I don't know about you, but some days full of aches and pains and noisy neighbors and election commercials and other all too common annoyances, I find it difficult to bounce out of bed all eager to start another day.

This morning, instead of starting with the news, I chose to read some short inspirational thoughts from Robert Fulghum's book, "It Was On Fire When I Lay Down on It." He was commenting on how religion gets a bad name because instead of encouraging hope and progress, it has come to mean negativity and doom:

"Historically, the symbol of the pulpit has been the pointing, damning finger. Accusing men and women of sin, failure, wickedness, iniquities, and the pride of thinking for themselves. Preaching that on this earth there is no hope--in this life there is no glory. I say the pulpit should stand for wings. Wings of the holy human spirit--wings that lift heart and mind to high places...." inspiring the believers to try again and again to stretch human possibility. p. 193

Well that is one way that Bahá'u'lláh defines the purpose of religion: to carry forward an ever advancing civilization--and to keep on working until a peaceful and prosperous world is achieved.

Here's the latest article from the Baha'i site at BellaOnline.com.

What Are Bahá'ís Working For ?
What inspires the followers of Bahá'u'lláh? What goals do Bahá'ís aim for, and what keeps them hopeful of success?

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art301955.asp

Do visit bahai.bellaonline.com for more articles on ways to change the world through improved parenting, education, and tools for character building, plus links to the sacred texts of the Bahá'í Faith. You don't have to rely on only my understanding, when you can go straight to the source!

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Cheryll Schuette, Baha'i Editor
http://bahai.bellaonline.com

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