Children at a public elementary school in Los Angeles singing in their Winter Holiday Program. The principal welcomed the song and the diversity it brings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4v_td_Ls9c

Here in Tacoma Bonita and I attended an Ayyam-i-Ha party that Tim and Deb have every year for friends and family, most of whom are not Baha’i. This year there were about 33 people there. Such fun. We laughed the entire evening. -gw

Tonight there was an Ayyam-i-Ha party in the Bronx. This is the four-day (five in a leap year) of Baha’i holiday that sits within the Baha’i calendar of 19 months of 19 days (=361 +4 = 365) and is set aside for celebrations, charity, gift-giving and sharing that precedes the Baha’i month of fasting. The party was one of those events where, before you go, you think you won’t know anyone but it turns out that if you just talk long enough to enough people you will discover many connections.

http://wendimomen.com/2009/02/28/big-apple-small-world/

Ayyam-i-Ha is not just parties. There is a prayer revealed just for these days for Baha’is to say. -gw

Today, while saying the Ayyam-i-Ha prayer, I noticed the phrase, “My God, my Fire and my Light!”.  That looks like a bow to the Zoroastrian Faith, to me. How delightful. I bet Baha’u'llah used those words on purpose to honour His great spiritual ancestor.

http://badiblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/thoughts-on-ayyam-i-ha.html

Photo: Two chador clad muslim women climb the ancient Zoroastrian towers of silence on the outskirts of the desert at Yazd, Iran. Uploaded on September 20, 2008 by Desmond Kavanagh on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

in grateful memory of Changiz……. say a little prayer if you would……..

http://mlfrank.fototime.com/welcome

Thanks, Michael. I will. -gw

I’m planning to pray. -gw

As on previous occasions, we are organising a Worldwide Prayer Campaign for 1st March 2009. 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 rights of the Baha’is in Egypt will be taken.

The prayer chain will take place in two days, so we need to spread the word fast. Please go to: http://www.ejercitodepaz.com/cadena-de-oraciones/, read it (down you will see the text in english), and spread the prayer chain.

Thank you.
EjercitoDePaz.com

Photo:  Cairo, Egypt, Prayer Uploaded on September 4, 2005 by kudumomo on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

All Egyptian citizens must declare their religious belief on all official national documents, which include their ID cards, birth certificates and others. Documents only allow them to choose one among the three religions recognized by the Egyptian government: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Thus Bahá’ís are faced with the ridiculous choice of either renouncing their Faith by registering as followers of another religion, or renouncing all their civil rights, such as education, work, health and so on.

On 20th October 2008, the Egyptian Supreme court was set to rule whether Bahá’ís were to be allowed to obtain these documents with dashes [--] inserted on the religious affiliation space, instead of having to choose one of the three officially recognised religions. The final verdict,which has been postponed six times, is scheduled to be announced on 2nd March.

http://www.ejercitodepaz.com/cadena-de-oraciones/

A visitor from Milton, Ontario, came to the Baha’i Views archive on Blogspot (the old Baha’i Views) searching for “Navajo Gods” and spent 6 minutes and 49 seconds checking out the August 2006 posts,  including, apparently, these:

http://bahaiviews.blogspot.com/search?q=navajo+gods

It’s so typical, we start of searching for one thing on the Internet and find ourselves investigating another. The Baha’i Views on Blogspot continues to draw 200 visitors a day, despite no new posts in almost a year. -gw

Photo: Uploaded on January 15, 2008 by Wolfgang Staudt on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic }

Warm and inviting. -gw

“Devotional gathering,” uploaded on February 26, 2009
by Heather Brandon on flickr

“Shiva sees me”  (Baha’i feast), uploaded on February 25, 2009
by toastforbrekkie on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

Ayyam-i-Ha is a natural time for Baha’is on Twitter to tweet. -gw 

 RyersonLauren: Happy Ayyam’I'Ha. Everyone! about 10 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

 thomasraukamp: Time for some reading in bed Happy Ayyam-i-Ha everyone! about 11 hours ago from TweetDeck · Reply · View Tweet

 modifaeble: Happy Ayyam-i-Ha Everyone! Tis the time for festivals! about 13 hours ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 shokufeh: @sneezypb Happy Ayyam-i-Ha to you, too! about 14 hours ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 shellytennant: @rainnwilson Happy Ayyam-i-Ha, Rainn! Hope you and your family are having fun =) about 14 hours ago from web · Reply · View Tweet · 

 Kawdess: I cannot believe I completely forgot about Ayyam-i-Ha! Wishing all Baha’is a nice one. If I recall, it involves gift-giving (hint, hint). about 15 hours ago from twhirl · Reply · View Tweet

 jaromematthew: is celebrating Baha’i festival of Ayyam-I-Ha. Already got nice gifts, chocolate macadamias, Birds of Love Limited Edition, african sculpture about 15 hours ago from TweetDeck · Reply · View Tweet

 mauxito: My second Ayyam-i-ha gift to all of you, listen this music http://befree.bandcamp.com/ (Mona specially) about 15 hours ago from TwitterFox · Reply · View Tweet

 ronnie19: Wishing everybody a Happy Ayyam-i-Ha! http://tinyurl.com/ayyamiha (expand) about 16 hours ago from TwitterFox · Reply · View Tweet

 mikeym: To work now with boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, for colleagues brave enough to commute through snow. Happy Ayyam-i-Ha! about 17 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

RosalieWilliams: @ronnie19 Cheers!! Happy Ayyam-i-Ha to you too!!!

about 18 hours ago from web · Reply · View Tweet · Show ConversationHide Conversation

 coaltodiamonds: “Ayyam-i-ha‘s the gift of god to man.” Thank you, Bill Sears: http://tinyurl.com/dd5mbs (expand) about 18 hours ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 coaltodiamonds: Tonight is the first night of Ayyam-i-ha. I’m pretty excited, not about gifts, but about seeing my family together again. about 18 hours ago from web · Reply

dgcombs: Happy Ayyam-i-Ha! Tyler got up cheery, “it’s Ayyam-i-Ha already? Where’s my gift?” I said, “it’s all about service.” He sighed, “I know.” about 18 hours ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 BA5EEM: Happy Ayyam-i-Ha everyone! about 18 hours ago from TweetDeck · Reply · View Tweet

 RosalieWilliams: Dressing up for Ayyam-i-ha!! Happy Ayyam-i-ha everyone!! http://bahai.us/eternal-essence-of-god about 18 hours ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 ianhuang17: is so tired and wishes every Baha’i, (non of which are following me) a happy Ayyam-i-Ha about 20 hours ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 vivalaevolucion: “I am super excited, I am full of excited!! It’s just what I always wanted!” Sammy J when he opened his Ayyam-i-ha present from David… 1 day ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 shokufeh: Reflecting on the interfaith household that we are: Sam walked in with ashes on his forehead, MrMan and I greeted him with Happy Ayyam-i-Ha! 1 day ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 curlieegirliee: Putting up the Ayyam-i-Ha banner and making Sarah a birthday poster. 1 day ago from txt · Reply · View Tweet

 mauxito: i’m soooo excited with Ayyam-i-ha‘s! 1 day ago from TwitterFox · Reply · View Tweet

 RosalieWilliams: Wishing everyone a Happy Ayyam-i-ha!!! 1 day ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 jdesson: To the the members of the Baha’i Faith: Happy Ayyam-i-HA! Ayyam-i-HA! Ayyam-i-HA! Ayyam-i-HA! (4 days this year). http://tinyurl.com/ad64k7 (expand) 1 day ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

 hartfordjoe: @heddahfeddah Happy first night of Ayyam’i'Ha! 1 day ago from web · Reply · View Tweet · 

 msbond: Happy Ayyam-i-Ha everyone! 1 day ago from txt · Reply · View Tweet

 mirahartford: @heddahfeddah @rvr Happy first nite of Ayyam’i'Ha. 1 day ago from TwitterFon · Reply · View Tweet · 

 heddahfeddah: Celebrating first night of Ayyam’i'Ha with the fam. We exchange little gifts and coupons for acts of service we’ll do for each other. 1 day ago from twitterrific · Reply · View Tweet

 felishamatthew: wishing all a very Happy Ayyam-i-Ha! 1 day ago from web · Reply · View Tweet

Take off, take off your shoes
This place you’re standing, it’s holy ground
Take off, take off your shoes
The spot you’re standing, its holy ground

These words I heard in my burning bush
This place you’re standing, it’s holy ground
I heard my fiery voice speak to me
This spot you’re standing, it’s holy ground

That spot is holy holy ground
That place you stand it’s holy ground
This place you tread, it’s holy ground
God made this place his holy ground

Take off your shoes and pray
The ground you walk it’s holy ground
Every spot on earth I trapse around
Every spot I walk it’s holy ground

Every spot it’s holy ground
Every little inch it’s holy ground
Every grain of dirt it’s holy ground
Every spot I walk it’s holy ground

Thanks to Tim’s kind gift of a ticket, I saw the Klezmatics today at their performance at the Rialto in Tacoma. They sang several songs, including the one above, from their Grammy Award-winning album Wonder Wheel which puts to traditional klezmer music the lyrics of Woody Guthrie. See this story on NPR.org and this one.

 The earth is holy ground, the Baha’i Writings tell us, and heavenly seeds are scattered upon it. -gw

Now the believers of God and the maidservants of the Merciful must irrigate these fields and with the utmost power engage themselves in the cultivation of these heavenly plantations so that the seeds may grow and develop, prosperity and blessing be realized and many rich and great harvests be gathered in.

The Kingdom of God is like unto a farmer who comes into possession of a piece of pure and virgin soil. Heavenly seeds are scattered therein, the clouds of divine providence pour down and the rays of the Sun of Reality shine forth.

Now all these bounties exist and appear in full in these nine states. The divine Gardener passed by that holy ground and scattered pure seeds from the lordly teachings in that field; the rain of the bounties of God poured down and the heat of the Sun of Reality-that is, the merciful confirmations-shone with the utmost splendor. It is my hope that each one of those blessed souls may become a peerless and unique irrigator and the East and the West of America may become like unto a delectable paradise so that all of you may hear from the Supreme Concourse the cry of “Blessed are you, and again blessed are you!”

TABLET TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE NORTHEASTERN STATES, Abdu’l-Bahá

Revealed on February 2, 1917, in Ismá’íl Áqá’s room at the house of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Haifa, and addressed to the Bahá’ís of the nine Northeastern States of the United States: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. 

Photo: Baha’i Media Bank

Charles King is my favorite Baha’i poet and my friend. I think I am more thrilled to post on his new poetry blog than I am about anything else I’ve ever posted on Baha’i Views. My hope is that there will be a steady stream of poems, new and from his archives showing up on his site for years to come. -gw

Black Oak Tree

A collection of poems by Charles King of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

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LIFE IS GRAND

THEY WALKED AMONGST US

A SHINDIG PLEASE

Beauty Unfolds

No lesser Peace

http://blackoaktree.wordpress.com/

Where is the world heading? A bounty of being a Baha’i is that you know the general direction, although not necessarily the specific outcome. Baha’is know that “peace is inevitable,” for example. We have been given the Minor Plan of God to carry out. The Major Plan proceeds mysteriously. Here is a video that gets us to thinking about the future and, by implication, what we might want to do to influence it. Thanks, Praveen, as always, for passing on such gems. -gw
 

The “Did You Know” Presentation
was developed for a teachers meeting in the US and went viral on the Web in February 2007 and has been seen by more than 30 million online viewers. There are many versions available at Did You know! . In case you would like to take part in the conversation you could visit Shift Happens. If you would like to use the presentation for an Audience , some suggestions are available at Suggestions. Do leave your comments on where do you think the world is heading .
Warm  Greetings,
Praveen