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11-Jan-2017 Our little mosque in Lloydminster. In extreme cold (-40 degrees). The mosque has a few final touches left from outside, which can't be done until spring time. #lloydminster #mosque #yll #ahmadiyya #islam #Khilafat #Alberta #saskatchewan #bordercity #architecture #winter #canadianwinter #minaret #tower (at Baitul Amaan Ahmadiyya Mosque)

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A beautiful passage on life, from “the house of the mosque”

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12-August-2016 The Trailer was in Lloydminster on 12th and 13th of August. Message of Islam reached thousands of people and many came out to learn about Islam. Live streaming of our conversations around the trailer was broadcasted on Local Facebook group, which sparked many interesting discussions. People were so interested that they asked questions over Facebook. In and around Lloydminster, a total of 8 media outlets interviewed us. The true message of Islam, which is "Love for all, Hatred for None" reached to thousands of people living in this area. Alhamdulillah. (Photo credit: IslamExhibition on Twitter) #Islam #Ahmadiyya #Canada #Saskatchewan #Alberta #Lloydminster #park #Vermilion #NorthBattleford #tabligh #MobileMuslims (at Bud Miller Park)

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15-May-2015 Fresh water from the mountains in Yoho National Park. It was such a quite and peaceful location. This place is located very close to "Natural Bridge". I remember filling up freezing-cold water from this stream to drink. (at Yoho National Park)

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2-Feb-2016 A beautiful church, right on the main highway passing through Elk Point. It's a very small town with not many buildings; but this church was beautiful enough to make us stop and take this picture. (Hoping to organize an Islam Open House in this town very soon inshaAllah) #church #cross #Alberta #Canada #religion #Faith #Christianity #Architecture #archilovers #Islam #Ahmadiyya (at Elk Point, Alberta)

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17-Jan-2016 A memorable event for all the volunteers. We held a very successful Islam Open House in Lloydminster today. There was a great turnout and it was well received by the visitors. (at Servus Sports Centre)

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23-December-2015 Visited this beautiful #church in #Lloydminster while distributing gifts to our local friends. The church has been under renovation since I have been here (June 2014) but it's approaching it's final stages now. Looks beautiful from the inside. May God make this place a source of peace for the locals, the true purpose for any place of worship. (at Grace United Church)

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TARoPT - Precondition your Mind to Success

We should make our mind ready to achieve success. If you have successful image of yourself in your mind, you will work to achieve it. 

Author gives his example - one time he went on a train for a long journey. Porter asked him he is ready to sleep. He said yes and went and admired the bedroom, and quickly went to sleep - rather overslept. Next morning porter said, after you a man walked in and I asked him if he was ready to sleep, he didn’t show positive signs of sleeping and went into bed and complained about the angle of the bed, too hot in the room, later too cold in the room. Porter said in my line of work I have realized you have to precondition your mind - if you plan you are going to sleep, you will. If you are pessimistic about something, it will probably not happen.

Then author gives example of a person who “business doctor” who fixes failing businesses. He went on a job to some business and spotted a young person who was putting labels on merchandise. Doctor realized the person had potential - he motivated him to become sales person. He forced him to become one and later told him to imagine he is the sales manager; he asked the young person to imagine his name on the door of sales manager. He imagined it and later achieved it.

If you decide something, you achieve it. 

Author also said - whatever you do, you need to realize nothing can happen without God’s help. God should be central figure in your imagination and motivation. Then you would achieve your goal. (Presented several examples of people who wrote letters that once they added ‘God’ to their life, they had life-changing experiences).

Another important thing was to share. If you share, then things will work in your favor. He explains it is like an insurance policy. He also mentioned not to brag about it. 

(My feelings regarding this chapter were that it was a good sermon on spirituality - but it doesn’t present logic. But its good because author shares his experience of following a religion)

The chapter is summed up in the following words by the author:

Secondly, study until you really grasp the life-changing power of the truth that you can precondition your own success. Paint a picture of yourself as succeeding, hold that picture ever before you, and it will materialize. With positive thinking, you can actually change the conditions of your life.

Thirdly, bring God into a central place in your thought pattern. Pray, seek His guidance, strive to bring your effort into harmony with His teachings.

Fourth, to main your success with poise and without tension, learn to share. Share your success liberally withs. Teach others how to think positively, how to achieve the same results with their lives that you do with yours. In this way you will be guaranteeing the continued flow of creative ideas in and around you: you will be paying the premiums on an insurance policy protecting the success you have achieved. 

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TARoPT - Does Positive Thinking always work?

I started reading this book to see how I could find new ways to motivate myself. I picked it up from the library after I liked the reviews. But when I started reading it, I realized it’s sort of a sequel to “The Power of Positive Thinking”. It has quite a few short incidents and stories one can read and motive self.

Does Positive Thinking always work?

According to the author. Yes it always works. Many examples are presented. Positive thinking doesn’t mean nothing bad will happen to you. It just means you realize that good and bad, both kind of things will happen, and the bad things will even out. 

Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish philosopher - he lived near the border of Scotland. He always found inspiring things in his life. When he was asked by the Queen what place he found most beautiful. He said the road between the two towns where he spent most of his life. When asked, ‘and after that’ - he replied, the road going back.

Carlyle has mentioned their are two types of people: tough-minded and tender-minded. Tough-minded are those who don’t get stressed easily when troubles arise. They face them strongly.

A cancer patient found out he was dying in 6 weeks - he was a positive thinker - he still died. But he lived his last few weeks with same happiness that he was living with before. Same cheerfulness. 

Another person who was living a dream life ; everything perfect - family, job, money, church and respect. But his mind wasn’t at ease. He said he was cheating on his wife. Author said if you have guilt, it blocks out positive thinking. Therefore, you have to get rid of your faults in order to become a positive thinker. 

A golf player plays his shots without thinking and plays the same shot over and over with no difference. That’s his muscle memory. Sometimes one gets so good at it and thinks its perfect now, but then he fails. Same is case with Positive Thinking - we need to condition our minds in a way that when trouble comes, we naturally think positively. We don’t let ourselves become worried or negative. We may be doing it well and start thinking we have mastered positive thinking - it can still go wrong. Thus, great preconditioning is needed for our brains.

Author said my mom taught me believe, and dad said think. Another person, his mother said ‘pray’ and father said ‘work’ - these four elements combined serve us great - pray, work, think, believe!

Quotations:

Joshua 1: 9 -  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Matthew 17:20 - if you have faith as little as mustard seed, you can move mountains

Psalms 103:12 -  As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us

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22-November-2015 An unforgettable event. A great turnout for Islam Open House in Unity - a small town in Saskatchewan of about 2000 people . While organizing the event, we faced a bit of opposition from the locals. The situation became such that we had to find a new venue, after the first one denied us. At this point, all the promotion had already been done. But Alhamdulillah we were able to acquire a nearby hall, just in time. More than 40 guests visited the open house, but the engagement of the people, as well as the hall hall size turned the whole event into a "symposium" like environment. Thus, Allah ta'ala enabled me to speak to the guests for more than two hours and answer their questions. At the conclusion of the event, people were extremely happy with the event, our community, our organization and of course the peaceful teachings of Islam. So much so, the director or manager of the first venue we had reserved, applauded our efforts and mentioned that if he knew the event was going to be in this manner, he would have never cancelled our booking. Alhamdulillah. I must appreciate the Khuddam of Lloydminster who dedicated so much time and effort in arranging this open house. May Allah ta'ala accept our sacrifices and enable us to serve Islam Ahmadiyyat always. (Photo credit: a friend took this picture ) #Islam #Ahmadiyya #Canada #OpenHouse #Muhammad #prayforpeace #Unity #Saskatchewan (at Unity, Saskatchewan)

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We need to stand united, to establish peace!

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05-Nov-2015 Ancient looking downtown of Kerrobert, SK Visited several small towns in Saskatchewan today to organize "Islam Open House" for coming months. For the month of November, we arranged one in Town of Unity. Planning to arrange one in Kerrobert also around January InshaAllah. Every town has its own small downtown, which is unique in its own way. This downtown was small, of course, but it had an ancient/outdated look to it. #Islam #Ahmadiyya #Canada #Saskatchewan #Tabligh #Downtown (at Kerrobert, Saskatchewan)

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12-Oct-2015 Amazing view from this bridge over Chin Lake just outside Taber. This lake is quite long, looks almost like a river. It was an extremely windy day. So windy that it was difficult to stand still. (at Taber, Alberta)

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20-Sep-2015 Returning home after a wonderful Tabligh Day in Vermilion. View of 48 Street in Lloydminster - looks beautiful in autumn. (at Lloydminster, Alberta)

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07-Sep-2015 Once again had the opportunity to visit this majestic waterfall, and spent much more time than before. It is located only 20 mins away from Thunder Bay. Because of its enormity, it's often referred to as "Niagara of the North". A must stop for everyone travelling through Highway 17. (at Kakabeka Falls)

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19-Aug-2015 The storm in the outskirts of Lloydminster, just before it entered the town. Looked so much better in real. (at Lloydminster, Alberta)

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08-Aug-2015 Memorable time at Jalsa Salana Western Canada. The theme of this year's Jalsa was "Peace". Promised Messiah (as) has mentioned two major objectives of Jalsa: 1. Strengthening your relationship with Allah, 2. Meeting members of the community. At every Jalsa, anywhere in the world, we are able to experience these objectives being fulfilled. (at Omniplex)