Category Archives: Spiritual

The Road to Diamond, Day 223: Sacred Blood

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Posted by on in Education, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 9, 2025- Al-Bab, the Messenger of God who challenged the power of entrenched Muslim clergy, in the mid-19th Century, was put to death at the age of 30, 175 years ago today. Jesus the Christ, the Messenger of God who challenged the power of entrenched Judaic clergy, in the First Century, was put to death at the age of 33, 1992 years ago this past April.

Both Teachers shed human blood for the sake of humanity and with Their selfless lives, They offered redemption to those who led, or still lead, dissolute lives. This is the mark of a loving Creator, offering the Spirit of Youth, indeed Jesus as His Son and al-Bab as the Gate to Baha’ullah, Who Himself offers a path to genuine world unity.

As a purposeful human tends lovingly to that which s(he) creates; as a parent lovingly rears a child; so does the Divine offer to guide us back from ways of division and selfishness. He will repeat this lesson, as often as needed, yet the sacrifices of strong, forthright and youthful Beings ought be sufficient to lead us aright.

I have no claim to sanctimony or sainthood, to put it mildly, but I do note the similarities between the Ministries of Christ and al-Bab, as wake-up calls for all of us. Another friend has compiled these similarities in a succinct manner, below.

The Martyrdom of the Bab and Jesus Christ

The Road to Diamond, Day 222: Standing Alone

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 8, 2025- The clever cat waited for her food, then moved away from it-thinking that she might help herself to the food I was about to set out for her male fellow feline. After psspssing her away a couple of times, I brought her over to her dish, from which she ate a bit, then moved away. It was time for me to go to another appointment, so it was up to male cat to get up and eat. Cats tend to be loners and I will see how the feeding process has gone, when I return for more pet watching, tomorrow morning.

Earlier in the afternoon, I found myself the sole person left out of small groups, during a Shelter Manager class, instead having brief conversations with each of the moderators. We were thus able to touch on a few esoteric matters, as well as a couple of the questions posed to some of the small groups. The relationships that Shelter Managers have with those above and below them came up. Managers tend to be well-regarded by shelter staff, clients and regional brass alike, provided we devote ourselves to the well-being of those being sheltered and those tending to them. There are a few, typically special event staff and some facility security, who tend to regard a Red Cross shelter as an intrusion. These are the ones who are best handled with kid gloves, though never to the extent that those being sheltered are accosted or bothered in any way by those with agendas that are at odds with the Red Cross mission.

The course of this week, laden with service activities that overlap in places, still finds me standing (or driving) alone, frequently. It’s fine-as I can take the time necessary to do paperwork, whilst in an online meeting; get up early and tend to friend’s cats ( a fifteen-minute drive), returning for round two in the evening-of course, in between both long-distance and local engagements. I need to take time alone to do things about which I lack confidence. There were too many people, in my earlier days, who reveled in seeing me, and others, make a mess of things. I won’t give them the satisfaction, anymore, of seeing me blow it. Mom taught me to be comfortable in my own skin, and here I stand.

The Road to Diamond, Day 221: Prince Among Dragons

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, impediments, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 7, 2025- Thirty seven years ago, when that was also my age, a little boy was brought into the world, in the midst of a Year of the Dragon (Chinese zodiacal figuring). Since we were living in South Korea at the time, there was much ribbing from my colleagues about this being the outcome of a “dragon dream”, all the more auspicious because of the year we were in.

People born in that year are said “to be ambitious, confident and charismatic. They possess an abundance of energy and enthusiasm while also displaying exceptional intelligence and power. They are naturally lucky and gifted, often accomplishing their endeavours with exceptional standards of excellence.” Son certainly has grown into embracing all of these traits, and has kept a high bar for himself, especially over the past twelve years.

Soon, he will assume the role of fatherhood. I hope he leaves me in the dust, in that department, and in just about every other facet of life. A mutual friend commented, yesterday, that wanting a child to excel over the accomplishments of parents is the hallmark of parental love. That certainly is an admirable goal. Here’s this grandfather’s take: Let the child absolutely soar. Son wants the same for his daughter-and for any other child who may come along.

For now, he is focused on doing the best possible job, in each facet of his life. That is all I can ever ask. He is indeed a prince among “dragons”.

The Road to Diamond, Day 220: Second Thoughts

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 6, 2025- The somber air, across the country, has many wondering whether the slashing of disaster response programs at the Federal level was done in haste. It’s not surprising; indeed, it was only a matter of time. That the horror should have struck in the heart of Texas, on one of the two most significant national holiday weekends, is breathtaking, but it, too, is not surprising. The sheer scale, and speed, of the flood would have overwhelmed even the most state-of-the-art warning systems. Only a 24/7 monitoring of the state’s, indeed the nation’s, many river systems can hope to prevent a repeat of the damage caused by the rampaging Guadalupe. The DOGE cuts to FEMA only proved to be salt in the wound. The funds that were cut would not, in and of themselves, have saved the 82 people who died in the flooding.

Still and all, it is time to have second thoughts as a nation, with regard to planning for disaster response. The lives of innocents, especially of children, cannot be sacrificed for the sake of anyone’s financial portfolio or for the sake of bigger, more powerful weapons. No foreign adversary is going to come into the United States and find a docile populace. No well-heeled American is going to go broke, anytime soon. Mother Nature, however, is in an escalating state of turmoil -and disasters like Kerrville, or the January fires in the Los Angeles area, will only require more of our national resources.

Congress and the President have had their “Big Beautiful” moment. They have shown us their power. Now, let’s see that power used for the safeguarding of communities, and the healing of hearts that have once again been devastated by nature’s ravages. I recommend establishment of a National Endowment for Protection and Recovery. That would help build systems designed to fend off fires and floods, as well as being the funding basis for FEMA.

The Road to Diamond, Day 219: The Fan, The Fury Gusts and The Waters of Hell

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Family, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 5, 2025- As I waited behind mother and child, to get a cold drink during the Rodeo Parade outside, the baby decided to show me the portable battery-powered (and baby-finger-proof) fan that was keeping her cool. She reveled in the cool breeze it provided, taking care to lift it at the base and keep its flow directed at her face. There was a definite look of satisfaction, that she was doing this herself.

After the parade ended, I headed to Farmers Market, for our customary breakdown of tents and weights. One of the tents is “Feed Your Neighbors”, which provides food boxes to the needy. As I prepared to take the tent down, a gust of wind came from the east and took the form of an updraft, lifting the tent, even while the stone and steel weights were still attached. Two men working nearby rushed over and helped me remove the weights and take down the tent. A Market officer came over and also helped with the final take down.

While that was going on, a second gust of wind also became an updraft, lifting a second tent, weights and all, clear to where a vendor’s car was parked. The car was slightly scratched and its windshield caught a star, as the projectile came to rest. Fortunately, none of the five people in the area were struck. That was our experience at Prescott Farmers Market, this afternoon.

A little over 1,000 miles to the southeast, hell had broken loose, in the form of a stationary front that caused the Guadalupe River, at Kerrville, to rise 20 feet in less than two hours. Children’s summer camps and RV parks along the river bank were inundated, people and vehicles were swept away and families were shattered, in what will register as a signal tragedy of the entire year. Eighty people have been confirmed dead so far, with as many as 41 people still missing.

This has given pause to the stated plans for dismantling the Federal Emergency Management Agency-as well it should. The elements are no respecter of budgets, spread sheets and ideologies. In this time of natural flux, woe be unto anyone who pulls the plug on community response to hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, flash floods and earthquakes. I read the stories of those people, mostly young girls, whose lives were snuffed out and I crumble. I also read that this is making an impression on the President of the United States. Please, God, may it be so.

In about 5-6 months, my first grandchild is due to come into this world. I pray for her well-being, every morning. Once she is here, there is nothing this grandfather will not do to help her grow in health, strength and safety. My heart goes out to all those whose memories of their children are all they have left.

The Road to Diamond, Day 218: What Price, Independence?

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Historical, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 4, 2025- “I’m surrounded!”, the little girl said to her older sister, when called back to the family spot, at this evening’s fireworks watching gathering. She was referring to the tall weeds that were on three sides of her. I was sitting on the fourth side. Going around my folding chair was her easy way out, and back to their gathering place she went.

It is a tough Independence Day for many people. A complicated, and widely-reviled, Federal budget has been put in motion. Fear, on all sides, has people figuratively circling around one another. Like the child mentioned above, the fearful panic, without seeing the whole picture, which does present equitable solutions. The short term solution has ever been centering oneself, then learning to listen- to really hear-what those in our communities have to say. The longer-term answers will then present themselves.

What is the price of independence? I have mentioned, in the past, the economist Thomas Sowell’s truism that “Everything is a trade-off.” Permanent solutions would only work if there were permanent circumstances. The Universe, and everything in it, is not static. So it is with independence. It is an opportunity for an individual to establish oneself and make one’s own decisions. Teenagers and young adults seek, and can thrive, on independence. Once established, however, strict independence needs enhancement.

The next level of social evolution, therefore, is interdependence. People seek partners, and then to be part of communities, as they get older. A strong marriage is 100/100. A strong community draws on the strengths of all its members. A wiser community welcomes new members, with skill sets that enhance the established order, and help it adapt to changing circumstances. Gradually, there is more diversity in a community that is not stagnating.

You’ve also read here that “freedom is not free”. Those who relegate decision-making to louder, more insistent voices should not be surprised to find themselves under the thumbs of grifters, dogmatists and tyrants-and a lot sooner than they might expect. It’s happened in small towns, states and nations. Invariably, this happens when a critical mass of citizens choose to not exercise their duty to take part in the affairs of the community. Then, there comes governance by plurality. This has happened to conservative populaces and to communities where the majority are of a progressive bent. Dogmatism and self-interest are not exclusive to one or another ideology.

Each of us is given free will and the wherewithal to make informed, quality decisions. Putting these to use is the only guarantee that we have, as a nation, to retain the Republic that Benjamin Franklin told us we have the responsibility to keep.

The Road to Diamond, Day 217: Fulfillment

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 3, 2025- It was not as hard as I thought it could have been. Getting beds of pine needles off several roofs at Bellemont Baha’i School was a two-person operation, with a third helping to rake up and bag the piles. I did not have to climb ladders, this time. The man who will take my place as camp manager, the week after next, was glad to take ladder duty. I was able to do a fair amount of needle removal from the ground level, thanks to our fashioning a tool consisting of a leaf rake inserted into a hollow aluminum pole. The tool also worked from the ladder, and he was able to carefully manipulate it, so as to remove small beds of needles from higher points on two of the roofs.

Yesterday, a team delivered supplies from the Red Cross to Navajo Nation officials who are managing two shelters for people and one for animals, in response to a wildfire that is about 13% contained. The importance of inter-agency teams in this sort of situation cannot be understated.

With the Federal government stepping back from several aspects of meeting the needs of destitute or under-privileged people, the importance of such co-operation across social institutions is sure to skyrocket. Problems do not disappear, by dint of official proclamations. They still need to be addressed, by people interacting in a co-operative manner. Thus, will promises continue to be fulfilled.

It was because people of means from France, the Netherlands and Germany kept their vows that the desire of British colonists to forge an independent country was fulfilled. It was not a perfect nation, by any means, and still isn’t-but 249 years ago tomorrow, the idea of a nation making a stab at a government based on the will of its people was born in earnest.

We have yet to fulfill the rest of the promise, but the work goes on.

The Road to Diamond, Day 216: Moving Towards Control

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 2, 2025- Four good men spent their Wednesday bringing supplies to a collection point in Window Rock, AZ, for transport on to the two shelters at which people dispossessed by the Oak Ridge Fire are staying. By nightfall, the blaze itself is 6 % contained. Several other fires around northern Arizona are not presently posing a threat to communities, so we end the day with a sense of control, however tentative it is in this Fire Season.

Working for safety, and for justice, is an ongoing process. There will always be natural threats, in a complex environment and there will always be those who would take things away from others to feather their own nests, so to speak. Life is not a zero sum game, though, and the people who are expected to suffer the loss of health care coverage, and even the right to vote, in silence, are very unlikely to accept that state of affairs. I am not among those who would suffer, but that does not mean I think it is right to take things away from those who are vulnerable-especially children, the disabled and the infirm elderly.

Each of us has a choice to make, every single day-to exercise self-control or to indulge self, at the expense of others. That choice-making affects everything from what we put into our bodies to how we interact with others. Those choices, in turn, will determine the quality of our lives-and may affect how long those lives are. One can be self-centered or inclusive of those around.

I know what my choices are, in various aspects of life-and prefer to include others, in both planning and in activities. I also have come to prefer proactivity and discernment, over reactivity and inattention. The difference that has made is immeasurable.

The Road to Diamond, Day 215: Everything, and Nothing

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 1, 2025– Happy Canada Day, everyone!

Today has also seen a burst of activity, on the two major fronts of my summer. Two wildfires have been top of mind for me, these past few days. A major blaze has been consuming the pinon forest between Window Rock and Ganado, on the Navajo Nation. The Dineh have been able to manage shelters, staffing-wise, and will have Red Cross logistical help, by tomorrow noon. They have plenty of government and private enterprise help, in fighting the blaze. Some friends are among those displaced, and I hold out hope that their homes will survive.

Another blaze, closer to Home Base, also led to us gathering a standby crew, but it has since been largely contained and the crew dismantled. There are all manner of small blazes, underscoring the poignancy of the Twelfth Anniversary of the Yarnell Hill Fire, which led to the deaths of 19 wildland firefighters. Over the weekend, in northern Idaho, a transient was asked to move his vehicle by wildland firefighters. He responded by shooting at them, killing two commanders and wounding an engineer. He later killed himself.

That last incident highlights a fringe element, those who believe that their priorities and their privileges supersede everyone else. We used to call them sociopaths. Now, many of them see themselves as ascendant-even to the point that there is an active movement called Accelerationists, who want to replace elected government with all-powerful Boards of Directors, headed by Chief Executive Officers, who can run roughshod over everyone else, in the name of “efficiency”. This is a huge step away from the workings of the customary publicly-owned corporation, which has a charter, a mission statement and a code of conduct. It, to me, is a system built for sociopaths. (Indeed, Elon Musk recently made a statement that empathy is a weakness of Western countries.) There is little difference between such people and the Idaho shooter.

That brings me to the second overarching concern of the summer: Baha’i gatherings. On Sunday, about forty youth and adults gathered for a lively session of songs and devotions. There was no egotism and no one-upmanship. Yesterday, some of the same youth spent the day visiting adults in their homes, sharing prayers and inspirational stories. Over the next two weeks, various gatherings will be held in the Phoenix area and at Bellemont Baha’i School, for further activities along those lines. These inspirational and collaborative activities are in direct contrast to the self-absorbed depredations described in the last paragraph.

I draw reassurance, also, from conversations with friends here, conservatives and liberals alike, who may not agree on much, policy-wise, but who will stand together against any forces that try to deprive us of the freedom and traditions that we have cherished for 250 years.

He would take away everything is likely to be left with nothing.

The Road to Diamond, Day 214: Proactive

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Family, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 30,2025- A year ago, I was sitting aside the woman who gave me life, as she took her last breath. The moment was a bookend. She had worked very hard to make sure that I survived a rough birth, and that I overcame many obstacles, some self-imposed, in order to at least enjoy a long and fairly well-lived life. Her overriding instructions were “Don’t take yourself too seriously” and “Stay ahead of the game”. Mom’s approval mattered far more than either of us sometimes realized, and the struggles I had with self and others, over the year, largely were brought to a close when I reverted to what she had tried to instill, so often and so selflessly, over the decades.

I can never think of a time when her rejoinder “Poor baby” was callous or misplaced. A child of the Depression, who lost her father to cancer in its midst, and saw her four oldest brothers off to war, in the 1940s, and her younger brother as well, in the Korean conflict, was nonetheless shaken when I headed off to VietNam, for what was a mercifully non-troubling ten months of rear echelon duty. She was a paragon of persistence.

In a generally love-filled marriage, that lasted 37 years, she would often find herself facing her fears about her youngest son, alone. It took some constant communication to get her loved ones to understand just how much she wanted for the little boy, who became a disabled man. We each grew into compassionate adults, who would ourselves fight for the well-being of the least among us-and who would give anything for our children and, in my siblings’ cases, grandchildren. I know the latter now, anticipating a grandchild’s birth with a heart that is bursting with love.

Mom is now with so many of the souls she loved, and is looking out for the rest of us. I can count several times, in the past year, when there has been that one extra push to get me over the threshold. It has made some rather tall orders shrink down to hurdle level.

I only hope I have continued to make her proud. God knows, a reciprocal pride has welled in me, for as long as I can remember.