Thursday, December 19, 2013

UPDATE! The long overdue kind.. :)

Okay, so I'm aware it's been a REALLY long time since I've updated this thing, but I'd like to have a go at resurrecting it again - so bear with me. :)


 
THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING:

Weekly devotionals!

Every Sunday morning I am blessed to be joined by friends from the community, who make their way to the Bahai center to sit with me as we read the writings of various religions together. :) I've been selecting the writings and trying to include writings from other faiths as much as possible, which has been interesting for me as it gives me a wonderful opportunity to read and learn more about the various themes I select each week. :) We have also been saying the long healing prayer each week, keeping in mind a number of people who have been added to our 'prayer list'. Hopefully they will feel our thoughts and prayers. x


Junior Youth!
Okay, so this one isn't actually 'happening'... but the hope is that it will! Eventually... hopefully soon! The main problem with this activity is that there are simply no JY hanging around. I hung posters around town to see if we'd get any interest, but no luck so far. I have recently contacted a local school about the possibility of introducing the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program as an activity students can engage in after school on a Friday. Fingers crossed on that one! If not, another plan may need to be plotted... any suggestions on how to spread the word are totally welcome! :)


Volunteering!
 Less more recently. I'm starting with Girl Guides after the winter break, which is something I'm looking forward to. :) I was assisting with the 'Boys Brigade' until my internship, which unfortunately took up alot of my time. I'm hoping to hear back from the soon as well. I'm really excited about the possibility of volunteering at the local 'Youth Cafe', which sounds like an AWESOME place to meet JY. The number I've been given isn't working though, so I'm hoping to go by soon and have a chat with the staff there. :) SOON as well! Because I'm running out of months! :o

Internship!
So, for those who didn't know, I recently completed a 4 week internship at a local school here in Orkney. It was truly wonderful. An amazing school, with wonderful students and inspiring teachers! I can only hope that I get to work at a school like that someday in the future. :)


Aaaaand there you have it! The wonderful things that have been keeping me busy. :) Though, maybe not busy enough. I'm really hoping to be able to get something started and established with JY before leaving Orkney... but lots of prayers! :)

Oceans of love to you all!
God bless! :)

Ingrid.

Friday, September 13, 2013

YOUTH CONFERENCE!!! WAAHH! :D

So, been a little late with this entry (sorry guys)! Been distracted by silly uni stuff... which is actually a little ironic considering what we were just talking about the weekend before last!

For those not in the know, there was recently a pretty big conference.. the 'London Youth Conference'... in Warwick! :) Imagine 1000 young people aged 15 - 30 from all over the UK/world coming together to make plans to CHANGE THE WORLD!

It was pretty epic. ;)

There was something wonderful about the spirit of the thing. I love how much fun and enthusiasm was floating about in the air, it was infectious! minus the pus!

So anyway, its hard to sum up what the conference was about in a nutshell, but some things really stuck out for me... for example, the importance of mutual support! and integrated thinking!

Let me take a very recent example from my life and whip it into a integrated thinky context for a second! So something which has been keeping me really busy for the last week or so is my university work, which, although I am on a year of service, still continues to haunt me *sigh*.

In some ways this is a good thing, because it gives me the opportunity to teach in a school here in Orkney, and get to know people from the community! A downside is that it's been keeping me busier then I would like... and all I really want to do is just head out and start serving the faith! :D

But this is where the shift in attitude comes in. At the conference we discussed fragmented ways of looking at life and how this can create barriers in our lives. For example, work, family, education, etc. may all stand in the way of service...
 BUT! But! My fellow adventurers...

Should I be able to look at the work and study I do as a step towards my service to mankind... things start to change.

You know? It's like... we view all these various elements of life as separate things, when they don't have to be! In fact they can all work together, in unity, to come together as a well rounded way of living. :)

That's what I got anyway. :p

So in conclusion, amazing conference... and already feeling very relevant to life and service. :)


Here is a quote that has always come to mind for me when I think of service. It's from Baha'u'llah:

"Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm."

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Ruhi 3 and Funky Plumbing!

I tutored a book 3 last week! :)

Sorry for the lack of updates everyone. Things this week have been craaazy!
But I'll do my best to get you up to speed. :)

So last week was wonderful. I had the lovely opportunity of tutoring Ruth and Joe in Ruhi book 3, which is about 'Children's Classes Grade 1: Principles of Bahai Education,' and it was awesome. :) We finished it in three intensive sessions - minus the practical component which I'm hoping we'll be able to get into sometime in the next few weeks.

It's interesting. As a education student in my final semester, I have always been very passionate about this topic. However, I started to realize, going through these spiritual and highly relevant concepts in our little group, how important it is to reflect on these ideas regularly.

So here's the thing. As a teacher, I have always believed in the potentials and incredible capabilities of young people, and understood how incredibly important it is to nurture these gems as best as we can. However, looking back I'm starting to realize, that over the years with the whole process of going through the motions of teaching, writing assignments and awkwardly trial-and-erroring out my own style of educating... these ideas had almost grown stale in my mind. Not because I don't believe in them anymore, but because it's just not something I think about everyday.

But it should be!

At least I think so.
So now I have a vision.
If I ever have the chance to be a teacher, I hope that every day I can wake up every morning and remind myself of the incredibly significant role I am about to step into.
I hope I can grasp the importance of every word I am going to give and every idea I am going to share with my students.
I hope I can develop a constant awareness of the lives I'm about to influence, and as a result do the best job possible.

I think these are things I have always feared would eventually fade away... as though I would lose momentum of some kind and my passion would fade down into a 'job' or 'career' I go to for paying bills. But after doing Ruhi last week, I'm starting to feel that energy seeping back! Energy I didn't even realize may be slipping away.

Anyway, the point of all this is to say that the writings are amazing. They hold such wisdom and power! I feel so refreshed and excited after dedicating that time to their reflection. :) I think revisiting these things is important. At least for me, personally, I've found that they face me in the right direction and help remind me of those things that are really important in life. :)

Anyway, enough of that.
RUHI WAS GOOD!

Also, my water cut out for four days of so. Which was a little awkward... but fortunately I was rescued by the beautiful Miller family, who welcomed me into their home as it was getting repaired. :)
They are seriously wonderful! *Sends love!*

Anyway, I think that is all at this stage. I have an appointment tomorrow to arrange my volunteering opportunities! (YAY!) So hopefully there will be lots to write about in the following weeks. :)

LOVE!

Also, here is a quote to leave you with...

"Whoso ariseth among you to teach the Cause of his Lord, let him, before all else, teach his own self, that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him." - Baha'u'llah

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Summer School / Ruhi Intensive :D

HUZZAH!

So I'm sorry, darling readers, for falling behind recently on my blog updates. It has been quite a busy number of weeks. Joe and I travelled down to the Scottish Bahai Summer School in Perth, before heading over to Fyvie where we went through a Ruhi 5 intensive that lasted for a week. It was pretty incredible all around, and we decided to record our journey as a vlog! :D

Now, keep in mind, I have never vlogged before... and the editing I may mention at odd points never ACTUALLY happened... but we think that just makes it more special. :D
I hope you enjoy it! :D



Thursday, July 11, 2013

Lets.. go.. FLY a kite! :D

Close your eyes with me for a second. Picture this!

Sun shining!
Seagulls soaring through a clear blue sky.
Kites dragging helplessly along the ground as you and your friends run enthusiastically in the opposite direction...

Yep, it was a wonderful wonderful day. :)

Kite-flying though, ladies and gentlemen, is not always as straightforward as one might think.
It turns out there is a considerable amount of skill involved.
Firstly you need to get on top of putting the darned things together! Which, due to the wonderful observations and creative problem solving skills of Joe and Ruth, we eventually managed to sort out. :D


Secondly, there's that whole thing about getting the kite in the sky.
Which HAPPENED! Just not for all of us.

LOOK! There she is!... That little speck of happiness and freedom, which you can see in this lovely photo by Joe! ^_^

That my friends, was Heathers kite. :)

And also the only kite that managed to make it to greater heights...

BUT, never fear! There are no failures! (Well three, but we won't talk about those)
Because we did it!
By the end of the day, a sunflower kite was hanging effortlessly in the air as we sat and played cards in the sunshine. :)

SO darling readers, what I'm choosing to take away from this (as pointed out by Ruth), is the idea that even if only ONE thing works out right, it is all worth it. :D
Hell, if none of the kites had managed to fly, it would still be worth it.
Because at the end of the day, life isn't about learning to fly! It's about all the fun you have running around flapping your arms. :)

Let's reflect on a quote from Abdul-Baha! :D
It's about excellence! ^_^

"We all, the Eastern and the Western nations, must strive day and night, with heart and soul, to achieve this high ideal, to cement the unity between all the nations of the earth. Every heart will then be refreshed, all eyes will be opened, the most wonderful power will be given, the happiness of humanity will be assured. … This will be the Paradise which is to come on earth, when all mankind will be gathered together under the Tent of Unity in the Kingdom of Glory."
- Abdul-Baha (Baha'u'llah and the New Era, pg. 286)

Thank-you Joe for the lovely quote by the way! :)

Personally, looking at these words, I can't help but think about what a powerful thing it is to work together!
I mean, INCREDIBLY powerful!
Look at that second line! Hearts = refreshed! Eyes = opened! Happiness = assured! :o
Sounds amazing, right!
And it's up to us! We can make that happen.
:o
Anyone else getting a little empowered?
Sort of like that story about the sticks! When the children ran outside and each brought back a twig, the teacher was able to snap it easily... but when the twigs were all put together in a bunch, and passed around, not a single person could break them.
But it takes EVERYONE! Trying! Working together! :D
In UNITY!
^_^
Lets go world. :)

Personally, in regards to our kite flying adventure, I think we did a pretty spiffy job. :D
Alot of working together was done after all. :)
And, whaddya know! The kite flew for us. ;)
Oh! And we also tried really hard - which the quote talks about too. ^_^

And on that note my friends, I bid you all the love and happiness you can bid in a blog - wherever you may be! x

Oh! And you can open your eyes now. ;)

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Musical Prayers...

Get it? Like chairs..!

:D

Good stuff music. It's so easy, to be sitting in your room, singing and chanting the words of God at the top of your lungs and just completely lose yourself in it! :) That was me this morning, and at least MOST of me found its way back again...

My voice didn't. At least not completely... well done Ingrid, well done. :p

But that's okay, because it was a pretty easygoing day anyway. :)
Pshht, who needs a VOICE when you have LOVE pulsing away in your fingertips. ;-)

It was wonderful actually. There are two elderly Baha'is in the Kirkwall community, living only a short walk from where I do. So it was a nice day to go visit them and share a prayer together. :)

They seemed to really enjoy it as well, which is wonderful. At least I hope they did! But as I was going to leave, I looked into their eyes as I thanked them for spending that time with me, and they really smiled back. So it makes you feel like they totally liked to see you too. :D

Good stuff.

Anyway, looking forward to the Scottish Bahai Summer School coming up soon. :)
Should be wonderful.

Speaking of which, they sent us a bunch of quotes the other day. :D
Here's one on selfishness that made me think a little..

"... This is a strange trait and means of the destruction of many important souls in the world. If man be imbued with all good qualities but be selfish, all the other virtues will fade or pass away and eventually he will grow worse."
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha, pg. 730)

WHooaa! That's some pretty serious stuff.
ALL the other virtues! So pretty much, if you only live your life with this love for yourself, all the other good qualities and virtues you may possess will not make a difference. :o Because you're only living for yourself anyway.

Well then, gonna have to strive towards selflessness. :)

My love to you all, wherever you may be.

x

Friday, July 5, 2013

Always ask.


I think this applies to most things in life, because when you think about it, there are few things as powerful as a true, honest question.

Questions are amazing things. They happen when we realize that there is something we want to understand, but don't yet, and officially decide to take that first step in making that happen. They make us grow as we learn from them. And it's through questions that our minds fill with all these wonderful new ideas about the world, that we might otherwise have missed out on.

And to think, that's where this all begins. A question.

I was thinking about questions yesterday, as a friend of mine very lovingly invited me to hear one of her friends performing at a youth cafe. Of course I said yes, and went along! :)

But ahhh, the questions I should have asked!

Nevertheless it took me back a bit! To the days when I may have fit in to those sorts of concerts a bit better ;) (See image). But honestly, after a few hours of loud heavy metal music, I decided it may have been nice to have asked a couple o' questions beforehand.

Not that I probably wouldn't have gone anyway! It was definitely a good thing to bond with said friend over a little awkwardness and dodgy headbanging. ;) As a side note, she is amazing actually, and getting into music herself! So if you feel so moved, feel free to mosey over to her youtube channel and check her out! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpiCu3KFdRQ). ;)

So what I'm deciding to take away from all this, besides my headache and throbbing ears, is regarding INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION of the truth people! Because that's a lesson that just totally fits... ;)

But yes, I suppose it is easy to listen to the things others say and draw your own ideas and conclusions from it, but its something else entirely to investigate things for yourself, ask your own questions, and shape your own understandings. I think its a wonderful thing to be curious! :)

So, disclaimer, that idea is actually a million times broader, and filled with other wonderful ideas and concepts that my story does little to illustrate... nothing even, on closer observation... but honestly... it's 1:30am at the moment. :p

I hope y'all are well and happy, and I'll leave you with this quote from 'Abdu'l-Bahá! :)

Being one, truth cannot be divided, and the differences that appear to exist among the many nations only result from their attachment to prejudice. If only men would search out truth, they would find themselves united.

POWERFUL STUFF! Right!? :D
UNITY! Through seeking truth.
:o

Love.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Floral Necromancy

Here's a random little tale for ya! It all started about 4 days ago.
I was casually sitting and admiring my lovely new living room, when I noticed this pot of flowers sitting on the coffee table!

"Well this is rather exciting," I thought. "I've never had flowers in my living room before!"

I gave them a sniff and smiled at them for a bit. It made me appreciate how something so simple can feel so welcoming.

Anyway, I didn't really think about them for a few days. But then, out of the blue...

They were DYING! D:

Or dead, or something. They were all leaning over at the stem anyway; limp and lifeless. I knew it was too late. I had messed up!

"OH Ingrid! Flowers need WATER! You should know this. You were raised by a horticulturalist and everything..." >_< 

But nevertheless, as a gesture of respect for the warmth and colour they brought to my living room, I rushed over to feed them some water. When I woke up the next morning the last thing I expected to see was this...


THEY'RE ALIVE!

All except for one anyway. I named him Phil, after no one in particular, but even good ol' Phil is starting to get some colour back to his petals. ^_^

So there you have it! An unnecessarily long story to communicate a rather simple concept: dearest friends - it's never too late to make a difference! :D

Or, I suppose, it could also be a lesson to water your plants regularly. But that wouldn't fit in NEARLY as well with this quote I'm about to read to you! :) It is from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:

Lift up your hearts above the present and look with eyes of faith into the future! Today the seed is sown, the grain falls upon the earth, but behold the day will come when it shall rise a glorious tree and the branches thereof shall be laden with fruit.

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Empowerment. That is what I feel, personally, when I look at this quote. It makes me think about the significance of my actions and how powerful they really are, particularly now, in regards to my year of service. It seems to say to me that even if, in the present time, I may not feel like I'm doing as much as I could, so long as I never give up and continue making every effort possible to make a positive impact to the world and my community, with perseverance and love, the day will come where my actions will bear fruit.

How good are plant metaphors! :D

Anyway, that is my story for today. I am going in a few minutes to make my way over to some ScOtish country dancing at the St. Magnus Cathedral. :D Prett-y exciting!

My love to you all, wherever you are! :)

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Love and Oats

It's hard to believe that only a week ago, I was in a room, in Australia, surrounded by a jumble of the clothes and books I would soon be carrying 9128 miles across the world.

I kissed my dog, hugged my parents and stepped eagerly into this strange 'in-between' place of adventure; filled with question marks, oat cakes and unsuspecting future friends.

Pretty exciting stuff!

A day and a half later, and I was there! Edinburgh, Scotland. I was welcomed by a wonderful Baha'i couple, who kindly hosted me during my 5 day stay. We had a BBQ in the yard (alas promptly crashed by a flock of uninvited seagulls), shared stories of 20m crocodiles (that I'm still convinced are out there) and wandered casually through the most amazing museum I've ever set foot in. I also had the wonderful opportunity to visit the places Abdu'l-Bahá spoke and stayed during his time in that wonderful city. But to cut a VERY long story short, I really did have a wonderful time. :)

Now I'm in Orkney, a little island community in the north of Scotland, and its just a hunch, but I'm pretty sure this next year is going to be amazing. :D

I wanted to start this blog so you all might join me, as I take on this new path of service. For the next 360 days, I hereby vow to go through every effort possible to make a positive impact on this community in whatever ways I can. Be it rain, hail or the best kite-flying weather you can imagine! PROJECT SERVICE: 2013 edition... let it BEGIN! :D

For those interested, here is a quote I was reading earlier today, which I hope to reflect in my words and doings during my year of service in Orkney. :)

"Such must be thy steadfastness in the Cause of God, that no earthly thing whatsoever will have the power to deter thee from thy duty. Though the powers of earth be leagued against thee, though all men dispute with thee, thou must remain unshaken.  

Be unrestrained as the wind, while carrying the Message of Him Who hath caused the Dawn of Divine Guidance to break. Consider, how the wind, faithful to that which God hath ordained, bloweth upon all the regions of the earth, be they inhabited or desolate. Neither the sight of desolation, nor the evidences of prosperity, can either pain or please it. It bloweth in every direction, as bidden by its Creator. So should be every one that claimeth to be a lover of the one true God. It behoveth him to fix his gaze upon the fundamentals of His Faith, and to labor diligently for its propagation. Wholly for the sake of God he should proclaim His Message, and with that same spirit accept whatever response his words may evoke in his hearer."

-
Baha'u'llah (Gleanings from the writings of Baha'u'llah, pg. 346).