Body: For the Love of God

No Really...We do it for the Lord. When you lift, when you run, when you lunge -- your spirit and mind are filled with energy as you test your body beyond it's capacity. During the fast, I urge you to continue to push your body beyond the limits of comfort -- you may be surprised what what you are capable of.

"Grant, O my Lord, that this fast may become a river of life-giving waters and may yield the virtue wherewith Thou hast endowed it. Do Thou accept all that we have done for love of Thee..." —Bahá’u’lláh

Please share your workouts during the fast in the comments below.

With Him, all things are made possible -- wishing you wellness and fitness for many days, months, and years to come.

I will start us off -- last night the hour of fast breaking was around 6pm, having had no drink or food since 6:45am, I took a sip of water at the fast breaking hour and headed to Boot Camp for 45min, then 30min Elliptical Interval training, and then 30min Kettlebells routine. I then drove home, put my daughter to bed, and broke the Fast with a vegetable soup at 8:35pm. -- For the Love of God.

Soul: Gift of Cheer and Virtues

Jamilah brought gifts to her school for Ayyam-i-Ha... those gifts were:

A Radiant Smile of Joy and Cheer
A Mom to Read
A Book about Ayyam-i-Ha
Crowns and Virtues to Adorn them With
Playdough Tubs for Each Child
Description for the Parents

For Books about Ayyam-i-Ha, please visit http://www.enablemetogrow.com/2012/02/18/ayyam-i-ha-books/

We used a version of Isabella Ruiter's book and would definitely recommend it. After reading the story, we talked about how God gave us the gifts of virtues which are like jewels on the crowns of our hearts. We then  decorated crowns -- for this project, you just need the below mentioned crowns, virtues, sequins, glue sticks, plates for the sequins and virtues, and masking tape to secure the crown in the correct fitting around the child's head once they have decorated it. As we taped the crown, we read the virtues the child had selected to them. When the crowns were complete and  each child was proudly wearing their virtues, they lined up to receive gifts from Jamilah since her holiday is a gift-giving holiday. She gave each child a play-dough to take home. We then slipped the descriptions for the parents into the childrens' take-home folders -- also included below.

For the Crowns:
I took posterboard and cut 4-5" strips along the 22" side so each strip was 4-5" x 22".
I then cut the zig zags down the middle of each strip to make two crowns. Each posterboard makes 12-14 crowns depending on how tall you would like the crowns. The 22" width of posterboard is perfect length to fit toddlers and preschoolers' heads.

For the Virtues:
I printed the following onto colorful cardstock and cut out each virtue/jewel.

Description for Parents:

HAPPY AYYAM-I-HA!

Ayyam-i-Ha (Days of Joy) is a Baha’i holiday and gift-giving time that is celebrated Feb 26 - Mar 1^st. The Baha’i calendar is composed of 19 months of 19 days in each month. To align with the Gregorian calendar, there are 4-5 ‘intercalary’ days (5 if a leap year) that bring the total number of days to 365. Baha’is celebrate the holiday by providing “good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy.” They also use this time to prepare for the 19-day fating period beginning Mar 2^nd. Jamilah’s family wanted to share their holiday with their friends at Sunshine Valley. We hope the kids enjoy the gifts and crowns!

Body: Firms The Abs

Ayyam-i-Ha, the days of Joy
The days of Ha, Time to enjoy
We are called to "provide good cheer"
And most certainly without wine or beer

Enjoy a cookie, share a smile
Wear confidence with style
Turn to the Lord for He is good
May his light shine o'er your 'hood

The sound of joy can be heard for miles
Laughter rings out veiling life's trials
It warms the heart and firms the abs
Transforming those confronting the drabs

Squat and stand your ground
Breathe, tranquility found
Laugh, stretch, and release
You may have found inner peace