Screwtape Forward

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A good friend and I were discussing C.S. Lewis and "the Screwtape Letters" yesterday, especially the audio version with Monty Python's John Cleese as Screwtape, so I posted this lil' bit to hopefully inspire others to go out and get a copy of the book or audio.

Biblical Humour

not a "Tame Lion"

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver.

"Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you?
Who said anything about safe?
'Course he isn't safe.
But he's good.
He's the King, I tell you."

Christ is not, nor is the Gospel, a "Tame Lion" (O:
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St. Maria Goretti

"Even if she had not been a martyr,

she would still have been a saint,
so holy was her everyday life"
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Living out John 15:13

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Caught the end of a WWII Documentary last night, on the life and witness of Desmond Doss, the first Conscientious Objector to ever win the Medal of Honor. Although he refused to carry a gun, as a medic he would openly go out under fire to bring aid to wounded soldiers . . .sometimes even enemy soldiers.

While he made it out of the war alive, did he not lay down his life each and every time he put himself in harms way for the sake of his brother?

"On May 21, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking the chance that he would be mistaken for an infiltrating Japanese and giving aid to the injured until he was himself seriously wounded in the legs by the explosion of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited 5 hours before litter bearers reached him and started carrying him to cover. The trio was caught in an enemy tank attack and Pfc. Doss, seeing a more critically wounded man nearby, crawled off the litter; and directed the bearers to give their first attention to the other man. Awaiting the litter bearers' return, he was again struck, by a sniper bullet while being carried off the field by a comrade"

"Greater love has no one than this,
that one lay down his life for his friends".
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Darn, that was gonna be my title (O:

Don't worry, be Catholic (O:

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Must admit, that for the rest of the day, I will be trying to re-work "Don't Worry be happy", into a mini Catholic anthem, but that is for another post. This video below, is barely a video, but the audio is more than worth the 2 and 1/2 minutes of yer time, especially if you need a little cheering up.

"God made you special, and He loves you very much"

Desire to Succeed

"Success is 99% Failure"

Soichiro Honda
founder of Honda Motor Company

A key component that every successful business person seems to have, is that knowledge that they could, and should, be doing more. As I travel around listening to many of my shops bemoan the state of the economy, it seems the owners of the successful ones only want to talk about how they are adapting (and how my company can help).

Success is truly based on not dwelling on either your successes or failures, but learning from both (looking at Honda's quote above, and remember how gawd awlful ugly early Hondas were, and how they are now . . . don't see them tin cupping the pres, do ya?).

The odd thing is that while just about everyone will agree with the above statement, most people also fall for the great lie that they are "basically a good person and worthy of heaven".

Read the lives of the saints and I dare you to find even one that considered them self ready for heaven, or ever thought "well I can stop now, I think I'm basically holy enough, and God has to admit I am way better than old so and so".

So D'art's rule o the day:
"If you think you're good enough for heaven, ya probably ain't!"

"Therefore, since we are surrounded
by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders
and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance
the race marked out for us."
Hebrews 12:1

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"Just a broken sound"

Just heard that one of my favorite new bands, Florida's Gasoline Heart, are gonna be in Bawlmer next week (July 8). I dig their American roots rock, and the acoustic version of this tune is amazing, mainly because the lyrics seem to shine a tad brighter without all dem gee-tars (O:

Gasoline Heart -Paralyze

"Now I'm walking forever
Forever seems way too near
Hallelujah sings the choir
Raise the dead with the sound of a song
My lips taste like fire
My eyes see no end in sight
When I speak of your glory
My tongue is useless
Just a broken sound"
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Movies, Art, and bugspray

Starting this Thursday, and continuing every week after until mid August, is my lil' hood's outdoor film series. While this type of outdoor movie series is rather easy to find in the summer months, ours is a tad different as it is sponsored in part by the American Visionary Art Museum. So not only do ya get a slightly more interesting variety of films, but the museum itself is open FREE from 7-9 (films start at 9)

So grab yer bugspray, and head ta Bawlmer, ands ketch ya sum flix and culture, Hon.
D'art's gots parkin' too (O:

* July 2, 2009 - Raiders of the Lost Ark
* July 9 - Dr. Strangelove
* July 16 - The Time Machine
* July 23 - Sleeper
* July 30 - Dr. No
* August 6 - The King and I
* August 13 - Ghostbusters
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Opus Day, or why Authority matters

Book Smart-a**

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Having a tinge of heartburn, and as I live near a hospital, I thought I'd grab my lap top and drive to the ER.

If I get pulled over for speeding, I will of course show the officer my own version of the Drivers' Handbook, where I have crossed out, or added to, sections as the spirit lead me.

Once at the hospital I figure I can just Google "Triple bypass", and with a can opener, a prayer, and all the knowledge the web has to offer, proceed to do a little surgery on myself. Using a pocket sewing machine, I'll sew myself up and head on home for dinner.

Sitting in front of my Soul Food Cookin' book, I'll wait for my dinner to cook itself, regardless if I actually have anything in the fridge.

Sadly my glasses are broken, but if I make out most of the words I should be fine and fed.

silly huh? but isn't that sorta the same as "Sola Scriptura"?

Sorry, just finished a rather lengthy series of lectures on the Reformation(s), and boy those folks struck me as such a prideful bunch of idjets . . . think I'd a fit in just fine (o;
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"Unbroken line of shepherds"

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Thanks to my brother Athos over at the 4Ms for adding this, along with his ever extending hand reaching out to our brothers and sisters in Christ "who know not what they don't do".

Seems fitting today, as I just noticed a sign for the new Dan Brown trash at Barnes and Noble, and I wondered to myself how the manager of the store might respond if I asked him if they had any Anti-semitic or Anti-Muslim books;

"No?, than why do you carry this?"

I would than reply whilst holding up a copy of the Da Vinci Commode.

*got a box of Berger Cookies for the first person that actually does this :o)
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Youth Passes

from an e-story on the recent documentary, Farrah's Story, on Farrah Fawcett's fight with cancer;

"Clutching a rosary, Fawcett is shown unguarded in a hospital gown being slid into a MRI machine. In a rare moment of peace in between treatments, Fawcett crosses herself and thanks God for the opportunity to visit a beautiful mountainside."

May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace.
Amen
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National Health Care?

Above: a few of the reasons why National Health Care
might be a bad idea.

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