One day, while busking outside a pharmacy called Boone Drug in Boone, North Carolina, the daughter of folk-country legend Doc Watson happened by and was impressed by what she heard. Doc Watson invited the band to participate in his annual MerleFest music festival in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.[6] That break led to the act's relocation to Nashville in 2000,[4] where they were "embraced and mentored" by Marty Stuart, the president of the Grand Ole Opry, Gillian Welch and Welch's longtime songwriting partner and guitarist, David Rawlings.[6] Stuart helped them land some high profile gigs and Rawlings later produced their Big Iron World (2006).[6] They made their Grand Ole Opry debut on the Ryman Auditorium stage in 2001 to a standing ovation.[8]
We were visiting Carmel, California a few days ago and heard this song of hope and faith while there.
The "Old Crow Medicine Show" originally sang it. Here's a link to a recent solo version by one of that group's members, David Rawlings, who wrote it.+++ + +I Hear Them AllI hear the cryin' of the hungry
In the deserts where they'er wondering
Hear them crying out for Heaven's own
Benevolence upon themHear destructive power prevailin'
I hear fools falsely hailin'
To the crooked wits of tyrants
When they callI hear them all
I hear them all
I hear them allI hear the sounds of tearing pages
And the roar of burning paper
All the crimes and acquisitions
Turned to air and ash and vaporAnd the rattle of the shackle
Far beyond Emancipator
And the lowliest
Who gather in their stallsI hear them all
I hear them all
I hear them allSo while you sit and whistle "Dixie"
With your money and your power
I can hear the flowers growing
In the rubble of the towerI hear leader quit their lyin'
I hear babies quit their cryin'
I hear soldiers quit their dyin'
One and allI hear them all
I hear them all
I hear them allI hear the tender words from Zion
I hear Noah's water fall
Hear the gentle lamb of Judah
Sleeping at the feet of BuddhaAnd the prophets from Elijah
To the old Paiute Wovoka
Take their places at the table
When they're calledI hear them all
I hear them all
I hear them all
I alluded to my sister on Facebook that I was going to the Baha'i Center and she said she knew. She's observant in that fashion. I asked her opinion on it. I knew she wouldn't understand, but I gotta keep spirits up and have faith that God can work in me. It's crazy, I know, but I feel I have to make a point in the future with my family that the Baha'i Faith is where I belong. It's hard convincing Christians of this. I'm not going to hell and we believe in Jesus as much as they do.I felt sad because I wish she could see the genuine effort I put into my Faith even though I fall alot (and I mean alot). It's not a path that anyone in my family wants, but I feel the need to keep going. Is it wrong to feel alone in my efforts? I do thank God for my Baha'i mums who are wholly supportive of my spiritual journey. I love my own biological family -- don't get me wrong. I wish they could see and understand my situation, but I don't want to be selfish.
Sandy Simmons – What Shall I Be ( Baha'i ) | play
On the flight back to Dar, I sat next to a Canadian woman who grew up in Zimbabwe and now lives in Lusaka. She was actually Bahai, which was an odd coincidence because I grew up 10 minutes from North America’s only Bahai Temple (located in Wilmette, IL). And yet, I didn’t know much about the Bahai faith. Here’s a crash course from what I learned/re-learned from her. It’s a “new world religion” only about 160 years old. It was founded by Baha’ullah in Persia, and it is based on the concepts of unity in religion, mankind, and god. The religion is a combination of all other world religions, as people like Buddha and Moses are all seen as divine messengers to the people of their time. Apparently, Baha’ullah once said “If religion is a source of disunity, it is better to have no religion at all” which is interesting given the state of today’s affairs. The governing body for Bahais is called the Universal House of Justice, made up of 9 elected representatives. The reps range from being world-renowned doctors to peasant farmers. Also, parents cannot force their children to be Bahai – they choose at age 15 whether or not they want to adopt the faith. There’s only about one temple on each continent. Oh, and of course, this woman’s husband turned out to be a die-hard member of the Lusaka Rotary Club.
Horn (nee Beamer), Lillian July 05, 1910 - November 19, 2009 Mammoth, WV Lillian B. Horn (nee Beamer), age 99, Cherished mother of Robert; Grandmother of Travis; Sister-in-law of Clementine Beamer; Aunt of William, Lola, Michael, Patricia, and Lillian Denise; Great aunt to many. Lillian retired from schoolteaching after 56 years. She was a devoted member of the Baha'i Faith for more than 60 years. Lillian will be sorely missed by all that knew her. Interment Cleveland Memorial Gardens.
http://mahermelbourne.com/obituaries/
A memorial to a faithful believer. -gw
Coming soon from maker of
http://www.onemusician.org/
http://www.askbahai.com/
http://www.designthefaith.com/
Baha'is move online. -gw
THE CALL OF CIVILIZATION BUILDING A NEW FUTURE Dr Moojan Momen's presentation, 7 December 2009, Auckland Baha'i Centre, New Zealand Slides link: http://tinyurl.com/yzun3q5
I heard this story on the radio yesterday about the lessons learned from the Perry Preschool and thought it was very interesting:
The conclusion that it is the non-cognitive learning that leads to success in life is what was most interesting to me and relevant to our work with children’s classes. It reminded me of what was mentioned at our Ruhi 3 Refresher about the advanced educator who referred to the Ruhi Book 3 curriculum as “cutting edge”.The post also mentions the problem with kindergarten becoming too much like regular school, (which is also happening with preschool) with no play, sitting at desks doing worksheets, etc. This has always been a big beef of mine.Anyway, another confirmation of the importance of the right kind of early childhood education and its importance in our work as Baha’is.Deb
The American walks down the street and is approached by star-struck teenagers chasing his autograph. The 1.9-m tall man stoops down to please his fans who are familiar with his blonde hair and green eyes from Chinese TV.Nabil Huening is a 34-year-old Chinese-speaking actor, songwriter, singer and old China hand. At 17 he left Chicago after graduating from college to further his study in Asian culture and literature at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, where he fell in love with a Korean classmate who is now the mother of his three children.Today, the multi-talented Huening has performed across China, regularly playing lead roles in CCTV dramas and sitcoms. ...His most recent project is the completion of his first music album, "The Tree of Life," a collection of 12 songs, in both English and Mandarin, which has found its way on iTunes and M-Zone and is currently being promoted across China.
Greatly enhanced international endowments in Holy Land in twin cities of Acre and Haifa, now include twin Holy Shrines situated on plain of Acre and slope of Mount Carmel; twin Mansions of Bahjí and Mazra’ih, twin historic Houses inhabited by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; twin International Archives adjoining the Báb’s Sepulcher and the resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf; twin Pilgrim Houses, constructed for Oriental and Occidental pilgrims; twin Gardens of Riḍván and Firdaws, associated with the memory of the Author of the Bahá’í Dispensation. -- Shoghi Effendi, 1951
Let's open our eyes, and open our ears,
Or we're not gonna make it
Through another year.
People of all Faiths and nationalities,
From land to land, and sea to sea...
So let us everyone teach our
Children of Unity.
To love everyone with equality.
La la la, la la la, la la la la la la,
La la la, la la la, la la la la la la,
La la la la la la,
La la la la la la.
-The Equality song
Veda spent the next year gathering sheet music, making a CD of some Baha’i songs and getting permission for artists to use their music.
“Every door has opened,” she said, “it’s meant to be.”All 55 schools in her district now have the book, and the Mosavi family has been sending it to any school district that requests it, including schools outside of California.
Jasmine, who is now in the fifth grade, said the year-long project taught her an important lesson.
“I learned that I should not feel left out,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Christmas or not, we’re all the same inside. We shouldn't feel separated by the way we worship. I wanted my teachers to know that I am a Baha'i and to let them know that we believe in the unity of all religions." ...Those interested in the booklet can e-mail Jasmine and her mom at: musicfortheschools "at" gmail.com. (The booklet includes sheet music and a CD compilation for "Blessed is the Spot"; "O God, Educate these children"; "Listen"; and "The Equality Song")
21 days Winter camp organized by Denzong Baha’I Institute of Sikkim began from 20th December 2009 at Baha’I School, Tadong. The camp will go till 9th January 2010. The participants are from Sumbuk (South Sikkim), Pachey (Pakyong) and Gangtok. The camp of this kind was first started at Saramsa (Ranipool) in December 2000 by Denzong Baha’I Institute of Sikkim. At that time the participants used to be from Bhutan, Darjeeling and Sikkim. But in the later years in order to make it convenient and manageable the Institute decided to decentralize it and have it in different centers. Now for past three four years, for the people of Darjeeling it is organized in Darjeeling itself and for Sikkim in Sikkim itself.
This is a kind of spiritual empowerment program. Here participants are taught to be tolerant and encourage fellowship among the people irrespective of cast, creed, colour, religion, race and nation. They get insights of the concept, God is one, man is the creation of one God and source of all religion is one. In the camp classes are conducted in a participatory method. The participants are divided in a different groups. For each group one tutor is appointed who coordinates the class and help the class to go ahead in a right track. Each group has to go through systematic sequence of courses which is from level 1 to level 7. The materials which they study are designed each with different subjects. They are as follows:
Level 1: Reflection on the life of the spirit.Level 2 : Arising to serve.Level 3 : Teaching children’s classes, Grade ILevel 4 : The twin manifestations.Level 5 : Teaching children classes, Grade IILevel 6 : Teaching the Faith.Level 7 : Walking together on a path of service.
These materials represent the experience gained by the institutions in raising up individuals capable of working for the benefit of their families and society.
The limbs of my body testify to Thy unity, and the hair of my head declareth the power of Thy sovereignty and might. —Bahá’u’lláh
He has had big hair for years, so that is quite a change. This is how he looked today, walking with his bike to the bus stop headed back home to his apartment. 
