RENEÉ

Amedeo Modigliani  1917

 

 

The state of present society is analogous to an egg.

"As soon as the new life begins in that egg, the condition inside the egg changes radically.  The alteration of the contents of the egg, which was food for people, is not pleasing anymore.  But the new life thrives on the altered contents until the shell breaks and a new creature is born.  All that is left of the egg is a broken shell. This is very much the state of the world today.

The present-day social calamities are increasing at an alarming rate...we clearly hear the death-pangs of the old order and see a new world community in the embryonic form growing within the womb of the old."  ~Dr. Darius Shahrokh, 'Windows to the Past'

 

 

 

From Stella Assange:

Merry Christmas to everyone from Julian, Stella, and our kids, Gabriel and Max. May the new year bring a steadfast push for peace and dignity for all!

 

Haifa, Israel, at Christmas time. This picture is taken from Ben Gurion Avenue at the base of the Baháʼí Terraces on Mount Carmel with the Shrine of the Báb at the top with a Jewish Menorah, a Muslim Crescent and a Christmas tree at the bottom. Four Abrahamic religions represented at one time.

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'When Christ appeared, the Jews pronounced Him an enemy of Moses. Pharisaical rabbis of that age declared Him to be the destroyer of the Mosaic law and the institutes of the Torah. They proclaimed that He would bring great misfortune to the people of Israel, considering Him the violator of the holy Sabbath and destroyer of the Temple of Solomon. Therefore, they turned away from Him. Let us investigate this and discover whether such accusations were true or false. We will find that in reality Christ caused the name and prestige of Moses to become widespread. Through His efforts and teaching the Book of Moses, the Bible, became known everywhere. In fifteen hundred years there had been but one translation of the Old Testament, the Torah, which translation was made from Hebrew into Greek. But through the instrumentality of Christ’s message and teachings it was translated into six hundred tongues and spread to every part of the world. All the kings and prophets of Israel were unable to promulgate the teachings of Judaism and the name of Moses beyond the borders of Palestine, whereas through Christ Judaism became an established religion in Asia, Africa, Europe and the world generally. Through the message of Christ, Moses was everywhere proclaimed a Prophet of God and His Book the Book of God. Shall we consider this Personage an enemy or a friend of Moses?'

'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace

 

Custom 1953 Plymouth Suburban

Credit: Gagik Hovhannisyan

 

Women in Bar, Pablo Picasso 1902

 

"The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahá’u’lláh, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded."

Facilitating this inevitable recognition of the unity of mankind, "A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect regularity."— Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha’u’llah, 1936

THE FEARLESS FLYERS /// Ace of Aces

 

 

From a recent CNN article making the case for war:

"It doesn’t matter that strategically Ukraine’s war has so far provided the Pentagon with a comparatively cheap means of degrading its second greatest adversary at no cost to American life."

Can you imagine being Ukrainian--of whatever political persuasion or ethnicity-- reading this as your country is being destroyed and the population dies on the battlefield or is driven into exile?

 

 

 

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!

What more can ye say than to you he has said

To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee. Oh, be not dismayed,

For I am thy God I will still give thee aid;

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie

My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not, I will not desert to His foes

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake

 

ROAD RAGE RHYTHM

 

Fall Morning

 

Art Deco Barber Chair

Fox on the run

Fox On The Run

She walks through the corn leading down to the river

Her hair shone like gold in the hot morning sun

She took all the love that a poor boy could give her

And left me to die like a fox on the run

Like a fox, like a fox, like a fox, like a fox, on the run

Everybody knows, the reason for the fall

When woman tempted man down in paradise’s hall

This woman tempted me, and took me for a ride

Like the lonely fox, I need a place to hide

chorus

We’ll pour a glass of wine, to fortify our soul

We’ll talk about the world and friends we used to know

I see a string of girls, who’ll put me on the floor

The game is nearly over and the hounds are at my door

chorus

 

"We ought to show something greater than forgiveness in meeting the cruelties and strictures in our lives. To be hurt and forgive is saintly but far beyond this is the power to comprehend and not be hurt. This power we may have...acceptance without complaint and it should be associated with our name. We ought never to be known to complain or lament. It is not that we would "make the best of things," but that we may find in everything, even in calamity, the gems of enduring wisdom. We ought never be impatient. We ought to be as incapable of impatience as one would be of revolt. This not being so much long-suffering as quiet awareness of the forces that operate in the hours of dark or years of waiting and inactivity. Always we ought to move with the larger rhythm, the wider sweep, towards our ultimate goal, in that complete acquiescence, that perfect chord which underlies the spirit of the faith itself."

  ~ Bahiyyih Khanum

 

Tea Service

 

 

 

As the world burns

 

 

Paletasala Tumanuvao explains Biblical prophecies as revealed in the Baha'i writings.

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12:4

Prayer for Protection By Bahá’u’lláh - مناجاة الحفظ من حضرة بهاءالله

 

"A tempest, unprecedented in its violence, unpredictable in its course, catastrophic in its immediate effects, unimaginably glorious in its ultimate consequences, is at present sweeping the face of the earth. Its driving power is remorselessly gaining in range and momentum. Its cleansing force, however much undetected, is increasing with every passing day. Humanity, gripped in the clutches of its devastating power, is smitten by the evidences of its resistless fury. It can neither perceive its origin, nor probe its significance, nor discern its outcome. Bewildered, agonized and helpless, it watches this great and mighty wind of God invading the remotest and fairest regions of the earth, rocking its foundations, deranging its equilibrium, sundering its nations, disrupting the homes of its peoples, wasting its cities, driving into exile its kings, pulling down its bulwarks, uprooting its institutions, dimming its light, and harrowing up the souls of its inhabitants.' 

-Shoghi Effendi 'The Promised Day is Come"

Oliver Stone's Speech at Writers Guild Awards 2017

 

Girl complains of ice cream price 

 

 

A Baha'i prayer for Thankfulness.

He is God, exalted is He, the Lord of might and grandeur!

O God, my God! I yield Thee thanks at all times and render Thee praise under all conditions.

In prosperity, all praise is Thine, O Lord of the Worlds, and in its absence, all gratitude is Thine, O Desire of them that have recognized Thee!

In adversity, all honour is Thine, O Adored One of all who are in heaven and on earth, and in affliction, all glory is Thine, O Enchanter of the hearts of those who yearn after Thee!

In hardship, all praise is Thine, O Thou the Goal of them that seek after Thee, and in comfort, all thanksgiving is Thine, O Thou whose remembrance is treasured in the hearts of those who are nigh unto Thee!

In wealth, all splendour is Thine, O Lord of them that are devoted to Thee, and in poverty, all command is Thine, O Thou the Hope of them that acknowledge Thy unity!

In joy, all glory is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in sorrow, all beauty is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In hunger, all justice is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in satiety, all grace is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In my homeland, all bounty is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in exile, all decree is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

Under the sword, all munificence is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in the safety of home, all perfection is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In the lofty mansion, all generosity is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and upon the lowly dust, all favour is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In prison, all fidelity is Thine, O Thou the Bestower of gifts, and in confinement, all eternity is Thine, O Thou Who art the ever-abiding King!

All bounty is Thine, O Thou Who art the Lord of bounty, and the Sovereign of bounty, and the King of bounty! I bear witness that Thou art to be praised in Thy doings, O Thou Source of bounty, and to be obeyed in Thy behests, O Thou Ocean of bounty, He from Whom all bounty doth proceed, He to Whom all bounty doth return!

—Bahá’u’lláh

 

Rita Hayworth

1918-1987

 

 

Barracks, Akka prison

And among His signs is the sublimity of His grandeur, His exalted state, His towering glory, and the shining out of His beauty above the horizon of the Prison: so that heads were bowed before Him and voices lowered, and humble were the faces that turned His way. This is a proof never witnessed in the ages gone before.

'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of  'Abdu'l-Bahá 

 

Apartment, Miami Beach

 

 

"0 Sun of Bounty, send down a shaft of light. Grant us pity, grant us grace. By Thy beauty, we come with no provisions but our sins, with no good deeds to tell of, only hopes." 

Abdu'l-Baha , Selections Writings of Abdu'l-Baha

 

1965 Ford Galaxie 500

 

 

Rest in peace, Karol Ewing