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




Featured Artist:David Broza

David Broza



David Broza is an Israeli born singer/songwriter and is the very definition of a world citizen. He was born in Israel, educated in England and Spain and records in English, Spanish, and Hebrew.

 

I first learned of him from an episode of Nightline that aired during the conflict in 2006 between Lebanon and Israel. They featured him because he was doing free concerts in the bomb shelters in Israel to boost morale. The more I saw, the more I was intrigued and fell in love with his music.

 

The song he is most known for is Yihye Tov (translated it means Things Will Be Better). It is the very first song he ever wrote and it was inspired by the moment when Anwar Sedat of Egypt set foot on Israeli soil for the first time. Every time he plays this song, he always says that he looks forward to the day he can stop playing this song, because that means peace will have come and maybe tonight will be the night.

 

 

Yihye Tov

 

Translated lyrics for Yihye Tov:

 

I look out of the window and it makes me very sad,

Spring has left, who knows if it will return.

The clown has become a king, the prophet has become a clown

and I have forgotten the way, but I am still here.

 

And all will be good, yes, all will be good

Sometimes I break down, so tonight

oh, tonight, with you I stay.

 

Children wear wings and fly off to the army

and after two years they return without an answer.

People live in anxiety, looking for a reason to breathe

and between hatred and murder

they talk about peace.

 

And all will be good, yes, all will be good

Sometimes I break down, so tonight

oh, tonight, with you I stay.

 

(Yes) up there in the sky, clouds are learning how to fly

and I look up see a hijacked airplane.

A government of generals divide the land, to what's theirs and ours

not seeing/ when will we see the end?

 

We will yet learn to live together between the groves of olive trees

Children will live without fear, without borders, without bomb shelters

On graves, grass will grow, for peace and love, one hundred years of war

But hope is not lost

 

I look out of my window, maybe it has/will come a new day

 

Here comes the prince of Egypt, oh how I rejoiced for him

There are pyramids in the eyes and peace in his pipe

And we said "let's make peace and live as brothers"

And he then said, let's just leave the territories