double the activity in areas of the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning as Internet beginners. …

“There is also the big problem of neglecting human contact skills and losing the ability to read emotional expressions and body language,” he said.

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“But you can take steps to address this. It means taking time to cut back on technology, like having a family dinner, to find a balance. It is important to understand how technology is affecting our lives and our brains and take control of it.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE49Q2YW20081027?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Photo: “The peeling boundary,” uploaded on September 10, 2008 by Will Lion on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

The Tacoma Baha’i Community blog is not the kind of blog that just sits around. It’s not all serious either, as a recent post on The Frog of Wisdom is an indication. Here is the latest blog entry in honor of the day.

The silent, grim expression on this carved stone speaks to us. It tells us that this earthly life will last but for a brief span of time. What then will be left of us here? A thoughtful person might ask, “What values should I strive for while I live on this earth?” 

An All Saints Eve Thought

Stirring story. -gw

From a young age, my mother instilled in me a sense of Baha’i pride. She loved to talk about her family and their contribution to the Baha’i narrative. One of her aunts was given the title “Knight of Baha’u'llah” for her role in starting the Baha’i community of Cyprus. My mother spoke of the 1960s as a heroic era for the Baha’is of Iraq. Her father, who, despite the fact that he was going blind, would fearlessly defend the Faith against Iraqi government agents who made a habit of dropping in at the Baha’i National Center in Baghdad and harassing whomever they would encounter.

My grandfather was a member of the national governing body of the Baha’is of Iraq, so he was usually one of the first people they would want to speak to. Pointing to the stacks of Baha’i scripture in the national archive they would say, “We’re taking these books.”

My grandfather’s response would be, “Just take a minute and read them first, and then tell me if there is any harm in having them around.”

The agents eventually confiscated the entire library of Baha’i books but were nevertheless impressed at my grandfather’s audacity in defending his faith.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/

Winter, spring, summer or fall,
all you got to do is call
and I’ll be there yeah yeah yeah

You’ve got A Friend by Carol King 

People who know me know that I am not a person who plans ahead. Yet even I know what I am going to be doing for 9 days in January, April, July, and October. Winter, spring, summer, and fall. Collective teaching with Baha’i brethren in my cluster. Being systematic. -gw

Hello Dear Friends,

To help with planning community activities and events, the ATC has determined the dates for the 2009 Reflection meetings and Expansion phases in our Intensive Program of Growth. Please put these dates on your calendars and share them with community members. We are currently in Cycle 13.

You will notice that the Reflection meetings always fall on a Saturday and usually the Expansion phase begins the following Saturday through the end of the next weekend (Sunday). The exception is Cycle 14 which has an extra day during the expansion phase – Monday King day, and Cycle 16 when the Expansion phase will begin in the afternoon at the conclusion of the Reflection meeting.

Lovingly,
ATC secretary

Cycle 14. Reflection meeting January 3, 2009.
Expansion phase Jan. 10 – 19.
Cycle 15. Reflection meeting April 4, 2009
Expansion phase April 11 – 19.
Cycle 16. Reflection meeting July 11, 2009
Expansion phase July 11-19.
Cycle 17. Reflection meeting Oct. 10, 2009
Expansion phase Oct. 17 – 25.

Photo above: “Seasons Speak Series,” Uploaded on August 18, 2008 by creativeFlutter AKA MazerDesign on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

More prayers are needed. -gw

we are organizing another World Wide Prayer Chain for November 2nd, as we had done previously for October 20th. For the entire 24 hour duration of the day, people around the world will be praying in 15 minute intervals that, God-willing, the decision towards the recognition of the Baha’i Faith in Egypt will be taken.

On the last occasion, over 100 people participated from every part of the globe, from Europe to the Americas, from Bahji to Temple of Sydney, and even Iran! We are confident the same will happen again.

http://www.bahaidream.com/horaciones/

Photo:Uploaded on June 18, 2008 by madmonk  on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

Rainn Eats Completely Oblivious Baby! by lay-c dot com 7 comments   2 faves   Tagged with bahai, theoffice, 6monthsold, navab … Uploaded October 26, 2008 See more of lay-c dot com’s photos, or visit her profile.

Photo on flickr licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

No truer words were spoken. From Zabine’s already classic guiding light for teaching the Baha’i Faith, Reflections and Wisdoms. -gw

We all have our own special way of teaching

• I seem to be social butterfly and have a lot of friends
• I am more quiet and shy and teach by living the life
• I am outgoing and love to discuss and engage in meaningful dialogue 
• I seem to attract a lot of broken winged birds as I understand their needs

We are all in this together

“The actual method of teaching can take on various levels of formality. For instance, it can be left entirely to each individual teacher to determine how he or she will go about meeting people, introducing the Faith to them and explaining to them its fundamental verities. RuhiBook 6 section 33 pg 144

Photo: Uploaded on October 5, 2007 by = xAv = on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

(This post is brought to you by the letters “P” and “B”)

I love countries that start with “P”. Poland, Portugal, etc. And languages that come from countries that start with “P”. Like Polish, Portuguese… And bloggers that come from countries that start with “P”…. And blogs in languages that start with “P”…. Oh, you get the picture.

So SAM HE AM, at my request, sends me a selection of blogs by Baha’is who post in Portuguese, mostly from Brazil (which doesn’t start with “P”). Oh, I love Brazil, too.  Thanks SAM. -gw

The cabinet for brazilian NSA’s External Affairs: http://secext-bahai.blogspot.com/

A member of the NSA: http://cidadaodomundo.org/

A local Bahá’í in Brasil: http://tochadapaz.blogspot.com/

A Brazilia psychologist: http://feizimilani.com.br/

A Brazilian youth on tech and on the Faith: http://r3dcg.multiply.com/journal  http://r3dcomet.blogspot.com/

Another Brazilian youth, and also a member of the E.A. Cabinet: http://renecouto.blogspot.com

A Portuguese Bahá’í, on science and religion, environment and progressive Revelation: http://bahaieislao.blogspot.com/

“P” photo: Uploaded on November 10, 2007 by Leo Reynolds on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

“B” image: http://pbskids.org/sesame/coloring/b.html

Dear Emily. A blogger of heart-felt posts. Good to hear from her again. -gw

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

A Perfect Circle

It has been a very long time since I have written in this blog. Over two years to be exact. + So much has happened I’m not sure where to begin. I moved back to Michigan. I became an atheist. I found my birthmother. I dropped out of college. I went back to college. I changed my major from education to art. I changed my major for art to art education. I reaffirmed my belief in Baha’u'llah. And recently I have been accepted to School of the Art Institute of Chicago for Fall 09. + I have come full circle. I am still not sure where to begin. I can only hope that I will find the words eventually. + posted by emily @ 4:31 PM

an exploration in Faith

On the Roller Coaster of Life: Striving for Perfection and Being Accepting of Limitations

On Dialoguing in Farsi Class: An Emily Update

On Stages of Faith: Updates from Emily and Max

On Becoming a Baha’i: Brief Blog Mentions

On Blogs: Current Baha’i Citings