Love As A Dynamic Force

Shower The People

Artist:James Taylor

People Lovin' People

Artist:Garth Brooks

(Because the audio's not the best on this one, go here for the lyrics:People Lovin' People Lyrics)

Spread The Love

Artist:Kenny Chesney w/ The Wailers

Writings:

"What a power is love! It is the most wonderful, the greatest of all living powers. Love gives life to the lifeless. Love lights a flame in the heart that is cold. Love brings hope to the hopeless and gladdens the hearts of the sorrowful. "                                                                                                        Abd'u'l-Baha:Paris Talks pg 184

"When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content.

Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness. " Abd'u'l-Baha:Paris Talks pg 184 "O FRIEND! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love, and from the nightingale of affection and desire loosen not thy hold. Treasure the companionship of the righteous and eschew all fellowship with the ungodly."                                                                                                       Baha'u'llah: Hidden Words   "The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch."                                                         Baha'u'llah:Gleanings From The Writings Of Baha'u'llah pg 346 "In the world of existence there is indeed no greater power than the power of love. When the heart of man is aglow with the flame of love, he is ready to sacrifice all—even his life."                                                                                                            Abdu'l Baha: Paris Talks pg 179  Music Bibliography: Shower The People by James Taylor is on his Greatest Hits Vol 1. and the album In The Pocket People Lovin' People by Garth Brooks is on the album Man Against The Machine Spread The Love by Kenny Chesney w/ The Wailers is on the album Life On A Rock Shower The People and Spread The Love are available on iTunes People Lovin' People is available on GhostTunes All the proceeds from the sale of Spread The Love will go to the Spread The Love For Boston Fund: a fund set up to help victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

Home Of The Spirit

Meanwhile, Back At Mama's

Artists: Tim McGraw And Faith Hill

Mayberry

Artist: Rascal Flatts

Writings From The Baha'i Faith:

“Thy heart is My Home; sanctify it for My descent. Thy spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for My manifestation.” Therefore, we learn that nearness to God is possible through devotion to Him, through entrance into the Kingdom and service to humanity; it is attained by unity with mankind and through loving-kindness to all; it is dependent upon investigation of truth, acquisition of praiseworthy virtues, service in the cause of universal peace and personal sanctification. In a word, nearness to God necessitates sacrifice of self, severance and the giving up of all to Him. Nearness is likeness. "

(Abdu'l-Baha:The Promulgation of World Peace pg 147)


"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…. – Abdu’l-Baha, Star of the West, vol. 9, no. 3, (28 April 1918), p. 40)"

Music Bibliography:

Meanwhile Back At Mama's by Tim McGraw And Faith Hill is available as a single on iTunes

Mayberry by Rascal Flatts is on the album Me And My Gang

Both songs are available on itunes

Gratitude

This By Darius Rucker

Blessed by Martina McBride

I Could Not Ask For More by Sara Evans
(Originally Recorded by Edwin McCain)

Writings On Gratitude

Thankfulness is of various kinds. There is a verbal thanksgiving which is confined to a mere utterance of gratitude. This is of no importance because perchance the tongue may give thanks while the heart is unaware of it. Many who offer thanks to God are of this type, their spirits and hearts unconscious of thanksgiving. This is mere usage, just as when we meet, receive a gift and say thank you, speaking the words without significance. One may say thank you a thousand times while the heart remains thankless, ungrateful. Therefore, mere verbal thanksgiving is without effect. But real thankfulness is a cordial giving of thanks from the heart. When man in response to the favors of God manifests susceptibilities of conscience, the heart is happy, the spirit is exhilarated. These spiritual susceptibilities are ideal thanksgiving.  "                                                            Abd'u'l-Baha- The Promulgation Of Universal Peace pg 236

"There is a cordial thanksgiving, too, which expresses itself in the deeds and actions of man when his heart is filled with gratitude. For example, God has conferred upon man the gift of guidance, and in thankfulness for this great gift certain deeds must emanate from him. To express his gratitude for the favors of God man must show forth praiseworthy actions. In response to these bestowals he must render good deeds, be self-sacrificing, loving the servants of God, forfeiting even life for them, showing kindness to all the creatures. He must be severed from the world, attracted to the Kingdom of Abhá, the face radiant, the tongue eloquent, the ear attentive, striving day and night to attain the good pleasure of God. Whatsoever he wishes to do must be in harmony with the good pleasure of God. He must observe and see what is the will of God and act accordingly. There can be no doubt that such commendable deeds are thankfulness for the favors of God. "                                                         Abd'u'l-Baha- The Promulgation Of Universal Peace pg 236

"O thou handmaid of God! In this day, to thank God for His bounties consisteth in possessing a radiant heart, and a soul open to the promptings of the spirit. This is the essence of thanksgiving."                                                                    Selections From The Writings Of  Abd'u'l-Baha pg 320

More Songs On Gratitude

Unanswered Prayers by Garth Brooks
Little Moments by Brad Paisley
I Saw God Today by George Strait
Little Moments and I Saw God Today  are available on iTunes


Music Bibliography
This by Darius Rucker is on the album Charleston SC,1966
Blessed by Martina McBride is on her Greatest Hits album
I Could Not Ask For More by Sara Evans is on the album Born To Fly
All three songs are available on iTunes

Service

Helping Hand by Amy Grant

Chain Of Love by Clay Walker

Put A Little Love In Your Heart

Writings on Service

"Be ye loving fathers to the orphan, and a refuge to the helpless, and a treasury for the poor, and a cure for the ailing. Be ye the helpers of every victim of oppression, the patrons of the disadvantaged. Think ye at all times of rendering some service to every member of the human race. Pay ye no heed to aversion and rejection, to disdain, hostility, injustice: act ye in the opposite way. Be ye sincerely kind, not in appearance only. Let each one of God’s loved ones centre his attention on this: to be the Lord’s mercy to man; to be the Lord’s grace. Let him do some good to every person whose path he crosseth, and be of some benefit to him. Let him improve the character of each and all, and reorient the minds of men. In this way, the light of divine guidance will shine forth, and the blessings of God will cradle all mankind"

(Abdu'l-Baha,Selections From The Writings Of Abdu'l-Baha,p.3)

“O friends, consort with all the people of the world with joy and fragrance. If there be to you a word or essence whereof others than you are devoid, communicate it and show it forth in the language of affection and kindness: if it be received and be effective the object is attained, and if not leave it to him, and with regard to him deal not harshly but pray. The language ofkindness is the lodestone of hearts and the food of the soul; it stands in the relation of ideas to words, and is as an horizon for the shining of the Sun of Wisdom and Knowledge.” (Abdu'l-Baha, A Traveller's Narrative, p. 43)

"That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race.” Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p.250 

Music Bibliography

Helping Hand by Amy Grant is on the album House Of Love

Chain Of Love by Clay Walker is on the album Live, Laugh, Love

Put A Little Love In Your Heart By Jackie De Shannon is on the album The Best Of Jackie De Shannon

All songs are available on iTunes

Tests And Difficulties (Part 2)

Overcomer by Mandisa

Featured In the video are Robin Roberts,Scott Hamilton

Hannah Curlee(from The Biggest Loser)and Gabrielle Giffords

Keep Your Head Up By Andy Grammar

Mountains by Lonestar

Writings on Tests And Difficulties

"While a man is happy he may forget his God; but when grief comes and sorrows overwhelm him, then will he remember his Father who is in Heaven, and who is able to deliver him from his humiliations.

Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit.

The labourer cuts up the earth with his plough, and from that earth comes the rich and plentiful harvest. The more aman is chastened, the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him. A soldier is no good General until he has been in the front of the fiercest battle and has received the deepest wounds." (Abd'u'l-Baha,Paris Talks, p 50) "O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine to such as are nigh unto Thee, Whose sword is the ardent desire ofall them that love Thee, Whose dart is the dearest wish of those hearts that yearn after Thee, Whose decree is the sole hope of them that have recognized Thy truth! I implore Thee, by Thy divine sweetness and by the splendors of the glory of Thy face, to send down upon us from Thy retreats on high that which will enable us to draw nigh unto Thee. Set, then, our feet firm, O my God, in Thy Cause, and enlighten our hearts with the effulgence of Thy knowledge, and illumine our breasts with the brightness of Thy names." (Compilations,Baha'i Prayers p. 189) "The necessity and the particularity of the assured and believing ones is to be firm in the Cause of God and withstand the hidden and evident tests. Thanks be to God that you are distinguished and made eminent by this blessing. Anybody can be happy in the state of comfort, ease, health, success, pleasure and joy; but if one will be happy and contented in the time of trouble, hardship and prevailing disease, it is the proof of nobility. Thanks be to God that that dear servant of God is extremely patient under the disastrous circumstances, and in the place of complaining gives thanks." (Abd'u'l-Baha,Bahai World Faith- Abd'u'l- Baha Section pg 363)

Music Bibliography

Overcomer by Mandisa is on the album Overcomer

Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer is on the album Andy Grammer

Mountains by Lonestar is on the album Mountains

All songs are available on iTunes

Spiritual Transformation

 

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2 

 

Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man I Want To Be By Chris Young

 

 

Baha'i Writings on Spiritual Transformation:

"For material civilization is like unto a beautiful body, and spiritual civilization is like unto the spirit of life. If that wondrous spirit of life enters this beautiful body, the body will become a channel for the distribution and development of the perfections of humanity."

 (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 11)

 

"How excellent, how honorable is man if he arises to fulfil his responsibilities; how wretched and contemptible, if he shuts his eyes to the welfare of society and wastes his precious life in pursuing his own selfish interests and personal advantages. Supreme happiness is man's, and he beholds the signs of God in the world and in the human soul, if he urges on the steed of high endeavor in the arena of civilization and justice."

 (Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 3)

 

"What is the purpose of our lives?'

To acquire virtues. We come from the earth; why were we transferred from the mineral to the vegetable kingdom -- from the plant to the animal kingdom? So that we may attain perfection in each of these kingdoms, that we may possess the best qualities of the mineral, that we may acquire the power of growing as in the plant, that we may be adorned with the instincts of the animal and possess the faculties of sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste, until from the animal kingdom we step into the world of humanity and are gifted with reason, the power of invention, and the forces of the spirit."

 (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 176)

 

 

 

 

Music Bibliography:
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking for by U2 is on the Joshua Tree album

Man In The Mirror By Michael Jackson is on the album: The Essential Michael Jackson

The Man I Want To Be by Chris Young is on the album The Man I Want To Be
 

All songs are available on iTunes

Peace

Yihye Tov (Things Will Get Better) by David Broza
To learn more about David Broza
and for a translation of the lyrics
Go Here:David Broza Feature

From A Distance by Bette Midler

If I Can Dream by Elvis


Baha'i Quotes On Peace:

"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."

 (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 14)

 

"When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content."

 (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 29)

 

"It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness."

 (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 6)

 

"The Great Peace towards which people of good will throughout the centuries have inclined their hearts, of which seers and poets for countless generations have expressed their vision, and for which from age to age the sacred scriptures of mankind have constantly held the promise, is now at long last within the reach of the nations. For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective. World peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet—in the words of one great thinker, “the planetization of mankind”.

Whether peace is to be reached only after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity’s stubborn clinging to old patterns of behaviour, or is to be embraced now by an act of consultative will, is the choice before all who inhabit the earth. At this critical juncture when the intractable problems confronting nations have been fused into one common concern for the whole world, failure to stem the tide of conflict and disorder would be unconscionably irresponsible. "

Baha'u'llah: The Promise Of World Peace

Music Bibliography:
Yihye Tov By David Broza is on the album: Things Will Be Better: Greatest Hits
From A Distance By Bette Midler is on the albums: Some People's Lives and Experience The Divine
If I Can Dream is on the albums 2nd to None and Elvis By The Presleys
All Songs are available through iTunes

More songs on Peace:
Promise Of A New Day by Paula Abdul
Heal The World by Michael Jackson
Imagine by John Lennon
One by U2
Teaching Peace by Red Grammer
Hole In The World by The Eagles
If I Had My Way by Vince Gill
My Grown Up Christmas List by Natalie Cole
Let There Be Peace On Earth by Tom Paxton (also recorded by Vince Gill as well as Gladys Knight)
All of these songs are also available on iTunes