Study Circles
Fountain of the Water of Life
Last night four of us, from four different countries (USA, Serbia, Iran and Bulgaria) gathered around the table for dinner and to begin our Ruhi 4 study circle “The Twin Manifestations” which aims to enable and inspire creative ways of telling the story of the lives of the two latest Manifestations of God. I am [...]
Ruhi 3 ideas
As I am preparing for the Ruhi 3 study circle tomorrow, I wanted to share a few ideas for slowing down (hurried) kids of all ages that in my experience work well. And slowing down to the pace of life is a key skill for life, particularly for prayerful life. When I have my daughters [...]
Find the gem first, then polish it
I should have listened to the virtue card! You see, I have this set of Virtues Reflections Cards which I bought two years ago in Green Acre, the wonderful Baha’i school, and have been using it by randomly choosing a virtue to practice each day. Now, choosing a card and practicing a virtue are different [...]
Reunions and Separations
4. O SON OF JUSTICE! Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved? and what seeker findeth rest away from his heart’s desire? To the true lover reunion is life, and separation is death. His breast is void of patience and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would [...]
That was lovely
“That was lovely”, was everybody’s feedback on tonight’s home visit, the first one for our Ruhi 2 study circle. Our hostess was Nancy, a wonderful lady who lately has not been able to attend Baha’i activities because she is talking care of her 96 year old aunt, also named Nancy. We had a wonderful opportunity [...]
Persevere, men of fixed resolve
Persevere thou in helping His Cause through the strengthening power of the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Thus hath it been decreed by God, the Gracious, the All-Praised. Blessed is the believer who hath in this Day embraced the Truth and the man of fixed resolve whom the hosts of tyranny have been powerless to [...]
Befriending strangers
Two years and a half ago when I started this blog, I had no idea that befriending strangers would become so vital to my growth and health. Tonight, observing the discussion during the Ruhi 2 study circle I host and facilitate on Wednesdays made me aware that I have indeed gained friends on whom I [...]
The Measure of Humility
The gem of tonight’s study circle was this profound quotation on the need for humility when speaking of God and His Manifestations: They who are the beloved of God, in whatever place they gather and whomsoever they may meet, must evince, in their attitude towards God, and in the manner of their celebration of His [...]
Arising to Serve – What a team we are!
The Ruhi 2 study circle I host is as diverse as it gets, and this makes it really fun: An Iranian man, the only one of us who grew up in a Baha’i family, and who today for the first time in his life recited a prayer in English A Chilean woman who grew up [...]
Seeing perfection in imperfection
While God is unknowable and beyond our reach, seeing the beauty of His creation is crucial. For how can we claim to love God, if we do not love His creation? But what about imperfections? A flawed human being as I am, I had to embrace my own imperfections as the current state of my [...]
