He teaches that as the flower is hidden in the bud, so a spirit from God dwells in the heart of every man, no matter how hard and unlovely his exterior. The true Bahá’í will treat every man, therefore, as the gardener tends a rare and beautiful plant. He knows that no impatient interference on his part can open the bud into a blossom; only God’s sunshine can do that, therefore his aim is to bring that life-giving sunshine into all darkened hearts and homes.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
On Wapato Park on a Sunday: No impatient interference can open the bud into a blossom
On a Tacoma Sunday afternoon Matt hosted a picnic at Tacoma's venerable southside park.,Wapato, for his Metro Parks girls basketball team. Afterwards he and his kids went to junior youth group at Lisa's. Everything is beautiful in the sunshine. -gw
On Photos of a Childhood: Every human being can relate
Twenty year-old Maedeh brought out her photo album for 13 year-old Jessica, 12 year-old Isaiah and 9 year-old Tejon to look at last weekend. It is lovely how Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program animators assist junior-youth and children in their understanding of the world in ways that parents just can't do. -gw
Thursday, April 12, 2012
On As Ye Yield Yourselves: Rejoice
These are some of the quotes from the Baha'i Writings that we studied last Sunday before teams went out for expansion.
Sandy banged a drum. -gw
On Baha'i Feast at Kim & Charles: First in their home
I've been coming to this home twice a week to pick up Kim and Trajon and Gilmar and Charles, if he's not working, and sometimes Gianna and Jamion -- to go to Lisa's for study circle and devotional meeting. But Monday night it was different. I was going to Kim and Charles' home to stay right there for the evening. The occasion -- Baha'i Feast, the first Feast they have hosted. Oh, what a time we had! -gw
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
On a World of Possibilities: That only needs a kickstart
There are many ways to be creative, whether it is football or dance. Kickstarter is creative financing. This is a new world of possibilities on all fronts, in every way. Aren't you glad to be alive to witness it -- contribute to the advancement of beauty, peace, and order? -gw
Definition for kickstarter:
Web definitions:
Kickstarter is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects. Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of endeavors,...
Sunday, April 08, 2012
On Alternatives to the Tree Huggy Stuff: Be souls humble and lowly
This was a question that was posed by one visitor to the Baha'i-Inspired Music Listener's Club group on Facebook.
Is there any electro-based Bahai inspired music instead of the same-same tree huggy stuff?
Here is just one "answer." And there were dozens of responses with many other suggestions. -gw
On a Not So Secret List of Baha'i-Inspired Musicians: Artist links
What treasure is Harri referring to? This treasure... -gw
Artist Links
The Baha'i-Inspired Music Listeners' Club Directory of Links to Artists
Links to music by over 100 artists, compiled by members and admins
On They Offered Their Apartment for Training: Junior youth lines up animators
During the Baha'i intensive campaign focusing on Tacoma's Eastside, junior youth Raul went with Deb C to find other junior youth and potential animators in the Swan Creek area. He describes in his cool matter-of-fact way their success in finding a 17 year-old and 19 year-old interested in the program. -gw
On Presenting the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program: From an animator
MJ asked Maedeh to describe how the Baha'i-inspired Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program can be presented to Eastside Tacoma residents met during our intensive expansion campaign. Wise Maedeh is a 20-year-old junior youth program animator. -gw
Untitled
Pegah continues in her discussion of how our effort in Eastside Tacoma can incorporate more volunteers, by making it possible for a person to spend just part of a day to help, whether it's a few hours in the morning, or the afternoon or the evening -- there is a way for every person to help, no matter what their schedule. The result -- a dramatic increase in the core activities here. More children's classes, study circles, junior youth groups, and devotionals, to bring unity of purpose and spiritual empowerment to our neighbors in this blessed city. -gw
On Bringing the Baha'i Core Activities to Eastside Tacoma: Incorporating expansion and consolidation
How do we do it -- expand AND consolidate? It's a complex process, but it is not either/or. It's both. All in the course of one day/ one week/ one three week period that began with our five day youth initiative and continues for the 19 days of our Baha'i expansion campaign to bring the core activities to Eastside Tacoma. Our able and humble leader, 21 year-old Pegah describes cutting edge thinking. -gw
Saturday, April 07, 2012
On New Paul Parrish Songs: New music website
Thanks to Derek for the heads up on this. -gw
This Baha'i themed website contains both music and videos. http://www.ladderforyoursoul.com/The Ladder for your Soul website contains the music of Paul Parrish. His Selections from the Baha'i Writings are totally free to download. The site also music videos by Derek Thompson. These cover a wide range of different styles.
Best Regards
Derek
On the Youth Invite Visitors: Many times older
It's hard to believe the youth initiative is over, but it must be. Today we began the cluster expansion phase with a bang. The momentum begun with the youth during the week has carried over into the weekend with the efforts of men and women who are even 4 or 5 times older. -gw
On Friday the Children Gather: Baha'i class at Sunrise
It's Friday. With the sun shining and families out, the friends arrive for the Baha'i Chidren's class at the Sunrise Apartments, gathering children as they walk through the complex.
Friday, April 06, 2012
On a Abdu'l-Baha in New York: A website
A new website on Abdul Baha contains the following... -gw
1. A new scholarly e-book "Abdul Baha in New York "
http://abdulbahainnewyork.org/abnyTemplate.php?pageName=abnyBook 2. The first 40 years of the Baha'i Faith in New York
http://abdulbahainnewyork.org/abnyTemplate.php?pageName=abnyFirst40 3. An article in Farsi describing Abdul Baha's visit to America( New York)
http://abdulbahainnewyork.org/abnyFarsiBookTemplatePopup.php?pageName=fa_c01&gallery=book 4. A booklet " Abdul-Baha in New York.The City of the Covenant" printed for The 75th anniversary of Abdul Baha's visit to New York.
http://abdulbahainnewyork.org/abnyTemplate.php?pageName=abnyCOC 5. Power point presentation
http://abdulbahainnewyork.org/abnyTemplate.php?pageName=abnyPPT
On a Game of Spoons: Day four comes to an end
Hands on the carpet, spoons in the middle. .. a short set of the most recent photos from the youth initiative underway in our cluster. I don't know the rules of this game, but I love the view from on high. -gw
On the Sun Rises on Sunrise Apartments: The early days of establishing the Baha'i core activities
How much progress has occured in establishing the Baha'i core activities in the Sunrise Apartments complex in just 30 days! Here Lisa at Feast at Joe Tacoma's in February shares what it was like to get things going in the "early days" of the effort. -gw
Thursday, April 05, 2012
On Next Steps: From child to junior youth to youth service
For Baha'is it's all about next steps. All our actions have next steps in mind. -gw
On Believing in the Power of Youth: A fountain of interest
Baha'is aren't the only ones to believe in the power of youth. To work with youth is the dream of many. -gw
On Bringing Home the Knowledge: Neah Bay will not be the same
Ida is going to know how to bring the Baha'i core activities to her community when she returns home after the youth initiative. -gw
On a Lot For Teens and Pre-teens: A Baha'i channel
There is a lot on Baha'i Views lately about teens and pre-teens. Have you noticed? -gw
Want more about Teens & Pre-teens? Try this channel on vimeoor the website bahai.us/video/ for the section on Teens & Pre-Teens. Last week, “Teen Takes Action at Home” premiered on the site.
On Why Are We Here: To find our place
Two quiet youth participating in Tacoma's youth initiative presently underway find their voice. -gw
On an Eastside Tacoma Rainbow: Youth of many hues
Eastside Tacoma gets its own rainbow in the form of a team of devoted youth of many hues participating in the youth initiative. -gw
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
On a Baha'i Children's Class for Trejon: And other terrific Tigers
We pulled it off. Got a Baha'i children's class started for Trejon and other children from the Tigers/Invaders football team family. Friday nights upstairs at Lisa's, while the adults are downstairs are "devoting." Played Twister afterwards.
The UTYA Tigers is the youth league team that the owners of the Tacoma Invaders adult-league team also field. There are always a lot of kids around when the Invaders practice, as they are doing as they prepare for the start of their regular spring season. -gw
Monday, April 02, 2012
On Tacoma's Spring Break: Youth initiative
What we're doing here .. We're in a prelude to our Baha'i 19-day-long intensive cycle that is ... intense. Youth galore teaching during their spring break. What an initiative! -gw