Spark My Muse

Soul School is a short nugget to think about during your week, interspersed with regular episodes.

I hope you'll let me if you have suggestions.

GET UPDATES:

If you’re interested in getting updates with links to the latest show and other news and announcements, you can get on the email update list that goes out 2-3 times per month. Subscribe to that here http://lisadelay.com/blog/get-updates/

May you be enriched by the project and growing community that is Spark My Muse. Now heard in 132 countries! Be sure to stop at the sparkmymuse.com website!

Thank you for listening.

-xo

~Lisa

Soul School is a short nugget to think about during your week, interspersed with regular episodes.

I hope you'll let me if you have suggestions.

GET UPDATES:

If you’re interested in getting updates with links to the latest show and other news and announcements, you can get on the email update list that goes out 2-3 times per month. Subscribe to that here http://lisadelay.com/blog/get-updates/

May you be enriched by the project and growing community that is Spark My Muse. Now heard in 132 countries! Be sure to stop at the sparkmymuse.com website!

Thank you for listening.

-xo

~Lisa

My guest is a young man who reflects the mission of this project called Spark My Muse. That mission is to be the spark of light and love I (and we) want to see the world.

If that's a mission you can support, please spread the word about what's happening here and contribute a little bit to help me meet the financial burden of keeping this effort going.

Please to help today.

Do that HERE.

Usama Awan is a medical Student at Ohio State and a Ahmadiyya Muslim that escaped religious persecution in his native Pakistan with his family when he was a young boy.

Contact him here: [email protected]

On Twitter @MuslimPeriscope

Ahmadiyya muslims are a moderate minority sect in the Muslim world and they believe their messiah came already.

The Messiah of the Ahmadiyya sect was Hazrat Mirza Ghulan Ahmad. He was a teacher and he was not divine.

Ahmadiyya believe in an established Khilafat is not a physical dominion but a dominion of the heart.

The website about his sect of Islam

http://www.alislam.org

2:30

Usama addresses some misconceptions about Islam.

About his wanting to change the perception of Muslims by going live on Periscope to answer questions.

3:40

Usama’s story of leaving Pakistan because of religious persecution.

His sect believes in a Messiah of Muslims (who died in 1908) and this belief makes his sect targets for persecution from other Muslims in the Muslim world.

6:00

Current leader (the Caliph) is Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad and lives in London. He advocates for peace.

8:00

About the belief in Jesus by Muslims.

Three goals of the Muslim Messiah:

1. Revive the teachings of Islam and bring Muslims back to the true teachings of Islam

2. To spread the truth about religion and to get humankind back to its Creator

3. To unite all religions

10:30

Worshipping the one true God and Creator.

Allah means God in Arabic. Arab Christians refer to God is Allah because it is the word for God.

12:00

Some of God’s attributes.

13:00

How names summarize us poorly.

14:00

God as male?

15:00

What Islam is not:

Terrorism is forbidden.

Life is precious, no matter the faith belief of the person.

19:30

Asking Usama, “Do you think most Muslims understand the truth?”

1.6 billion Muslims in the world but most have lost the true teachings of Islam–like a body without a beating heart.

The Muslim Messiah is there to get the heart of Islam to beat again.

20:40

The Quran is (usually) misunderstood. It is written in parables and must not be taken literally in ways that it is commonly.

The Calif (leader) is the ultimate authority on the Islamic teachings and there to resolve disputes.

23:00

What is the same about people is far more than what is different.

23:30

The big curveball question:

Was Mohammad violent and in favor of killing unbelievers?

The wars of Mohammad and were they fought in self-defense?

24:00

How the wars in (pagan/polytheistic) Mecca started around 610 AD.

Mohammad moves to Medina and the faith starts to spread.

27:00

Book by Karen Armstrong the life of Mohammad as a historical figure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Armstrong

A history of God

My guest is a young man who reflects the mission of this project called Spark My Muse. That mission is to be the spark of light and love I (and we) want to see the world.

If that's a mission you can support, please spread the word about what's happening here and contribute a little bit to help me meet the financial burden of keeping this effort going.

Please to help today.

Do that HERE.

Usama Awan is a medical Student at Ohio State and a Ahmadiyya Muslim that escaped religious persecution in his native Pakistan with his family when he was a young boy.

Contact him here: [email protected]

On Twitter @MuslimPeriscope

Ahmadiyya muslims are a moderate minority sect in the Muslim world and they believe their messiah came already.

The Messiah of the Ahmadiyya sect was Hazrat Mirza Ghulan Ahmad. He was a teacher and he was not divine.

Ahmadiyya believe in an established Khilafat is not a physical dominion but a dominion of the heart.

The website about his sect of Islam

http://www.alislam.org

2:30

Usama addresses some misconceptions about Islam.

About his wanting to change the perception of Muslims by going live on Periscope to answer questions.

3:40

Usama’s story of leaving Pakistan because of religious persecution.

His sect believes in a Messiah of Muslims (who died in 1908) and this belief makes his sect targets for persecution from other Muslims in the Muslim world.

6:00

Current leader (the Caliph) is Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad and lives in London. He advocates for peace.

8:00

About the belief in Jesus by Muslims.

Three goals of the Muslim Messiah:

1. Revive the teachings of Islam and bring Muslims back to the true teachings of Islam

2. To spread the truth about religion and to get humankind back to its Creator

3. To unite all religions

10:30

Worshipping the one true God and Creator.

Allah means God in Arabic. Arab Christians refer to God is Allah because it is the word for God.

12:00

Some of God’s attributes.

13:00

How names summarize us poorly.

14:00

God as male?

15:00

What Islam is not:

Terrorism is forbidden.

Life is precious, no matter the faith belief of the person.

19:30

Asking Usama, “Do you think most Muslims understand the truth?”

1.6 billion Muslims in the world but most have lost the true teachings of Islam–like a body without a beating heart.

The Muslim Messiah is there to get the heart of Islam to beat again.

20:40

The Quran is (usually) misunderstood. It is written in parables and must not be taken literally in ways that it is commonly.

The Calif (leader) is the ultimate authority on the Islamic teachings and there to resolve disputes.

23:00

What is the same about people is far more than what is different.

23:30

The big curveball question:

Was Mohammad violent and in favor of killing unbelievers?

The wars of Mohammad and were they fought in self-defense?

24:00

How the wars in (pagan/polytheistic) Mecca started around 610 AD.

Mohammad moves to Medina and the faith starts to spread.

27:00

Book by Karen Armstrong the life of Mohammad as a historical figure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Armstrong

A history of God

This special episode is LESSON 1–It's a brief thought experiment, that works almost like short visit to "soul school". These types of episodes will be interspersed around typical episodes, as I get the chance.Let me know if you like it. Let's create a dialogue around the topics.

You can join the Spark Village to discuss the concepts further or to share your wisdom, or offer questions. Go to sparkmymuse.com and apply to be in the Spark Village to participate.

Today's Soul School lesson? The Self.

It is what makes us who we are?

Is is real?

Is it changeable?

Listen and tell me what seems true.

BE a SPARK

The podcast survives through generous, intelligent, and engaged listeners, like you. Just a few dollars helps a lot. Go to the PayPal donation page to be awesome: http://bit.ly/1PqWUwX (or donate at the site: sparkmymuse.com)

GET UPDATES:

If you’re interested in getting updates with links to the latest show and other pertinent announcements, you can get on the email update list that goes out 2-3 times per month. Subscribe to that here http://lisadelay.com/blog/get-updates/

May you be enriched by the project and growing community that is Spark My Muse. Now heard in 130 countries! Be sure to stop at the sparkmymuse.com website!

Thank you for listening.

-xo

~Lisa

This special episode is LESSON 1–It's a brief thought experiment, that works almost like short visit to "soul school". These types of episodes will be interspersed around typical episodes, as I get the chance.Let me know if you like it. Let's create a dialogue around the topics.

You can join the Spark Village to discuss the concepts further or to share your wisdom, or offer questions. Go to sparkmymuse.com and apply to be in the Spark Village to participate.

Today's Soul School lesson? The Self.

It is what makes us who we are?

Is is real?

Is it changeable?

Listen and tell me what seems true.

BE a SPARK

The podcast survives through generous, intelligent, and engaged listeners, like you. Just a few dollars helps a lot. Go to the PayPal donation page to be awesome: http://bit.ly/1PqWUwX (or donate at the site: sparkmymuse.com)

GET UPDATES:

If you’re interested in getting updates with links to the latest show and other pertinent announcements, you can get on the email update list that goes out 2-3 times per month. Subscribe to that here http://lisadelay.com/blog/get-updates/

May you be enriched by the project and growing community that is Spark My Muse. Now heard in 130 countries! Be sure to stop at the sparkmymuse.com website!

Thank you for listening.

-xo

~Lisa

1.6 billion people in the world are considered Muslims (through being born in a Muslim state or by choosing to follow the teachings of the prophet Mohammad).

Ahmadiyya Muslims are a moderate minority sect in the Muslim world and they believe their messiah came already and lived and died about a 100 years ago. Why did he come? Why are Jesus and his mother Mary revered? What does Jihad really mean? Was Mohammad a violent prophet? Where is the Caliphate he set up 100 years ago? What are the goals of this sect, based in London? What is the way to lasting world peace?

Find out is this episode with my guest Usama Awan.

WANT DETAILS and LINKS from the show?

Shownotes at the sparkmymuse.com website include photos, the occasional embedded video, links to related people, places, books, references and resources mentioned in each show.

LIVE Interaction each week:

Do you have a question you’d like to ask a guest? Each week we gather and converse about the show. Tuesdays 8pm EST (GM-4) on https://blab.im/LisaDeLay (visit to subscribe to lurk, listen, learn, or join in and ask questions)

BE a SPARK

Spark My Muse survives only through generous listeners, like you. As each listener donates a few dollars, it can continue. Thank you for helping!

Go to the PayPal donation page to be awesome: http://bit.ly/1PqWUwX (or sparkmymuse.com)

GET UPDATES:

If you’re interested in getting updates with links to the latest show and other pertinent announcements, you can get on the email update list that goes out 2-3 times per month. Subscribe to that here http://lisadelay.com/blog/get-updates/

May you be enriched by the project and growing community that is Spark My Muse. Now heard in 130 countries! Be sure to stop at the sparkmymuse.com website!

Thank you for listening.

-xo

~Lisa

This special episode is LESSON 1–It's a brief thought experiment, that works almost like short visit to "soul school". These types of episodes will be interspersed around typical episodes, as I get the chance.Let me know if you like it. Let's create a dialogue around the topics.

You can join the Spark Village to discuss the concepts further or to share your wisdom, or offer questions. Go to sparkmymuse.com and apply to be in the Spark Village to participate.

Today's Soul School lesson? The Self.

It is what makes us who we are?

Is is real?

Is it changeable?

Listen and tell me what seems true.

BE a SPARK

The podcast survives through generous, intelligent, and engaged listeners, like you. Just a few dollars helps a lot. Go to the PayPal donation page to be awesome: http://bit.ly/1PqWUwX (or donate at the site: sparkmymuse.com)

GET UPDATES:

If you’re interested in getting updates with links to the latest show and other pertinent announcements, you can get on the email update list that goes out 2-3 times per month. Subscribe to that here http://lisadelay.com/blog/get-updates/

May you be enriched by the project and growing community that is Spark My Muse. Now heard in 130 countries! Be sure to stop at the sparkmymuse.com website!

Thank you for listening.

-xo

~Lisa

Rolf Potts is a celebrated author and vagabond travel writer. Besides writing articles, essays, best-selling books, teaching a writing workshop in Paris American Academy each summer, occasionally hosting a television travel show, and inspiring the polymath phenom Tim Ferriss to embrace the Vagabonding philosophy and give Potts' book of that same name the coveted spot of "first book in the Tim Ferriss book club", Rolf Potts lives in rural Kansas and saves up for extended world travel adventures that he usually takes alone and with little baggage or limited technological encumbrances.

This is a fascinating discussion that will help us realize that travel is not a luxury for the privileged and living well starts by not being a tourist of our own lives, no matter the environment.

A LIVE discussion with Rolf will take place on OCTOBER 20, 2015 at 8pm EST / GMT -4

Join in and listen or ask him a question by going to blab.im/lisadelay to find the scheduled event. Subscribe to be a part of it. If you miss it? Watch the replay at sparkmymuse.com

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• How Rolf started traveling and the change that has brought along the way

• What are the biggest changes in 20 year of traveling the world

• What he recommends for doing it well and having the best experiences.

• The real wealth of our lives is how we spend our time.

• His thoughts for traveling and experiencing the world instead of being a tourist of your life.

• On counting Selfie Sticks in Paris.

• On the gift of traveling and exploring alone.

• His recent trip to the French countryside.

• A best places to travel that people don't consider visiting.

• His comic book he wrote that depicts a long-forgotten travel story from ancient Egypt. (His young nephew illustrated it and profits go to a children's refugee fund)

• His foray into writing about the gangsta rap of the Geto Boys and the 5th Ward of Houston (psycho-graphical writing.)

SHOWNOTES include photos and video, don't miss it!

visit sparkmymuse.com

WANT more DETAILS and LINKS to things mentioned in the show?

Shownotes at the sparkmymuse.com website include photos, the occasional embedded video, links to related people, places, books, references and resources mentioned in each show.

LIVE Interaction each week:

Do you have a question you’d like to ask a guest? Each week we gather and converse about the show. Tuesdays 8pm EST (GM-4) on https://blab.im/LisaDeLay (visit to subscribe to lurk, listen, learn, or join in and ask questions)

Ready to be a little SPARK?

Spark My Muse survives only through generous, intelligent, and engaged listeners, like you, who are not just “consumers of content” but listeners who become friends. As each listener donates a few dollars, it can continue. Thank you for helping!

Go to the PayPal donation page to be awesome: http://bit.ly/1PqWUwX (or the button at sparkmymuse.com)

GET UPDATES:

If you’re interested in getting updates with links to the latest show and other pertinent announcements, you can get on the email update list that goes out 2-3 times per month. Subscribe to that here http://lisadelay.com/blog/get-updates/

May you be enriched by the project and growing community that is Spark My Muse. Now heard in 125 countries! Be sure to stop at the sparkmymuse.com website and let me know if you liked the show and if you have suggestions!

Thank you for listening.

-xo

~Lisa

Rolf Potts is a celebrated author and vagabond travel writer. Besides writing articles, essays, best-selling books, teaching a writing workshop in Paris American Academy each summer, occasionally hosting a television travel show, and inspiring the polymath phenom Tim Ferriss to embrace the Vagabonding philosophy and give Potts' book of that same name the coveted spot of "first book in the Tim Ferriss book club", Rolf Potts lives in rural Kansas and saves up for extended world travel adventures that he usually takes alone and with little baggage or limited technological encumbrances.

This is a fascinating discussion that will help us realize that travel is not a luxury for the privileged and living well starts by not being a tourist of our own lives, no matter the environment.

A LIVE discussion with Rolf will take place on OCTOBER 20, 2015 at 8pm EST / GMT -4

Join in and listen or ask him a question by going to blab.im/lisadelay to find the scheduled event. Subscribe to be a part of it. If you miss it? Watch the replay at sparkmymuse.com

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• How Rolf started traveling and the change that has brought along the way

• What are the biggest changes in 20 year of traveling the world

• What he recommends for doing it well and having the best experiences.

• The real wealth of our lives is how we spend our time.

• His thoughts for traveling and experiencing the world instead of being a tourist of your life.

• On counting Selfie Sticks in Paris.

• On the gift of traveling and exploring alone.

• His recent trip to the French countryside.

• A best places to travel that people don't consider visiting.

• His comic book he wrote that depicts a long-forgotten travel story from ancient Egypt. (His young nephew illustrated it and profits go to a children's refugee fund)

• His foray into writing about the gangsta rap of the Geto Boys and the 5th Ward of Houston (psycho-graphical writing.)

SHOWNOTES include photos and video, don't miss it!

visit sparkmymuse.com

WANT more DETAILS and LINKS to things mentioned in the show?

Shownotes at the sparkmymuse.com website include photos, the occasional embedded video, links to related people, places, books, references and resources mentioned in each show.

LIVE Interaction each week:

Do you have a question you’d like to ask a guest? Each week we gather and converse about the show. Tuesdays 8pm EST (GM-4) on https://blab.im/LisaDeLay (visit to subscribe to lurk, listen, learn, or join in and ask questions)

Ready to be a little SPARK?

Spark My Muse survives only through generous, intelligent, and engaged listeners, like you, who are not just “consumers of content” but listeners who become friends. As each listener donates a few dollars, it can continue. Thank you for helping!

Go to the PayPal donation page to be awesome: http://bit.ly/1PqWUwX (or the button at sparkmymuse.com)

GET UPDATES:

If you’re interested in getting updates with links to the latest show and other pertinent announcements, you can get on the email update list that goes out 2-3 times per month. Subscribe to that here http://lisadelay.com/blog/get-updates/

May you be enriched by the project and growing community that is Spark My Muse. Now heard in 125 countries! Be sure to stop at the sparkmymuse.com website and let me know if you liked the show and if you have suggestions!

Thank you for listening.

-xo

~Lisa