e v o l u t i o n

Jessica to the power of Yin

I find myself surrounded by intuitive female healers (and even a few male healers). So many teachers to learn from. So much support. So much learning!

The current focus in rooted yin. The feminine, the strong and soft, the flowing, the beautiful, the intuitive, the inner, alpha waves, the regenerative, the healing, the YIN.

http://www.youthattheforefront.com

Dear friends!

For updates on the YAF (Youth At the Forefront) project (what I'm doing this summer), please check out my new website, where soon you will also be able to download tracks from my new CD "Devote to the R-Evolution". The site is now up, but not totally functioning. At this point, you can read our blog posts, and that about it. But soon! soon it will be brilliant!:)

Love,
Jess via Phoenix

Phoenix Area, AZ Day 1

We arrived in Phoenix on the night of June 2nd with a flimsy outline of a plan. We met our hosts, and went to bed. The next day we got in touch with our contacts… and learned that it appeared that being of service here was going to be a bit harder than we thought. Our original plan of musical devotionals and concerts quickly fell apart. We straightaway began creating more firesides and workshops, since direct service was eluding us for the day, and began consulting about our options. We sat around for hours that day… I was worried. How were we going to find out what was needed? How were we going to connect to the youth and help them walk the Straight Path? I was NOT feeling good. I sent a facebook message to a local ABM… and the phone rang! It was one of his assistants, and there was going to be a devotional in a receptive area that night, and the organizers wanted us there. Finally! We jumped in the car and made our way to a predominantly Spanish-speaking area in Mesa, AZ where recently there were 60 declarations! We met six local believers in a park, swarming with happy kids. One of the local Baha’is, a young women relatively new to the area, holds a jr. youth group in this park every Saturday morning. Some of her kids were around and wanted to join us for prayers… but the leader of the group of youth changed her mind (and subsequently the minds of the other jr. youth) the minute her new boyfriend showed up. Arms wrapped around each other’s waists, they walked out of the park.
“You can’t judge them. You just gotta be there for them,” said the group animator.
With our plans for prayers with the jr. youth out the window, we headed over to a new believer’s home for an unannounced home visit. Guadalupe, who had declared during Mesa’s first expansion phase, warmly welcomed the six of us into her home. There was already a home visit going on! Two local friends were going over some of the units from Ruhi Book 2. We were introduced to Guadalupe’s husband, who had declared during Mesa’s 2nd expansion phase, and their son. We asked if we would be interrupting if we said a few prayers with the family.
“Of course not!” was the response. We went around the group, each offering a prayer. I sang the only song in Spanish I knew, attempting to keep Bahá’u’lláh in the front of my mind the whole time. While in the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh during my first Pilgrimage this past March, inspired by stories of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s constant efforts to bring joy into The Blessed Beauty’s life, I asked Baha’u’llah what I could do that would bring joy to His heart. The answer was instantaneous.
“I love it when you sing.” From that point on, the consciousness that I am singing for Bahá’u’lláh has served me well. If I’m not singing for Baha’u’llah, I’m performing, and it’s not about the Message, it’s about how well I’m singing, and that is NOT what I want, and I’m pretty sure it’s not what Bahá’u’lláh wants either. There is magic in music when it’s pure, and hearts register it immediately.
Our devotional home visit was so satisfying – for everyone involved. The language barrier between Guadalupe’s family and visitors was no real barrier. It was clear that there was love and opening of hearts in the room. Through the interpreter, we thanked the family for the honor of offering prayers in their home and left them to continue on in their deepening work.

Gone Till November.... well, September.

Hey all!

I'm traveling the western states for the summer in an attempt to spread musical devotionals, empower youth, and explore the Teachings of the Baha'i Faith with others.

My friend Anya and I left Chicago on Wednesday, May 28th. We've driven through IL, IA, KS, CO, and now we're in Phoenix, AZ (well, Tempe, really) where we plan to stay for at least 5 days. We're meeting up here with some other Baha'i musicians - Gustaff Besungu, and Ali Youssefi (and his sister, whose name I don't know). Hopefully we'll be able to offer some soul stirring musical devotionals and concerts that attract and move hearts closer to the Beloved.

Here's a brief little update I wrote when we were on the road:

Day 1

Evanston, IL to Rockford, IL

Family time! Anya and I got to spend some real quality time with my grandma, mom, dad, and practically -family friend Tricia. We needed to go to Rockford to switch cars with my mom… my amazing mother, who GAVE us her brand new car to take for the summer. The car is a beautiful, blue 2008 Honda Civic EX. We’ve named her “The Blue Beauty, Jr.”. She’s the predecessor to Anya’s parents Toyota Highlander (the original Blue Beauty) which we were able to take the this year’s NEBY fest in Connecticut. Anya and I are quite aware of how lucky we are to have such supportive parents. We love them. A lot.

Day 2

Rockford, IL to Overland Park, KS (just outside Kansas City, MO)

We were on the road from 11:30am until 10:30pm. We had a good day! Iowa was really beautiful. At one point we were surrounded on three sides by massive lightening strikes. Quite the show! Lots of cattle – which made Anya very happy, because she loves calves… and there were lots of them.
    At one point in Iowa, I saw a sign for “Mitchellville”. Well, this deserved attention because Anya’s last name is Mitchell. I asked her if she wanted to check it out. She said she did, so I pulled off the Interstate, and headed toward to the little town. We stopped in at the public library to use the bathroom. I had a nice little chat with the librarian. Learned a bit about Mitchellville (a town of a few hundred, I’m guessing), and we were on our way. On our way back to the Interstate, we saw an old historic church with a large sign explaining the history of Mitchellville. We read a bit more, learned that Thomas Mitchell, for whom the town was named, was a pretty awesome guy who, in the mid-1800s voluntarily fed and housed pioneers heading west, stood up for the rights of America Indians, and hid runaway slaves. Alright, Thomas!
    We finally made it to our stop in Overland Park. We were lucky enough to be taken in for the night by Erin Jamison and her mother Julie. We know Erin through Andrew Johnson, a friend of ours who used to live in Chicago, and who is now her fiancé. One word for Overland Park - Hospitality! Thank you guys! We were treated to breakfast, and then devotions and great conversation at the Johnson family home. Food for the body and soul☺. Then mamma Johnson (Kathy) hooked us up for the next two nights with places to stay in Hayes, KS (where we are head at this moment), and Durango, CO. We were expecting to camp until we got to Phoenix (our current destination)… but it looks like we won’t need to. Thanks, Kathy!

Day 3

Overland Park, KS to hopefully Hayes, KS.
So far today, we’ve learned that KS looks a LOT like my favorite state – South Dakota. Well, parts of KS look like parts of SD. And we like those parts. We just passed a huge field of giant wind combines. Those things freak me out a bit. It’s 7:44pm on Fri, May 31st and we hope to be in Hayes within the hour. More later!

Signing out,
Jessica 

The True Lover Yearneth for Tribulation

"O Son of Man! The true lover yearneth for tribulation even as doth the rebel for forgiveness and the sinful for mercy."
                  ~Baha'u'llah, Hidden Word #49 from the Arabic

Scene 1
5:30pm
While driving to Northbrook to facilitate a weekly jr. youth group, I am praying that my desire to feel close to and commune with God can intensify. Music is a surefire way for me to tap into my deep feelings of love and longing for God, but I was praying for even more ways to help me feel that intense desire.

Scene 2
8:30pm
On my way home from the jr. youth group, I am side swiped by a speeding car.  I loose my passenger side mirror, a small panel from the door, and my front bumper is crack in half and dragging on the ground. I was not hurt, and the car is still drivable - thank goodness! I need that thing! The police officer on the scene finally gets everything wrapped up around 11:30pm, after we've gone to the station and singed papers, etc.

Scene 3
Midnight
I'm in my room, wrapped in my evening prayers, feeling grateful for being protected from something worse, and attempting to let go of feeling like I have to protect myself and be tough all the time and take care of every situation, and generally trying to let go of the stress of dealing with the accident,  when this overwhelming desire to flee this world and run to God comes over me. I am in tears! All I want is to shun this world and go home. I don't want to say prayers about protection, or ask anything from Him, all I want IS Him. And then it hits me... I knew in my that tribulations were sent to us so we would yearn for the spiritual world and want nothing to do with this world (among other things), but I was experiencing, in the moment, how that was true. Now, a car accident is no major tribulation, THAT'S for sure. But, I am humbled and thankful and amazed at how quickly my prayer was answered. Nothing is better than that feeling - feeling like ALL you want in the WHOLE world is to be close to your Beloved. That is the most wonderful sadness. I wouldn't trade that for anything. And if tribulation brings it on... well, I MIGHT be yearning for a LITTLE bit of it.