On Arising to Serve: It's what Baha'is strive to do
Thursday night in our home we host a Baha'i study circle on "Arising to Serve." To serve is what Baha'is strive to do. -gw
Friday, May 27, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
On Channel 4 News at 4 & 6pm: Tierra Crockrell, trackstar
Did you catch Tierra on KOMO Channel 4 News yesterday? From my Baha'i brother Rocky news that his granddaughter made the news again for her track prowess.
Below is Rocky telling of Tierra's record-breaking ways a year ago when he was over for our Thursday Baha'i devotions.More about Rocky here. -gw
Saturday, May 21, 2011
On What We Did After Practice: Coach Charles and his fellow Baha'is go to Feast
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After the Invader's practice last Tuesday, Coach Charles, B.J., Deb and I went to Baha'i Feast over at Lisa's in Salishan. B.J. and Deb are the ladies who help out at the Invader's fan tent with children's activities during practices on Tuesday. We are all members of the Baha'i Faith. Our Faith calls upon us to find ways to serve our larger community. Sport activities bind communities together, which is one reason why we have all chosen to volunteer our time to the Tacoma Invaders. -gw
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Friday, May 20, 2011
On Thou Comest from the World of Holiness: Make your heart not the home of fleeting fancies
O friend, the heart is the dwelling of eternal mysteries, make it not the home of fleeting fancies.
Thou comest from the world of holiness—bind not thine heart to the earth; thou art a dweller in the court of nearness—choose not the homeland of the dust.
Both quotes are from "The Valley of Wonderment," Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys. Lovely advice. -gw
Thursday, May 19, 2011
On At the Mouth of the River: These are they whose heavenly River is Thy love
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Name through which Thou hast enabled Thy servants and Thy people to know Thee, through which Thou hast drawn the hearts of those who have recognized Thee towards the resplendent court of Thy oneness, and the souls of Thy favored ones unto the Day-Spring of Thy unity,—I beseech Thee to grant that I may be assisted to observe the fast wholly for Thy sake, O Thou Who art full of majesty and glory! Empower me, then, O my God, to be reckoned among them that have clung to Thy laws and precepts for the sake of Thee alone, their eyes fixed on Thy face. These, indeed, are they whose wine is all that hath proceeded out of the mouth of Thy primal will, whose pure beverage is Thine enthralling call, whose heavenly River is Thy love, whose Paradise is entrance into Thy presence and reunion with Thee. For Thou hast been their Beginning and their End, and their Highest Hope, and their Supreme Desire. Blinded be the eye that gazeth on whatsoever may displease Thee, and confounded be the soul that seeketh the things that are contrary to Thy will.
CLXXVIII: “Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I supplicate…”
The mouth of the Nisqually River flows into Puget Sound where a National Wildlife Refuge is now located. It is a place that inspires and invites the visitor to pray and reflect. -gw
On All Things Made New: God will renew the "City of God"
Jim and Kay buy an old house to make new again through their tender care...
Bahá'u'lláh mentioned in the Kitáb-i-Íqán that God will renew the "City of God"
...just as God renews the world by sending another Manifestation. -gw
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
On Hiking Illahee: Finally flowering spring
The whole world is born anew, resurrected. Gentle zephyrs are set in motion, wafting and fragrant; flowers bloom; the trees are in blossom, the air temperate and delightful; how pleasant and beautiful become the mountains, fields and meadows. Likewise, the spiritual bounty and springtime of God quicken the world of humanity with a new animus and vivification. All the virtues which have been deposited and potential in human hearts are being revealed from that Reality as flowers and blossoms from divine gardens.
The Baha'i Writings
On As Candle After Candle Is Lighted by the Hand of Providence: A light casts its beams upon a myriad initiatives
He expounded the teachings in every social space. (The UHJ Ridvan 2011 message in a reference to 'Abdu'l-Baha)
Yesterday the Baha'i Views /Flitzy Phoebie, the Flickr account I share with my wife where we store our photos and videos, passed the three quarters of a million mark for total views. Our all time view count at this moment is 754,405. Between 5 p.m. Sunday and 5 p.m. Monday there were 4,312 total views, another record, for visits in a single day, beating the previous high by more than 1200. The current driver for these numbers is Invaders football.
Fans, families and players can't get enough photos and videos of their favorite team taken at both their games and practices. I would like to think it's because this photography captures the spirit of struggle, accomplishment and, sometimes, outright victory of a collective effort. I would like to believe it is because there is a spiritual component underlying the effort that makes it all ultimately special. -gw
Shoghi Effendi described in compelling language the successive stages by which the divine light had been kindled in the Síyáh-Chál, clothed in the lamp of revelation in Baghdád, spread to countries in Asia and Africa even as it shone with added brilliancy in Adrianople and later in 'Akká, projected across the seas to the remaining continents, and by which it would be progressively diffused over the states and dependencies of the world. The final part of this process he characterized as the "penetration of that light ... into all the remaining territories of the globe", referring to it as "the stage at which the light of God's triumphant Faith shining in all its power and glory will have suffused and enveloped the entire planet." Though that goal is far from being fulfilled, the light already blazes intensely in many a region. In some countries it shines in every cluster. In the land where that inextinguishable light was first ignited, it burns bright despite those who would snuff it out. In diverse nations it achieves a steady glow across whole neighbourhoods and villages, as candle after candle in heart after heart is lighted by the Hand of Providence; it illuminates thoughtful conversation at every level of human interaction; it casts its beams upon a myriad initiatives taken to promote the well-being of a people.
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE, Ridván 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Opon Being Suddenly Prosperous: Walking with humility
With a win in Everett on Saturday night, the Tacoma Invaders Football Club is suddenly "prosperous." Now everyone associated with the team can practice humility. -gw
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.
Baha’u’llah, The Baha’i Writings
Friday, May 13, 2011
On a Song for Rose: On close to her birthday
Bonnie and Frank here, Ruhiyyih and Matt visiting, getting ready for a hike, we listen to a song by the Rocky Mountain Rhythm Kings called "Rose of Washington Square." The Rhythm Kings is a band that Frank plays for in the Flathead Valley. Rose is Ruhiyyih's middle name and it was almost her birthday. Nice song for the occasion. -gw
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
On Andrew Says Allah'u'abha: We're all family
A.J. and family at the scrimmage of the Tacoma Invaders with the Cobras.
When I got to practice yesterday evening, A.J. came over to greet me. "Allah'u'abha," he said. He's got the Baha'i greeting down pat. "Talofa," I said in return. My brother-in-law Frank who is visiting had given me instruction in how to say hello in Samoan.
I asked A.J. about when I was going to be able to meet his sister-in-law who is Baha'i. He said she had been at the game. I must have seen her with the rest of his extended family, but didn't know it was her. I told him the Baha'is of Spanaway are eager to be able to meet her and welcome her to the community. Perhaps she and the "Cheer Squad" will be at the away game in Everett on Saturday, or, surely, at the next home game for the Baha'i friends to say hello.
I really want Nancy to be able to meet Andrew's sister-in-law. Nancy knows football -- her boys played, one of her sons won a college scholarship for his football prowess. And Nancy knows thumb-wrestling, as this funny picture of her at the Naw Ruz celebration in March will attest. gw
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On Wanted: A few radiant servants to assist in the moral education of children
The Baha'is of Tacoma offer activities for the childen at the Invader fan canopy on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 during the Invaders football practice at Stewart Height Park. Thanks B.J. for your service.
Just as anticipated, with sun and reasonably warm weather, the children were out in force last night at the Tacoma Invaders practice. BJ assisted children in play activities at the fan canopy. Needed: some teachers to assist BJ ... -gw
... to teach simple children's classes consisting of memorization of prayers and quotations, songs, stories, games and coloring.
On Found on Facbook: Istvan Dely's ORA TAMBÓ
I heard about Istvan Dely's new album on The Baha'i Inspired Music Listeners Club, Harri's Facebook group with almost 1400 members, one of the best sources for links to Baha'-inspired music in the world. I first heard that Ora Tambo was in the pipline reading Leonor Dely's bio here... http://www.leonordely.com/bio.htm. -gw
On Pictures Taken in a Local Buddhist Temple: With soundtrack
A stellar photographic set from Jamie with sountrack. -gw
this set is in progress, like the rest of us..... I just realized that I tend to shoot a particular project with parrallel ( to me, anyway.... ) pictures in mind .... this was a series on a local buddhist temple I did while humming the other pictures .... like I said, in progress .... music suggestions to follow .... OK, that was quick ... .. 'Till There Was You' by the Beatles, from 'Meet The Beatles' , the only Broadway tune they ever did. Lyrics by Meredith Wilson.... alternatives would be those Tibetan throat singers or anything by The White Stripes...
Monday, May 02, 2011
On It's the Families Who Give Meaning to Invaders Football: We all hunger for unity in this world
It's the families and fans who make the Tacoma Invaders Football Team all that it is, who give meaning to all of the effort that goes into playing the game. Football can be inspiring when its played for all the right reasons, when its about unity and purpose. That's why I'm involved in taking pictures at the Invaders practices and games, to portray photographically that unity and purpose, and, thereby, bring more unity and purpose to the community. We all hunger for unity in this world, for a feeling of oneness and belonging. It's what God wants for us, to be unified in His name, serving one another. -gw
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