Baby Doe - Steve Taylor

Steve Taylor - Baby Doe

"They're drawing a bead
Reciting their creed
"Respect A Woman's Choice"
I've heard that before
How can you ignore
This baby has a voice

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It's over and done - The presses have run
Some call the parents brave
Behind your disguise your rhetoric lies
You watched a baby starve

I bear the blame - The cradle's below
And where is Baby?"
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Great Scott !

Tonight was the last "Free" night at the American Visionary Art Museum, during the "Films on the Hill" summer movie series I blogged about last month - and I likes me some "Free"

To be honest, the idea of AVAM and Outsider Art, always left a pretentious taste in my mouth. Art is Art, heck business is Art if done with passion (yes, a nod to Ayn Rand there), so separating artists by schooled and un-schooled kinda bugs me - but like I said "I likes me some Free!"

As I do my nightly Rosary near the museum, I was actually on the Third Luminous Mystery as I entered my first exhibit. Art done in ball point pen or coke bottles - fabrics and rubber bands - oil or finger paints - all seemed rather fitting as I pondered the "Kingdom".

Then as I reached the top floor, I saw the photograph above, recognizing instantly the face of Downs Syndrome. The thing was that the photograph was not only the art, but of an artist.

Judith Scott (1843-2005) was an Outsider artist who made wonderful sculptures in fabric and found (and stolen) objects, and who was deaf and had Downs Syndrone. Read more here or here, and watch a youtube vid here.

I couldn't move for several minutes - because of the photo - the art - the blessings I have - my sister ( a blessing, who has Downs) - and lastly the sickening thought that we let people choose whether or not they wish there baby with a disability to live or die (often letting a disabled newborn to slowly die of starvation alone in a closet or backroom) - because we think they are somehow less.

This is what our abortion Pres wants us to not only accept, but to fund, and while I am generally a decent sort of folk, I only have two words for anyone who thinks my sister or Judith Scott is less deserving of life than anyone else - F*&k You!

yeah, o.k. , I'll pray for them too . . . especially as we who call ourselves Pro-life, but say nothing, are actually the most guilty, and deservedly will be judged the most harshly.
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The Church Teaches

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"The Church teaches" - oh, how often a certain redhead once could disarm, and deflate, my Evangelical pomp with those words. The very humility of someone as intelligent and educated laying down their own pride in the name of Christ's church, by this simple statement, was a big part of my becoming Catholic - and I had so tired of being my own pope (and doing it badly)

(o.k., the fact that this amazing woman also proclaimed that she couldn't marry a non-Catholic also had a lil' to do with my conversion, but only the "when", not the "why")

A Catholic is of course allowed to use the the standard Protestant response of "The Bible says" or "well, I think", but we also are so blessed to have that authoritative body of the Church to lead us in truth, as well as humility.

What is more humble than laying down our own views, and saying "Jesus, I trust you , even though I gots some problems with this or that, I trust You and the Church You died to give us" , with the pure peace that comes from knowing that I don't have to know - or understand - everything, just trust in the One who does, and thus trust who He gave the keys to.

This very humility is something I saw lacking in my old church. Sure their was dancing and singin' in the aisles, as well as lots of good and decent Christian teaching, and some very loving people - but that true act of faith that comes from trusting in your church or pastor was never there, unless it was a type of silly pride like rootin' for the home team.

Churches splinter, and splinter some more, and most folks don't even know what their own church teaches (yeah, sadly most cradle catholics are a lil' dull on that point too). The silly notion that God would desire these separations and ignorances, should be enough to have anyone calling themself a Christian seeking the truth of the One church - which me thinks they can only find in the one Christ started.

As for all those folks I have met that have sought that path and swam the Tiber , I must say how much their conversions prove their love of Christ, as every single one I have ever met or spoken with is of an intellect far above my own (which itself ain't too shabby). These are not simple minded people tricked into submission, but humble minds drawn into obedience.

As for me, I keep my catechism right next to my Bible, and love to tell others "well, the Church teaches . . ."

thanks Red!, and thank you Jesus!
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Jews for Hitler

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. . .does that sound any more ridiculous
than Christians for Obama?

Granted, being African American and being all gung ho about our Abortion Pres is equally foolish, as abortion has wiped out a third of the black population, much helped by an agency who's early goal was to solve the "negro problem".

Of course that is if we were to dust off that thing called logic, or go search in the attic where we boxed up integrity or virtue . . .nah, we gots twitter and Facebook. (O:
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Monday Morning Wisdom

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"If your eyes hurt after you drink coffee,
learn to take the spoon out of the cup."
Norm Crosby
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Sheen still Shines

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"If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hated. My reason for doing this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, He must still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh. If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world.

Look for the Church that is hated by the world as Christ was hated by the world.

Look for the Church that is accused of being behind the times, as our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned.

Look for the Church which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord because He came from Nazareth.

Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils.

Look for the Church which, in seasons of bigotry, men say must be destroyed in the name of God as men crucified Christ and thought they had done a service to God.

Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because He called Himself the Truth.

Look for the Church which is rejected by the world as Our Lord was rejected by men.

Look for the Church which amid the confusions of conflicting opinions, its members love as they love Christ, and respect its Voice as the very voice of its Founder, and the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly it is other worldly. Since it is other-worldly, it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ Himself. But only that which is Divine can be infinitely hated and infinitely loved. Therefore the Church is Divine".
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A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away

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My own lil' nod to the "Road's" 40th Anniversary
Art by Jim Hance

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Even followers get lost sometime

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I must confess that my nightly prayer over the past year has more often been the selfish "please let me not wake tomorrow", than "your will be done", so I found this lil' tune of betrayal and sadness rather fitting today.

Thankfully, I have been blessed with the ability to use St Ignatius' exercises in my musical listening, and was lead to view this song as the soundtrack to our Lord's passion, and as if He were singing it to us. The difference being that He could have ended it anytime - but in His love and mercy - somehow - thought this worthless blogger - worth His life.

"To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life"

Thanks be to God, for good days and bad
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and yer not helping why?

Blood:Water Mission Back To School Campaign from Kellie Lutito on Vimeo.

A Good Catholic plays a Good Protestant

Believe is a verb

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" In the late 1890's, a famous tightrope walker strung a wire across Niagara Falls. As 10,000 people watched, he inched his way along the wire from one side of the falls to the other.

When he got to the other side, the crowd cheered wildly. Finally, the tightrope walker was able to quiet the crowd and shouted to them, 'Do you believe in me?'. The crowd shouted back, 'We believe! We believe!'.

Again he quieted the crowd and shouted to them, 'I'm going back across the tightrope but this time I'm going to carry someone on my back. Do you believe I can do that?'. The crowd yelled back, 'We believe! We believe!'. He quieted the crowd one more time and then asked them, 'Who will be that person?'.

The crowd suddenly became silent. Not a single person was willing to apply the very truth that they professed to believe in--that the tightrope walker could cross the falls with a person on his back"

I had heard this story before as an Evangelical, as a demonstration on "false" vs "genuine" faith. Do a quick search and you can even find it on dozens of Protestant sites and blogs. Odd thing is that what it more clearly demonstrates is that Believe is a verb, and that Faith, in part, is a work.

"Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven,
but rather he who does the will of my Father"
(Matthew 7:21)
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Love is Giving

Have you ever had one of those dreams, the one where you are happily back in the arms of someone who you once loved, only to wake up alone - and even for a few minutes, unable to move because of the abrupt emptiness? Well I woke up that way today, but not from missing a person.

Above is a photo of my 30 + year music collection, that I willingly gave up one year ago today, as a sign of that sacrifice men need to demonstrate - and live out - for their bride.

"Husbands love your wife as Christ loved the church.
Give yourself up for your wife"

To most folks it may seem a tad silly for this to be considered a sacrifice, but to me, these lil ' bits of vinyl were welcoming friends after a long day. Yes, there were many times that I found that much needed focused distraction of making a mix for a friend or customer - that three or four hours of concentrated effort that would result in 80 minutes of a perfectly ordered mini-soundtrack for the day, and that little reminder that I was at least good at this.

While I regret at times the sacrifice to one unable - as yet - to love in this way, with the pain of this taking the joy of music from me (I rarely listen to music anymore), I am reminded again that loving isn't "to give to get" , but is found in the joy of knowing that Christ is making you a person able to give - to give away that which you might think is most important, and reveals in that what is truly most important - LOVE! and love is sacrifice.

I admit I still terribly miss gazing at my music collection , even as I try to find rest in the knowledge that Christ is still finishing that work in me of wanting nothing - loving nothing- more than the One who I will (hopefully) spend all eternity with. He is all I need - all you need!

maybe I am growing up after all, and my lil' dream was a reminder to let go of what is passing - or already passed.

Lewis : Salt of Heaven

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"Now here I've got a rather difficult thing to say. On the one hand, it isn't true that we shall lose our personal differences by letting Christ take us over. On the other hand, I don't think Christ can take us over as long as we're bothering about what will happen to our personality. Let's take the first point first.

If a person didn't know about salt, wouldn't he think that anything with such a strong taste would kill the taste of all the other things in any dish you put it into? We know, as a matter of fact, it brings out the real taste.

Well, it's rather like that with Christ. When you've completely given up your-self to His personality you will then, for the first time in your life, be developing into a real person. He made the whole world. He invented it as an author invents characters in a book, all different men that you and I were intended to be."

C.S. Lewis "Beyond Personality"

Our Compassionate Lord

This beautiful image of Jesus was done in pastel by Maryland artist M. Patricia Ginter in 2003. Several years ago while going through a difficult time her husband gave her a small prayer card with the face of Jesus on it. She found much consolation in his gentle and compassionate gaze.

"The expression of Jesus in Heinrich Hofmann's painting Christ and the Rich Young Rulerr gave me the inspiration for this pastel painting.

It is my hope that this image of our compassionate Lord will touch the hearts and spirits of all who see it, bringing comfort, joy, healing and strength, and will help to recall for them God's merciful and everlasting love."

You can buy Signed prints here

Somethin' ta ponder

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The total confirmed U.S. casualties
during the whole war in Iraq is about 4,400
which is a little more than the average abortions
committed per day in the U.S.
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