Spirit of God in community life
This is about some of my projects in my neighborhood. I'm using some new ideas that are partly inspired by my study of One Common Faith. One of my projects is learning to bring more of the spirit of God into community life. One of my strategies is to bring more of the spirit of God into my life, and to put more of myself into community life. (more spirit of God in my life)*(more of myself in community life) = (more spirit of God in community life) I've been working most of my life to bring more of the spirit of God into my life by praying, studying Baha'i writings and other materials, trying to put them into practice, participating in Baha'i community life, and serving goals and plans of Baha'i institutions. Now the training institutes are helping me practice and promote all that much better. Recently I've had some new ideas about putting more of myself into the community life of my neighborhood, in service and development projects. Two of my service projects have been reading to children, and doing skits to entertain some neighbors. Another is picking up trash off the street and sidewalk. One of my development projects is strengthening my friendships with my neighbors. I'm learning to stop and talk to people more often, walking between my house and the bus and the corner store. November 12, soon after I started thinking about what neighbors can do together to strengthen our friendships, someone was shot to death in the middle of the afternoon, in the intersection at the other end of my block. I thought of going over to that corner and saying some prayers, and the idea came to me that one thing neighbors might do together is pray. I went up and down the streets around my block, telling my neighbors that I was going to say some prayers at that corner the following Saturday, about the time of the shooting, inviting them to come and pray with me. I stood at that corner for an hour last Saturday, November 19, reading prayers, for children, for people who have died, for the neighborhood, and for humanity. One person came and stood with me for a few minutes. A few others passed by and asked for copies of the prayers I was reading. After that, I wrote this, to give to my neighbors: Ideas for a stronger and healthier neighborhood One way I see to have a stronger and healthier neighborhood is to have stronger and healthier friendships between neighbors. One way I see for neighbors to have stronger and healthier friendships is to spend time together doing things that interest them. Below is a list of some things that interest me, that I would do with neighbors. If you see anything that interests you, please let me know, and please let me know if you have any other interests that you would share with neighbors. (my name, address, and phone number) Some things that interest me, that I would do with neighbors: 1. Activities with children, like reading, games, and crafts. 2. Origami, and other paper crafts. 3. Neighborhood variety shows and fairs. 4. Workshops, especially: - Teaching children responsible behavior (Lee Canter lessons) - Moral and spiritual education of children - Cooperative games and sports - Mentoring - Spiritual growth 5. Prayers. 6. Sidewalk art. 7. Jigsaw puzzles. 8. Monopoly, Clue, and other board games. 9. Gardening and yard work. 10. Cleaning up streets and sidewalks. 11. Walking to the market or around the block. 12. Sitting on the front porch. Meanwhile, I'm planning to spend more time outside, in front of my house and here and there in the neighborhood, doing paper crafts, reading to children, doing sidewalk art, picking up trash in the street and on the sidewalk, jumping rope, playing with a yo-yo or frisbee, entertaining neighbors with skits, and whatever else I can think of that neighbors might do together. To get ideas of what neighbors might do together, I've been thinking about what people do in other communities, like a religious community or a city. That's where I got some of the ideas above. For example, thinking of the art exhibits in my city gave me the idea to display some of my paper crafts in front of my house. Jim The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as:
Re: Spirit of God in community life
At 4:21 PM + 11/24/05, Jim Habegger wrote: Recently I've had some new ideas about putting more of myself into the community life of my neighborhood, in service and development projects. Two of my service projects have been reading to children, and doing skits to entertain some neighbors. Another is picking up trash off the street and sidewalk. One of my development projects is strengthening my friendships with my neighbors. I'm learning to stop and talk to people more often, walking between my house and the bus and the corner store. Sounds like you could use a Neighborhood Watch. There's nothing like a perceived crisis to bring people together. For more information, contact the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (often under Government/Aging Services) or your local police department. then volunteer to become an Area Coordinator. Largely ignore the Homeland Security nonsense that has become part of Watch publicity, unless you can use it to get some funding. Don't try to set up a Watch program for just your block, you won't get enough interest. Set it up for a natural area. Those who are interested enough to really get involved, one or two per block, become Block Captains by default. Your primary aim should be to develop a sense of community. You can integrate nearly any social development program you can think of into this structure. Don C (Area Coordinator, Parkdale Neighborhood Watch) -- -.-.-.-.- He who believes himself spiritual proves he is not. The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
Re: Spirit of God in community life
Thanks Jim., I LOVED reading your post. I appreciated how positive it was and am inspired by the concrete examples that you shared. I had started to read ONE COMMON FAITH, but ended up putting aside. You've inspired me to pick it up again with an aim to put some of your ideas into practice in my own neighbour hood. Thanks again. This is about some of my projects in my neighborhood. I'm using some new ideas that are partly inspired by my study of One Common Faith. The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
Re: Spirit of God in community life
Thanks, Don! Jim The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
Re: Spirit of God in community life
Jeanne, I'm so glad! Thanks for telling me! Jim I appreciated how positive it was and am inspired by the concrete examples that you shared. I had started to read ONE COMMON FAITH, but ended up putting aside. You've inspired me to pick it up again with an aim to put some of your ideas into practice in my own neighbour hood. The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
Question: wife of Mohammed
In an
interview with Newsweek, former US Secretary of State. Madeleine Albright makes
the following comment: Islam
itself and the Qur'an are not actually antiwoman. Mohammed was married to a businesswoman.
It is more the culture of particular Arab countries and not Islam.
Could someone
enlighten me concerning the business occupation of His wife?
If you have an
interest in reading the interview you can find it here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10111629/site/newsweek/
lovingly, Sandra
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