Recalling Health ... Body Mind and Spirit

Recalling Health Blog is Moving to a New Home...

2010-10-01T12:52:00.000-04:00

The RecallingHealth.com's blog is moving to a new home.
Visit us at: http://recallinghealth.com/blog/.
We're back up and running and just added a new recipe over there.
See you on the other side...
Loretta

18 Tips for Successful Fasting

2009-03-10T21:40:00.006-04:00

"Most illnesses are a result of excess toxins (physical, mental, and emotional unusable materials) in the body. Healing is the elimination or cleansing of these toxins, and then achieving a balance of intake and output." -- Elson M. Haas, M.D. Staying Healthy With the Seasons --

18 Tips for Successful Fasting

Here are a few tips I gleamed from approximately 418 days of sunrise to sunset Fasting (over the past 22 years). Now, mind you, that does not include the current Fast-- 9 days into it, but who’s counting.

As a Bahá'í by Faith, every year I log another 19 days of Fasting in keeping with this commandment of God.

I do it because, according to the Bahá'í Writings,

““As regards fasting, it constitutes, together with the obligatory prayers, the two pillars that sustain the revealed Law of God. They act as stimulants to the soul, strengthen, revive and purify it, and thus insure its steady development.”

– Shoghi Effendi

I thought it would be good to share some basic tips that I have learned over the years in order to assist any newbie Fasters in their quest to fulfill this spiritual obligation.

So here are my 18 fasting tips, in no particular order:

1. When you break the fast, especially in the evening, always start your meal with a cup of hot or warm liquid. My favorite is herbal tea with honey, sometimes with a little lemon squeezed in for good measure. The hot liquid is said to expand your stomach and get it ready for food after so many hours respite. Drinking something warm before your meal should also prevent any kind of cramping that you could get when you rush right into a meal with nothing to coat and soothe the stomach.

2. Do not go to the grocery store during the active period of the Fast. You will be more prone to buying things that you do not need.

3. Do not buy large quantities of raw fruits and veggies while fasting. Since you are effectively eliminating one meal with your sun up to sundown fasting routine, you will not be able to consume your regular amount of these perishables, and they will end up being wasted if there is not someone else around to eat them.

4. Eat some protein with each meal. I remember when I first started fasting; I used to try to do the vegetarian thing during the fast, thinking it would assist me with the cleansing process. What I found was that it was much harder to sustain my blood sugar when I did not eat protein with my meal. Coming from a family of diabetics, it was important to have that protein if I was to have any chance of being successful with my fast.

5. For weigh lost during the fast, try drinking and combining fresh vegetable and fruit juices with your meal. This aids the detoxification process greatly, and when you include a variety of juices, it helps ensure you are getting all of your daily recommended nutrients, in a period of reduced food intake.

6. When that headache comes after so many days on the fast, or for some, the very first day, try to ignore it. Many people think they can not be successful with a fast because they get a really bad headache when they do not eat for a certain number of hours. The headache is normal, unless you have some underlying medical condition. Of course you should be checking with your doctor before fasting if you are not sure if you should be participating in it. As the body cleanses and detoxifies itself, the poisons that are released as a byproduct can sometimes cause a headache. I think eating protein with your meal is also a buffer to this kind of detox reaction.

7. Do not fast if you are sick or taking medication that requires you take it with food. Some OTC meds as well as Rx meds should be taken with food. So read the label, and if you must take the meds and it requires food, then eat a little something and take the medication.

8. Do not fast if you are pregnant, nursing. This goes without saying, but do remember you are not just feeding yourself; you are feeding the fetus or your baby too. Also women in there menses are not bound by the fast.

9. During the hours after sunset when you are able to eat and drink, always keep water with you and sip or drink it constantly to prevent dehydration. Your lips will naturally be dry when you do not have enough water, and you will have a harder time getting through the sunlight hours if your throat is so dry that it feels like it could cut open a watermelon. (Guess who would like something to drink right now.)

10. Always keep a natural lip moisturizer like shea butter with you while fasting as your lips will be dry throughout the day, especially if you are semi dehydrated.

11. When speaking to others while fasting, do not get directly, all up in their faces. Your breath may smell awful as the day goes on, especially if your body is using this time to get rid of some accumulated poisons. If necessary, carry a little travel size mouthwash to keep the odor at bay. Also, if you brush your teeth after eating breakfast, you do not have to worry about getting them dirty again for the whole day. Now isn’t that exciting :)-

12. If you should awaken after sunrise and think you absolutely must consume something, then consume water or something liquid first. When fasting, remember food is secondary to drink. You can live without a lot of food, but you absolutely must have water to survive.

13. Try not to participate in any strenuous activity like exercising during the active period of the fast, i.e. while the sun is up. When you exercise you lose fluids and if you can not eat or drink there is no way to replenish what you lose. However, you may exercise near the end of the fasting day, just before you are allowed to resume drinking and eating. Since exercise should be done on an empty stomach, this is actually an ideal time to exercise.

14. Try not to respond aggressively to people who ask you why you are not eating, and you tell them that you are fasting from sunrise to sunset. Invariably, they will say something like, “Oh, that’s all. I thought it was a real 19-day fast. Anyone can fast from sunrise to sunset.” Your response should be merely to invite them to join you for the next day or two. Then wait for the excuses or the silence.

15. For those participating in a religious fast, try not to be too obsessive about the “how” of the fast. Don’t ask questions like, “So does that mean I can not brush my teeth in the middle of the day if I am Fasting?” These questions drive long time fasters crazy. If you have such questions, one of the additional requirements that you should do during the extra prayer time that you free up during the fast is to pray for some common sense.

16. A spiritual or religious Fast holds the requirement of combining it with prayers at certain periods of the day. There will be days when you want to take your physical food before you take or offer your spiritual food in the form of prayer to your Maker. Again, do not stress over this. The order is not so important, especially if you remember that God alone will determine if the Fast that you offer is acceptable in His sight. We fast for the love of God as well as to preserve ourselves from harsh test in the upcoming year.

17. It can be fun to break the fast with friends and others who are fasting just as you are, so you may want to plan meals with others who are fasting, i.e. meeting at a restaurant to break the fast at sundown, or having others over before sunrise to share a break-fast.

18. Read about the benefits of fasting during the time of your fasting to help you stay motivated. An excellent compilation on this is titled “The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting”, which you can pick up at Amazon or at the Bahá'í Distribution Service.

Remember that the right way to Fast is the way that you know how to do right now. As the years go by, you will learn more and more about how to get it right and balance everything out. These tips were written while I’m fasting because when you do not have to concern yourself with food, you have more time to do other things.

Happy Fasting to Everyone!

Health Benefits of Fasting...

2009-03-03T10:24:00.003-05:00

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." -- Abdu'l-Baha
Since millions participate in a 19 Day religious Fast from 2-20 March each year, I thought I would repost some of the health benefits of fasting. This article was originally posted at RecallingHealth.com's Body site.

What Fasting Does to Recall Health to the Body ** :

Fasting initiates rapid weight loss with little or no hunger. Once the "ketosis" of fasting sets in, it becomes quite easy to go without food. Most people are surprised at how little desire for food they have while fasting.
Fasting promotes detoxification. As the body breaks down its fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins.
Fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest. After fasting, both digestion and elimination are invigorated.
Fasting promotes the resolving of inflammatory processes, including painful inflammatory syndromes such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Fasting quiets allergic reactions, including asthma and hay fever.
Fasting promotes the drying up of abnormal fluid accumulations, such as edema in the ankles and legs and swelling in the abdomen.
Fasting corrects high blood pressure without drugs. Fasting will reduce blood pressure to a safe range within two weeks or less in the vast majority of cases. And the blood pressure will remain low after the fast if the person eats correctly and lives healthily.
Fasting makes it easy to overcome bad habits and addictions. Many people have overcome tobacco and alcohol addictions by fasting, and even drug addictions. Fasting rapidly dissipates the craving for nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and other drugs.
Fasting clears the skin and whitens the eyes. It is common to see skin eruptions clear while fasting, and the whites of the eyes never look so clear and bright as they do after a fast.
Fasting restores taste appreciation for wholesome natural foods. People say that their taste buds come alive after fasting and that food never tasted so good.
Fasting is the perfect gateway to a healthful diet and lifestyle. Going on a fast gives you the motivation and enthusiasm to make a fresh start and commit yourself to a new and better way of life.
Fasting actually shrinks the stomach- not in a harmful way, but restoring it to its normal size. People tend to be satisfied with less food after fasting.

What Fasting Does for the Spirit:

"Fasting is the cause of the elevation of one's spiritual station."

For more resources, visit: http://body.recallinghealth.net/Fasting-Health-Benefits.html

Can A Weight Loss Shake Really Taste Good?

2008-07-27T00:04:00.002-04:00

Well,

It has been a semi stressful week. But I made it through. Thank God.

In addition to trying a new “weight loss” drink mix, I started something else that was equally as new.

I say that because I have never been on a weight loss kick in my life. Just not my style. But I messed around and signed up for a weight loss challenge at my 9 to 5 j.o.b. and the results had been disasterous. I think the problem came from focusing on the weigh-ins each Friday. So what did I do to cure that: I stopped weighing in. I was getting heavier and heavier with each weigh in.

Ok, so the new weight loss shake supplement actually does taste darn good. I added some sliced peaches to it--out of the can--and would have added some fresh blueberries and frozen strawberries and bananas if I had had them. Along with the drink, the company sent me a 40-page little soft cover booklet that had some great simple recipes for making the shakes. It probably had a lot of additional info in it, but I still haven't taken the time to review it.

I have to tell you that I only discovered the recipe, instruction booklet after asking my sister how to use a regular blender to make a shake. Since I do not do alcoholic drinks, I really didn't have a clue. So the little booklet was a lifesaver for me because I got some great ideas as to what to add to make the drink really delicious. As I tried the drink, and shared it with my sister and her male friend, we all agreed that this was a shake that someone wanting to loss weight could drink with no hesitation.

You can say what you want, but if something doesn't taste good, it will eventually be tossed aside. Of course I do not plan to substitute the drink for two meals a day as recommended because that would be too much like a real diet. So I will see what happens. I did take a packet of the mixture to work two days later, together with the plastic shaker container with lid that was included in the package, so that I could have the dietary supplement for lunch.

Then, too, I took a thinly spread peanut butter sandwich, no jelly, with me for that lunch, just in case I felt I needed it. This was my backup because I find that if I don't get a full filling when eating, I will end up snacking at break time and that is never good unless you've got something really nutritious to snack on. Otherwise you are right back to square one with the calories.

All in all, the lunch turned out ok. In fact, it was 9 p.m. that night when my mom asked me what I had had for dinner and I had to tell her “nothing”, and yet I did not feel hungry. (See what peanut butter will do for ya -- or was it the weight loss shake? :) -

Ok...next we talk about this other new thing I started this week.

Till then,

I'm LoTheNightingale

Recalling Health with a Delicious Weight Loss Shake,

Life is ... because it is.

"Chemicals, Cancer and You" Gives Us Something to Think About

2007-10-05T22:24:00.001-04:00

Hi there friends,

Just have to share with you this link on “Chemicals, Cancer and You” as aired on NPR's Fresh Air. (Thanks to Mary Ann for forwarding it to our group).

Good information I think, especially if you are concerned about your health.

Hey,

This is Lo, and I gotta go ... 'cause I'm running for my life.

Three Magic Words / Meditations by US Andersen Worth the Read

2007-01-27T18:50:00.000-05:00

Ah…this year is beginning very nicely. I have already found a little gem that I feel really has the potential to add value to and transform my thought process. Of course when you transform your thoughts, you transform your life.

It’s in the form of a 319-page book entitled Three Magic Words by US Andersen.

Of course books come into our lives at specific times for a reason, and this one is no exception. It’s the old adage that I first heard Wayne Dyer say, “When the student is ready, the teacher will come.” Although many of the self empowerment concepts in the book were familiar to me, this author presents the material in such a way that you can actually get you mind around it.

I am only halfway through the book, so I don’t yet know the three magic words, but I have my suspicions as to what they might be.

I am going to post the first of the very powerful meditations contained in this little book to give you a sample of what’s inside. It reads:

I know that I am pure spirit, that I always have been, and that I always will be.

There is inside me a place of confidence and quietness and security where all things are known and understood. This is the Universal Mind, God, of which I am a part and which responds to me as I ask of it.

This universal mind knows the answer to all of my problems, and even now the answers are speeding their way to me. I needn’t struggle for them; I needn’t worry or strive for them. When the time comes, the answers will be there. I give my problems to the great mind of God; I let go of them, confident that the correct answers will return to me when they are needed.

Through the great law of attraction, everything in life that I need for my work and fulfillment will come to me. It is not necessary that I strain about this, only believe. For in the strength of my belief, my faith will make it so.

I see the hand of divine intelligence all about me, in the flower, the tree, the brook, the meadow. I know that the intelligence that created all these things is in me and around me and that I can call upon it for my slightest need.

I know that my body is a manifestation of pure spirit and that spirit is perfect; therefore my body is perfect also. I enjoy life, for each day brings a constant demonstration of the power and wonder of the universe and myself.

I am confident. I am serene. I am sure. No matter what obstacle or undesirable circumstance crosses my path, I refuse to accept it, for it is nothing but illusion. There can be no obstacle or undesirable circumstance to the mind of God, which is in me, and around me, and serves me now.

If you get a chance to read this guy, don’t hesitate. Like I said, its not that the central concepts of the book were unknown to me, but this author has a power of description that allows you to actually see how we are all intimately connected to the One Source.

Enuf said. Check him out for yourself, or if you already know his work, leave a comment.

Artificial Sweetners Crash the Party: The Potent Toxins Strikes Many

2007-01-14T19:42:00.001-05:00

The Party Crasher

Last December, the eight Crosby kids—no longer kids--gave a surprise birthday bash for our dear mother who was turning 39 (okay, maybe add a few decades and one to that):-

So we all arrived early to decorate the local Center where the event was to be held later that afternoon, early evening. Soon after my arrival, my six-year old nephew (maybe he’s 7 by now) started complaining that he had a headache. And it had to be a very bad headache. So bad that he did not wish to run around or play with or interact with any of his young cousins who were all scattered about the place. This was unusual scene. One I had never witnessed before. And being an auntie to more than 20 + nieces and nephews, I had seen a lot throughout the years.

We eventually told him to lie down and rest on one of the sofas in the place. But before he did, I questioned him about what he had eaten. Nothing unusual there. Then I asked him what he had drank, and he said a diet Coke.

Artificial Sweeteners, the Culprit

Ah, I said. That’s the problem. It was the diet drink. I told him he must never drink diet soft drinks. No, not ever I told him. I told him that if any one offered him one ever again, he was to tell them “No, I do not want it!”

You see, I had no doubt in my mind that it was the artificial sweetener in the diet soft drink that was the culprit and the reason he had this severe headache.

Because, in the past I too would develop severe headache after drinking a diet-anything and had subsequently given up buying diet drinks or purchasing any product that was sweetened with artificial sweeteners. No matter what the product, if it contained nutrasweet or other, the results would be the same, I would get an instant and severe headache and feel jittery, shaky and nervous.

Instant Headaches, Nervousness, the Shakes from a Potent SystemWide Toxin

This incident with my young nephew came back to mind recently after hearing my sister-in-law make a comment that diet sodas gave her headaches too.

Now, what always perplexed me about this artificial sweetener’s health threat was the fact that with diet soft drinks, when I drank them I would get headaches instantly. Not 15 minutes later but almost instantly. To me that indicated that whatever substance is in the sweetener that causes this health problem has to be a very potent one, one that accesses the bloodstream very very quickly and has a direct route to the brain and central nervous system.

In my estimation, such a potent chemical with the ability to cause such immediate detrimental effects to the health of susceptible individuals has to have some residual detrimental effects even to those who do not experience such immediate symptoms.

So why are these products still on the market and flourishing? I could guess but that is a blog for another time.

Informal Investigation from a Certifiable Sugar Addict

Being a sugar addict, I currently read a lot about sugar and its detrimental effects on health. I keep hoping that this knowledge will help me finally realize that sugar is not my friend and do something to break this addiction. Sugar Blues is an excellent read and gives a history of how sugar became such a dominant part of our diet and culture.

But here’s a page I found on a chiropractor’s site that talks a little about the dangers of the artificial sweetener aspartame. The article enlightens us about how the FDA in 1991 banned the importation of Stevia, an alternative sweetener that has been used for 100s of years in Japan with no reported adverse side effects, and gives a possible reason for this ban at the time.

Here’s the link to the article located at http://www.americanchiropractic.net/Sweeteners/sweeteners.htm

Aspartame: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

Use An Upper Cervical Chiropractor to Heal a Problem Quickly!

2007-01-10T12:40:00.000-05:00

Chiropractic to the Rescue: Getting to the Root of the Problem

Recently I started seeing a chiropractor because I was having pain in my shoulder area. The pain had been there for a couple of weeks and was getting progressively worst. And not only that, my L arm was getting weaker and weaker, making it painful to get dressed and pull things over my head.

I knew I needed a chiro. Now ordinarily getting a chiro is an easy thing to do. Start by getting a recommendation from a friend who had one, and then go see him/her.

Well, being relatively new to the area, I thought this would be hard to do. But, one of my friends had told me, “Dennis Young is My Chiropractor”. Said he was located one street off Wade Hampton Blvd, and that he was the best.

Okay, well if he’s the best, I have to go see him. So I did. I had just begun working a seasonal part time job preparing taxes and just sitting for four hours in the training class was causing me tremendous pain. I had two choices: either start on the 800mg of ibruprofen every 12 hours every day or get at the root of the problem and fix it. A chiro would be the best bet for fixing the problem.

Well to make a long story short, after two visits I no longer had any problems with my L shoulder area while sitting to do my tax preparation work.

And that was three weeks ago. It is only today as I drove for a return visit to see Dr Young that I realized my initial problem had been eradicated.

And isn’t that just the way it is. When something is not broken we tend not to notice it.

Dr Young is still treating me to correct some other "upper cervical" structural problems with my neck alignment so I still get to see him. And that's a good thing because I find his office environment to be warm and friendly, almost like an extended family. I understand from talking with the massage therapist there that Dr Young comes from a long line of chiropractors in his family, including his mother.

I have now graduated from going three times a week to two times a week. Yea! My posture is improving, the range of motion in my neck is improving, and I’m improving too.

So if you are looking for a chiro in the Greenville South Carolina or Taylors area, contact Dr. Young. He really is the best. His website is at: http://southeasternchiro.com/

Dr. Young specializes in Upper Cervical Chiropractic work, and that puts him among a select group of folks that are known to do some pretty amazing things with people, including folks with MS, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Depression and other chronic and degenerative ailments. View a list of more dis-eases they work on here.

If you’re not from the Greenville or Upstate area, but need some upper cervical chiropractic work, Dr. Young has a link on his site that can point you in the right direction to finding one in your area.

To your health,

Walk. Eat Better. Live Longer

2007-01-09T22:47:00.000-05:00

Walk.

Eat Better.

Live Longer.

Hey, that’s the message of the American Heart Association, according to this morning’s Fox News.

It’s a simple (sound bite) message, but what I like about it is that they tell you to eat better but in the brief message make no mention of what it is one should eat. I like that because that’s the part they never get quite right.

They note that walking 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week is beneficial to heart health.

By telling us to eat better, they acknowledge that nutrition and diet play a significant role in our overall health and well being.

Since 60% of Americans are overweight, obese or suffer from morbid obesity, establishing good eating habits is essential.

Live longer: It’s interesting that it is reported that for every hour of exercise, we add two hours to our life span. (Wonder what kind of double-blind study they use to get to those figures?):

All of this is good news from AmericanHeart.org. Go there to get your fresh start in the new year. And if you need nutritional supplements to help you get enough energy to start a heart healthy walking program, I suggest you try the Daily Complete and the Harmony products put out by Awareness Life Corp.. Those products may do wonders to kick start your success in 2007.

If you have cholesterol issues, try Xtend-Life supplements.

I have used both these company’s products with success.

Of course one thing my big brother swears by for controlling his cholesterol is the boot-leg “joggin in a jug” formula. He says he mixes…

1 part apple cider vinegar (note: see if you can find the organic apple cider vinegar)

2 parts grape juice

3 parts apple juice.

That means twice as much grape juice as apple cider vinegar and three times as much apple juice as the apple cider vinegar.

He makes about half a gallon at a time using a perused juice container, and drinks 2 ozs of the mixture every day. (Shake before pouring).

He says his doctor was amazed at how much his cholesterol level came down, but says he decided not to reveal to her any information about his involvement with the formula, because, well, “You know how doctors are…”

Yeah, tell me about it.

To Your Health--

Attaining the Utmost Joy in the New Year!

2007-01-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

"O ye, God's loved ones! Experience hath shown how greatly the renouncing of smoking, of intoxicating drink, and of opium, conduceth to health and vigour, to the expansion and keenness of the mind and to bodily strength. There is today a people who strictly avoid tobacco, intoxicating liquor and opium. This people is far and away superior to the others, for strength and physical courage, for health, beauty and comeliness. A single one of their men can stand up to ten men of another tribe. This hath proved true of the entire people: that is, member for member, each individual of this community is in every respect superior to the individuals of other communities." -- Abdu'l-Baha

Here's a link to something I posted on my Nine Lamps One Light spiritual enlightenment blog this morning. It's called How to Attain the Utmost Joy in the New Year.

Thought it might give you some food for thought as well.

I'm wishing you a blessed and joyful New Year!

Well I could say more, but gotta hit the pavement and get my walk on---some resolutions can be so strenuous...

Walmart Cuts Prices On Prescription Drugs...

2006-10-27T01:22:00.000-04:00

"There is but one power which heals -- that is God. The state or condition through which healing takes place is the condition of the heart. By some this state is reached through pills, powders and physicians. By others through hygiene, fasting and prayer. By others through direct perception. All that we see around us is the work of mind. It is mind in the herb and in the mineral that acts on the human body, and changes its conditions." -- Abdu'l-Baha

Rare to have such good news in the health area, but it appears Walmart has taken the lead to reduce drug costs.

Read their press release here.

Study Finds Your Everyday Black Tea Aids in Stress Reduction

2006-10-13T10:59:00.000-04:00

"We should all visit the sick. When they are in sorrow and suffering, it is a real help and benefit to have a friend come. Happiness is a great healer to those who are ill. In the East it is the custom to call upon the patient often and meet him individually. The people in the East show the utmost kindness and compassion to the sick and suffering. This has greater effect than the remedy itself. You must always have this thought of love and affection when you visit the ailing and afflicted.." -- Abdu'l-Baha

Who Knew Black Tea Reduces Stress Levels?

As the weather has been turning colder, I recently started drinking regular black tea. Having lived in Ghana for about 15 months, I had learned how to drink the stuff hot. Of course being a South Carolina native, what we usually do with black tea is drink it ice cold. And if I couldn't have the stuff ice cold, then I would rather have hot herbal tea.

But since Ghana, drinking hot black tea was not unthinkable. And like the Brits, I add a little milk to mine. I also add a little honey--ok, a lot of honey, and ah...I'm in heaven. The stuff tastes good.

So imagine my delight to find out that this old fashioned black tea has medicinal properties as well.

Move over Green Tea....I'm coming through. Actually I still drink Green Tea, especially when I feel a little cold coming on or when my immune system doesn't seem to be doing its job at peak performance. The antioxidants are really real in that green tea mixture and if the truth be known, I can actually detect the sense of well-being this little herb gives you.

But just thought you'd like to know about that black tea study. Also, if you are addicted to sugar--like I am sure I am--you may want to try to cut back on the amount that you use in your tea. After all, there is no need experiencing reduced stress at the risk of increased diabetes and all the other opportunistic diseases that results from an overworked and under-appreciated pancreas.

Here's to your continued good health...

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is here...

2006-10-04T10:28:00.000-04:00

"Now, if thou wishest to know the true remedy which will heal man from all sickness and will give him the health of the divine kingdom, know that it is the precepts and teachings of God. Focus thine attention upon them."

'Abdu'l-Baha

If it's October, then Breast Cancer Awareness Month is upon us.

Here's a link to a diagram showing you how to do a five step breast self examination.

And, remember, it is important that when you do your monthly self examination that you tell yourself that you are "checking for healthy breast tissue", not for cancer.

Thoughts are things, and the thought you have about what you are checking for could influence the outcome.

October is also a good month to schedule a mammogram if you haven't had one in a year and you are a middle aged woman or older.

Help for Cat Lovers with Allergies

2006-09-25T19:42:00.000-04:00

"There are two ways of healing sickness, material means and spiritual means. The first is by the treatment of physicians; the second consisteth in prayers offered by the spiritual ones to God and in turning to Him. Both means should be used and practised." -- Abdu'l-Baha-------------------------------------------------------------------------

So you’ve wanted to own a cat, but you are allergic to them.

Well, finally there is relief. Go ahead and put your name on the waiting list for this one.

Read: Allergy-free Cats For Sale at $3,950 Each, an article posted on the Medical News Today website.

I’m really not a cat person myself, although I have “cat” sat for a friend for about a week or two while she and her husband journeyed off to Japan for a vacation and to visit with relatives. They had one cat and one big dog. It was a long week for me since I am not really a dog person either. The first night in their home, I ended up having to call the couple’s in-town son to come over to reassure me that the big dog's bark was a friendly one.

My fear of dogs began when I was a youngster walking home from grade school on the streets of Brooklyn, New York. My friend and I were just walking along, when all of a sudden a little dog jumped up and took a bite out of my leg. We had not been taunting the dog, and to this day I don’t know where he came from. But ever since then I have never gone out of my way to cultivate relationships with these “unpredictable” creatures.

Still, I know that statically people with animals for pets tend to be happier and to live longer, and maybe I will even consider getting a small dog once I have an enclosed outdoors attached to my living area so s/he can run, play, roam and be free. No, an apartment is no place to raise a dog.

I’ve fought so long and hard for my own freedom that it would be inhumane to subject a defenseless animal to that same faith, i.e. having to stay cooped up in an apartment forever. You know, to children, 10 minutes can be a very long time, so imagine how long 8 hours would be to a dog confined to an apartment dwelling. It would be like forever. It would be an eternity of hell.

"Unless ye must,
Bruise not the serpent in the dust,
How much less wound a man,
And if ye can,
No ant should ye alarm,
Much less a brother harm." --Abdu'l-Baha--

Ok…gotta get back to writing this disability ebook. Was just taking an email break. Will yell at you next time.

Had your green tea today?

2006-09-13T09:05:00.000-04:00

Green tea has been a part of my nutritional regimen for many years now, but recently I started drinking it unmasked--that is without either sugar or honey. It's actually not that bad a taste, once you get used to it. (Though I have to admit that I still occasionally drink it with honey just because some morning I feel I "need" to.)

I knew green tea had medicinal properties and this article lends more weight to that. It's from ABC News, entitled:

Green Tea Gulpers May Have a Reduced Risk of Early Death

Are you still struggling with a health issue or suffer from a chronic degenerative dis-ease? Then you owe it to yourself to check out RecallingHealth.com's newest resource where I share with you a link to the top three nutritional supplements companys online. These are the ones that have given me the best results.

That a look here at Recalling Health with Nutritional Supplements.

My friend, here's to your good health,

USDA Food and Nutrition Research Brief Focuses on Healthy Weight Loss

2006-05-23T13:20:00.000-04:00

Healing Quotation:

"... if a doctor consoles a sick man by saying, 'Thank God you are better, and there is hope of your recovery,' though these words are contrary to the truth, yet they may become the consolation of the patient and the turning point of the illness. This is not blameworthy."

-- Abdu'l-Baha in Some Answered Questions

Click Here for More Healing Quotations

Click Here for More on the Role of Physcians in Healing

Hi friends,

It's been awhile since we last talked. Why haven't you called?

I was just reviewing this Food and Nutrition Research page which contains a lot of useful short articles on dieting and healthy weight loss, including the use of copper, grains and other natural substances to help you reach any weight loss goals.

The page is here:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb/fnrb0406.htm#copper

Since one never knows how often pages changes, you may wish to go there now to take a brief look.

Seems I'm noticing more and more articles on weight loss with the introduction of my new healthy weight loss site . Have you visited yet? I'm building a free collection of weight loss guides that give you good information on how to naturally loss weight without pills, potions and snake oils.

Visit the new site here at: http://healthy-weight-loss.recallinghealth.com/

Friends, my website building program is currently sick and has the "asiatic flu" so I have not attempted to do any updating to my Recalling Health to Mind Body and Spirit site since it only messes up the pages already on the site. Until this problem is rectified I'll just plan to send you updates through the email. Hope that is ok with everyone.

A lot has happened since March and the Fast, so I'll plan to update you in the next edition of Healthy Servings, the newsletter.

Hope you're happy and well.

To your health,

Mind, Body and Spirit Health and Healing: Some Quotes from the Holy Writings

2006-03-27T12:05:00.000-05:00

Now that the fasting period is over and spring is officially in the air, here are a few quotes to ponder regarding mind, body and spirit health and healing through material and physical means, and through spiritual and heavenly means. Unless otherwise indicated, all quotes are from the Master, 'Abdu'l-Baha.

Body:

Connection between material and spiritual things

"Between material things and spiritual things there is a connection. The more healthful his body the greater will be the power of the spirit of man, the power of the intellect, the power of the memory, the power of reflection will be greater."

"I hope thou wilt become as a rising light and obtain spiritual health,
as spiritual health is conducive to physical health."

Mind:

Meditation

"The spirit of man is itself informed and strengthened during meditation... Through it he receives Divine inspiration, through it he receives heavenly food."

Spirit:

Spiritual Causes of Disease

"If humankind ... lived according to a natural, inborn equilibrium, without following wherever their passions led, it is undeniable that diseases would no longer take the ascendant, nor diversify with such intensity. But man hath perversely continued to follow his lustful appetites, and he would not content himself with simple foods. Rather, he prepared for himself food that was composed of many ingredients, of substances differing one from the other. The result was the engendering of diseases both violent and diverse."

General:

God's Healing Power

"There is but one power which heals -- that is God. The state or condition through which healing takes place is the condition of the heart. By some this state is reached through pills, powders and physicians. By others through hygiene, fasting and prayer. By others through direct perception. All that we see around us is the work of mind. It is mind in the herb and in the mineral that acts on the human body, and changes its conditions."

If you missed my last Healthy-Servings newsletter, visit the article archives here:

http://healthy-servings.recallinghealth.net/Ezine-Articles.html

Fasting and Prayer…What a Combination

2006-03-04T20:44:00.000-05:00

“Verily I say, fasting is the supreme remedy and the most great healing for the disease of self and passion.” -- Bahá’u’lláh

Of course the focus of many Bahá’ís during this season is the Fast, and I am no exception.

I was just browsing through Dr. Elson M Hass’ book entitled “The Detox Diet: The How-To & When-To Guide for Cleansing the Body of Sugar, Nicotine, Alcohol, Caffeine, Chemicals and more…” He has a section on Fasting and Juice Cleansing and I was wondering if anyone out there in cyberland had used his material during the fasting period?

This evening I tried his Spring Master Cleanser formula to break the Fast after the sun went down. I must admit that the cayenne pepper which is part of the mix did have some kick to it, but the taste was not unpleasant and I managed to drink it all down, slip by slip.

Here’s his recipe for the master cleanser. You probably already have all the items in your home to make the formula if you are so inclined to give it a shot.

Spring Master Cleanser

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (up to 2 tablespoons if you want to drop less weight)

1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 ounces spring water

Mix and drink 8-12 glasses throughout the day. Eat or drink nothing else except water, laxative herb tea, and peppermint or chamomile tea. Keep the Cleanser in a glass container (not plastic) or make it fresh each time. Rinse your mouth with water after each glass to prevent the lemon juice from hurting the enamel of your teeth.

From The Detox Diet by Elson M. Hass, M.D.....

Of course Dr Hass has an Autumn Rejuvenation Ration which includes other wholesome goodies to partake of during a 3 to 5 day Fast during that time of year.

I don’t know if I will try the entire program he advocates in his 128 page book packed with a stop-smoking brew, under his nicotine detoxification section but I will certainly read his sugar detox section since I have been trying to slide that monster out from under my bed since time immemorial.

Hass' book is worth a read

-----------------------------

Well, I had thought I would take this Fasting time to write an e-book on Social Security Disability and how to get an accurate decision in the least amount of time but it just was not materializing. So instead I have decided to do some more work on a prayer book that I have in the works.

Today has been fruitful as I finished the introduction and the personal commentary in the “Why we pray” section of the book.

Yes, this project will be much more suitable to the calmness of the Fast than the Social Security project.

Earlier when I mentioned to a friend that I was writing a book on prayer which would include prayers for the family, husbands, women, protection, aid and assistance, etc., the first word that came out of her mouth was “Stormie OMartian.” She noted this author’s name was synonymous with the Book of Prayer. Said I should check her out next time I was at the bookstore.

So that’s what I did later in the day. The format of this author, from what I gathered from thumbing through the pages of her Book of Prayer was that she begins with a full paragraph of commentary and ends each page with a very small bit of scripture. My plan would be to give full prayers as revealed by the Prophets, Manifestations and Mouthpieces of God as the meat and potatoes of the page, with perhaps a small bit of commentary at the end if needed.

Do you have a better idea? Your comments are welcomed.

We’ll see what the final product looks like.

Til next time…

A Period for Fasting and Prayer

2006-02-27T15:29:00.000-05:00

"These are, O my God, the days whereon Thou didst enjoin Thy servants to observe the Fast...Thou hast endowed every hour of these days with a special virtue..."
Baha'u'llah

Every year, right before the beginning of the Spring (21 March), Baha'is throughout the world observe a 19-day religiously ordained Fast which requires abstinence from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. These 19 days (2-20 March), for me are a period of reflection and renewal of my commitment to serving my Lord and putting my affairs back in order.

Yeah, every year it seems things get out of hand. Thanksgiving and excess eating during the traditional holidays are sometimes the culprit. New pounds are put on and need to be shed. In comes the Fast to help out.

As the season change, it is a good time to detoxify the body, to cleanse it, to give the digestive tract a much needed rest. And in comes the Fast to help out.

And maybe I've gotten so busy in the previous year that I have inadvertently squeezed daily prayer right out of the equation, and my life is no longer balanced in the way that it ought to be. In comes the Fast to get me back on track and provide the spiritual revival that will take me though another year.

Yes the Fast is a requirement in my Faith. And so it has become a yearly ritual with me for the past 19 years -- a ritual that keeps me in harmony, balanced and focused on the things that might otherwise be neglected.

Some fasts are difficult to endure, but I find that when I perform the Fast during the time period right before Spring, there appears to be extra divine assistance to help me through. Perhaps that is because I start to focus on the divine and the countless blessings the Creator bestows. Whether this is a placebo effect or not, I don't know...but the blessings do seem to flow.

The Holy Writings state:

"As regards fasting, it constitutes, together with... prayers, the twin pillars that sustain the revealed law of God. They act as stimulants to the soul, revive and purify it, and thus ensure its steady development."

And what else does it do for the individual?

"Fasting is the cause of the elevation of one's spiritual station."--'Abdu'l-Bahá

There are many writings about the purpose of the Fast. One of my favorites is that it preserves one from severe test in the upcoming year. And I don't know about you, but this is something I can sink my teeth into ... cause my life is test-y enough as it is.

Have you ever thought about Fasting as a yearly ritual before Spring? There are so many things that it does to balance your life, your spirit and your being, and that is in addition to the purely physical benefits your body derives from it.

When you focus on the things of the spirit which is what I generally do while Fasting, you find that the absence of food and water from sunrise to sunset is nothing when compared with all the blessings and bounties that come from being obedient to this religious commandment issued forth from the realm on High.

"We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period, and at its close have de-signated for you Naw-Ruz (Baha'i New Year) as a feast. . . . The traveler, the ailing, those who are with child or giving suck, are not bound by the Fast; ... Abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown, and beware lest desire deprive you of this grace that is appointed in the Book."

This year I plan to reread Gleaning from the Writings of Baha'u'llah during the Fasting period; this was one of the first books I read prior to joing the Baha'i Faith almost two decades ago.

If you do decide to participate in the Fast and are new to it, I offer this one small gem of advice that may be helpful for the purely physical part of fasting.

That is: always break the fast each night with a cup of something hot. My preference is herbal tea, but it could be a cup of hot water or hot water with freshly squeezed lemon juice added to it. The hot water actually causes the stomach to expand after it has shrunk from going without food for long hours. It kind of readies the body to accept the food and not suffer the shock that it might otherwise alert you to.

Here are a few resources to help get you in the spirit of fasting:

12 Health Benefits of Fasting
The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting (Extracts from the compilation)
Fast Call for Bread and Tea (a poem on fasting written by a friend)

Whether you decide to try fasting for one day or many days anytime during the period from 2-20 March, know that millions of people from around the globe are doing the same thing. You are not alone.

Of course if you are sick or nursing or are a female in her menses, you are not bound by the Fast, and probably should not be fasting. While this is a spiritual law, part of the law offers exemptions for certain categories of people. And it goes without saying that you should consult with your health care provider prior to beginning any new regimen with your diet.

I love fasting because fasting "loves" me back! Get your healthy serving of this benefit in the upcoming days.

Note: Due to formatting difficulties, you can take a look at the complete resource list for this post here:

http://healthy-servings.recallinghealth.net/A-Period-of-Fasting-and-Prayer.html

Health Humor...The History of Medication

2006-02-27T02:29:00.000-05:00

"My home is the home of peace. My home is the home of joy and delight. My home is the home of laughter and exultation. Whosoever enters through the portals of this home, must go out with gladsome heart. This is the home of light; whosoever enters here must become illumined...."

Pilgrims Note attributed to Abdu'l-Baha

Hey,

Found this little snippet of health humor in the HEALING THROUGH UNITY NEWSLETTER for September/October 2005.

---------------------------------------------------

The History of Medication:

2000 B.C. - Here, eat this root.

1000 A.D. - That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.

1850 A.D. - That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.

1940 A.D. - That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.

1980 A.D. - That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.

2005 A.D. - That antibiotic is unhealthy. Here, eat this root.

(From Suzanne in Malawi)

Here's the link to the site:
http://www.healingthroughunity.org/newsletter__september_2005.htm

While you're there you should check out the "Proof that Ice Cream Therapy Really Works!"

Are You EFT Tapping For Health?

2006-02-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

"Treat disease through diet by preference, refraining from the use of drugs; and if you find what is required in a single herb, do not resort to a compounded medicament."
Baha'u'llah

EFT is a term that I have been bumping into a lot lately, but one in which I never really took the time to get a good understanding of .

EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique, and this morning while getting my daily healthy servings of Google Alerts, I caught this headline that read: Depression and Breakfast: Is Your Cereal Making You Depressed.

As a bonified sugar addict, I know the havoc that sugar causes to the body and so I clicked to read the article, which is posted here at:

http://mind.recallinghealth.net/Depression-&-Breakfast-Is-Cereal-for-Breakfast-Keeping-you-Depressed-.html

But, perhaps the most interesting thing about this article was the guy who wrote it, and what he does for a living. Check out the video that the article directs you to. You will learn a lot more about EFT and how the author claims to be able to help you tap your way to physical and emotional health.

Hmmm…something new and exciting all the time. Here’s a direct link to the video.

http://www.tap4health.com/video.php

Well, this is Lo and I gotta go … ‘cause I’m running for my life.

ABC 11 TV Headline Reads: Reducing Fat Doesn’t Reduce Cancer: A Commentary and Opposing View

2006-02-09T14:36:00.000-05:00

Well, just when you thought you had heard it all.

Last evening I was sitting at my computer—minding my own business—when the nightly news came on. I caught a sound bite which said reducing fat doesn’t reduce cancer.

And for a moment I thought I would explode.

The first question I asked myself was: When were newspaper journalists first given a key to the meat industry’s bedroom?

To keep this post short—and my blood pressure down—I am only going to briefly address the two culprits in the publication of such outrageous misinformation given to the American public and other media outlets throughout the world.

1. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Need I say more. Medical doctors only have two weapons to treat disease: pills and surgery, and any thing that threatens the sell of these pills and surgery will be fought against with a skill and fervor as if their livelihood depended on it—and in their minds, it does.

However, the weapons that they now use to fight their enemy of good food and nutrition are much more sophisticated. These weapons now take the form of “scientific studies”, and since we are a rational bunch here in the States, we are expected to simply swallow these studies whole. No need to take a closer look. No need to read the fine print. No need to comment. (More on the specifics of the one major flaw in the study below.)

2. Newspaper journalists are supposed to present an unbiased view, but because they long ago decided that it would be too risky to offer alternative views on the issue of health and healing, it has become very difficult--if not damn near impossible--to find a story on health that is balanced.

When the alternative view is not offered, there can be no balance – scientific studies included. And it would seem that since they have taken the position of not offering views from alternative health care providers when it comes to publications from the JAMA, you would think they would go the extra mile and actually read the fine print of the studies, i.e. do a little journalistic investigation—I know, what a concept. But they don’t, they run with the story as it is, unaware or uncaring of its impact and import.

That thousands will die because of their lack of professionalism seems a small price to pay in beating out their competition with “breaking news.”

Yes, I’m upset—and I rarely get upset. So let me finish my point so I can move past this and get back to writing more articles to actually help people recall health to the body, mind and spirit, holistically.

First, let me point you to the actual article posted in the JAMA at:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/295/6/629#REF-JOC60003-1

Here’s the hypothesis:

“The hypothesis that a low-fat dietary pattern can reduce breast cancer risk has existed for decades but has never been tested in a controlled intervention trial.”

You’ll note in the “Interventions” section, it reads:

“Women were randomly assigned to the dietary modification intervention group (40% [n = 19 541]) or the comparison group (60% [n = 29 294]). The intervention was designed to promote dietary change with the goals of reducing intake of total fat to 20% of energy and increasing consumption of vegetables and fruit to at least 5 servings daily and grains to at least 6 servings."

You see the researchers begun with a thought/proposition that reducing fat consumption by 20% might have an effect on the reduction of cancer. And it is regrettable that the study was not controlled enough to include participants who actually met that criteria.

Here’s what the researchers found:

“Dietary fat intake was significantly lower in the dietary modification intervention group compared with the comparison group. The difference between groups in change from baseline for percentage of energy from fat varied from 10.7% at year 1 to 8.1% at year 6. Vegetable and fruit consumption was higher in the intervention group by at least 1 serving per day and a smaller, more transient difference was found for grain consumption. The number of women who developed invasive breast cancer (annualized incidence rate) over the 8.1-year average follow-up period was 655 (0.42%) in the intervention group and 1072 (0.45%) in the comparison group (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.01 for the comparison between the 2 groups). Secondary analyses suggest a lower hazard ratio among adherent women, provide greater evidence of risk reduction among women having a high-fat diet at baseline, and suggest a dietary effect that varies by hormone receptor characteristics of the tumor.”

What one might conclude from the items highlighted above is that at no time in this controlled study did the intervention group reach a level of reducing their fat intake by 20%.

Moreover, they only increased their fruit and vegetable intake to one serving more than the uncontrolled group, and did not consume the five servings which would have placed them within the criteria for being a part of the control group.

And instead of the researchers reporting that the study was therefore invalid because the control group was not really under control, they merely reported that there was no significant reduction in cancer among the control group. In my mind, that is not the same thing, nor is it the truth.

Instead of strapping their results and starting off with a group who might actually and easily meet the criteria that was established for the control group (ie. a group which has already decreased their fat consumption by 20% as a matter of lifestyle, such as vegetarians), and comparing those persons with the general population, the “scientists” might have been able to achieve and report legitimate results.

I am no scholar, but let’s call a spade a spade. Give me a controlled study and give me scientific results, or report to me that the study was inconclusive due to the lack of a control group, and I am satisfied.

I’m only guessing, but probably after you have spent mucho dinero ($$) to conduct an 8 year study, the higher ups want to know the outcome. When the researchers had to cough up something, all they managed to do was to cough up phlegm. And that the JAMA then regurgitated that phlegm out to the American public is unacceptable.

That the media then continued to spew out these results through its outlets is perhaps the thing that concerns me the most. Because I certainly can understand why the AMA did what it did, I do not know why the newspaper industry did not feel impelled to challenge the findings, i.e. to do their jobs!

Where is my valerian supplement? These folks have gotten on my last nerve.

Well, this is Lo and I gotta go … ‘cause I’m running for my life.

What does “Money in the Mind” have to do with The Power of Money?--A Book Review

2006-02-04T17:34:00.000-05:00

"If your parents had known about the rules of money, the information found in The Power of Money is what they would have lovingly taught you as you grew up."

Loretta Crosby, Editor, Recalling Health to Your Finances

Hi Friends,

Seems a while since we last communicated.

I have been busy writing and sharing great articles on ways to recall health to the mind body and spirit, and even ones on restoring your health using natural nutrition. Yeah, that’s what I do, in case you’ve forgotten.

You can take a look at the new health articles here:

http://natural-nutrition.recallinghealth.net/Health-Articles.html

http://body.recallinghealth.net/Articles.html

This week’s Partners-N-Health newsletter featured information on Ayurvedic Herbs and their health benefits. If you missed it, it will soon be posted on my natural nutrition site, so not to worry.

Next week’s topic will be of interest to you if you have problems with your cholesterol. I’ll show you 14 ways you can lower your cholesterol naturally without the use of drugs or other medicines which can potentially have side effects. Sign up for the newsletter here to have it delivered to your inbox next week. I also direct you to the best free report on cholesterol and health on the net. If you’re “cholesterol-challenged” in the lest bit, you do not want to miss this issue.

My new Get Out of Debt resource (i.e. to help you recall health to your finances) is now live at:

http://get-out-of-debt-advice.recallinghealth.net/

Which brings me back to the subject of this post (you’ll see why in a minute):

So What does “Money in the Mind” have to do with The Power of Money?

It all started with a dream that I had which ultimately led me to a book called The Power of Money.

Long story short, I awakened Friday morning with the image of a title in my head which read, “Money in the Mind”. Underneath the title was a name which was highlighted in blue and underlined. But I couldn’t make out the name (even in my dreams I need my glasses for the small print):-

Forgetting all about the image, later in the day I went slummin’ at the local thrift store hoping to find a long, inexpensive table for my work at home office. I browsed around for a minute or two before I ended up in the book section. (I always end up in the book section—if you’re ever looking for me in a store, ask the manager where the book section is and that is where you will find me:) -

Anyway, I found about 5 books on health and healing and herbal remedies, but beyond that I found a book entitled “The Power of Money”, paid .50 cents for it, and took it home and read it that evening.

Later I surmised that this had to be the title that my dream referred to because it was a book about money--one that I know is going to change my life and my relationship with money forever. You can read the book review that I just posted on my newest Get-Out-of-Debt-Advice resource here.

I really recommend you get a copy of this book if you are serious about being the best that you can be, while using the Word of God to enhance your life and your financial prosperity.

Amazon has this title in “used” form for about what I paid for it. Get yours there. Who knows, it just might be the best .50 cents you ever spent too…

Well, this is Lo and I gotta go … ‘cause I’m running for my life.

&amp;lt;br&gt;

Activating Your Faith and Belief in the Word of God

2006-01-13T16:18:00.000-05:00

“The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage ... He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness.”

Believe It or Not

Oftentimes we read a passage from the Holy Writings which contain promises made to us by one of God’s Messengers/Prophets.

But do we really believe what has been promised to us by these Mouthpieces of God?

Take for instance the quote above, which in effect says that the Prophet hath “drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness.”

Now, if we believe these words, it means that if you have sorrow in your life, it is only imaginary. It is not real. It can not be real, because in reality, according to these words of the Ancient Beauty, the cup of sorrow has been emptied. Any sorrow that we perceive is but a pigment of our imagination, however real it seems and however deeply the pain may be felt.

My experience has been that people generally gloss over the Writings, thinking that “This can’t possibly be true now. The Prophet must have meant it for a time in the future when things are more perfect.”

But looking at the passage above, there is no mention that we have to wait to attain to the “abiding joy” promised or that we need to wait to be filled with the “gladness” promised. There is no problem with the translation of the text. The words were not spoken using the future tense.

So, when we declare to ourselves, “These words can not possibly be true now because I see sorrow all around me”, it means we are expressing doubt as to the validity of the Word. We have no faith or belief that they are true. When we take this approach, we are in effect throwing our faith out the window. So there goes that small grain, the size of a mustard seed, that we needed to have in order to receive the abiding joy and gladness that was promised in the Writings.

But, the contrast to this is that at other times, when we really need for the words and promises made by the Prophets to ring true in our lives, we might first meditate on the passages, and ask God to fulfill in our life the promises made in that particular passage.

For example, take a look at this Writing from the Prophet:

“…All healing comes from God.”

When we need healing, and when we need it urgently, either for ourselves or a loved one, and the doctors cannot effect a remedy, oftentimes we concentrate and focus, and then we start to believe that all healing comes from God, and we summon Him to our aid, to provide the healing that has been promised.

Through our belief in the power of the Holy Word and its truth and validity, through our prayers and/or the prayers of the holy ones, sometimes a healing is granted. And the event is called a miracle.

But really all that happened was that we believed and trusted in the Word of God and had faith that God would fulfill the promise that was made. If miracles are a result of God keeping His promises to us, then miracles happen 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

So one way to tap into these miracles is to increase your faith in the word of God. The holy writings from the Christian faith proclaim that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” So to increase our faith we must delve into the Word of God. And not just read it, but believe it!

“As ye have faith, so shall your powers and blessings be…This is the balance.”
'Abdu’l-Baha

Well, this is Lo and I gotta go…’cause I’m running for my life.

Spiritual, Emotional, Physical and Financial Blessings for the Asking Using this Simple 9 Step Formula

2005-12-20T17:08:00.000-05:00

Stop that Wining Child…
On Moving Back Home to Live With My Father

--Are you stressed out about your bills?
--Did you just get fired from your job?
--Has your husband or wife (spouse or significant other) left you – for good this time?
--Are you in debt up to your eyeballs?
--Are they threatening to take your house away because you can’t meet the mortgage payments? Have they declined your mortgage loan application?
--Are your children just looking for a reason to hit the streets and run away from home?
--Do you have your own alcohol/smoking/drug addiction to handle?
--Are you grossly overweight—obese?
--Struggling with promiscuity? Latent homosexual tendencies? Been celibate too long?

Or do you have some other mental, physical, financial or spiritual problem that you need some help with?

Well, today is your lucky day

You’re invited to participate in my free 19 day MSW program.

This program is guaranteed to work for you or your money back.

In other words, if you don’t log/register/experience at least one miracle or spiritual blessing in your life within this 19-day period, then I will gladly refund your complete purchase price, including shipping. Oh…silly me, there is no money to refund…it’s free.

Okay, here are the ground rules for the MSW program participation. The only requirement for this is that you must have a belief in a higher power (i.e. a belief in God or any of His divinely appointed Messengers):

Here are the 9 steps you must take to reap the benefits of the MSW (My Spiritual Weapon) program:

1) Identify up to nine current problems that you are facing.
2) Write these problems down on a piece of paper.
3) Write down any solutions that you can think of for each of these problems.
4) Now, toss out both pieces of paper. That’s right—trash these papers. These are probably just updates on solutions that you have tried before, the same solutions that have not worked for you before, so just toss them out. You’ve heard the saying that you can not solve a problem with the same mindset that created the problem in the first place.
5) Now. Here is the most important step in the process. Read this phrase every day for at least five times a day (more if you think about it): “Thank you (God) for everything. I have (absolutely) no complaints whatsoever.”
6) Repeat this phrase everyday for 19 days.
7) At the end or beginning of each day, write down any good things or unusual or unexpected positive things that you have experienced throughout the day. Good things might include any special blessings that came to you. Blessings can take the form of a good feeling that seemed to appear out of nowhere; financial blessings that come from a known or unexpected source; spiritual blessings, such as feeling more love towards someone, being kinder to others, or feeling love that others have shown toward you. Blessings may also take the form of your developing a new way of viewing your problems, and your taking action and following through on any new solutions that come to mind.
8) While you are saying your phrase each day, think about what it means. Imagine that you are an adult child who has been having some problems that have resulted in you having to move back into your Father’s home. Remember when you were a child and how all your needs were provided for. You did not have to worry about the rent; you did not have to worry about getting food or clothes. All your needs were provided for by your parents. Now that you are back home with your Father for the next 19 days, all you have to do is say “Thank you Father for everything. I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever”. This statement is true because even when you were fighting with your siblings or wanting candy that was bad for your teeth, your father always had a solution and took care of everything. He showed you ways to get along with the other children at school. Try to get in the habit of knowing that while you are in your Father’s home, everything will be taken care of. All you have to do is your part. When you were a child, that meant you got up, dressed, had breakfast and went off to school. As an adult in your Father’s home, all you need to do is figure out a way to serve him. So you might also begin your day by asking “Father, thank you for everything. How may I serve you today?”. Then wait for an answer. When it appears that an answer presents itself, act on it at once.
9) Get involved in some activity that allows you to be of service to others. “Service is the magnet that draws the confirmations of the Merciful One”, and since you are seeking divine confirmations, by being of service to someone/others, this is one sure way to receive your blessings.

Editor’s Note: From time to time, I will be randomly setting up such experiments designed to increase your blessing. Each time I discover new ways to increase the miracles in my life, I plan to pass it on to my readers. Sign up to be notified of when this blog is updated if you wish to be kept informed of any new experiments which cost you nothing to implement, but which may change your life for the better.

Til next time…

This is Lo and I got to go…'cause I’m running for my life.

Geek Squad / Customer Service at Best Buy Store Leaves Computer Consumers to Fend for Themselves…

2005-12-20T14:19:00.000-05:00

A “UB-The-Judge” Complaint: Spotlighting Bad Customer Service, Lousy Customer Service or No Customer Service

Best Buy

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Store Location: Raleigh NC (Store 821)
6101 Capital Blvd
Raleigh, NC 27616-2943
Phone: 919-876-1003

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As I entered the Best Buy store on Capital Blvd during a recent visit, I was immediately struck by the Volkswagon Beetle that was parked just to the right of the Best Buy store entrance. The “Geek Squad” advertisement was prominently painted all over the vehicle.

I had two customer service issues when I entered the store and had brought my computer’s CPU with me to return if I could not get the problems resolved.

One issue was the fact that Best Buy’s rebate center personnel (via phone) had decided not to honor a $320 rebate which I was entitled to based on a computer purchase I had made on Black Friday. So I had decided to visit the store to talk to a real person to try to resolve the issue. The first young lady--who might have been an assistant supervisor in Best Buy’s customer service department--took care of that issue and offered me some options as to how to requalify for the rebate. Basically, I would need to purchase a $50 printer to go with the computer bundle in order to qualify for the $320 rebate. So I made the purchase even though I had no respect for the Lexmark brand due to previous issues with its overall quality.

The second issue was a Geek Squad issue. Microsoft, as part of their selling effort, had placed a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office on the new computer. And I, already having a disk for Microsoft Office, had elected to delete this trial software and install the version I already had. Well, long story short, poor Microsoft software programming had led to my not being able to use my Microsoft Outlook program on the new machine as a result of this. That would not have been so bad except that as a virtual assistant operating a home-based business, it was crucial that my email program be working.

So for 90 minutes the Geek Squad person worked to delete hidden files, etc., to get the Microsoft Outlook program to working, but nothing was working. After all the failed attempts, the Geek Squad person said I was within 30 days so I could have the CPU replaced. So he sends me to the computer department to get the same model.

Now it’s five minutes before the 10 p.m. closing time, and some slickly dressed young woman (who might have been the supervisor) shows up from out of nowhere and asks what the issue is, proceeds to tell me that because I was outside of the 14 day return policy that I would need to take my non-working CPU home as it was, even though the operating system would not allow installation of my Microsoft Office software. I had purchased the machine on 25 November, and it was now 17 December, and she was in effect saying that I was just out of luck. She offered to let her geek squad look at it again, but it would cost me by the hour. Now, this is the same geek squad that had just spent 90 minutes trying to fix the problem without success.

I asked her if it was fair to place the burden of fixing a new machine back on the consumer when her Geek Squad could not fix the problem, and then she informs me that Best Buy is not responsible for software issues. So in effect, Best Buy peddles these e-Machines with the Microsoft trial version software preloaded onto them which causes a problem for everyone and Best Buy does nothing to fix the problem.

What Stellar/Excellent Customer Service would have looked like in this situation:

Best Buy would have offered to uninstall any Microsoft Office trial version from all CPUs containing this program. Free of charge.

What Good Customer Service would have looked like:

Best Buy would have included an instruction sheet with each e-Machine it sells explaining upfront how to uninstall Microsoft Office trial for those customers who had no intention of purchasing the full product. Best Buy would uninstall the software for free to customers who experienced problems.

What Bad Customer Service/Poor Customer Service/No Customer Service looks like:

Read story above for details.

Best Buy sells/peddles e-Machines with pre-loaded software that is known to create problems for users, offers no support, and has a Geek Squad not trained to fix such problems. Best Buy places on its computer shopping customers the burden of not being able to fully use the merchandise it sells and offers no remedy, save that the customer has to incur additional expense to fix a non-working new machine.

So the question: bad service, lousy service or no service? UB the Judge.

Well this is Lo and I gotta go …cause I’m running for my life.

Created Rich: Focusing on Spiritual Qualities in a Materialistic World

2005-10-09T13:48:00.000-04:00

"Another aspect of money is that with it good people become better and bad people become worst. If you love humanity, money can help you to establish a foundation of goodwill for unifying people, but if you harbor prejudices or hatred against people, money can aid you to become more destructive and inconsiderate of others, since money increases the potency of one's actions. The person with a high sense of virtue and spiritual rectitude can accomplish a great deal of good with money, but one not so morally endowed can cause dreadful suffering and mischief.”

– Excerpt from Created Rich by Patrick Barker

Putting the Spirit First When Making Life Changing Decisions

Yesterday evening while at my computer, I heard a crash, which seemed to emanate from another room. Something fell, but I was too engrossed in my activity to even turn around.

This morning as I awakened and strolled leisurely to my living room’s sliding glass doors to open the floor-length blinds (or whatever they are called) leading to my balcony, my eyes glanced the book case located in the darkest corner of this one bedroom apartment.

It was a room that used to house my "work-at-home" office, but because I am one who loves the light, the office had zero chance of surviving there, even though it was the most logical place to set up shop.

The space had two high bar stools and a breakfast bar area with a rectangular shaped wall cut out, which would allow guests to watch the cook in the kitchen--if one were ever there (my good friends will know what that means:)-

So I imagined this dark room was designed to be a dining room, but it was so small, and consequently, I had never used it for that purpose. Instead, there sat my singular three-shelf white bookcase, some makeshift filing crates on the floor and, of course, some verdant overgrown live greenery atop the bookshelf. Yes, there were plants gracing just about every room of this home, giving testament to the truth of the assertion that plants are to the poor man what paintings of art are to the rich.

And on the floor, next to my bookcase, was undoubtedly what had caused the crashing sound the night before. Books had fallen off the top shelf. I picked them up. Among them was Created Rich: How Spiritual Attitudes and Material Means Work Together to Achieve Prosperity.

Ahhh... This was one of my favorites. I believe the gentleman that wrote it had served at one point as a volunteer in Israel for the same organization that I had, though I did not know him. But I believe I read somewhere, or maybe someone mentioned to me, that this was a man who was/had been a stay-at-home dad who raised his children while his wife did what she did.(Don't look at me like that, I don't know what she did. I told you already, I don't know the man):-

Anyway, this book was one of the few that made my "must take with me" list as I moved around the world, traveling light and sometimes being forced to take only “essentials” with me. Most of my books were now in storage in another state. But not Created Rich. You see I am a believer that one can serve His Lord in abundance. After all, Jesus Christ said (and I am paraphrasing):

"Ask and it shall be given.” "Knock and the door will be opened."

Of course He had full knowledge when He said all this that His enlightened children--and even those not so enlightened--would be doing a lot of asking and a lot of knocking. Yeah...it is in our nature.

And Baha'u'llah--whose Arabic title when translated means "the Glory of God"--is a prophet out of Persia who lived in the 1800s and proclaimed:

"Having reached the age of maturity, man stands in need of wealth."

Now, if we juxtaposition Baha'u'llah's statement to a talk that His son, Abdu'l-Baha gave--whose title translated means "Servant of the Glory"--we see that His son talks about how much God loves poor people. And, to me, this demonstrates that there is indeed room for both the rich and for the poor to be able to attain an exalted spiritual station in the eyes of God.

But I am rambling so let me get to the point.

Here is a passage from Created Rich. I should say from the onset that the message was very timely for me because as of late I have been contemplating returning to Africa to work and serve. And the questions had come, as they always do when you are middle-aged and childless, "Do I really want to move out of the country again, give up a chance to pay into Social Security and actually have some income, albeit small, in my retirement years?"

The question was now mute as I no longer had a traditional job, and I certainly had not put down roots in my current location, which I have only been in for a year now. So I woke up knowing I had tremendous decisions to make about my life and what should come next.

In the past two weeks, I had been on a number of job interviews, some for part time work, some for full time work, some for any kind of work at all to put the balance sheet in black instead of red. Oh...who am I fooling, there is no balance to the sheet. Even the background of the page is red:)- And thus is born the concept of "Keeping the Faith." "Hallelujah" and "Glory be to God!"

Here is the excerpt from Created Rich by Patrick Barker. I share it with you because maybe you need to hear it too.

"The inordinate desire for physical comforts, the second of man's materialistic tendencies, has to do with all manner of wasteful and excessive consumption. Modern man, especially in the more affluent technologically advanced societies, is consumer oriented. People consume food excessively not for nourishment but for mere pleasure, tend to buy more things than they can reasonably use, and thoughtlessly waste precious natural resources to satisfy their bodily whims. The physical weakening of the human body through inadequate exercise and improper nutrition, the emotional destruction caused by a lack of healthy interaction with other people, and the loss of tranquility through an overabundance of artificial stimulation and noise has contributed to people losing sight of the true function of the material world, which is to act as a classroom for the acquisition and maintenance of spiritual qualities. If our quest for physical comfort leads to laziness or lethargy, it is almost impossible to progress spiritually.

Barker also gives a paragraph on the first of man’s materialistic tendencies, which he describes as being the pursue of riches at the expense of all other things, and on the third of these tendencies as being an overindulgence in worldly enjoyments which have to do with what he calls “the never-ending quest for pleasure and entertainment to the distraction of gaining spiritual attributes.”

Hmmm… I sure wrote a whole lot before giving you the quote. I will try to do better next time.

O SON OF BEING!
Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee.

.Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah

Read 9 More Hidden Words at RecallingHealth.com

Hey,

This is Lo, and I gotta go ... 'cause I'm running for my life.

--------------------------------------------
References:

Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah

Created Rich: How Spiritual Attitudes and Material Means Work Together to Achieve Prosperity

Laughter, Self Talk -- A Fibromyalgia Cure?

2005-09-20T18:57:00.001-04:00

"And if thou are looking for the divine remedy which will cure the spirit of man of all diseases and make him obtain the health of the Divine Kingdom, know that it is the precepts and teachings of God. Take the greatest care of them." -- 'Abdu'l-Baha

Here's my latest article posted at RecallingHealth.com, entitled:

One Natural Fibromyalgia Cure for Pain and Fatigue: Discover how I naturally cured my ‘almost’ fibromyalgia syndrome with laughter and self-talk as a remedy and treatment to manage the symptoms of pain and fatigue.

That's all for now.

Hey,

This is Lo and I gotta go ... 'cause I'm running for my life.

Prayers for Aid and Assistance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina...

2005-09-03T12:54:00.000-04:00

"The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence." -- Baha'u'llah

In an Hour of Need ...

(Please note if you click on the "title link" above, you will be taken to BahaiPrayers.org)

As I was having some tea this morning, I noted these two quotes on the back of the Celestial Seasoning herbal tea box, which read:

"A house is no home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body." Margaret Fuller

"The flower that follows the sun does so even on cloudy days." -- Robert Leighton

The second quote instantly reminded me of the devastation and the continued sufferings of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Here is a prayer--copied and pasted from BahaiPrayers.org--offered to bring aid and assistance to the many whose lives, livelihood and homes have been touched by this calamity. You will find many more prayers available at the above mentioned website, but as I have said in a previous post, this is the prayer I used most often in an hour of need.

L ord! Pitiful are we, grant us Thy favor; poor, bestow upon us a share from the ocean of Thy wealth; needy, do Thou satisfy us; abased, give us Thy glory. The fowls of the air and the beasts of the field receive their meat each day from Thee and all beings partake of Thy care and loving kindness.

Deprive not this feeble one of Thy wonderous grace and vouchsafe by Thy might unto this helpless soul Thy bounty.

Give us our daily bread and grant Thy increase in the necessities of life, that we may be dependent on none other than Thee, may walk in Thy ways and declare Thy mysteries. Thou art the Almighty and the Loving and the Provider of all mankind.

'Abdu'l-Bahá

Another prayer reads:

"In God, Who is the Lord of all created things, have I placed My whole trust. There is no God but Him, the Peerless, the Most Exalted. Unto Him have I resigned Myself and into His hands have I committed all My affairs." -- The Bab

You can read The Lord's Prayer here.

Please remember that this day is blessed...and so are you.

This is Lo, and I'm running for my life ...

The Poor Are Blessed With Real Riches...

2005-08-29T23:11:00.000-04:00

"The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence." -- Baha'u'llah

Ever quit your job before you replaced your full time income?

As I pondered my new found state of joblessness and my meager efforts to create enough income before the bills come due 30 days from now, I came across this gem from a talk given by the Master at a Mission Shelter back in 1912. I wanted to share it with those of you who may be similarly challenged financially or those who just might be in need of some divine inspiration and words of encouragement.

Click on the headline above to go directly to the talk which I have posted at RecallingHealth.com.

The words of love expressed by His Holiness Jesus Christ and Baha'u'llah made my heart sing in thankfulness and celebration for the opportunity to be apart of this elite group of foot soldiers in the army of God. (Mind you, this is not the first time I have been invited to join :-)

No doubt the words in the talk have the inherent power to enrich the souls of the rich and poor alike. What am I talking about--all of God's Words have the potency to inspire and transform the lives of anyone who believes and has faith.

Who was it that said: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."?

Still reading this post instead of the Blessed Are the Poor talk? Well here are a couple of quotes for you to ponder from the Hidden Words before you go:

O CHILDREN OF DUST!
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.

O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH!
The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not intent only on your own ease.

-- Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words

Yeah, the rich ones on earth have their instructions and obligations from on high too. Who knows, maybe that's why it's so hard for some of them to get into heaven.

This is Lo...and I gotta go.

PS--Still need more?

Ok...here's what I will do. When I finish posting here, I will post one of my favorite prayers for aid and assistance (one in which I have long ago committed to memory). It will be posted here.

PS II--I am gonna try to dream in color tonight...

JusLo's Blog Explores the Fruit of the Spirit

2005-08-27T23:09:00.000-04:00

"The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence." -- Baha'u'llah

You know, originally I thought having a blog would allow me to update readers of my four other websites on new changes, new articles, etc.

But after reviewing the content of my posts over the past few months, I find that a better purpose for this blog might be to use it as a means to get in touch with my spiritual side. After all, the health of the body and the mind will fade away while the life of the spirit lives on throughout eternity. So why not spend some time cultivating it. Why not spend some time seeking spiritual enlightenment?

Spiritual health and divine happiness through prayer and meditation on the Word of God will be of great use to me when I leave this world and transition to my new home in the realm of eternity.

Exploring concepts such as the purpose of creation or the meaning of life or even the purpose of religion are subjects that intrigue me and even inspire me. But more than that, I find that when I am delving into the life of the spirit, I gain the added benefit of feeling peaceful and serene. It's an excellent opportunity for me to take my mind off my work and place my intention on the thing that I hold near and dear to my heart, namely my service to His kingdom.

So, here's a heads up to a blog that will be devoted almost exclusively to an exporation of the things of the spirit.

It's really funny how things just seem to evolve. I can remember when I published my first website two years ago, and how the experts told me to narrow my focus. I had wanted to do a site on how to achieve a healthy Mind Body and Spirit, but scaled it down to a site entitled "Nutritional-Supplements-at-HealingwithFoods.com"

Of course I eventually turned that into Recalling Health to Mind Body and Spirit because no matter what anyone said I could never justifiably separate the three entities. To do so would have probably earned me more money from my sites, but having a holistic approach to health and healing probably benefits my readers more. (And having a popular and respected health site of more than 150 pages also serves me well in getting any new sites I publish ranked by the search engines with lightening speed. And that's important because the sooner Google and Yahoo and MSN know I am up and running, the sooner my readers can find the information they seek.)

So I guess this site is really a blog for the Spirit section of my RecalllingHealth.com website.

And that seems in keeping with the fact that one of my favorite quotes reads:

"O Son of Light! Forget all save Me and commune with My spirit. This is the essence of My command, therefore turn onto it."--Baha'u'llah

And another one reads:

"There is nothing sweeter in the world of existence than prayer. Man must live in a state of prayer. The most blessed condition is the condition of prayer and supplication. Prayer is conversation with God. The greatest attainment or the sweetest state is none other than conversation with God. It creates spirituality, creates mindfulness and celestial feelings, begets new attractions of the Kingdom and engenders the susceptibilities of the higher intelligence." -- 'Abdu'l-Baha

Did you know that prayer did all that? Everytime I read that I get excited.

So I decided that since I am charged with reciting the verses of God daily anyway, why not use this blog to share some of the spiritual insights gained from those Holy Words with you.

It's all good.

This is Lo and I gotta go...

Racism—America’s Most Challenging Issue…

2005-08-27T20:48:00.000-04:00

Overcoming Racism with Faith, Assurance and Spiritual Teachings: Blacks Must Forget the Past, Whites Must Abandon the Illusion of Supremacy

by Loretta Crosby
Editor/Publisher RecallingHealth.com

19 August 2005

The Problem: Racism becomes suspect when there is no other explanation for injustice.

Last night I did not sleep very well.

I was up till 4 a.m. drafting a letter to the Administrator of my ex employer.

Briefly, here’s what happened. On 28 July, the morning following my supervisor receiving my letter of resignation, he signed a one-page evaluation, which stated that I was eligible for rehire at the state agency. Three weeks later, this same supervisor presented me with a “revised” form which now stated that I was not eligible for rehire. The form was laden with contradictions as it also stated that I would be excellent in some positions but not others. Which begged the question, “How can one not be eligible for rehire if there are positions at the agency where one would be expected to excel?”

Long story short, my follow-up letter to the Administrator simply pointed out the contradictions on the form, not the least of which being that it rated me “above average” in six areas and “average” in one area of performance, and concluded that therefore I was “average” in total performance.

But the details of the event are not merely as important as the trend that I am seeing as I have worked for two large state agencies in two southeastern states in the last three years. I had transferred to the second state agency hoping to be closer to an aging parent.

The trend that I am witnessing is one of racial bias and discriminatory practices that go unchecked by the powers that be. When administrators allow their management staff to perpetuate such blatant injustices and dishonesty, it is an indictment of their inability to lead in a world that is increasingly crumbling from a lack of moral leadership and a lack of a concentration on the core values and virtues that are needed to allow any organization to flourish in the face of diversity among its workforce.

The Solution: What the Whites Must Give Up, What the Blacks Must Give

So what is the solution to overcoming racial prejudices, discriminatory practices and the like? Undoubtedly it is a complex one, otherwise it would not have been designated as America’s most challenging issue more than 60 years ago by a spiritual leader who not only articulated the problem, but also gave solutions as to how we might overcome it. It is in the spirit of seeking a resolution to the problem that I offer you some of his words written to a religious community and in the hopes that some gems of wisdom might be uncovered as we as a society take steps to alleviate the problem.

Written in the language of that time, Shoghi Effendi addressed the Negro people, saying:

"...Let the Negroes through a corresponding effort on their part, show by every means in their power the warmth of their response, their readiness to forget the past, and their ability to wipeout every trace of suspicion that may still linger in their hearts and minds. Let neither think that the solution of so vast a problem until the initiative has been taken, and the favorable circumstances created by agencies that stand outside the orbit of their Faith..."

And to the White people, he wrote:

"Let the whites make a supreme effort in their resolve to contribute their share to the solution of this problem, to abandon once for all their usually inherent and at times subconscious sense of superiority, to correct their tendency towards revealing a patronizing attitude towards the members of the other race, to persuade them through their intimate, spontaneous and informal association with them of the genuineness of their friendship and the sincerity of their intentions, and to master their impatience of any lack of responsiveness on the part of a people who have received, for so long a period, such grievous and slow-healing wounds."

Shoghi Effendi’s grandfather, the Master, had previously addressed the White race, saying:

"... I hope that ye may cause that downtrodden race to become glorious, and to be joined with the white race, to serve the world of man with the utmost sincerity, faithfulness, love and purity. This opposition, enmity and prejudice among the white race and the coloured cannot be effaced except through faith, assurance, and the teachings of the Blessed Beauty... This question of the union of the white and the black is very important for if it is not realized, erelong great difficulties will arise and harmful results will follow ... enmity will be increased day by day and the final result will be hardship and may end in bloodshed."

In another communication to the American community, this same Master wrote:

"The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord. If you meet those of a different race and colour from yourself, do not mistrust them and withdraw yourself into your shell of conventionality, but rather be glad and show them kindness."

In addressing both races, Shoghi Effendi again wrote:

"...White and Negro, high and low, young and old … all who stand identified with (the Faith) must participate in, and lend their assistance, each according to his or her capacity, experience and opportunities to the common task of fulfilling the instructions, realizing the hopes, and following the example of (the Master). Whether coloured or non-coloured, neither race has the right or can conscientiously claim to be regarded as absolved from such an example. A long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls still remains untraveled, both by the white and the Negro exponents...”

He also noted that:

"...If any discrimination is at all to be tolerated it should be a discrimination not against but rather in favor of the minority, be it racial or otherwise. Unlike the nations and peoples of the earth be they of the East or of the West, democratic or authoritarian, communist or capitalist, whether belonging to the Old World or the new, who either ignore, trample upon or extirpate, the racial, religious or political minorities within the sphere of their jurisdiction, every organized community enlisted under the banner of Bahá'u'lláh should feel it to be its first and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage, and safeguard every minority belonging to any Faith, race, class or nation within it. So great and vital is this principle that in such circumstances as when an equal number of ballots have been cast in an election, or where the qualifications for any office are balanced as between the various races, Faiths or nationalities within the community priority should unhesitatingly be accorded the party representing the minority and this for no other reason except to stimulate and encourage it and afford it an opportunity to further the interests of the community..."

More Spiritual Ammunition from the Mouths of Holy Men

God Makes No Distinction

"God maketh no distinction between the white and the black. If the hearts are pure both are acceptable unto Him. God is no respecter of persons on account of either colour or race. All colors are acceptable unto Him, be they white, black or yellow. Inasmuch as all were created in the image of God, we must bring ourselves to realize that all embody divine possibilities ... God did not make these divisions; these divisions have had their origin in man himself. Therefore as they are against the plan and purpose of God they are false and imaginary."

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance)

“As to racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for well-nigh a century, has bitten into the fiber, and attacked the whole social structure of American society, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the … community at the present stage of its evolution. The ceaseless exertions which this issue of paramount importance calls for, the sacrifices it must impose, the care and vigilance it demands, the moral courage and fortitude it requires, the tact and sympathy it necessitates, invest this problem, which the American believers are still far from having satisfactorily resolved, with an urgency and importance that cannot be overestimated. White and Negro, high and low, young and old … all who stand identified with it must participate in, and lend their assistance, each according to his or her capacity, experience, and opportunities, to the common task of fulfilling the instructions, realizing the hopes, and following the example, of (the Master). Whether colored or non-colored, neither race has the right, or can conscientiously claim, to be regarded as absolved from such an obligation, as having realized such hopes, or having faithfully followed such an example. A long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls, still remains untraveled, both by the white and the Negro …. On the distance they cover, and the manner in which they travel that road, must depend, to an extent which few among them can imagine, the operation of those intangible influences which are indispensable to the spiritual triumph of the American believers and the material success of their newly launched enterprise.

Let them call to mind, fearlessly and determinedly, the example and conduct of (the Master) while in their midst. Let them remember His courage, His genuine love, His informal and indiscriminating fellowship, His contempt for and impatience of criticism, tempered by His tact and wisdom. Let them revive and perpetuate the memory of those unforgettable and historic episodes and occasions on which He so strikingly demonstrated His keen sense of justice, His spontaneous sympathy for the downtrodden, His ever-abiding sense of the oneness of the human race, His overflowing love for its members, and His displeasure with those who dared to flout His wishes, to deride His methods, to challenge His principles, or to nullify His acts.

To discriminate against any race, on the ground of its being socially backward, politically immature, and numerically in a minority, is a flagrant violation of the spirit that animates the Faith ... The consciousness of any division or cleavage in its ranks is alien to its very purpose, principles, and ideals. Once its members have fully recognized the claim of its Author, and, by identifying themselves with its Administrative Order, accepted unreservedly the principles and laws embodied in its teachings, every differentiation of class, creed, or color must automatically be obliterated, and never be allowed, under any pretext, and however great the pressure of events or of public opinion, to reassert itself…. In the light of this principle, and bearing in mind the extreme desirability of having the minority elements participate and share responsibility in the conduct of Bahá'í activity, it should be the duty of every Bahá'í community so to arrange its affairs that in cases where individuals belonging to the divers minority elements within it are already qualified and fulfill the necessary requirements, Bahá'í representative institutions, be they Assemblies, conventions, conferences, or committees, may have represented on them as many of these divers elements, racial or otherwise, as possible. The adoption of such a course, and faithful adherence to it, would not only be a source of inspiration and encouragement to those elements that are numerically small and inadequately represented, but would demonstrate to the world at large the universality and representative character of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, and the freedom of His followers from the taint of those prejudices which have already wrought such havoc in the domestic affairs, as well as the foreign relationships, of the nations.

Freedom from racial prejudice, in any of its forms, should, at such a time as this when an increasingly large section of the human race is falling a victim to its devastating ferocity, be adopted as the watchword of the entire body of the American believers, in whichever state they reside, in whatever circles they move, whatever their age, traditions, tastes, and habits. It should be consistently demonstrated in every phase of their activity and life, whether in the Bahá'í community or outside it, in public or in private, formally as well as informally, individually as well as in their official capacity as organized groups, committees and Assemblies. It should be deliberately cultivated through the various and everyday opportunities, no matter how insignificant, that present themselves, whether in their homes, their business offices, their schools and colleges, their social parties and recreation grounds, their Bahá'í meetings, conferences, conventions, summer schools and Assemblies. It should, above all else, become the keynote of the policy of that august body which, in its capacity as the national representative, and the director and coordinator of the affairs of the community, must set the example, and facilitate the application of such a vital principle to the lives and activities of those whose interests it safeguards and represents.

"O ye discerning ones!" Bahá'u'lláh, Prophet and Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote, "Verily, the words which have descended from the heaven of the Will of God are the source of unity and harmony for the world. Close your eyes to racial differences, and welcome all with the light of oneness." "We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations," He proclaims, "...that all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled." " Bahá'u'lláh hath said," writes 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "that the various races of humankind lend a composite harmony and beauty of color to the whole. Let all associate, therefore, in this great human garden even as flowers grow and blend together side by side without discord or disagreement between them." " Bahá'u'lláh," 'Abdu'l-Bahá (the Master) moreover has said, "once compared the colored people to the black pupil of the eye surrounded by the white. In this black pupil is seen the reflection of that which is before it, and through it the light of the spirit shineth forth."

"God," 'Abdu'l-Bahá Himself declares, "maketh no distinction between the white and the black. If the hearts are pure both are acceptable unto Him. God is no respecter of persons on account of either color or race. All colors are acceptable unto Him, be they white, black, or yellow. Inasmuch as all were created in the image of God, we must bring ourselves to realize that all embody divine possibilities." "In the estimation of God," He states, "all men are equal. There is no distinction or preference for any soul, in the realm of His justice and equity." "God did not make these divisions," He affirms; "these divisions have had their origin in man himself. Therefore, as they are against the plan and purpose of God they are false and imaginary." "In the estimation of God," He again affirms, "there is no distinction of color; all are one in the color and beauty of servitude to Him. Color is not important; the heart is all-important. It mattereth not what the exterior may be if the heart is pure and white within. God doth not behold differences of hue and complexion. He looketh at the hearts. He whose morals and virtues are praiseworthy is preferred in the presence of God; he who is devoted to the Kingdom is most beloved. In the realm of genesis and creation the question of color is of least importance." "Throughout the animal kingdom," He explains, "we do not find the creatures separated because of color. They recognize unity of species and oneness of kind. If we do not find color distinction drawn in a kingdom of lower intelligence and reason, how can it be justified among human beings, especially when we know that all have come from the same source and belong to the same household? In origin and intention of creation mankind is one. Distinctions of race and color have arisen afterward." "Man is endowed with superior reasoning power and the faculty of perception"; He further explains, "he is the manifestation of divine bestowals. Shall racial ideas prevail and obscure the creative purpose of unity in his kingdom?" "One of the important questions," He significantly remarks, "which affect the unity and the solidarity of mankind is the fellowship and equality of the white and colored races. Between these two races certain points of agreement and points of distinction exist which warrant just and mutual consideration. The points of contact are many.... In this country, the United States of America, patriotism is common to both races; all have equal rights to citizenship, speak one language, receive the blessings of the same civilization, and follow the precepts of the same religion. In fact numerous points of partnership and agreement exist between the two races, whereas the one point of distinction is that of color. Shall this, the least of all distinctions, be allowed to separate you as races and individuals?" "This variety in forms and coloring," He stresses, "which is manifest in all the kingdoms is according to creative Wisdom and hath a divine purpose." "The diversity in the human family," He claims, "should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord." "If you meet," is His admonition, "those of a different race and color from yourself, do not mistrust them, and withdraw yourself into your shell of conventionality, but rather be glad and show them kindness." "In the world of being," He testifies, "the meeting is blessed when the white and colored races meet together with infinite spiritual love and heavenly harmony. When such meetings are established, and the participants associate with each other with perfect love, unity and kindness, the angels of the Kingdom praise them, and the Beauty of Bahá'u'lláh addresseth them, 'Blessed are ye! Blessed are ye!'" "When a gathering of these two races is brought about," He likewise asserts, "that assemblage will become the magnet of the Concourse on high, and the confirmation of the Blessed Beauty will surround it." "Strive earnestly," He again exhorts both races, "and put forth your greatest endeavor toward the accomplishment of this fellowship and the cementing of this bond of brotherhood between you. Such an attainment is not possible without will and effort on the part of each; from one, expressions of gratitude and appreciation; from the other, kindliness and recognition of equality. Each one should endeavor to develop and assist the other toward mutual advancement.... Love and unity will be fostered between you, thereby bringing about the oneness of mankind. For the accomplishment of unity between the colored and white will be an assurance of the world's peace." "I hope," He thus addresses members of the white race, "that ye may cause that downtrodden race to become glorious, and to be joined with the white race, to serve the world of man with the utmost sincerity, faithfulness, love, and purity. This opposition, enmity, and prejudice among the white race and the colored cannot be effaced except through faith, assurance, and the teachings of the Blessed Beauty." "This question of the union of the white and the black is very important," He warns, "for if it is not realized, erelong great difficulties will arise, and harmful results will follow." "If this matter remaineth without change," is yet another warning, "enmity will be increased day by day, and the final result will be hardship and may end in bloodshed."

(Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice)

Overcoming Ego So that the Spirit Can Take Charge

So what does it all mean? As a person who has known and felt the effects of discrimination and racial bias, and as a person who is charged by Faith with seeing the “one good quality in a person and disregarding the ten negative ones”, I can tell you that getting a handle on how to deal with such issues poses a major dilemma.

As someone who is also charged with adhering to holy words that ask me to “breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner,” further complicates how one can best bring to light the fact that he or she has been mistreated.

So taking the route of public humiliation of my victimizers is not the solution, nor can it ever be an option. Instead, as the writings of Shoghi Effendi and the Master and Bahá'u'lláh have suggested, I am charged with the tasks of extending forgiveness and of wiping out my suspicion that certain acts have been deliberately perpetuated against me because of my brown skin and kinky hair.

I have accepted to engage in a spiritual solution to racism, imploring faith, assurance and adherence to the Holy Writings. I will therefore “close my eyes to racial differences, and welcome all with the light of oneness”, for I know of no other effective way that would adequately resolve the issue.

Of course, the flip side to what I am charged to give as a person of color is that white people must give up or “abandon once and for all their usually inherent and at times subconscious sense of superiority” and “ to correct their tendency towards revealing a patronizing attitude towards the members of the other race”.

Then too I recognize that not everyone will approach the issue from a spiritual perspective, and while I may forgive and forget the past, unless my white brethren do their part, the lasting solution to the problem will continue to evade the American community.

Having a spiritual foundation and spiritual laws in which to address such issue of racial inequality is the only way that I can get through these periodic, though more constant than necessary, episodes of expressions of racial bias and attitudes of white supremacy.

Is my “Racism Radar” Just Ultra Sensitive or Is the Problem So Rampant that It Touches One Person Over and Over Again in the Work Environment and Other Areas?

Finally--and oftentimes--the victim of such acts of racism begins to question whether he or she is being overly sensitive, and may think that perhaps the suspicion of being discriminated against may not even be a valid one.

As I contemplate that scenario, my mind drifts back to Israel and my four years of volunteer religious service there. I am reminded of an incident that happened one afternoon as I was walking home, an incident in which this little Israeli boy, who I estimated could not have been any older than 10, I am reminded of the words he uttered when he saw me. Whoever tells you there is no Hebrew word for nigger has obviously never walked the streets of this Jewish nation under cover of dark skin.

It is time that this worldwide view of people of African descent that is perpetuated and exported by the American media be examined and put in a rest home, much like Billy Jo Thornton (or is it Bobby Joe) put his father in a rest home after his dad disrespected this lead actor’s black woman (Halle Berry) in the film Monster’s Ball.

The myth of Black people as lazy, shiftless and no good had to be created as a degradation technique to keep them in check during slavery, but now that slavery is no longer an economic reality, isn’t it really time to put racism to rest in a home where s/he can die a natural death?

Isn’t it really time to acknowledge what the Persian Prophet—a Man of vision Who was charged with ushering in the age of mankind’s spiritual maturity and the realization of the oneness of humankind—isn’t it time we listen to what He told us in the 1800s, namely:

“The earth is one country and mankind its citizens”

The other story that comes to mind as I contemplate whether my radar is off the chain when it comes to detecting racism is a phenomenon that actually has nothing to do with racism, well almost nothing. The similarity, if any, would have to be noted that both acts occur as a result of hate, ignorance, and sometimes just plain tradition.
I refer to the issue of domestic violence (DV). In my travels, I have often found it to be quite perplexing the number of times I have lived next door or across the hall from men who physically abuse their spouses or significant others.

In the states I have encountered this problem two to three different times. In Israel, once.

So the question is whether I am ultra sensitive to the issue of DV, and that is the reason I encounter it so frequently or whether the perpetualization of the act is the reason for the sensitivity.

I would argue that racism, regrettably, is still quite prevalent in our society and abroad, and often goes unchecked. I would also argue that DV is quite prevalent in our society as well.

Leaning not to my own understanding…

My letter to the agency Administrator of my ex employer asked her to give reasons for why my final performance evaluation had been altered to reflect a negative rating. It also asked that in the alternative that the rating be revised to reflect what was placed in the initial document.

It advised that if I could not find suitable employment in a reasonable amount of time due to the effects of an unjustified “not eligible for rehire” rating, that I would seek counsel to remedy the injustice.

But regardless of what the outcome is, I can rest easy in the knowledge that I made a report of the dishonesty. That I took a stand to help the agency move forward, knowing that if a man places his feet on my head and holds it there, that neither he nor I will be able to move.

Racism causes stagnation and is truly a pigment of the imagination.

So again I find myself trusting on my Father’s Word when He proclaims that

“Nothing save that which profiteth them can ever befall My loved ones…”

And to those who casually brush aside this notion of racism, white or black, thinking “Now I really don’t think this issue concerns me,” I leave you with the words of one of America’s own native sons, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said:

“Since justice is indivisible, injustice anywhere is an affront to justice everywhere.”

This is Lo…and I gotta go.

Remember always,

“The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is that good men do nothing.”

—Edmund Burke

P.S. A friend of mine called me the morning I had written this article, and I explained the circumstance under which it was conceived. I told her that while in prayer I had asked the Father why the incident had happened, and it came to me that perhaps I needed to address this all pervasive issue of racism.

My friend then recounted a comparable incident surrounding her departure from yet another state agency in another part of the country.

Unlike me, she had managed to escape the oppression without being black balled by the agency through their use of the “not in good standing” provision.

There are many stories to be told. If you’ve got one to tell, feel free to join in the discussion with a comment of your own.

PS II -- A big thanks to my friend Deb, who encouraged me to approach the issue from a spiritual perspective. What would the world be without Sisters Holding Strong, an organization dedicated to helping women be the best that they can be.

--God is Most Glorious------------------------------

1 September 05

A little update to this post.

Today I got a letter from the agency administrator. Justice has prevailed!

Always an opportunity to praise...

2005-07-29T07:39:00.000-04:00

This morning I got a little time on my hands.

Last night we had a thunderstorm here in Raleigh, North Carolina. Must have been a huge one. It was enough to get me to turn off my computer and go to bed early. The lightening was fierce, and as we learned to do while growing up in my grandmother’s home umpteen years ago, its best to turn off all the lights in the house and get quiet and “let the Lord do His work”.

So I did just that. Went to bed around midnight and woke up a little after 6, which was about right cause my internal clock will give me six hours before it thinks I’ve had enough of a break. No I don’t know who is the mastermind controlling that clock but it sho ain’t me, cause I would at least set it for 8 hours, minimum.

Anyway, this morning I wake up and my mind immediately tells me to look outside. So I did. My intuition had warned me the night before that I needed to move my car from under the tree because the winds were blowing so strong. But the lightening that had accompanied it told me that it was better my car get the damage than me get the electrocution, so I went on to bed. After all one can replace a car, right?

So I look outside in the haze of a film cover over my eyes, and there it is. My red Ford Focus barely visible to the eyes. What was visible was the huge tree limb that had fallen on top of it, with literally thousands of leaves blanketing the whole car. Dag-Gone-It!

Ok so I put on my shorts and I go out to survey the damage. Mind you, the tree limb has not really finished breaking off from the tree totally, so it can still cause damage if it is moved in the wrong way or if I try driving my car out from under it.

I survey the damage and it looks like the only thing broken is the driver side rear view mirror mount. It has broken off completely and now lays on the ground under some leaves with the mirror throwing back at me a reflection of even more leaves. I don’t even bother to pick it up.

“Nothing save that which profited them can ever befall My loved one”--Bahá'u'lláh

So it looks like my morning has been planned out for me by the divine assayer. That’s good. It means I won’t have to think so hard today. Instead of figuring out who is disabled and needs to get a Social Security Disability or SSI check, I can focus on who to call to get the tree limb off my vehicle, and whether I should call the insurance company or not. Do they cover natural disasters, and most of all, what is my deductible? I mean how much could a rear view mirror mount really cost to replace?

The trick is going to be whether the people moving the tree limb can do their part without further damaging my car. At this point I have already awaken an apartment maintenance man out of his sleep at 6:30, and he didn’t sound too happy about that.

Meantime I had also called my job and left a message that I had this little problem to take care of this morning, halfway knowing that they were not going to believe such a story, especially given the fact that this is a Friday morning (in a state government agency) and I had just resigned my position earlier in the week.

“That Loretta really can get creative with her TGIF stories…she has to be admired for that if nothing more” I envisioned my supervisor thinking. Where is the trust, my friend, where is the trust.

Well it is now 7:08 and my alarm clock is thumping, but before I go, here is the lesson I take from this.

Despite the first thought that came to my mind when I looked upon my tree limb covered car, I immediately replaced it with another one. The first thought was that trouble comes in threes.
#1 - out of a job.
#2 - Tree falls on vehicle--only my vehicle, no one else's.
#3 - an unknown something, something lurking in the wings for me, unknown, but sure to come.

But instead of holding on to that ole tale, I immediately replaced it in my mind with the quote above (and below),

“Nothing save that which profited them can ever befall My loved one”--Bahá'u'lláh

Only time will tell whether I was quick enough in replacing the trouble comes in three's negative ingrained thought with my newer and more productive version.

This is Lo and I gotta go…TGIF

Sitting Quietly in a Room

2005-06-26T14:44:00.000-04:00

All of man's difficulties are caused by his inability to sit quietly in a room by himself. -- Pascal

This morning as I endeavored to keep a promise, I found myself realizing the truth of Pascal's words (see quotation above).

I had promised to say prayers on this day while others went out to engage in spreading the fire of GodÂs love for mankind (i.e. they were out teaching the Cause of God to souls who thirst for a taste of the life giving waters that only the Word of God can quench).

Earlier in the month I had attended a Reflections Gathering and had volunteered to go to the Center and say prayers for the success of the teaching work that morning. With so much going on, I had forgotten that the Center was all the way across town, in fact in another city altogether. So I decided that it might have the same effect if I just stayed in and said prayers at my home for one hour at the allotted time.

As I prepared myself by first washing my face and hands, I then got out my prayer books, a couple of inspirational books and threw my cotton blanket on the floor to begin precisely at 10:00 a.m.

I started by chanting 95 times the phrase God is Most Glorious (in Arabic) to clear my mind of any debris. Then I said the Prayer of Visitation to evoke the presence of the Master so that he might be my guide throughout the prayer session.

From there I moved on to reciting teaching prayers, one for the Southern States and one for the Northern States and on and on. I actually said the prayer for the Southern States several times.

I repeated many times the following prayer for divine assistance as revealed by the Bab (Arabic title meaning The Gate):

Is there any remover of difficulties save God? Say praised be God. He is God. All are His servants and all abide by His bidding.

I said this prayer revealed by BahÃ¡'u'llÃ¡h several times too:

He who puts his trust in God, God will suffice him. He who fears God, God will send him relief.

I should note that after I said the first prayer The Prayer of Visitation -- the tears had already begun to stream from my eyes. I think it was this sentence that threw me for a loop:

Graciously look upon Thy servant, humble and lowly at Thy door, with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy, and immerse him in the Ocean of Thine eternal grace.

Let me try to explain why.

Earlier in the month a good friend of mine who served with me in Haifa Israel, she and I had decided that we would vie for our Fathers love, and had commenced with writing love letters to God. You can read about the 9 Love Letters to God project here if you want the rest of the story.

So I had written a response to her second love letter to God, and ended the piece with a post script and short poem which simply read:

P.S. II. And if my Father flinches in the least or acts as though He does not recognize (my) name - - tell him instead that I am just a beggar you noticed kneeling outside the door, with a sign in the left hand that read:

Will work for a glance

Will toil for a chance

Will forgo all love, pleasure, hate

To be allowed to kiss the dust

Not atop, but beneath His feet.

And as I said, I think the word glance in that Prayer of Visitation really got to me, because in my quest to be with the Beloved, I am aware that:

With a look He granteth a hundred thousand hopes, with a glance He healeth a
hundred thousand incurable ills, with a nod He layeth balm on every wound..

But I digress--now back to the story...

So, it was now 10:12 as I noted my watch for the first time. Uhmm. That is not really an hour and already I am in tears and I am ready to be done with just sitting here communing with a being that I cannot see.

Okay, now let me kneel down, press my head against the cotton throw and really engage my Lord with my own prayers from the heart. Another 10 minutes passed after that.

Now, let me get up and read some of this inspirational stuff from Grace For the Moment : Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year by Max Lucado. I read not one day's inspiration but seven days of meditations, ending with this from his compilation:

Is there any emotion that imprisons the soul more than the unwillingness to forgive?

Still, at 10:30, it was enough. I could do no more. I would not be able to pray for the full hour. And my only consolation was these words of Scripture that came to mind:

One hour's reflection is preferable to seventy years of pious worship.

And later I found this passage too:

Take heed lest excessive reading and too many acts of piety in the daytime and in the night
season make you vainglorious. Should a person recite but a single verse from the Holy Writings in a spirit of joy and radiance, this would be better for him than reciting wearily all the Scriptures of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Recite ye the verses of God in such measure that ye be not overtaken with fatigue or boredom. Burden not your souls so as to cause exhaustion and weigh them down, but rather endeavor to lighten them, that they may soar on the wings of revealed Verses unto the dawning-place of His signs. This is conducive to nearer access unto God, were ye to comprehend.

Yeah, the mind is always there to the rescue with logic galore for helping us not keep our commitments or promises. The ego is older than we are in years and knows how to stroke just enough so that the deception is viewed as only a tiny little lie.

I will try to do better on the 9^th, the next date I have committed to. And perhaps the agony will not be as intense if I attempt this same feat (i.e. one hour of prayer) in a group setting.

Well, this is Lo, and I gotta go...

Spiritual Discipline and Oneness

2005-06-23T08:01:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday I shared with you that this week I would be practicing the virtue of discipline.

It is interesting that when we start to focus on a thing, how other related things just kind of show up in our life.

Last week I had recommended to a psychologist in the office I work in, that she might be interested in reading David Hawkins' Power versus Force. So, yesterday while away from my desk at lunch, she had left a note saying that she had begun reading the book over the weekend and was enjoying the book. She asked me if I had read anything by Wayne Dyer or Deepak Chopra or Marianne Williamson.

So I sent her an email saying yes, Wayne was one of my favorites who I had been reading since the late 1980s and though I had read Deepak I really wasn’t that fond of his writing style but had enjoyed a short work of his called Creating Affluence. But as for Marianne Williamson, I had yet to read her but that I thought I had her in my library at home.

Well this morning, I gave myself a choice: whether I would take a morning walk and enjoy the brisk morning air, or lay in the bed a little longer and “feed my spirit”. I choose to stay in bed, which really came as no surprise since I have not yet gotten into the habit of walking everyday yet. I will try to do better tomorrow.

So I picked up Marianne Williamson, and all I can say after the first 29 pages is Wow! Where have you been all of my life?

Don’t have time to say more, but here are a couple of quotes from the book that I want to share with you, one of which speaks to this idea of discipline. Enjoy—

This is Lo, and I gotta run…

Quote on Discipline
The word discipline comes from the same root as the word disciple, and the mystic is a disciple of love. We are mentally disciplined to believe that there is no problem love cannot solve. Holiness is an internal state, a whole” way of seeing. When our minds are no longer fragmented by the illusion of our separation from each other, but healed by the truth of our oneness, we are awakened to a new dimension of compassion. Within the mantle of that love, there is literally nothing we cannot do. We have remembered who God is. We have remembered who we are. Finally, we are whole at last.

Quote on Oneness
Our relationship with God is our relationship with ourselves, for in no way are we separate from Him. Aligned with Him, we are firm within our own power, thinking ourselves separate from Him, we are cast into internal chaos and fear. To know that we are one with God is to know that we are infinite love. When we are not loving, we are literally not being ourselves. Infinite love is not an attribute of our being, but rather the essence of our being. Our only real problem is that we have forgotten who we are. – Marianne Williamson, Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness and Making Miracles

The Virtue of Discipline

2005-06-21T07:43:00.000-04:00

Thoughts from this morning's walk and communion with God:

Baha'u'llah, Prophet and Founder of the Baha'i (Bahai) Faith says:

"Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues."

This week I am practicing the virtue of discipline, and here is the word I got today.

Though truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues, the truth is that it takes the discipline to change bad or undesirable habits that are not working for you in your life and replace them with habits that will lead you to the fulfillment of your goals and heart's desire.

Have you taken the plunge?

Go ahead and practice the virtue of discipline this week or another virtue of your choosing.

Just for your information, virtues are those things/attributes that you will be able to take with you when you leave this plane of existence for the next one.

Practicing virtues in this world will make you spiritually stronger for your lifetime in eternity. Mastering virtues means you won't be handicapped when you transition to that other world of the spirit.

That's the word and I'm sticking to it :)-

Have a disciplined filled day!

I gotta run....

Recalling Health to the Spirit on the National Day of Prayer

2005-05-05T21:16:00.000-04:00

As we wind down our celebration of this National Day of Prayer, I offer to you the following prayers as well as some Holy Writings revealed about the station of prayer and its ability to lift up our souls and help us all recall health to the spirit.

National Day of Prayer

Prayer For America

Nine Hidden Words

The Hidden Words Collection Here

Prayer:

"In the highest prayer, men pray only for the love of God, not because they fear Him or Hell, or hope for bounty or heaven... When a man falls in love with a human being, it is impossible for him to keep from mentioning the name of his beloved. How much more difficult is it to keep from mentioning the Name of God when has come to love Him... The spiritual man finds no delight in anything save in commemoration of God."--Compilations, Lights of Guidance

"Know thou that religion is as heaven; and fasting and obligatory prayer are its sun and its moon. We entreat God, exalted and glorified be He, to graciously aid everyone who acteth according to His will and good-pleasure."

On this Day…I want to ask you this question:

Are you happy?

National Day of Prayer - Natural health using dietary supplements, self empowerment, meditation and prayer

JusLo's Blog Launches -- Shea-Skins Newsletter too!

2005-05-02T01:07:00.000-04:00

Hello World--

Finally I think I am online with this blog after a year of resistance. Oh well. Gotta take the plung sometime.

Please pardon any errors or omissions or lack of proper etiquette.

"First I want to thank the Creator, then my mom, then..." Oh, what's that you say? This is not the academy. Ok, sorry I must have gotten carried away. Let me get back on track here.

Here is the description I came up with describing what I do in my spare time (i.e. what my websites are all about):

-----------------------
Seeking a holistic approach to recalling health to the body, mind and spirit? Need nutritional supplements to ward off chronic diseases? Want to learn about the benefits of using all natural African shea butter for your body and skin care needs? Are you a newbie to website publishing and need to build a website for your work at home goals? I can help. ----- “JusLo and Associates…providing guidance for your health and for the health of your online business.”
----------------------

That said. I just published my first Shea-Skins newsletter for my Shea-Butter-Negroes.com subscribers. You can check out the two new articles here: Dry Skin Blues and "Rub me down in some hot oils...that's shea oils."

Gotta turn in now. It's a Holy Day so work will be suspended. But...still gotta rest.

Till next time...

May your right palm itch everyday... wealth

May you acknowledge the Creator for the awesome blessings bestowed... prosperity

And may you have at least one person in your life who you would die for without missing a beat ... love
Love...the awesome force that holds it all together.........

Lo--

Recalling Health Blog Launches in Testing Mode

2005-05-01T20:11:00.000-04:00

"Dr Livingstone, I presume?"

Am I lost or what.

Don't know where this thing will publish to.

Gotta go ... see.

Oh...did I say Welcome to RecallingHealth's blog

(Where are your manners woman)--