You are currently browsing the monthly archive for December 2009.
In 2008, Karen Armstrong was selected as a TED Prize Winner. Her wish?
“I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect.”
The Charter for Compassion was unveiled on November 12th and is available for all to sign and affirm, online and in their lives. You can join Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah and tens of thousands of others in doing so, below.
“I say that religion isn’t about believing things. It’s ethical alchemy. It’s about behaving in a way that changes you, that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness.”
Please spread the word.
I was randomly clicking through my Facebook friends and stumbled across one who had excerpted a letter I’d written to God for my friend Sima to read aloud in Mecca during Hajj two years ago.
Written with all sincerity at the time, I had forgotten some of the details of my prayer until I found it again on Facebook today.
I re-read it and got chills. I started weeping when I reached this paragraph, keenly aware of now being almost 7 months pregnant, alhamdolillah:
“Most Merciful Lord, please grant me health, clarity and closeness to You and Your loved ones in this life and in the afterlife. The doctors tell me I may have neither health nor children but You’re the One in control, so please grant me full healing and a righteous, healthy child, my Sweet One.“
We ask and we ask and we ask of God, and then forget that we did so, or forget to even thank Him when our prayers are answered.
But He doesn’t forget, and He grants us our desires (or better) in the best of times, and in the most beautiful of ways.
Subhan’Allah.
Living in San Francisco is wonderful – fresh, local, seasonal produce; a city that cares enough to recycle and compost its waste; and beautiful people and weather year round. It’s so easy to be green here.
A couple of dear friends of mine are planning a “green” baby shower (details in comments below) for me on the 12th, and I’m looking forward to celebrating the pregnancy and Bean with our community. I feel deeply blessed that s/he will have so many amazing and inspiring fairy godmothers and khalas right here in the Bay Area.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about our lifestyle and how to make it even more green, sustainable, and intentional. There’s nothing like having a child to turn you into an environmental activist, to make you care about the world that you leave behind for them.
From natural wooden toys, to avoiding BPA in plastic toys and canned goods, to compostable or washable diapers, to organic clothing and bedding, and zero VOC paints, researching the options and making conscientious choices can be overwhelming and, admittedly, expensive.
But in the end, knowing that we’ll be minimizing the baby’s exposure to toxic chemicals while also minimizing impact on landfills, waterways, and ecosystems makes it worth it, even if we have to go without some of the things we’re accustomed to. In the end, it really does boil down to quality of life, rather than quantity of stuff.
Speaking of green, a friend of mine is part of the US team going to Copenhagen for the global climate talks next week and has helped develop this awesome widget which will automatically update when country proposals to the UN change.
Check it out, and spread the word by posting it to your blog, Facebook or Twitter. Share it widely and quickly, so that during Copenhagen and beyond, as many people as possible, citizens and leaders alike, can know the climate score, and act accordingly.
Recent Comments