tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21527308797965099992024-03-05T14:06:17.230+08:00A Wayfarer's TalesSnapshots and pieces of some of my projects<br>
<br>
I'm mostly talking to myself, and to some imaginary friends, in this blog. If anyone wants to know what I'm talking about, feel free to ask.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-25470766152753617102016-02-17T04:06:00.000+08:002016-02-17T04:06:47.295+08:00Learning to help improve the world, for everyone in the worldHere are some ways I'm trying to learn to help improve the world, for everyone in the world, near and far:<br />
1. Learning to think and act in ways that help brighten up the day for everyone around me, in everything I do, everywhere all the time.<br />
2. Learning to be a better friend to each person in my life.<br />
3. Learning to communicate more, and better, with each person in my life, about what really matters to me and to them.<br />
4. Learning to help develop, practice and promote some kinds of community building, in neighborhoods and villages around the world, that I see as promising ways of helping to build a better world; and of helping to reduce and counteract the ravaging of military and economic warfare, and other natural disasters; at the same time.<br />
5. Practicing and promoting friendship and fellowship across the widest ideological divides.<br />
6. Spending time in side-by-side friendships with some of the people around me that I see being stigmatized, marginalized and ravaged the most.<br />
7. Learning to improve my personality, character, health, capacities and conduct, in ways that serve those purposes, and to encourage and support others in their efforts to improve themselves.<br />
8. Learning not to be confused, distracted, diverted and poisoned by alarm and anger, mine or anyone else's; or by discussions about social issues, and about outrageous things happening in the world.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-52253954477765164082015-05-24T09:12:00.001+08:002015-05-25T08:57:19.757+08:00What the CS representatives did rightOne of the GMs I talked to invited me to offer my suggestions to the company about how to improve the way they respond to situations like <a href="http://awayfarerstales.blogspot.jp/2015/05/game-account-wrongly-banned-appeal.html">the one I discussed in a previous post</a>. After some research on how to submit a suggestion, the only possible way I see for me is with the in-game suggestion option, and I might do that.<br />
<br />
My suggestions are not for the company. Any suggestions I might have would be for individual customer service representatives who see what I see, and who would like to do more to help people in that situation, if they knew what to do. I don't see any way for me to offer them those suggestions, other than in this blog. I've posted what ideas I have, in that other post.<br />
<br />
What I want to do in this post is to say what I saw customer service representatives doing right. Of the representatives I saw posting in the customer support forum, some of them were invariably friendly, courteous and kind, which is by far what I would want to see the most. All of them were invariably courteous. I also saw one of them offering some of the advice that I would like people to have, whose accounts have been banned and whose appeals are persistently denied.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-88369469323293116452015-05-23T20:48:00.000+08:002015-06-07T08:17:50.390+08:00Response to being maligned in a forumIn responses to my posts on a game forum, where I'm trying to help people who have been wrongly banned and whose appeals have been persistently denied, I've seen some personal attacks against me. Normally my only response is to report them, without responding to them or mentioning them at all in my posts. I did respond though, to a personal attack coming from one of the forum members who have a stamp of credibility from the game company.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<i>I want to respond to two public allegations against me by --------:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>1. Insinuating that I'm foolish enough to believe every person who claims that they weren't botting or otherwise violating the ToS.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I don't believe every person who claims that they weren't botting or otherwise violating the ToS. I'm well aware that most of the people protesting against their bans were actually botting.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>2. Saying that I don't listen.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'm not sure I know why she's saying that. I see her repeating some things that I've responded to, so maybe she hasn't seen my responses. I'll repeat them here.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- I'm well aware that most of the people protesting against their bans were actually botting or otherwise violating the ToS.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- I'm well aware that -------- see my wife's situation as entirely different from the situation of anyone, guilty or innocent, who was banned in the recent banwave.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- I haven't said this before in so many words, but I'm well aware that a lot of people, including --------, keep insisting that my wife is the only person in the world who has been falsely accused, and whose appeal has been persistently denied, or else that the number of people who have been treated that way is very small.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The number might be very small, but it is certainly not zero, and even if it were, that would still be irrelevant for what I've been trying to do. For discussion purposes let's presume it's only one other person besides my wife. Let's presume:</i><br />
<i>- that there's only one other person in the world besides my wife who has been falsely accused, whose appeal has been persistently denied, and who has been told explicitly by Customer Support that they will not discuss it with her.</i><br />
<i>- that the allegation against her was entirely different from the allegation against my wife.</i><br />
<i>That's the person I've been trying to help, with my posts in the forum, and with my blog post.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The specific allegation against that person, and circumstances that triggered it, might very well be different from the allegation against my wife, and the circumstances that triggered it. That's entirely irrelevant to what I'm trying to do. The problem for her, and for them, is *not* the auto-ban, or how it was triggered. The problem that my wife, and that one other person in the world, have in common, is the impenetrable wall of auto-responses completely ignoring everything they say. Those responses to my wife, and to that one other person in the world, have been identical, word for word, apart from cutting and pasting the specific allegation in the appropriate places.</i>Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-3110862626443372522015-05-21T06:10:00.001+08:002015-06-07T08:11:42.979+08:00Game account wrongly banned; appeal deniedThis is written for people who already see what I'm seeing, and who would like to do more to help, if they knew what to do. I'm not sure I have any ideas that they haven't already thought of and tried, but I'm not sure I don't. Please, anyone reading this, if you have any ideas or encouraging words for me, please find some way to communicate them to me. My Yahoo address is geotalk.<br />
<br />
I'll be adding to this post and revising it, as my thoughts evolve.<br />
<br />
For reference, I'll briefly describe an example of what I'm seeing.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A person is falsely accused of some violation of the terms, and her game account is banned. She submits a ticket, and receives an automated response that does nothing but repeat the allegation, completely ignoring everything she says, ending with "We now consider this matter closed, and would not look to enter into further discussion on the subject." She requests a callback, and the person who calls says he can't do anything to help her.</blockquote>
<br />
What can anyone do to help that person? First of all, how can we even find that person, to try to help her? Some few in that situation might find their way into the forums, but there might be others who don't. My only idea for now is to publish a blog post like this, that some people might find if they search for solutions on the Internet. If I see any discussions about it in the forums, I'll mention this blog post. Some people who are falsely accused might be searching for solutions in the forums, and see that.<br />
<br />
Some of a person's possibilities might depend on why and how this is happening. I'm not sure that I know, or ever will. For now I'll imagine that the resources and capacities needed to find and reverse all the bans that were issued by mistake, are simply not available, and never will be. In other words, some people whose accounts have been wrongly banned will never be able to have the mistake corrected.<br />
<br />
It might be that anyone who persists patiently, and/or requests a live chat or callback, or has a friend that can do that for her, will eventually be able to have the mistake corrected, but if that is said in public, it might result in an overload on live chat and callbacks. Under those conditions, what can any individual customer service representative, or anyone else, do to help in those circumstances?<br />
<br />
First I'll discuss the kind of moral support that I'd like to see for that person. Then I'll discuss some ideas for practical advice to give her.<br />
<br />
<b>Moral Support</b><br />
<br />
A person looking in the forums might see a variety of ideas about how to reconcile herself to being robbed, and not being able to play the game for however long her account will be banned, which is sometimes permanently. I can see a lot of value in those ideas, but more than that, I would like to see her get some recognition and sympathy for being robbed and not being able to play the game, and some encouragement and support in trying to get the mistake corrected if she wants to. Simply repeating over and over that all she can do is submit a ticket seems dishonest, cruel and insulting to me. I see no need, with a person who has been told explicitly by Customer Service, in response to her ticket, that they will not discuss it with her, to keep repeating that the only thing she can do is submit a ticket. That feels dishonest, cruel and insulting to me.<br />
<br />
In the forums she might see a lot of posts denying that what happened to her could possibly happen, or excusing it. That's very demoralizing. It might help her to see someone saying that it *does* happen, and that nothing can make it right for anyone to be treated that way.<br />
<br />
<b>Practical Advice</b><br />
<br />
In some cases, it might be possible for someone else to contact Customer Support and have the mistake corrected. That's what happened in my wife's case. I was finally able to talk to someone who looked at her account, and saw the mistake and corrected it. That possibility might be very remote in most cases, but it is a possibility.<br />
<br />
Another possibility I see for her in some cases is to wait a few weeks, and try again, then again in a few more weeks, and so on. The automated denials of the appeal might be the result of a temporary overload in Customer Service.<br />
<br />
If a person has been accused of using third-party software, and would like to find out if there is actually something on her computer triggering that, she might bring that question to a virus removal help site. That needs to be researched carefully, because there are a lot of fraudulent ones.<br />
<br />
<b>Other thoughts</b><br />
<br />
1. There might be much better ways that Customer Service representatives could help, that could only be found in live consultation between some CS representatives, and some of the people whose accounts have been banned by mistake, and whose appeals were persistently denied.<br />
<br />
2. I've seen examples of this happening with at least five game companies. A person's account is banned by mistake, and every way is barred, to have the mistake corrected. One company even says openly and explicitly that there is no way to appeal a ban, at all. Even in a case like that, it might be possible to contact customer support through another account, or through a friend, to ask for help on some other topic. If that leads to some actual communication with a person, it might be possible to persuade that person to investigate and have the mistake corrected.<br />
<br />
3. Game companies sometimes say that there's no way to appeal a ban, that the only way is with a ticket, or that it's impossible to use another account for an appeal or for a friend to do it. It looks to me like in some cases, possibly in most cases, none of that is true. Many people have had the mistakes corrected, and their accounts unbanned, with those companies, using phone calls and/or other accounts, or by a friend doing it for them.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-25946410390272244522015-05-17T08:49:00.004+08:002015-05-21T10:07:04.699+08:00What I'm trying to do in the Wow forumsIf you're looking for my discussion about what I'm trying to do in the WoW forums, this is it. I'll post more later.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-68486825906100625092014-12-11T09:41:00.003+08:002014-12-11T09:44:59.344+08:00Making time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpyCll5LUBL32MqdqqFJgXglSuSC6Xc31dxEvAIztBGymOwXb6iZbo2CsTbf9Qm5H-qiPdNjMsXJkrIG6GizDswt1afjb1OcmwlRXplgh5p38nhkmj_yYWnu8zV9GOh4ocXUkc0IdQueW/s1600/Calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpyCll5LUBL32MqdqqFJgXglSuSC6Xc31dxEvAIztBGymOwXb6iZbo2CsTbf9Qm5H-qiPdNjMsXJkrIG6GizDswt1afjb1OcmwlRXplgh5p38nhkmj_yYWnu8zV9GOh4ocXUkc0IdQueW/s1600/Calendar.jpg" height="320" width="272" /></a>Some time ago I suspended my Internet projects indefinitely. Now I'm thinking I might go back online in February or March, if I can learn habits I want to learn before then, including:<br />
- making time in my life now, for some things that I'm hoping will some day happen in my life.<br />
- spending more time with some friends and family members, learning to be a better friend.<br />
- getting some things done from my list of Things to Do.<br />
<br />
Mostly what I want to make time for, sometimes at home and sometimes outside, is to spend with some friends that I'm hoping to have some day. Those will be friends who will be following Baha'u'llah, and studying and practicing with some of their friends, learning to work with neighbors to help improve the community life for everyone in a neighborhood, using what we're learning from Baha'u'llah. Those friends of mine and I will spend time together in fellowship, in my home and elsewhere, and exchanging ideas and experiences in helping to spread the knowledge and love of God.<br />
<br />
I'm learning to make time for that in my life now, without waiting until it starts happening. I'm using that time now to practice things I might do with those friends in the future.<br />
<br />
I might go back online in February or March, if I'm satisfied with my progress in learning those habits. For now what I have in mind to do, if and when I go back online, is to spend time with people following ideologies opposed to mine, learning to encourage and support them, in their best efforts that I can see, to help spread the knowledge and love of God.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-655164758897366532014-10-23T15:43:00.000+08:002014-10-23T15:43:29.680+08:00UpdateI've suspended all of my Internet projects indefinitely, but I don't want to abandon my blogs completely. I'll try to say briefly where I was in my projects, and what I might do if I ever go back online.<br />
<br />
Please don't anyone ever hesitate to comment or to contact me, just because I haven't posted for many months. I want to remember that, myself, when I find blogs that interest me, without any recent posts.<br />
<br />
I'll list some of my past projects and potential future projects, then discuss where I am with them.<br />
<br />
1. Fellowship with some of the people I see being stigmatized and marginalized the most.<br />
2. Practicing and promoting better conduct on the Internet.<br />
3. Bringing the framework for action into online communities.<br />
4. Learning to nurture the spirit of faith and the love of God, in myself and in others, everywhere all the time, and to help spread His knowledge and love far and wide.<br />
5. Promoting more conscious awareness and appreciation of the spirit of faith, and of its role not only in each person's life but in improving the world for all people everywhere, rather than for some at the expense of others.<br />
6. Practicing and promoting fellowship across religious and other ideological divides.<br />
7. Encouraging and supporting individual initiatives outside of popular bandwagons.<br />
8. Putting myself in the line of fire of prejudices against people promoting ideas and interests contrary to popular Baha'i thinking.<br />
9. Freeing myself from my own prejudices and ill will, and learning to never depreciate anyone.<br />
10. Finding more people who want to be candles for God, or some equivalent of that in non-theistic language, and learning to encourage and support them, especially in spreading the knowledge and love of God, and in serving the best interests of their communities.<br />
11. Promoting free software, the creative commons and other movements for a more loving economy.<br />
12. Practicing and promoting richer and deeper online communications.<br />
13. Practicing and promoting online consultation on what any and all of us can do about Baha'i social issues.<br />
14. Trying to create a more friendly environment in Baha'i Internet discussions for people I see being stigmatized and marginalized in those discussions, in both camps.<br />
15. Finding people to collaborate with in my projects.<br />
16. Learning what kinds of online interpersonal experiences help open people's hearts to God and attract them to His Kingdom.<br />
17. Helping to develop online training for people who are learning to make better use of the Internet to help spread the knowledge and love of God.<br />
18. To learn, practice and promote what all of us can do for the most ravaged people all over the world.<br />
19. Practicing and promoting wider and better exchanges of ideas and experiences in studying the Revelation of God and putting it into practice; for example between people with opposing ideologies; and between people trained and experienced in various academic fields, and people wholeheartedly immersed in the framework for action the House of Justice is promoting.<br />
<br />
If and when I go back online, I imagine some of my highest priorities will be finding blogs and other initiatives to encourage and support, practicing and promoting fellowship across religious and other ideological divides, learning to never depreciate anyone, and learning to free myself from all ill will.<br />
<br />
After years of putting myself in the line of fire of people's prejudices, I don't see much promise in it, so I've considered giving it up. One reason I might continue is help me resist my own temptations to comply.<br />
<br />
The kinds of blogs and other initiatives I'll be looking for, to encourage and support, might be especially ones I see best serving these purposes:<br />
- Spreading awareness and appreciation of the gift of faith, and the knowledge and love of God, far and wide.<br />
- Fellowship across religious and other ideological divides.<br />
- Individual and small group initiatives outside of popular bandwagons, especially ones stigmatized and marginalized by them.<br />
- Learning and promoting what any and all of us can do to help rebuild the world's most ravaged communities, near and far.<br />
- Online training for those purposes.<br />
<br />
I'm reconsidering the idea of trying to bring the framework for action into online communities, not to abandon it but to consider some adaptations that might be needed before I can even start.<br />
<br />
I wrote a lot in the past about Baha'i feuding, and what I call the Talisman liberation movement, and addressing Baha'i social issues, and freeing the Faith from its shackles. Three of the four people in the liberation camp that I was most interested in excommunicated me, and I withdrew from all of those discussions, years ago. I'm still on friendly terms with the other one, but that one has mostly lost interest in those issues.<br />
<br />
Even though I don't see as much of the open feuding as I saw before, I still see Baha'is online divided into the same camps, with the same animosities; and I still see the same harm in it, and the same community issues behind it, that I've always seen. I haven't given up trying to address all that, but I have given up trying to do anything about it in Internet discussions, even if I go back online. In fact I've given up hope of having any fruitful discussions about any social issues in any online social forum.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-74872412453509994232013-12-22T10:35:00.000+08:002013-12-22T10:35:32.786+08:00Surf's up!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_9Dptvw75Jqy0hIwudLoX4XVlQc2SZ8cGMRLWQYDJwUjro97-frS1lX0NSlaQ0CL3z5KdwWugOVprAhgVjLvY5eigCqq0B_RJ8bGoYaKLWBplP6o6WZUIo9bRZDGl_A2swB7-jgS6w5H/s1600/179px-Surf's_up_-_geograph.org.uk_-_560186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_9Dptvw75Jqy0hIwudLoX4XVlQc2SZ8cGMRLWQYDJwUjro97-frS1lX0NSlaQ0CL3z5KdwWugOVprAhgVjLvY5eigCqq0B_RJ8bGoYaKLWBplP6o6WZUIo9bRZDGl_A2swB7-jgS6w5H/s200/179px-Surf's_up_-_geograph.org.uk_-_560186.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image credit: <br /><a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/11285">Stephen McCulloch</a>,<br />via Wikipedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Recently I crossed the path of a huge wave of idle contention on the Internet, and I went tumbling head over heels. My head is still spinning, and I'm still floundering around, dazed, trying to get back to the shore.<br />
<br />
What knocked me off my feet was not the wave itself. It was the undertow.<br />
<br />
Now I'm wondering if it could serve any of my purposes to learn to ride those waves. If nothing else, it might help me avoid being knocked over by them.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-10284570966295564422013-12-18T21:57:00.000+08:002013-12-18T21:57:14.384+08:00Things to consult about with friends, family members, and others.This is just a bullet list of some of my current visions and goals. I'll post later about my strategies and lines of action.<br />
<br />
- Learning to be a pure channel of God's grace.<br />
- Learning to be more places, more of the time, where God can do more with me.<br />
- Learning to be a better person, a better friend and a better neighbor.<br />
- Practicing and promoting loving devotion to the best interests of our communities.<br />
- Learning to better encourage and support more individual initiatives.<br />
- Practicing and promoting fellowship across religious and other ideological divides.<br />
- Special attention to some of the people around me that I see being stigmatized and marginalized the most.<br />
- Learning to do more to help improve the lives of the most ravaged people in the world, near and far.<br />
- Learning to better encourage and support people who are studying with me, in practicing what we're learning.<br />
- Learning to better encourage and support all people in their progress in the path of God.<br />
- Experimenting with Baha'i community-building principles and practices, in Internet communities.<br />
- Practicing and promoting better conduct on the Internet.<br />
- Practicing and promoting a more loving economy.<br />
- Practicing and promoting richer and deeper communications.<br />
- Helping to improve the quality of training for community building.<br />
- Helping to develop training for other work above.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-88986773689550853892013-12-01T20:18:00.000+08:002013-12-01T20:18:43.168+08:00Joy from watching companionshipYesterday, while Patty was shopping on and around the walking street, I spent some time sitting on a bench, practicing keeping my heart open to God. I looked around and up at the sky for a while, then I remembered being filled with joy once before, sitting on the walking street, watching people go by. At first I couldn't remember how that happened, then I remembered that I had watched people laughing and having fun together. I didn't see as much of that this time, but I did see a lot of companionship in groups of various sizes. After I watched that for a while, I felt so much joy that it bubbled out in laughter and put tears in my eyes.<br />
<br />
I took some pictures of groups of people, to share. I wrote about it, along with a few photos, to one of my friends that I'm studying and practicing with, learning ways to lift our spirits when we're feeling blue. I'm planning to write a post about it on my Nets of Wonder blog, along with a few photos, and to share that on Facebook.<br />
<br />
Experiences like that sometimes remind me of the idea in The Celestine Prophecy, that one way to get energy, without draining it from others, is from beauty. This experience also reminded me of what Baha'u'llah said about fellowship. He wrote "This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations."Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-68114431111656335132013-11-23T08:00:00.000+08:002013-11-23T08:00:36.772+08:00Raising our banners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8re2EZF5ogJylU0ScdEQmDbnn0RxuXbMi485p_Gr8HrT9bgL5cUQ9eJhIGz-duVW8ZxWYi0t3HAS414gti8p9seVCL5btq9Odc4gd-r6HMGNUJzCnLgE-zKg6sdxawZ79dWAeFFAKlz_/s1600/elusive+butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8re2EZF5ogJylU0ScdEQmDbnn0RxuXbMi485p_Gr8HrT9bgL5cUQ9eJhIGz-duVW8ZxWYi0t3HAS414gti8p9seVCL5btq9Odc4gd-r6HMGNUJzCnLgE-zKg6sdxawZ79dWAeFFAKlz_/s200/elusive+butterfly.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This is about my Baha'i banner, but some of these thoughts might interest people rallying around other banners, religious or not.<br />
<br />
Recently I've been trying to learn to proclaim the cause of Baha'u'llah more openly and continually on facebook. Pondering why I haven't done so before, I remember noticing years ago that all the things I was trying to tell people in Internet discussions were things they really already knew, and were just choosing to ignore. I gave up trying to tell people things, and since then I've mostly just devoted myself to teaching with my actions. That applies especially to Baha'is, and my teaching efforts have been focused mostly on Baha'is.<br />
<br />
Another reason for my aversion to promoting what I believe in verbally has been what Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha have said about words and deeds. For example:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"O SON OF DUST!<br />
Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say, O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning."<br />
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words no. 5)<br />
<br />
"O friends! Help ye the one true God, exalted be His glory, by your goodly deeds, by such conduct and character as shall be acceptable in His sight."<br />
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 271)<br />
<br />
"O people of God! Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behaviour. Valiant acts will ensure the triumph of this Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce its power. Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Baha!"<br />
(Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 86)<br />
<br />
"The wrong in the world continues to exist just because people talk only of their ideals, and do not strive to put them into practice. If actions took the place of words, the world's misery would very soon be changed into comfort."<br />
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 16)</blockquote>
In my efforts to be sure that my words are always preceded by actions, I've often ended up not saying anything at all. I think now that I want to try saying more about the sources of my inspiration and strength for what I do, but I still want to tread very carefully. My thought now is to continue putting actions first, then discussing where I've found inspiration and strength for those actions.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-42226522624708810172013-11-20T17:27:00.000+08:002013-11-20T17:27:29.965+08:00What's happening in my life<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlc3rkOI86VbVob6kx1gkpyRAjT5LH_JDsIW5YoIag9UBLnWMUbTwpCZdO0TmbaVZZDUCegeUaWHgWvbLV3rpDFHtFKNB3TVN8dLPFnQ6bvsFSpFXfwwdmGaB8v4z6finolA2VHmVIQRX/s1600/origami+cube.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlc3rkOI86VbVob6kx1gkpyRAjT5LH_JDsIW5YoIag9UBLnWMUbTwpCZdO0TmbaVZZDUCegeUaWHgWvbLV3rpDFHtFKNB3TVN8dLPFnQ6bvsFSpFXfwwdmGaB8v4z6finolA2VHmVIQRX/s200/origami+cube.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/omegatron/">endolith</a>, via flickr</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For my imaginary collaborators<br />
<br />
Here's another bullet list of topics related to what's happening in my life. I'm planning to elaborate on some of them in later posts. I might also elaborate on some previous bullet lists. Or not.<br />
<br />
* On line and off line<br />
- Nurturing the spirit of faith and the love of God<br />
- Meekness and kindness<br />
- Pure channel<br />
<br />
* Off line<br />
- Origami and diabolo<br />
- English corner: activities with children<br />
- English corner: elevated conversations with students, including more loving neighborhoods and a more loving economy<br />
- New friends: email, invitations for tea, walks<br />
- Tutoring accompaniment<br />
- "Who We Are"<br />
- How to explain what I want to do<br />
- Growth cycles<br />
<br />
I want to learn to be a good friend to Chinese people who are helping to spread the best kinds of wisdom and love.<br />
<br />
* On line<br />
- Learning to be a better friend to some people in my life, one by one<br />
- Encouraging and supporting individual and group initiatives<br />
- Framework on line<br />
- Research opening and attracting hearts<br />
- Exchanging ideas and experiences in improving quality of training<br />
- Fellowship across divides<br />
- Online training starting with BIA documents<br />
- Atheists, atheism and God-centered livingJim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-78905713346167848492013-11-12T17:00:00.003+08:002013-11-12T17:03:18.646+08:00What good can I do on the Internet?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyCe3LwuhOWDOfr50QXpv4S8G9hVx-oEgxK1cn-AS8ziMF863ubBcOu2UY_kkHJHydnisRtLxOCdwaPwwtkcuK9Ek8gJ2h-tsO94234Upro8Zhvqx2qb5JsCs_oZ6_vy5FCC5E9cpASo1/s1600/netsofwonder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyCe3LwuhOWDOfr50QXpv4S8G9hVx-oEgxK1cn-AS8ziMF863ubBcOu2UY_kkHJHydnisRtLxOCdwaPwwtkcuK9Ek8gJ2h-tsO94234Upro8Zhvqx2qb5JsCs_oZ6_vy5FCC5E9cpASo1/s200/netsofwonder.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The image on the screen is by<br /> Lorelyn Medina, via <a href="http://www.123rf.com/">123RF</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For 15 years I've been trying to learn what good I might be able to do on the Internet. I've seen some fruits of my efforts to free myself from my prejudices, and to help cheer and refresh the down-cast. I've had a lot fun practicing fellowship across religious and other ideological divides, but I haven't seen or heard of that doing anyone else any good.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
All these years I've dreamed, in vain, of finding collaborators in those initiatives. Now I see some possibilities that look more promising.</div>
Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-20404355840538939812013-11-04T11:22:00.001+08:002013-11-04T11:22:28.863+08:00To imaginary friends<br />
<br />
Bullet list update, for possible amplification later (some names fictitious):<br />
<br />
* English corner at the library<br />
- Chapter 1 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with little Dorothy.<br />
- Gave Dorothy's mother children's stories to look at, from the life of Abdu'l-Baha, to see if she approves of me reading them to Dorothy.<br />
- Invited to speak at the next English corner.<br />
<br />
* Friendships<br />
- Invited to birthday party for Lin's child.<br />
- Invited to dinner with Min and friends.<br />
- Visited by Jin and Yin, made tea, fascinated by Baha'i books, walked by the lake, felt like old friends.<br />
<br />
* Web<br />
- Discovered Susan Gammage's teleconferencing study circles initiative.<br />
- Came out on facebook with my "anti-semitic" and "homophobic" views.<br />
- Resisted temptation to get drawn deeper and deeper into Internet discussions.<br />
- Responses to Emily's blog<br />
<br />
* Daily living<br />
- More OCR: announcements, community center displays, learning to use photo editing functions.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-22661443436332848732013-11-02T08:55:00.001+08:002013-11-02T21:22:05.657+08:00A Tale of Two Donkeys?To imaginary friends<br />
<br />
As I'm pondering the question of how to promote what we're practicing and learning, I'm seeing <a href="http://rvcbard.blogspot.com/">RVCBard</a> struggling with the same issue. Pondering the questions she raises, one problem that I see is that we all want to be our own producers and directors, more than we want to support what anyone else is doing. It's hard for me to face letting go of that, but that might be where I need to go. No matter how good the possibilities might be in the performances I'm dreaming of, year after year goes by without finding any collaborators. I might do more good by spending more time and effort working with other people on their performances.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-79878000767647820742013-11-02T07:50:00.001+08:002013-11-02T07:50:57.892+08:00Community building, and online activities, as performanceFor my imaginary friends<br />
<br />
To improve my understanding of <a href="http://rvcbard.blogspot.nl/">RVCBard's posts</a>, I've been trying to frame parts of what I'm doing as performance initiatives. One example is to think of the community building that the House of Justice is promoting as a continually evolving performance. Another is to think of what I've been trying to do in online communities as continually evolving performances. Thinking that way helps me make her issues my own.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-51109101165697958712013-11-01T16:33:00.004+08:002013-11-01T16:44:04.061+08:00Fellowship across ideological dividesFor my imaginary friends again.<br />
<br />
I'm thinking now about our efforts to practice and promote fellowship across religious and other ideological divides. A few months ago I spent a lot of time reading and posting in some atheist forums and blogs. There were some heated discussions going on about some issues that interest me passionately, including improving the community life for a wider diversity of people, and promoting better conduct on the Internet. I also read and posted in some Baha'i forums dominated by views and practices opposed to mine. Just now I was missing some of those discussions.<br />
<br />
One of my goals in those discussions was to learn to never depreciate anyone, and to free myself from all ill will. One way I've found to do that is to explore and practice healthy ways of using anger.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure if or when I'll go back to that. When I'm ready to spend more time on the Internet, I'd like to work on:<br />
- learning what kinds of online interpersonal experiences help open people's hearts to God and attract them to His Kingdom.<br />
- helping to develop online training for people who are learning to make better use of the Internet to help spread the knowledge and love of God.<br />
- finding ways to project the framework for action into Internet neighborhoods.<br />
- finding more people who want to be candles for God, or some equivalent of that in non-theistic language, and learn to encourage and support them, especially in spreading the knowledge and love of God, and in serving the best interests of their communities.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-10141846229556085672013-11-01T11:07:00.001+08:002013-11-02T12:41:54.492+08:00Growth cyclesThis post is for some imaginary friends<br />
<br />
I'm trying to practice three month growth cycles. This cycle I'm experimenting with an expansion phase of three weeks, with intensive efforts to expand my circle of friends, followed by ten weeks of consolidation. I do have a few new friends now, that I met during those three weeks.<br />
<br />
Part of my consolidation efforts will be to work on helping to improve the quality of institute training. Another part, which overlaps with that, will be trying to learn to be a better friend to friends of mine who are learning to follow Baha'u'llah. Two of my friends and I have studied Ruhi Book 6 together, with me as the tutor, but sometimes we go for months without meeting. One of my goals is to practice and promote mentoring as a way of training, apart from study circles.<br />
<br />
I've been reviewing Book 6, considering what it's designed to teach us to do. I'll study the book and practice, trying to learn to do those things, and invite my two friends to do the same, and to work with me in helping each other learn. The next step I have in mind is to start trying to learn to design and implement a personal teaching plan.<br />
<br />
I've been reading about how some people here in China have been learning to follow Baha'u'llah. I want to study that some more, and practice doing what some Chinese people have been doing, as a way of learning to be a better friend to friends who are learning to follow Baha'u'llah. I want to ask one of my Book 6 study circle friends to help me with that by letting me talk to him sometimes about what I'm doing, and maybe helping me practice.<br />
<br />
Some of the next things I'm dreaming of doing on the Internet are:<br />
- Learning from stories about what kinds of online interpersonal experiences have helped open people's hearts to God, and attract them to His Kingdom.<br />
- Finding ways to project the framework for action into Internet neighborhoods.<br />
- Helping to develop online training for people who are learning to make better use of the Internet for God's purposes, starting with studying and practicing materials on the Web site of the Baha'i Internet Agency.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-27106867134348252142013-10-31T21:47:00.000+08:002013-10-31T21:47:35.270+08:00The widow, the fatherless, the stranger and the poor<blockquote class="tr_bq">
7:10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.<br />
<br />
(King James Bible, Zechariah)</blockquote>
<br />
<a href="http://www.emilytheperson.com/">Emily is Smiling</a> is one of the blogs I found when I was searching on the Internet for people who want to be candles for God. This post is written for Emily, in response to her posts about her 7 experiment.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Beyond what you say, in the introduction on your blog, about your heart for orphans, I see orphans, and some of the world's most ravaged people, as all-pervading themes in the blog. In the posts about your 7 experiment I see some parallel themes, including the extravagance in our lives, yours and mine; and learning to free ourselves from slavery to our passions and possessions.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidElFJnkVEL_LVSytLd0OwHqzPOD435CgKGQpSaIvcaYn4JXIueSmE0WyEtDcfQsJIMgEm7EMbzGiXci2ZXO818f9cz5kl9bikYV53t-5HY5S2RrthwbyEAvXK_EFg6GzDAlagMlmjsA52/s1600/ugly_duckling_family_page_by_hamabear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidElFJnkVEL_LVSytLd0OwHqzPOD435CgKGQpSaIvcaYn4JXIueSmE0WyEtDcfQsJIMgEm7EMbzGiXci2ZXO818f9cz5kl9bikYV53t-5HY5S2RrthwbyEAvXK_EFg6GzDAlagMlmjsA52/s200/ugly_duckling_family_page_by_hamabear.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Your heart for orphans and for ravaged people brings to my mind one reason I've seen in the Bible for God's recurring wrath against Israel: its mistreatment of the widow, the fatherless, the stranger and the poor. The theme of the extravagance in our lives brings to my mind some connections I see between that and the ravaging, which might possibly have been in your mind also. The theme of learning to free ourselves from slavery to our passions and possessions is the part which seems to me to correspond the best with my break from Internet discussions. The only way I've found in the past to manage my Internet addiction has been to abstain altogether for a few months at a time. This time I abstained for just three weeks, the first three weeks of a three-month cycle of personal growth that I'm experimenting with. I had some experiences during that time that might interest you (or not, I'm not sure), but before that I want to write about what we can do for the world's most ravaged people, near and far.<br />
<br />
A new idea came to me, from a Bible passage I found when I was searching for passages about the widow, the fatherless, the stranger and the poor:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
19:9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.<br />
19:10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.<br />
<br />
23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.<br />
<br />
(King James Bible, Leviticus)</blockquote>
<br />
I'll be pondering that, as part of my preparation for some following posts.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-60619487427949174172013-10-29T22:35:00.001+08:002013-10-29T22:35:26.672+08:00Climbing a Mountain<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQtptuu0yEkB9Xx44f0sPM7asc11rnCQppTFL6JxIfgqnELwrAFOiDqaV1vC_qEgt3pnm-Qf_lO97fpSPwtYCVNALmcvvEF6VIyPZXaaaUAkQ0Z1or5zOm04cipJJU95KiMxT9gRsUyIs/s1600/mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQtptuu0yEkB9Xx44f0sPM7asc11rnCQppTFL6JxIfgqnELwrAFOiDqaV1vC_qEgt3pnm-Qf_lO97fpSPwtYCVNALmcvvEF6VIyPZXaaaUAkQ0Z1or5zOm04cipJJU95KiMxT9gRsUyIs/s200/mountain.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: Jim Habegger<br />
via Blogger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was pondering all the things I'm trying to do, that I'm hoping to do, and that I need to do, and feeling a little overwhelmed. Then I grouped them into these categories:<br />
<ul>
<li>Daily living.</li>
<li>Working with Patty on her English teaching.</li>
<li>Top priorities in learning to know and love God.</li>
<li>Other.</li>
</ul>
<br />
I don't feel any pressing need for now to try to improve on the daily living, working with Patty, or my pursuit of the interests in the "Other" category. For the top priorities, I've decided to try giving myself one task to try to complete, each week.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-11931845520757365862013-10-29T20:42:00.001+08:002013-10-29T20:47:18.574+08:00Your Place or Mine?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg0aWx0La4UCLertaoWyfOqXgz6fTjbQeamAPeyNuTifOy3-yJQ_QwYTsFdzRWMNn_biXwwxyclvH5lSwH7qISsSYTKgz-RjMFE1nHljm1lK2KTBsoV-92nKW6THRfCCD4BQiuZLCED8m/s1600/welcome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg0aWx0La4UCLertaoWyfOqXgz6fTjbQeamAPeyNuTifOy3-yJQ_QwYTsFdzRWMNn_biXwwxyclvH5lSwH7qISsSYTKgz-RjMFE1nHljm1lK2KTBsoV-92nKW6THRfCCD4BQiuZLCED8m/s200/welcome.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: Jim Habegger<br />
via Blogger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thinking about the issues RVCBard raised in <a href="http://rvcbard.blogspot.nl/2013/10/why-orlando-jones-is-smartest-man-alive.html">a post about diversity in theater</a>, gave me some new ideas for my own initiatives.<br />
<br />
The first thought that came to me was to turn the question around, from "What can I do to help increase the participation of Those People in what I'm doing?" to "How can I increase and improve my participation in what Those People are doing?" That would include, but not be limited to, whatever they might be doing that could serve the same purposes.<br />
<br />
I've already put a lot of effort into learning to spend time in fellowship and collaboration with some of the people I've seen being stigmatized and marginalized the most, in their comfort zones, for other purposes. Now I'm considering it in the perspective of learning to collaborate on performance initiatives. The first thought that comes to me is to look for performance initiatives of theirs, and/or other initiatives that could possibly serve the same purposes, where they might be willing to include me. Immediately some wide open doors with welcome mats come to mind, that I've been scorning.<br />
<br />Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-37403408402286748962013-10-29T15:32:00.000+08:002013-10-29T15:49:22.329+08:00Update for some imaginary friends<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vJ3z7lftcjz2bZ8qnRRv4b4M7cYXpsb8hsjOSSGly_hgRxY-N6FDO8dB4MTGDjorSn98JEKci5UxROSw9JaQgbiE2_t1ltuZGJc9aFiPT8E0gvdFqJ42dwdi7Ry3KOZ7LKiBNrSP5n71/s1600/lion+not+iron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vJ3z7lftcjz2bZ8qnRRv4b4M7cYXpsb8hsjOSSGly_hgRxY-N6FDO8dB4MTGDjorSn98JEKci5UxROSw9JaQgbiE2_t1ltuZGJc9aFiPT8E0gvdFqJ42dwdi7Ry3KOZ7LKiBNrSP5n71/s200/lion+not+iron.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Jim Habegger<br />
via blogger.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
First I'll list and discuss some efforts and experiences as they come to mind. Then I'll search for some lists that I've made before, and write about those later. I might also write about some of my visions, goals, strategies, lines of action, and possible fruits and signs of progress.<br />
<br />
* List of some recent and current efforts.<br />
1. To learn to nurture the spirit of faith and the love of God, in myself and in others.<br />
2. To practice and promote loving devotion to the interests of the Universal House of Justice.<br />
3. Three weeks of intensive efforts to meet people and make new friends, with a break from Internet discussions.<br />
4. To practice and promote richer and more personal communications when we're tempted to use impoverished substitutes in their place, like posting on Twitter and Facebook.<br />
5. To learn to be a better person, a better friend and a better neighbor, especially to some of the people I see being stigmatized and marginalized the most.<br />
6. To learn what to do on the Internet to help open people's hearts more to God, and attract them to His Kingdom.<br />
7. To learn to project the kinds of personal and community development that the House of Justice is promoting, into Internet neighborhoods.<br />
8. To practice and promote better conduct on the Internet.<br />
9. To learn to never depreciate anyone, and to free myself from all ill will.<br />
10. To practice and promote freedom from prejudice.<br />
11. To practice and promote fellowship across religious and other ideological divides.<br />
12. To learn, practice and promote what all of us can do for the most ravaged people all over the world.<br />
13. To learn to encourage and support my friends, near and far, in the kinds of personal and community development that the House of Justice is promoting.<br />
14. To help Patty with her English teaching.<br />
15. To learn Chinese.<br />
16. To use and promote freely shareable and modifiable software and artistic creations.<br />
<br />
* List of some recent experiences.<br />
1. At the English corner.<br />
2. At the Library.<br />
3. In our neighborhood: basketball, diabolo, origami, tai chi, outing for retired people, water bucket, exploring, neighborhood center.<br />
4. On the street with my map.<br />
5. Memorizing scripture passages<br />
6. Reading "Heroes of the Dawn."<br />
7. Communing with nature.<br />
8. Practicing healthy uses of anger.<br />
9. Reading and posting in atheist forums and blogs.<br />
10. Reading and posting in blogs of people who might want to be candles for God.<br />
11. Reading and posting in some other blogs.<br />
12. Practicing writing Chinese.<br />
13. Taking photos for a blog series on the lions of Guilin.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-47730863286315067632013-10-24T22:11:00.000+08:002013-10-24T22:24:02.204+08:00Fasting from excess and the American Dream<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzk5hauAo9mQBE47eun09gPDuOyCklcpOCRp1lLicdAbb5s0GfdH_poOjA6NZpdO55UNnpXYN6DbJufAomkJ3sWxfEoRcNDM61VAG3bssmITUw4du9xHBVamBiCD8xcMKE_OiDUrq1lTnj/s1600/fasting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzk5hauAo9mQBE47eun09gPDuOyCklcpOCRp1lLicdAbb5s0GfdH_poOjA6NZpdO55UNnpXYN6DbJufAomkJ3sWxfEoRcNDM61VAG3bssmITUw4du9xHBVamBiCD8xcMKE_OiDUrq1lTnj/s200/fasting.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: Jean Fortunet,<br />
via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In a blog post, <a href="http://www.emilytheperson.com/2013/08/5-books-im-reading.html">5 Books I'm Reading</a>, Emily wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
My friend Sammy and I are going to have a Bible study this summer and challenge ourselves with a seven week fast. Coming back from Kenya this summer opened my eyes to the ridiculous focus on materialism and excess. I'm eager to remove my gaze from all worthless things. I do not want any part of my life to become an idol over the Lord.<br />
<br />
Do I believe it's a sin to use social media or own a closet of clothes or eat a bunch of good foods? No. But I want to stretch myself out of my comfort zone and keep the Lord's heart as my own. Sometimes these material possessions can become necessities, and nothing but Christ should be a necessity in my life.</blockquote>
In a later post, <a href="http://www.emilytheperson.com/2013/09/preparing-for-7-experiment.html">Preparing for the 7 Experiment</a>, she wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
7 features seven different fasts from excess and the American Dream, focusing on the topics of: clothes, spending, waste, food, possessions, media, and stress ... Jen Hatmaker expanded on six reasons that people fast in the Bible: mourning, inquiry, repentance, preparation, crisis, and worship.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I chose to focus on three over the next two months:</i><br />
<ul>
<li><i>Inquiry: Does God want me to "go" or "stay"?, as well as a few other questions I am asking the Lord during this time.</i></li>
<li><i>Repentance: for my selfish heart and love of excess and focus on pleasing others above pleasing God.</i></li>
<li><i>Worship: because the Lord is so worthy of my fasting with a sincere heart, out of my own motivation.</i></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Emily's blog is one of the ones I found when I was looking for people who want to be candles for God, hoping to learn to encourage and support them. I've been following her blog and trying out some of her ideas. I'm not doing the 7 experiment, but I took a break from blogging and Internet discussions for 3 weeks while I was practicing a "meet people and make new friends" marathon off line, and I thought my experience with that might be relevant somehow.<br />
<br />
I'm still pondering how my break from Internet discussions might have helped my progress, what it might have to do with Emily's experiment, and what to say about it. I might need a few days to review what Emily has written about her experiment, to get some ideas. I'll be out of town this weekend, and I have some other things to catch up on, before I spend more time on this. For now I'll just post some thoughts that were running through my mind one day at the beginning of my marathon.<br />
<ul>
<li>3 month cycles of development</li>
<li>starting this cycle with 3 weeks of intensive efforts to expand my circle of friends</li>
<li>bringing myself to account each day</li>
<li>bringing myself to account each time before posting, as a way of learning to manage my Internet addiction</li>
<li>ideas I've tried for meeting people</li>
<li>finding a friend I can talk to about my efforts and progress in learning to be a better friend and a better neighbor</li>
<li>basketball, walking street, riverside, tai chi, origami, diabolo for meeting people</li>
<li>English corner experiences</li>
<li>neighborhood experiences, including invitations, water buckets and basketball</li>
<li>experiences reading Emily's blog</li>
<li>finding people to study and practice with, using wisdom from heaven</li>
<li>hearing from two long-lost friends, and from high school friends, during this friendship circle expansion phase</li>
<li>floating to the top of the world, watching people smiling, laughing and having fun on the walking street.</li>
<li>flying high with Patty, at our lake, on our balcony, and elsewhere (bits and pieces blog)</li>
<li>cooking, laundry, dishes, groceries</li>
<li>examples of where some of my time goes: trying to get Skype to work, translating manuals and instructions</li>
<li>memorizing a verse for my workshop with Patty, which turns out to be about being the best person I can be, and doing all the good I can do</li>
<li>practicing my Chinese writing</li>
<li>ideas for after the three weeks: slide shows about some stories of community building; helping to improve the quality of training and mentoring; learning to accompany people in their efforts to be better friends and better neighbors.</li>
<li>opening my heart more to God</li>
<li><i>Heroes of the Dawn</i></li>
<li>temptations to post in my blog and other people's blogs and on facebook</li>
<li>The Lions of Guilin</li>
<li>camera problems</li>
<li>some people I want to focus on in learning to be a better friend</li>
<li>what to do for the most down-trodden people all over the world</li>
<li>learning how to help open up people's hearts to God on the Internet</li>
<li>projecting the framework for action onto the Internet</li>
<li>free software and systems, public domain, commons</li>
</ul>
Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-43477789504681194982013-09-25T11:16:00.000+08:002013-09-25T11:34:03.096+08:00Licensing photos to be freely used by others<div>
<a title="See page for author [see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACommons-logo-en.svg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Commons-logo-en.svg/256px-Commons-logo-en.svg.png" width="241" /></a></div>
I'm looking for the best way for me to license photos for my purposes, to allow people to use them freely. Maybe I'll use CC0 for now, until I learn more about it.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152730879796509999.post-75496862433586375702013-06-17T15:34:00.000+08:002013-06-17T15:35:18.582+08:00Networking about service-learning initiativesI've been wondering how to search for people of all faiths all over the world to correspond with, to share our ideas and experiences in learning to help improve the world. An idea just came to me to search on the Web for service-learning initiatives. With Baha'is that would include the framework for action that's being promoted by the House of Justice.Jim Habeggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com2