I have always loved to read. I was blessed with parents who read to me a lot as a child, and who acted as though reading an entire adult-level book in one day was a totally normal activity. There are…
It is really hard to write blog posts while on vacation with family. So for this last part of the Feast posts (1, 2, and 3) I will just post a few final quotations. I wasn’t super organized about these…
In parts 1 and 2 of the series, I reviewed the importance of Feast and the times and locations of Feast, and now to look at the guidance about the structure of Feast. “This institution, established by BahaÌ’u’llaÌh, has been…
In part 1 of this series, I contemplated the importance of Feast. Now, what are the guidelines on where should it be held? “The matter of where the Nineteen Day Feasts should be held is certainly one for the Spiritual…
I think this is going to be a longer and more thoroughly researched post at some point, but I’ve been wanting to record these quotations somewhere for a while, because I spend a lot of time thinking about Feast, how…
I live about one mile from the Lincoln Park Zoo, one of the last free zoos in America. On a summer evening, we may ride our bikes there, stroll in the gardens, or look at the animals. It is a…
Another of the discoveries from my time at the Baha’i National Center (I think?). This one is something that I actually own. It is the 1929 edition of a book originally published in 1902, and was a standard introductory book…
we are dragging the weight of years behind us beasts of burden with stories and history living for the sweet moments we can relive when reunited we are bringing other people into the story we are changing with every little…
When I was a child, I remember curling up under a blanket or even pulling a rug over myself during long meetings, or Feast, or any activity in which adults were talking and I stayed in the room. I remember…
when I was a child this was second home. I knew that I was safe here that I could express myself even though I was also tested. when I became older we used to sing in the dark and use…
When I lived in Wilmette, I served on the Local Spiritual Assembly for a few years and also served as the Wilmette Archivist. This title was more of an honorary acknowledgement of my natural interest in old things and my…
When I was serving at the Baha’i World Center in Israel from 2006-2008, I needed to leave the country to renew my visa, and I was also due for a vacation. I didn’t have much money, so I decided to…
Another of the treasures that I found in my work at the US Baha’i National Center is the discovery of copies of maps that were probably created in the 1950s. This one is a map of the travels of the…
Have you ever noticed the pile of papers after Baha’i Feast, or a reflection gathering? We want to make sure we have enough copies of the Feast letter, or the Treasurer’s report, or whatever documents we need to share or…
Back when I worked at the Baha’i National Center in 2012, I found this series of photos in a stack of items that were being given away. I decided to scan them in and post them, but then I never…
Back when I worked at the Baha’i National Center in 2012, I found this series of photos in a stack of items that were being given away. I decided to scan them in and post them, but then I never…
Back when I worked at the Baha’i National Center in 2012, I found this series of photos in a stack of items that were being given away. I decided to scan them in and post them, but then I never…
Some of my Baha’i internet friends started this initiative to blog each day in November and I thought it was a great way to get back into something that I used to do quite regularly. I’ve made lifelong friendships through…
As I alluded to in my post from yesterday, Nineteen Months has been a continuous project for nearly 8 years. I strongly advise you to peruse past photos and articles. This month has some beautiful photos from Uganda, the USA,…
I post about Nineteen Months quite a bit on my social media channels, but rarely do I actually explain my involvement in it and the amount of time it takes in my life. It is something that I never expected…
I have lived in Chicago for the majority of my life. We moved here when I was 8 years ago because my parents wanted to live near the House of Worship and my dad was offered a job in the…
I can’t express how excited I am about working with the Baha’i Publishing Trust to create a wall calendar that is now for sale on their website. Caitlin Castelaz, my co-editor, and I worked with our photographers to submit photos…
Over at Nineteen Months (the site that I founded and now run with my friend Caitlin), we had 19 day project of words from various authors about the Baha’i Fast, and Caitlin organized it all. She put it together in…
I got promoted yesterday. From Events Coordinator to Events Manager* *does a happy dance* It was a while in coming, but I was told in the morning and it was announced in the afternoon to our department (which is good, because it…
Over the last year I was asked if I could provide some of my photos for the Baha’i Publishing Trust’s upcoming publications. The Baha’i Datebook is a physical pocket calendar for 2016-2017 for the year 173 B.E. and my photo…
my daughter, my daughter… never let the conventional wisdom of the masses fool you into complacency when it comes to the sacredness of your body and your soul my sister, my sister… your experiences in life are yours are real…
At the end of the July I had a conference in New Orleans for work, and since it was so close to our two year anniversary, we took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the city together. I had been…
I traveled for work via an airplane 7 times last year, which means 14 TSA lines. I traveled for fun too. And for the life of me, I don’t know why I didn’t apply for TSA pre-check earlier. It was…
My heart has been so heavy these last few days. These last few months and years. I don’t have words. But I am watching, and reading everything that I can, praying, and standing witness. I can’t pretend to know, but…
I’ve been thinking a lot about safety recently. About insurance, vaccines, outbreaks, and all of these scary things in the world. In my line of work, I have to. I spend my time planning giant meetings where hundreds of people…