OhOh2Golly has just posted pictures of Phil Lucas on his flickr site taken when Phil was a young man and soon to be leaving for pioneering to Central America. OO2G, or Jamie, was introduced to the Baha'i Faith by Phil Lucas when Jamie was teaching a photography class in 1968 at Western Washington State College and had Phil as a student. -gw
Enpleinair gets invited to a Baha'i devotional and finds her heart pounding. -gwReadDis, WatchDat. -gw
"The Whatness"
Ron Price provides an orientation to Baha'i apologetics and conveys an invitation to dialogue on Volconvo, "a debate forum for the discussion of political, religious, and news-based topics." -gw
I have always been attracted to the founder of the Baha'i Faith's exhortations in discussion to "speak with words as mild as milk," with "the utmost lenience and forbearance." I am also aware that, in cases of rude or hostile attack, rebuttal with a harsher tone may well be justified. It does not help an apologist to belong to those "watchmen" the prophet Isaiah calls "dumb dogs that cannot bark."(Isaiah, 56:10) Still, for me, I prefer a less harsh tone when criticizing the views of others.
In its essence apologetics is a kind of confrontation, an act of revealing one's true colours, of hoisting the flag, of demonstrating the essential characteristics of one's faith. And we all have faith, for faith is the placing of one's emotions around one's assumptions whatever these assumptions may be--secular or sacred.
Ron Price, "Apologetics," Volconvo
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Photo: "Group shot, holding up the banner," uploaded on May 26, 2005 by *EriQ* on flickr
"farm land is vanishing quickly in Idaho," uploaded on June 13, 2006 by Buddy Stone on flickr
Gerald has emailed me of the recent steps he has taken to get in touch with local Baha'is in Idaho. -gw
I have found some numbers for Baha'is in my area, there are 19! ... I called just today and left a message asking about stuff. They do have study circles and I will most definitely take advantage of that. I have just been stunned by the tremendous openness of the Baha'is I have contacted, it just refreshes me to see how strongly the Baha'is conform to the faith in terms of openly spreading and teaching and welcoming new members. I feel like I could already declare, and am literally holding myself back until I get a better understanding of scripture and the teaching of Baha'ullah (though some of the words of Abdu'l Baha seem to touch me very personal, ever issue I wonder about, or thought on religion I have had in the past is addressed in his works in a very accessible manner. While the teachings of Baha'u'llah obviously are the words of the Baha'i Faith and far more important, the words of Abdu'l Baha are indispensable for a newcomer.) 
Gerald, "I have found some numbers...," email, 4/11/07
"All the paths before me... Again, I am not sure exactly when I painted this. I think at some point during the cold months in 2003. I had had an epiphany. Most of my life I didn't feel like I had options in front of me or a future. Things just happened. But, then something happened and I realized that I could make of my life what I chose. That there were many many paths to explore and that they were bursting out in front of my feet. Since then I've 'gotten' as well that there are many paths to 'enlightenment'. Which has made me be able to see the good parts of major religions (not that there aren't plenty 'o bad parts of course!). Anyway what I 'got' is that there are infinite paths to wonderfulness!" Uploaded on December 23, 2006 by rachels_squiggles on flickr
If it keep on rainin', the levee gonna break
If it keep on rainin', the levee gonna break
Some people still sleepin', some people are wide awake
Bob Dylan, "The Levee's Gonna Break," Modern Times
Copyright 2006 Special Rider Music
Papijoon. One blogger, 14 blogs. And a presence on YouTube, too. -gw
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/growthcharts/
The first few years of life are a time when most children gain weight and grow much more rapidly than they will later on. Sometimes, however, babies and children don't meet expected standards of growth. Although most of these children follow growth patterns that are variations of normal, others are considered to have "failure to thrive." ...
Although it's been recognized for more than a century, failure to thrive lacks a precise definition, in part because it describes a condition rather than a specific disease. Children who fail to thrive don't receive or are unable to take in, retain, or utilize the calories needed to gain weight and grow as expected.
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/failure_thrive.html
There is a spiritual equivalent of failure to thrive. Adib Taherzadeh describes it. -gw
A statement in Islam, which Baha'u'llah confirms and reiterates, says that 'Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever he willeth.' The assertion that the heart is the dawning-place of the knowledge of God may sound strange to some because it is commonly thought that the mind, rather than the heart, is the vehicle for acquiring knowledge. But faith and knowledge of God, like seeds, are planted first in the heart. It is only afterwards that the mind grasps the truth and begins to understand it. In the end it is the interaction of the two - the heart and the mind - that brings confirmation and certitude to the soul.
Although in some cases a believer's faith in Baha'u'llah may come to him intellectually, its intensification and growth day by day cannot continue purely through intellectual pursuits. And if a person's faith does not increase with the passage of time, it is like a child who is born but who fails to grow. Such a person is very likely to feel a measure of doubt in his innermost heart concerning the Faith and may experience great conflicts in his mind, especially when he goes through tests. Although intellectually he may accept Baha'u'llah as a Manifestation of God and may even be well versed in His writings, he does not have that asolute certitude that endows a human being with spiritual qualities and confers upon him perpetual contentment, assurance and happiness. ...
To acquire faith, then, and to enable the revelation of God to shine within the heart, one must cast out the 'stranger', or man's attachment to the world, of which the most formidable and most harmful type is attachment to one's own self. It manifests itself mainly in pride in one's own knowledge and other accomplishments, such as rank and station. Love of one's self renders the individual opinionated, self-centered, proud and egotistical and, in fact, denudes him of spiritual qualities.The holding of devotional meetings is one of the core activities for Baha'i community life. Here is an account by a non-Baha'i who attended a devotional meeting last year around Easter time at the Baha'i Center of Orange County. -gw
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"Blossom*," Uploaded on April 15, 2006 by imapix on flickr
Sara and Greg in Indonesia continue to post monthly on their blog A World Citizen's Report. Here is Sara's description of Ruhi. -gw
Bahá’ís and those interested in becoming familiar with Baha’i teachings all over the world are studying a series of books called Ruhi books. Independent investigation of the truth, i.e., reading and thinking for oneself, is a key teaching in the Baha’i Faith, but the Ruhi books allow an introduction to some basic themes because there is a huge amount of literature and it’s often hard for people to know where to start. The first book deals with topics like truthfulness and spiritual qualities, why people pray, and what happens to the soul after death. The method of studying the books is just as important as the content, and it is designed to be an instigator of unity and community building. Thus a group studying together has a facilitator but not a leader, and the people make a point of having fun together as well as working together to do community service. The material in the book is often introduced using music, drama, and games, and it’s generally an overall very enjoyable experience. 
Sara, "Ruhi Party," A World Citizen's Report
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{Re-posted in accordance with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License}
This collage is from my all too brief visit to the University of Peace, in Ciudad, Costa Rica. "Students" from around the world complete Master Degree Programs in Peace Education and other peace related fields of study for one year. ... Photos include Peace Park.
9pointedstar, "University of Peace, Costa Rica," Travellers' Narrative
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{Re-posted with permission}
At TK's the talk turned to politics. -gw
Uploaded on February 14, 2007 by dave nitsche on flickr
So, the Baha'i Youth of Melbourne decided it would be fun to have a Youth Group activity where we could all bond, form healthy relationships, learn to work as a team, and extoll our virtues. And what better way to do it than shooting at each other with high powered paintball guns?
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, 
Luis has landed an internship for this summer and thinks there is more to thank than coincidence. -gw
I'm still uncertain as to which spiritual path we're supposed to take. Who was the Messiah? Moses? Jesus? Mohammed? That Baha'i guy? Is the God I'm speaking of even a Christian/ Jewish/ Muslim god? And I still feel qualms about organized religion. And I really don't think I'll ever agree with much of the Catholic Church's teachings. But I believe there is a higher being, more complex than any of us will ever be able to comprehend.
Luis the Mexican Whooping Llama, a.k.a. PezChampion, "I recently found God again," Start Me Up: you've got to never ever stop
The Baha'i perspective is considered reasonable by many. -gw
the most recent national gathering of Presbyterian women featured a plenary speaker, an ordained minister, one Kikanza Nuri Robins, who is the author of the 2007-2008 Horizons Bible study on the Gospel of Luke. Horizons is the official Bible study for the Presbyterian Women organization. Robins cheerfully told her audience that “I just have no internal conflict with being a Christian by birth, a Baha’i by reason, a Taoist in spirit, and a pastor in faith and vocation.”
Presbyman, "How Did We Get Here?" Spoiled Dinner Party: Ruminations about topics off-limits at dinner parties: i.e., politics and religion!
http://www.pcusa.org/pcusa/horizons/bible.htm
In the blog post excerpted in its entirety below, Nishat's reflects on growing up Pakistani in America. She is a Baha'i attorney. Read her previous post about her attendance at the 10th annual European Bahai Law Conference back in December or read the coverage on the blog New Legal World Order: A think tank on the advancement of law, ethics and justice from a Bahá’í Perspective. -gw
I am looking forward to seeing the film "Namesake" next Friday with my sister and our husbands where we will watch a film that will probably remind us what it was like to be growing up in a Pakistani type household in suburban America. Many kids of my generation (1st generation American's of parents from somewhere else) experience the duality of living in one culture; but having roots to another very different foreign lifestyle; one where bringing the roots (parental culture) into ones own (American kid culture) daily life is daunting and not always welcomed.
As a girl who was not a White American (should White be capitalized i wonder?) I was often questioning why I was given such a difficult task; of not already fitting in or feeling like one of the crowd. At least that lasted until high school when we moved from a small suburb of Buffalo NY to NJ. NJ is different on SO MANY levels that the culture shock of what priorities existed overshadowed my insecurity of what I looked like. Big hair and cliques aside, I sought any retreat from the group culture as essential to my survival; and instead found contentment in seeking to be different and to be friends with many rather than few (also the same time when I was introduced to the Baha'i Faith and its worldwide, non prejudiced perspective became utterly refreshing).
Anyway, years later; as law school, career, motherhood, more career and grass roots in human interest govern my life; I find that the differences in each of us should be treasured since the human canvas is stunning with the varying hues of personalities, cultures, beliefs and ideas that merge into a larger human family. I realize that now; and when I look back to see my shyness or hesitancy in sharing my "roots" with anyone; I realize I could have taken a different perspective and maybe even appreciate what my parents shared with me with more value, respect and honor.
