Hands can tell you so much about a person. The way they look when dishes are being washed, or gently brushing the curls on a child’s head. The way a hand is gently surrounded, or holds. Eyes communicate first, and…
There is an absolutely amazing website that has been launched by the Bahá’à International Community about Bahá’u’lláh, who Bahá’Ãs believe is the latest Messenger from God. It has some very rare pictures and tells the story of His life in…
I came back to Israel from Spain nearly 2 weeks ago, and I simply haven’t had a moment to sit down and write about it. Suddenly a few moments came together (something about a tear in the space-time continuum), and…
quick glances on trains new haircuts violins in rock music fat little babies in winter hats balconies and cloud-watching at night crumbling stone walls with tiny green fingers of ivy funny book titles: (I Like: #1,#2,#3, #4) I will write…
but really, all I have to say at the moment is: I love Spain. (click for pictures)
Before this past weekend, I had never been camping. I’ve been to cabins, lots of road trips, and so many hotels I can’t even count anymore. But somehow I missed out on the camping thing.  We had nine people and camped…
I am angry today. I want to strike out, my eyes are narrowed and I am looking for a fight. My body is bruised from tripping and falling, and it is perfect. I am standing tall, back straight and legs…
I did a photoshoot a week ago with a friend who is an amazing photographer and is also serving here. He did some digital work on them…the space where we shot the pictures was very plain, but you wouldn’t know it from the photos….
“Love is the means of the most great happiness in both the material and spiritual worlds!” -Abdu’l-Baha Sometimes I don’t know how I got here (physically, spiritually, emotionally). Most days everything feels normal…and then there are the times I find…
September 8th marked the halfway point in my service in Haifa. 9 months left. I know that I’ve changed, that I’ve stayed the same.  There are so many beautiful moments, and I wish I could gather every beautiful soul into…
Night skies are less heavy with your feet off the ground, sitting three steps up. But still somehow weigh on me with the flower scents from gardens across the street, with the emotions of evening rain hanging over my head….
In just a short time I will attend the funeral of the last Hand of the Cause of God, Dr. ‘AlÃ-Muhammad Varqá. He passed on to the Abha Kingdom on Saturday evening. The obligations of the Hands of the Cause of…
Sunset last night was the start of Yom Kippur, which means that for 24 hours everything is shut down. I do mean everything. No one drives, so my flatmate and I went for a long walk….in the middle of the…
A weekend means: -work -the lending library -soccer -an evening reading a book on the couch -a day at the beach -an evening at Bahji Recently I’ve been burning pots and pans…which is usually a rare occurrence. I’m wondering if…
Abi tagged me nearly a month ago to do this meme, and in between the chaos of birthdays (I think I’ve counted about 6 that I’ve celebrated in the last few weeks!) and other things (like, you know, life), I…
Today was the commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Bab, which we observe on the lunar calendar in Israel. I woke up at 9 am to make a giant breakfast and shared it with some friends in my building. At…
Maysoon suggested that Andrew and Jinous make a video for my birthday. This is the result. I love you all so much.  —————————— Also, thank you to all of the lovely people who sent me “Happy Birthday” wishes…I can’t possibly…
I was born on a Sunday. One of my favorite stories is about when my parents brought me home from the hospital. My parents put me in my crib, and they say (here my dad always jumps in and states…
(Credit to Vahid for this picture) cobblestone streets really great handwriting tea at Bahji in the afternoon spanish moss on willow trees vegetable stands on the side of the road broken pieces of colored glass in the sun old cemetaries…
A cockroach crawled up my jeans leg while I sat at a bus stop yesterday. I had to shake it out…it was about as long as my index finger and quite…wriggly. Not so much fun. Also, I had an entire…
The heat has not been crippling this summer, and I work inside an office during the day, so I do not get the brunt of it. Maybe 15 years of Chicago winters went so far into my bones that I…
I used to write love songs. I would run the tips of my fingers over dry earth, my eyes over the trees passing by. Pulling out every word, using the mortality in my thoughts, idealized in eternity. I used large…
Mother, I am you today. I stretched my hands out in the sun, there were greetings in silent smiles, and I found a new song. Remember that there 3 dozen ways to read words, and I dropped the pieces of…
So apparently using your television as a babysitter/parental replacement is not actually a good idea! Shocking, I know, but it appears as though those popular “Baby Einstein” videos and other similar educational shows actually do more harm than good. When I was…
I am strangled by time zone differences and my inability to communicate. I spent the day doing nothing except watching documentaries and baking gluten-free cookies. I didn’t even clean, respond to emails, make phone calls…not one useful thing. Oh, well…
There are certain things that are meant to be done during daylight, or at least at a time when you aren’t asleep on your feet. Cleaning bathrooms, for example. First, I am not a person that likes to clean bathrooms…
“…as long as mankind shall continue to bestow more liberal applause on their destroyers than on their benefactors, the thirst of military glory will ever be the vice of the most exalted characters.” -Gibbon, The History of the Decline and…
I was browsing articles on msnbc.com when I saw this article about chickens increasingly being raised as pets (and for their eggs). It seemed like a fairly normal story…and then I started laughing out loud when I saw the following…
I drove a car today for the first time in nearly 8 months. (Well, to be completely honest I took a driving test here a few months ago, but I only drove a few blocks, so I don’t think it counts.) It…
Every morning about 10 of us take a sherut to work from our apartment building. A sherut is like a mini-bus, and it arrives every day at 7:45 am. Today it did not arrive. 8 of us stood outside our…