Tuesday, May 29, 2012

On Bonita and the Blackbird Nest: Unraveling the mysteries

 
Is not weaving a part of every human culture? And some birds do it, too.
 
I wrap the 100-foot electrical cord in loops around my arm before storing it, then unravel it for use. When the cords connecting to my computer become unbearably mixed up, I try to unravel the mystery. -gw
 
[Baha'u'llah's] aim is to widen the basis of all revealed religions and to unravel the mysteries of their scriptures. He insists on the unqualified recognition of the unity of their purpose, restates the eternal verities they enshrine, coordinates their functions, distinguishes the essential and the authentic from the nonessential and spurious in their teachings, separates the God-given truths from the priest-prompted superstitions, and on this as a basis proclaims the possibility, and even prophecies the inevitability, of their unification, and the consummation of their highest hopes.
 

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On Blue, Too: Butterflies and irises at Coffeepot Lake

 

Sometimes Coffeepot Lake was blue, just like the butterflies and the irises that grew along its shore. -gw

 

Wild iris at Coffeepot Lake – a set on Flickr

 
We marvelled when we beheld, among the things which that coffer contained, a scroll of blue paper, of the most delicate texture, on which the Báb, in His own exquisite handwriting, which was a fine shikastih script, had penned, in the form of a pentacle, what numbered about five hundred verses, all consisting of derivatives from the word “Bahá.”

 

The Dawnbreakers

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

On Why the U.S. Has a Sick Care System Not a Health Care System: Underuse of prevention and early intervention

 
I'll be drawing on more of Dale Jarvis' presentation to Kitsap Mental Health employees recently than just the few slides in this set, but this is good for starters. Note that, according his analysis, adverse childhood experiences are at the root of the following problems.
  1. disrupted neurodevelopment,
  2. social emotional and conigitive impairment,
  3. adoption of health-risk behaviors,
  4. disease, disability and social problems,
  5. and early death.
-gw
 
 
He teaches that spiritual health is conducive to physical health, but physical health depends upon many factors, some of which are outside the control of the individual.
 

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On an Incredible Answer to Violence in Our Society: Prevention

 
At the April meeting of the Peninsulas Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Group I participate in, Ellen  brought to our consultaton group the pamphlet above which describes how children and their parents are supported through programs in her community. She also spoke with great knowledge and enthusiasm about The Incredible Years, an evidence-based practice for addressing behavioral problems in children 3 to 8.
 
Address aggressive behavior in young children and you won't have to address aggressive behavior when they grow up. Prevention matters. To what extent does aggressive behavior that "works" for children have expression in the atrocities and acts of war committed by adults all too evident in the world today? And what role has harsh parenting had in the development of those who have been behind the genocide that occured? These are legitimate questions. -gw
 
 
 
From His pen of glory flowed teachings for the prevention of war, and these have been scattered far and wide.
 

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On Tacoma's Recent Intensive Expansion Campaign: Institute process update

At Feast Gwen gave an accounting of our recent Baha'i expansion effort for a believer visiting from Oregon. -gw
 
 
 

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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

On a Story of the Bab: By Lisa and the children

 
This wonderful video set deserves to be re-posted. -gw

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On a Question for the Friends: What are we doing that might be keeping us small?

According to this delegate, Borna asked a really good question at Baha'i National Convention.
 
 
What are the barriers to growth? What are the cognitions that limit our thinking and prevent us from acting in a way that is optimal for the growth of the Faith? Asking the kind of reflective questions that Borna typically asks is the key to unlocking the door to dramatic expansion. -gw

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Monday, May 21, 2012

On an Impromptu Delegate's Report: Feast visitors tell all

Gwen's Mom and Dad were visiting from Colorado. They'd been to Baha'i National Convention. So of course we got a report. -gw

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Saturday, May 19, 2012

On Young Legs, Old Legs: Climb loftier summits

As I took my videos from the top of the stadium, the child next to me asked how I go there. My legs got me here, like your legs did, I told him. -gw

As the old world sinks beneath the weight of a crumbling old order, so must new world exponents of Bahá’u’lláh’s nascent, integrating World Order climb loftier summits of their sublime calling. 

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On Baha'i Devotionals: Vibrant, rocking or subdued, mellow

This was last Friday's Baha'i devotional. Vibrant, rocking. Yesterday's was more subdued, mellow. I like 'em both. -gw

This new spiritual vitality accounts for the growing participation of people of divers backgrounds in devotional meetings, children’s classes and study circles, which, in many cases, has resulted in their recognition of Bahá’u’lláh as God’s Manifestation for this Day and in their declaration of faith.

 The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 2005

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On How to Play With Babies: Watch how the child adapts to your actions

A lot of people don't know how to play with kids. If it's an older child, describe what you see them doing, praise what you like, and reflect what they say. If it's an infant, here is some guidance from a handout from a workshop at the 2012 Early Childhood Conference in Tacoma. -gw

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Friday, May 18, 2012

On Competition:

An example of punk attitude. -gw
 
Pennywise
The Fuse (2005)
 
Competition Song
 
Within all of us is the instinct to survive
And to win at any cost
In the fight to stay alive
We fear the foreign cultures
That are different from our own
And make enemies from strangers
Who are just people we don't know
 
(2X)
We fight amongst ourselves
We obliterate ourselves yeah yeah
 
And we compete until we die
Even though we don't know why
We believe in ancient lies
We compete until we die
 
We struggle against each other
To get things in life we need
And even more to give us the status
Which in return will help us breed
We separate ourselves by the color of our skin
And the country where we're born
And which god we believe in
 
(2X)
We fight amongst ourselves
We obliterate ourselves yeah yeah
 
And we compete until we die
Even though we don't know why
We believe in ancient lies
We compete until we die
 
And we compete until we die
We believe these ancient lies
If we could only change our minds
maybe then we'd all survive
 
 
We live in a world, however, where from time immemorial obedience to the commands of the Prophets has been the exception rather than the rule; where love of self has been a more prevalent motive than love of God; where limited and party interests have taken precedence of the interests of humanity as a whole; where material possessions and sensual pleasures have been preferred to the social and spiritual welfare of mankind. Hence have arisen fierce competition and conflict, oppression and tyranny, extremes of wealth and poverty—all those conditions which breed disease, mental and physical. As a consequence, the whole tree of humanity is sick, and every leaf on the tree shares in the general sickness.
 

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On We Believe in Ancient Lies: We compete until we die

Punk band, punk attitude. -gw

Pennywise
The Fuse (2005)

Competition Song

Within all of us is the instinct to survive
And to win at any cost
In the fight to stay alive
We fear the foreign cultures
That are different from our own
And make enemies from strangers
Who are just people we don't know

(2X)
We fight amongst ourselves
We obliterate ourselves yeah yeah

And we compete until we die
Even though we don't know why
We believe in ancient lies
We compete until we die

We struggle against each other
To get things in life we need
And even more to give us the status
Which in return will help us breed
We separate ourselves by the color of our skin
And the country where we're born
And which god we believe in

(2X)
We fight amongst ourselves
We obliterate ourselves yeah yeah

And we compete until we die
Even though we don't know why
We believe in ancient lies
We compete until we die

And we compete until we die
We believe these ancient lies
If we could only change our minds
maybe then we'd all survive
 

We live in a world, however, where from time immemorial obedience to the commands of the Prophets has been the exception rather than the rule; where love of self has been a more prevalent motive than love of God; where limited and party interests have taken precedence of the interests of humanity as a whole; where material possessions and sensual pleasures have been preferred to the social and spiritual welfare of mankind. Hence have arisen fierce competition and conflict, oppression and tyranny, extremes of wealth and poverty—all those conditions which breed disease, mental and physical. As a consequence, the whole tree of humanity is sick, and every leaf on the tree shares in the general sickness.

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

On Finding Super-moms: And paying them to foster young children

So long as the mother faileth to train her children, and start them on a proper way of life, the training which they receive later on will not take its full effect. It is incumbent upon the Spiritual Assemblies to provide the mothers with a well-planned programme for the education of children, showing how, from infancy, the child must be watched over and taught.

Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Do you have a pulse? That doesn't qualify you to be a foster parent. -gw

Zeneah laments, “The biggest disappointment in my career was in the 1980s, when relationships and relationship disorders were getting attention, but little research was done. We still don’t have good descriptions of relationships themselves, so we can’t communicate effectively about the problems we are dealing with. Even so, we know quality parenting matters. But when it comes to foster care parents, we’re desperate. Please take this kid. Do you have a pulse? Instead, we should figure out who’s really good at mothering and use marketing to recruit them. So much involves the commitment to the child. That’s one thing we can improve.”

He recommends finding and paying super-moms. By all means, do everything you can to improve mother/child relations. But if and when that fails, intervene with someone really good.

Harold’s behavior tells us his second foster parent has the super-mom chops. Support more of the likes of her. Create professional super-mom jobs AND develop a healthier bunch to join the workforce later on.

http://www.golocalworcester.com/news/julia-steiny-mother-the-infant-brain-properly-or-pay-the-price-later/

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Monday, May 14, 2012

On a Celebration of the Struggle to Arise: We have capacity

'Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.' MLK jr. ........ 'Our duty is to encourage everyone in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.' Swami Vivekananda .......... 'The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.' Albert Camus

This is Jamie's description for his photo set. Life is a struggle, but I argue that the outcome is assured. The Kingdom of God is being established on earth as it is in heaven. We may contribute towards the erection of that Kingdom or not. We may be personally uplifted by the effort to arise or not, depending on the spiritual practices we employ to draw on the strength that God has given us. We have the capacity. -gw

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On Believing Is Doing: A continual refinement

 
Sizing up our actual practices to see if it's in accordance with our beliefs. It's works for conducting parent-infant groups to promote child-parent attachment, and it works for life. Are things not working out like they should? Perhaps it's because our beliefs aren't matching up with our actions. Tweety Yates comments at the Early Childhood Conference in Tacoma may seem a bit out of context here, but I think not. The learning culture that characterizes the Baha'i institute process means that we are constantly reviewing our progress to make further refinements, and those refinements are based on our beliefs, our guidance, our texts. -gw
 
Say, O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.

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On the Role of the International Criminal Court: Faith in the possibility of justice being done

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established on July 1, 2002 with the intention of acting as a permanent tribunal for heinous international offenses (crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes, and more recently, crimes of aggression).  Unlike the International Court of Justice—the judicial branch of the United Nations—the scope of cases, jurisdiction and mandate of the ICC are extremely narrow.   Given its limited function, it is not surprising that the ICC has only opened 7 cases and indicted 28 people.   The utility of such a court has been the subject of much debate and continues to spark controversy in political, military and academic circles.
 
Throughout the twentieth century, the international community contemplated the establishment of a permanent tribunal as a means to bring justice for serious international crimes and to hold accountable the perpetrators of those crimes.  Particularly after WWII, and then again following the genocides in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the outrage against these criminals drove many countries to take action.  Ad hoc tribunals were established to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and massive ethnic killings.  Although these temporary courts were deemed successful in their limited scope, further atrocities demanded consideration of a permanent judicial body that could potentially deter future crimes. 

Crime is down in Tacoma, I read in the paper this morning. But globally, crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes, and more recently, crimes of aggression are not. A man held responsible for terrible crimes in Sierra Leone is up for sentencing. Permanent international institutions for meting out justice were foreseen in the Baha'i Writings. -gw
Olara Otunna, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, one of two keynote speakers, stressed the importance of the International Criminal Court as a mechanism for accountability, truth-seeking, and healing in cases of extreme conflict — especially those involving children.xHe also said that religious groups have a key role to play in healing and reconciliation. He said, for example, that religious leaders and women's groups were among the first actors to denounce rebel atrocities in Sierra Leone .

Further, Mr. Otunna said, faith and religion were often the last resort of innocent people in the face of extreme conflict.

http://www.onecountry.org/e154/e15412as_ICC_meeting_story.htm

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On Fixing the Health Care System: A community mental health agency up to the task

 
The little ol' community mental health agency I worked for since the early 90's has been awarded a 1.8 million dollar grant from the feds, the only community mental health agency on a list of 26 grand recipients. The KMH director wrote: "I am very confident we will develop a nationally replicable model to help fix the health care system and advance health care reform." Let's hear it for health care reform and Kitsap Mental Health!
Over coffee this noon I read an article that says that the movement towards universal health care is strong in many developing countries.

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Saturday, May 12, 2012

On an Alternative to Rushing Around: Refresh my Heart, O my God

Life is such a rush. Take this Muskkrat Sally, for example. Redwing blackbirds fuss and fight. Humans, on the other hand, take it easy. - gw

Refresh my heart, O my God, with the living waters of Thy love and give me a draught, O my Master, from the chalice of Thy tender mercy. Let me abide, O my Lord, within the habitation of Thy glory, and suffer me, O my God, to emerge from the darkness in which Thy divine obscurity is shrouded. Enable me to partake of every good Thou hast vouchsafed unto Him Who is the Point and unto such as are the exponents of His Cause, and ordain for me that which beseemeth Thee and well becometh Thy station. Do Thou graciously forgive me for the things that I have wrought in Thy holy presence, and look not upon me with the glance of justice, but rather deliver me through Thy grace, treat me with Thy mercy and deal with me according to Thy bountiful favours, as is worthy of Thy glory.

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On Better Than Any Party: This

It happened last night around 7:30. the energy of junior youth vibrant in the room, preparatory to devotions for UTYA Tigers/ Tacoma Invaders/ young people/ old people/ all people, as is the tradition for this Salishan home on a Friday night. -gw

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On Outdoors, a Place to Visit: And have spiritual conversations

 

Thursday night I set up the canopy at the Tacoma Invaders practice and got a charcoal grill going. That's all I had to do. Kim took over, grilling 28 smoked sausage and polish dogs for families and players. I had a chance to talk junior youth with Coach Bruce, and visited with Quanda, Sharp, Mookie, Charles, Kim, Gianna, Isaiah, Eliza, Matt, Karen.... Mookie could come to junior youth Friday, if can be picked up. Trying to figure out when to have the Book 1 so Sharp can attend.  -gw

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On Outdoor Play: As good as any book

 

At the 2012 Early Childhood Conference in Tacoma attendee Oralia, a bilingual family resource coordinator for early intervention birth to three, describes a visit she made to Mexico to visit family in which she sees a boy playing outside by the side of a road and notes just how unique and special that experience can be for a child -- and for the adults who love that child. 


Hers is a passionate plea. Reading books to children is great, but taking time to be outside is just as valuable, if not more so. There is so much to see. When is the last time you saw a cow, a deer, a muskrat, an owl, a squirrel, a red-winged blackbird? Have you ever seen a flock of pelicans soaring high in the air? - gw

... make ye an effort in order that these children may be rightly trained and educated and that each of them may attain perfection in the world of humanity.

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On Focusing on the Grassroots: Both in the Faith and on the blog

The new Councils, serving, in most cases, a somewhat more limited number of clusters will thus be in a better position to work more closely with the friends laboring at the grassroots.

The U.S. Baha'i National Assembly announced an expansion in the number of regional councils, citing the reason above. This fits so closely my personal experience.

Big picture is good, but the work is at the grassroots. In my Baha'i community the teaching is now so robust, I cannot keep up with it. And so I focus on the area I have carved out, with the encouragement of the Area Teaching Committee, my social  space. Just today I learn my son has been tapped to animate a junior youth group at the Swan Creek Apartments on the Eastside. Didn't know that. He didn't tell me. That's the way it is today. So much happening I can't possibly intimately assimilate it all as I felt I once did.

Baha'i Views, the family of blogs that have been a focus of my energy since January of 2006, has undergone a slow transformation from a vehicle looking broadly at the world to a blog reflecting primarily the activities within my personal space, including the social space I have adopted within which to expand the core activities. It has, too, become more focused at the grassroots. -gw

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Tuesday, May 08, 2012

On Camping Cook Station: He had kindled a fire

Cooking food outside can be an exquisite pleasure, Who needs McDonald's when you've got this set up.  -gw
 
 
One day, in the course of one of His riding excursions into the country, Bahá’u’lláh, accompanied by His companions, saw, seated by Me roadside, a lonely youth. His hair was dishevelled, and he wore the dress of a dervish. By the side of a brook he had kindled a fire, and was cooking his food and eating it.
 

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On Sometimes Math Isn't a Problem: If children seek the solution

Those familiar with the Baha'i-inspired Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program know about its use of math story problems that illustrate the principle of justice. Did you also know that mathematics is a focus of Head Start and even Early Head Start (for kids birth to 3). Here our dear presenter to the Peninsulas Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation group can hardly hold his enthusiasm describing a challenge for kids.  Math isn't a problem if that problem is presented to a group of children to solve and pizza is a part of it. -gw

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Monday, May 07, 2012

On Biggest Moon of the Year: Conforming to the good-pleasure of God

"Where's the moon?" Bonita said at dusk. Just as we were ready to go to the tent, after having watched the fire forever, there it was. The biggest moon of the year. Coming up over the rise behind the van. -gw

THE acts of Him Whom God shall make manifest are like unto the sun, while the works of men, provided they conform to the good-pleasure of God, resemble the stars or the moon… 

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On Matt & Christy Are Excellent Animators:

 

With help, Matt & Christy are excellent animators, Christy went to the Dollar Store and bought a poster to keep attendance from week to week. She also got some items for a treasure box. There were nine junior youth there Friday at 5 p.m. NINE! -gw

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On a Here Today Dog: Perfect in its own place

Everybody could use a here today dog. Christy and Lisa walk a dog that chose to hang around for a while, until its owners showed up and said, "Hey, that's our dog." -gw

‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: “Even the most developed dog has not the immortal soul of the man; yet thedog is perfect in its own place. You do not quarrel with a rose-tree because it cannot sing!”

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On Crime Happens in Every Neighborhood: As to the difference between that material civilization now prevailing

So Bonita is out on the neighbors porch for a while after we got back from the garden this evening. I hear animated discussion. Everybody has a story of being burglarized to share. We're not alone. Happens in every neighborhood. -gw

Divine civilization, however, so traineth every member of society that no one, with the exception of a negligible few, will undertake to commit a crime. There is thus a great difference between the prevention of crime through measures that are violent and retaliatory, and so training the people, and enlightening them, and spiritualizing them, that without any fear of punishment or vengeance to come, they will shun all criminal acts. They will, indeed, look upon the very commission of a crime as a great disgrace and in itself the harshest of punishments. They will become enamoured of human perfections, and will consecrate their lives to whatever will bring light to the world and will further those qualities which are acceptable at the Holy Threshold of God. 

 

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On What Sensitive Teachers of Young Child Do: Anticipate, notice, respond & provide support

I will plumb the depths of the early childhood conference I attended last week for the next year, there was so much to contemplate. Here is a start. -gw
.

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On Our Hawaii: Eastern Washington

Our Hawaii is this part of Eastern Washington. Bonita and I go there whenever we are free to go forth. We say our prayers from there. -gw

The year was 1913, and Miss Alexander recalls: “My only desire was to serve His Cause. The words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá rang in my ears: ‘I have a lamp in My Hand searching through the lands and seas to find souls who can become heralds of the Cause. Day and night I am engaged in this work.’
“I prayed that His lamp might find me. For nearly twelve years I had been privileged to assist in establishing His Cause in Hawaii. Now the time had come when I was free to go forth to serve in other parts of His lands…"

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/JWTA/jwta-3.html.utf8?query=hawaii&action=highlight#gr1 

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Friday, May 04, 2012

On We Are Lovers of Sunlight: And so we go east of the mountains

Bonita and I will be going east of the mountains for our first camping experience of the year. I was in Yakima taking pics for the Tacoma Invaders football team the end of March and felt the warm sun that Saturday. Temperatures may not be as warm as they were then, but no matter. We're going. There will be full sun on Sunday. We'll bask in it with our winter coats on if we have to. -gw

 

We must recognize the sun, no matter from what dawning point it may shine forth, be it Mosaic, Abrahamic or any personal point of orientation whatever, for we are lovers of sunlight and not of orientation. We are lovers of illumination and not of lamps and candles. We are seekers for water, no matter from what rock it may gush forth. We are in need of fruit in whatsoever orchard it may be ripened. We long for rain; it matters not which cloud pours it down. We must not be fettered. If we renounce these fetters, we shall agree, for all are seekers of reality.  

Abdu'l-Baha,  28 May 1912
Talk at Reception at Metropolitan Temple
Seventh Avenue and Fourteenth Street, New York

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On A Meditation on Umbrellas: On the way to Bahji


 ...

Moments with Baháʾuʾlláh: Memoirs of the Hand of the Cause of God ...

 By Ṭarāz Allāh Samandarī

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On Learning to Share Stories: A practice of Baha'i study circles

Bonita said how she loved that Christy, Eliza, and later MatthewJessica, and Isaiah were able to join us for Book 4 Baha'i study at our home. It gave the rest of us -- tutor DebKayJim, Farhad, and Lisa -- the opportunity to practice sharing the stories of the Founders of our Faith. -gw

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On More Baha'i Friends in Paint By Numbers: My favorite photo edit option

I like Picasa 3's posterize photo editing option. It reduces the colors to a paint by numbers look. I see my Baha'i friends in a whole new way -- although Baha's are colorful to the max and can't be reduced. -gw

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On Three Years of an Eternity: Rocky's soul

It's been three years since Rocky embraced the Faith of Baha'u'llah. Seems like yesterday. -gw

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Tuesday, May 01, 2012

On Next Steps in the Growth Process: Tacoma's intensive

 
There is such calm in the present moment, no crippling fear or trepidation, no unrealistic God-wll-hand-this-to-us-on-a-platter optimism. We have achieved real victories in the past month, We have real work ahead of us over the next six months. But we are not the same today as we were yesterday. There is no way any one person in our cluster can be on top of everything that is happening. So we choose where we want to work and we go forward. -gw

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On Learning About Growth: Like reading about Tacoma today

 
Reading this little book published in 1991 is a little like reading about Tacoma today. Audacious, huh! -gw

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On We Are Shoulding: In God's army

Shoulding -- I didn't make it up. Ask Joe.
 
 
We are shoulding ... in God's army .. -gw

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On World Citizen: With a phone

 
Today it's a phone that puts us in touch with the world. -gw
 
 
 

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