Back July 6! My husband and I are taking a road trip through Utah. We're going to Zion National Park, Brice Canyon and eventually we...
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| A parrot Ara macao, Edward Lear |
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, "It is just as I feared!--
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!"
The pretender to the Emperor's throne was a fat thirty-seven-year-old Chinaman called Artie Wu who always jogged along Malibu Beach right after dawn even in summer, when dawn came round as early as 4:42.The beginning of a great book full of scoundrels, villains, double-crossing, and a really twisty, fun plot ... just like all Ross Thomas books.
Chinaman's Chance by Ross Thomas
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| Charles Willson Peale (1741 - 1827), The Artist in His Museum , 1822 |
The ancient pagans, men who were highly civilized for the age in which they lived, invented idols for themselves and found different ways of adoring them. Many civilized men of our day -- new pagans -- raise up idols which are still better constructed and more sophisticated. In our day there seems to be real adoration and idolatry for everything that makes its appearance in the name of progress or that provides yet more material well-being, pleasure or comfort ... It seems that man also completely forgets the fact that he is a spiritual being destined for eternal life. Those words of Saint Paul ... are all too topical. Their God is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things (Phil 3:19). It is the modern idolatry that tempts Christians who no longer give any thought to the immense treasure of their faith or the great richness of the love of God.It seem that this is a universal problem that applies to every age as I look all around, including in the mirror, and see this tendency everywhere.Francis Fernandez, In Conversation With God Vol 3
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| Portrait of Rosalind Russell. Nicolai Fechin (Russian-American, 1881-1955). Oil on canvas. Acquired directly from the artist by Mary Pickford. Via Books and Art |
My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.Great first lines from a mystery/horror novel that I haven't read in way too long a time.
Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle
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| Hiroshige (1797–1858), One Hundred Famous Views of Edo #107, "Fukagawa Susaki and Jūmantsubo" Via Wikipedia |
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| Miracle of "healing the paralytic in Capernaum" |
MARK 2:7
The story of the paralyzed man and his friends which we looked at last time, has a central issue being considered. The scribes ask how Jesus can forgive sins when only God can forgive. To do so is really controversial. It is saying that Jesus is God.Forgiveness, in the full New Testament sense of the term is an act and not an attitude. It is the active and embodied repairing of a broken relationship, even in the face of opposition, violence, or indifference. When a relationship is severed, each party should, in justice, do his part to reestablish the bond. Forgiveness—which of necessity transcends justice— is the bearing of the other person's burden, moving toward her even when she refuses to move an inch toward you. There is something relentless, even aggressive, about forgiveness, since it amounts to a refusal ever to give up on a relationship.Now we see why it is so startling for Jesus to forgive sin as if he were God (we know that now but they didn't at the time). He's restoring a relationship on behalf of God. It would be really presumptuous if he weren't actually God.Gospel of Mark (Word on Fire), Bishop Barron commentary
In Episode 333 of A Good Story is Hard to Find we discuss St. Peter: Flawed, Forgiven, and Faithful: Walking with Peter from Galilee to Rome by Stephen J. Binz.
As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.
I put the general description above but, honestly, if you saw Mad Max: Fury Road then you've already got the idea. And if you didn't, just move along - nothing to see here. We loved Fury Road so when it got good reviews we knew we wanted to see it in the hteater. Watching this on the big screen reminded us of what a wonderfully immersive experience the movie theater is. We're definitely going to try to actually go to the movies more often.
This was George Miller doing what he does best — creating Myth (with a capital "M") as he tells the story of a young girl cast into the middle of apocalyptic societies in the vast Wasteland. This could be Gulliver's Travels, the Odyssey or Iliad. The characters are archetypal, the societies encountered each tell us something of basic humanity, the themes are simple but powerful, and the adventure keeps pulling us along. I appreciated the supporting visual touches like the art included on the food convoy tank. Any people wants to tell their story, how great they are, and art is so often the way to do it — even in a society as twisted as The Citadel.
As my husband said, it is amazing how a good story told with great pacing and classic framing/images can make 2-1/2 hours fly by despite the gruesome violence.
I was grateful to Miller for telegraphing the violence and almost never dwelling for long on any of it. I was also fascinated at how he evoked Fury Road which is forward in the future but managed to one-up himself in the prototypes of the adventures and stunts that we already have seen. It isn't omnipresent. We hadn't seen Fury Road since it came out but there were echoes which made us say, "Oh that's right, this happened ..."
A good time was had by all and now I want to watch Fury Road again.
From my new book, Stay By Me, Dear Friend. Prayer is a conversation and that means listening as well as speaking. These are the first few reflections from fthe first section — Listening for His Voice. It's launching us into new intimacy.
And I said, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)Like Isaiah we are part of an unclean culture. We also know who our King is, the Lord of hosts — and we must make reparation.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Response: have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God,
Heart of Jesus, of Infinite Majesty,
Heart of Jesus, Sacred Temple of God,
Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High,
Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven,
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity,
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love,
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise,
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts,
Heart of Jesus, in Whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
Heart of Jesus, in Whom dwells the fullness of divinity,
Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father was well pleased,
Heart of Jesus, of Whose fullness we have all received,
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills,
Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful,
Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke you,
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness,
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium,
Heart of Jesus, obedient to death,
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance,
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection,
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation,
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in you,
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in you,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints,
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
R. Make our hearts like to yours.
Let us pray:
Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Your most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which He offers You in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Your mercy, in Your great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You forever and ever.
Amen.
How would it feel to be such good friends with Jesus that we could bring up anything and everything — the worries no matter how small, the “wins,” the funny bits, everything strewn through our day? This book is about how to listen for Jesus’ voice and hear it every day as we go about our normal lives. The reflections and prayer prompts in this devotional help you to stay aware of Jesus’ presence while drawing closer in friendship and love.
The painting on the cover shows comfortable, relaxed conversation with Jesus. That's the goal of using these reflections and prayer prompts. They follow an idea shown to me when I went on a silent retreat a couple of years ago. What if Jesus is sitting in the chair next to me? How would I talk with him? Pretty soon it expanded my prayer time — we were chatting familiarly when I cooked dinner, drove to the post office, and walking the dog. In other words, all through the day.
I took to the technique right away, but once I was off the retreat I began seeing all sorts of quotes from the saints that showed this wasn't a new technique at all. Being me, I began collecting those prompts to help me keep it close and personal every day. In no time at all I had filled four small notebooks.
I wanted everything easier to use and so here's the book I wished for.
I hope this brings you closer too.
Available on Amazon. Get it here!
I'll be sharing some of the reflections here in the days to come.
If you like the book, please review it on Amazon, Goodreads,
or wherever else you hang out on the internet!
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| James Tissot, The Palsied Man Let Down Through the Roof |
MARK 2:1-12
I really love this story which emphasizes the power of friendship. Of course, there is so much more in it but without the friends' determination to get the paralyzed man to Jesus there wouldn't be this lovely picture from Jesus' ministry. Here are a few observations that struck me.5 Jesus sees their faith and says …I always imagined that the scribes were whispering to each other or at least rolling their eyes (or whatever the ancient equivalent was) so that everyone knew they were in doubt. This commentary not only put me in the scene, but it made me realize just how startling Jesus' words would have been.
Faith obviously includes works, if Jesus, in seeing their works, is said by Mark to see their faith. The audacity, ingenuity, exertion, and even willingness to face embarrassment that these men display are the visible measure of their faith. And everyone sees it, not simply Jesus.
6 There were some scribes sitting there and they are thinking to themselves …
Literally, "carrying on a dialogue in their hearts." Thinking was understood as the same as spoken dialogue, but carried on silently, in the heart.
8 So Jesus — who knows immediately in his spirit that this is how they are thinking among themselves— says to them …
Peter, narrating the story, says that Jesus "knew" what they were thinking; it was not a conjecture. He knew "in his spirit," not as an inference from sensed signs.
The description is meant to help us imagine how the scene appeared to those who were there. Jesus says to the paralyzed man, "Your sins are forigven," and then, unexpectedly, he turns and addresses some of the others present. Imagine how startling it would be if your friend were standing in the middle of a crowded room speaking to one person and then suddenly turned around, looked at someone else across the room, and said, "You are wrong in what you are thinking."The Memoirs of St. Peter
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| Alfred Parsons, Watercolour of Ellen Willmott's Garden |
In the end, it was prayer that saved Teresa [of Avila] from herself. This despite the fact that her next twenty years were spent in a state of interior civil war: she could not let go of God or leave the convent, yet she could not let go of her quest to win the love and admiration and praise of others either. Once she resumed her efforts to pray, she did so assiduously, going off to the oratory for an hour or more each day, regardless of how distracted she might be or how empty the experience. She confesses that at times all she could think about was the hour being over and states that it took actual courage for her to devote this time to God, for it was often impossible for her to concentrate. She credits this perseverance in prayer with any growth in virtue that occurred in her over the years. God continued to act within her in spite of her strong personality simply because she gave him time to do so by meeting him in prayer each day.Can I tell y'all how hopeful this made me feel? I am not a very good pray-er in so many ways. It's easy to talk the talk ... but that walking part. Can't someone else do it? My biggest strides forward lately have been in simply forcing myself to make time to go off by myself and pray. I am thankful that Teresa was open enough to admit that she suffered so much from many of the same problems we all face ... for that gives me hope that God will do much of the work too if I am able to show myself willing by making the time for prayer.By Way of Grace: Moving from Faithfulness to Holiness
by Paula Huston
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| Ein neuer Steg (A New Pier) by Edward B. Gordon |
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| Suzuki Harunobu, A Young Woman in a Summer Shower, 1765 |
China, during the rule of the Qing Dynasty. The arranged marriage between Wang Lung, a humble farmer, and O-Lan, a domestic slave, will endure the many hardships of life over the years; but the temptations of a fragile prosperity will endanger their love and the survival of their entire family.
Wow, Louise Ranier definitely earned her Oscar! What a performance! She was also my favorite performer in The Zigfeld Follies for which she also earned an Oscar. To be fair, everyone gave top notch performances. This is the sort of movie that doesn't usually appeal to me - long dramatic sagas of families struggling to survive, especially since I'd read the book long ago and hadn't liked it much. This sold it though. By the end I was loving it.
I've seen plenty of negative comments about the fact that 1937 movie standards meant white actors portrayed Chinese characters, which would never be done these days. However, I've learned, as I read tons of old literature, that we have to keep the cultural ideas of the past in mind instead of rushing to judge by our standards. So let's just talk about the movie as it tells the story.
As I watched I kept thinking of the intended 1937 audience and how exotic and interesting this would have been to them. In fact, despite how it seems to dismissive viewers today, I feel it probably humanized the Chinese to Americans in a very positive way. Farmers certainly would've understood this family's struggles.
This was the last of the movies we viewed for the 1938 Oscar winner and nominees. It is the movie we'd have given the Oscar to, hands down. The winner, The Life of Emile Zola, is a movie that landed at the bottom of the list no matter what else we watched.
I'm really glad we embarked on Oscar project. I've seen so many movies I'd never have known I liked otherwise. This is one.
NOTE
Here's my list of all the Oscar movies we have watched. Here are the ones we liked so much that I reviewed them here to tempt you into trying them.
In Episode 332 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast we discuss: Dum Laga Ke Haisha (Heave Ho, Carry That Load)
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| In the Shadow of the Tent (1914). Helen Galloway McNicoll (Canadian, 1879-1915). |
The glue that holds a person together is either vanity or values.Ain't that the truth!
Stephen Tobolowsky, The Tobolowsky Files,
The Wager with Freddie
It has been well said by a great saint that the fire of Hell is simply the light of God as experienced by those who reject it; to those, that is, who hold fast to their darling illusion of sin, the burning reality of holiness is a thing unbearable. To the penitent, that reality is a torment so long and only so long as any vestige of illusion remains to hamper their assent to it: they welcome the torment, as a sick man welcomes the pains of surgery, in order that the last crippling illusion may be burned away. ...
There is no difference in the justice; the only difference is in the repudiation or acceptance of judgment. ... whether in Hell or in Purgatory, you get what you want — if that is what you really do want. If you insist on having your own way, you will get it: Hell is the enjoyment of your own way forever. If you really want God's way for you, you will get it in Heaven, and the pains of Purgatory will not deter you, they will be welcomed as the means to that end. ... the consequences of sin are the sinner's — to be borne, at his own choice, in a spirit of sullen rebellion or of ready acquiescence.
Dorothy Sayers, Introduction to Dante's Purgatorio
Amen, amen. May I always be ready to accept God's judgment and go joyfully in the direction of having my crippling illusions burned away.
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Asher Brown Durand, Kindred Spirits, 1849 |
Kindred Spirits was commissioned by the merchant-collector Jonathan Sturges as a gift for William Cullen Bryant in gratitude for the nature poet's moving eulogy to Thomas Cole, who had died suddenly in early 1848. It shows Cole, who had been Jonathan Sturges mentor, standing in a gorge in Catskills in company of a mutual friend William Cullen Bryant.
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| via WikiPaintings |
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| Jesus Heals the Leper by Alexandre Bida |
The fate of the leper was truly hard... Let us look first at the facts.Now, let's think about something else -- what did the leper seek? Healing, of course. But there are many sorts of healing as we shall see. Certainly this helped me see the deeper meaning beneath the request and healing.
There are three kinds of leprosy. (i) There is nodular or tubercular leprosy. It begins with an unaccountable lethargy and pains in the joints. Then there appear on the body, especially on the back, symmetrical discolored patches. On them little nodules form, at first pink, then turning brown. The skin is thickened. The nodules gather specially in the folds of the cheek, the nose, the lips and the forehead. The whole appearance of the face is changed until the man loses his human appearance and looks, as the ancients said, like a lion or satyr. The nodules grow larger and larger; they ulcerate and from them comes a foul discharge. The eye-brows fall out; the eyes become staring; the voice becomes hoarse and the breath wheezes because of the ulceration of the vocal chords. The hands and the feet also ulcerate. Slowly the sufferer becomes a mass of ulcerated growths. The average course of the disease is nine years, and it ends in mental decay, coma and ultimately death. The sufferer becomes utterly repulsive both to himself and others.
(ii) There is anesthetic leprosy. The initial stages are the same; but the nerve trunks also are affected. The infected area loses all sensation. This may happen without the sufferer knowing that it has happened; and he may not realize that it has happened until he suffers some burning or scalding and finds that there is no feeling whatsoever where pain ought to be. As the disease develops the injury to the nerves causes discolored patches and blisters. The muscles waste away; the tendons contract until the hands become like claws. There ensues chronic ulceration of the feet and of the hands and then the progressive loss of fingers and of toes, until in the end a whole hand or a whole foot may drop off. The duration of the disease is anything from twenty to thirty years. It is a kind of terrible progressive death of the body.
(iii) The third kind of leprosy is a type -- the commonest or all -- where nodular and anesthetic leprosy are mixed.
The Gospel of Mark
(The Daily Bible Series*, rev. ed.)
In approaching Jesus, the leper makes a bold move. Not only does he violate the strictures of the law, but he risks encountering the familiar reaction of horror and revulsion at the sight of a leper. He kneels, a sign of both supplication and reverence (Ps 22:30; 95:6). His plea, If you wish, shows his utter confidence in Jesus' power. Significantly, he does not ask Jesus to heal him but to make him clean. His deepest desire is to be free once again to partake in the worship of God's people.
[...]
Jesus tells the cleansed man to show himself to a priest and offer the sacrifice prescribed for cleansing from leprosy (see Lev 14) ... The prescribed rite was to take two clean birds, one to be sacrificed and the other, dipped in the blood of the first, to fly away free (Lev 14:3-7). If the man complied with Jesus' word, he might have discovered a symbolic image foreshadowing Jesus' own sacrifice and helping him understand more deeply what Jesus had done for him. But for now, he is unable to contain his delight. ...
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| A Maid Milking a Cow in a Barn, Gerard ter Borch |
BEFORE THE EPIC BATTLE IN THE ADMIRAL: ROARING CURRENTS
In 1592, admiral Yi Sun-sin and his fleet face off against the might of the invading Japanese navy and its formidable warships. As the Korean forces fall into crisis, the admiral resorts to using his secret weapon, the dragon head ships known as geobukseon, in order to change the tide of this epic battle at sea.
I loved the first in this series about famed Korean Admiral Yi. I've really been looking forward to this prequel, about Yi's famous earlier victory against the dominant invading Japanese fleet. It didn't disappoint, although it wasn't quite as rich in the secondary characters as The Admiral was. Highly recommended. As with the first movie, you've got to be willing to let all the confusing characters just wash over you. It will all come straight and make sense, rewarding you with a wonderful story.
The final movie in the trilogy is Noryang: Deadly Sea which shows us the greatest battle in Admiral Yi's career.
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| The Moorish Chief, Eduard Charlemont, 1878 via the Philadelphia Museum of Art |
One radio guy asked me, for the umpteenth time, "Don't tell me you take the Bible literally?"This is from long ago (2006!), but that's what blog archives are for — to find the good stuff all over again.. It works not only for clueless radio talk show hosts but also for total unbelievers.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit (I assume), it occurred to me to ask, "Which parts?"
He stared at me blankly, having no idea how to reply because, in point of fact, he did not know one frickin' thing about what is in the Bible.
"Do you mean the Psalms?" I pressed him. "Of course, I don't take them literally. They're poetry. Or do you mean I should not take it literally when it says that David hid from Saul in the cave of Adullam?"
He continued to stare blankly, then finally said, "Look, I don't know all that much about the Bible."
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| Grape Vine Rootstocks of D.O Montsant taken by Barcelona Photoblog |
I love, love, love this look at how the Holy Spirit works in people. I already knew how these people had changed but never connected all of these things with action of the Holy Spirit regenerating them to be their best selves. Each is a very distinctive individual and, yet, each of them is part of God's tapestry. Who am I in that tapestry if I cooperate with the Spirit?[The Holy Spirit] is the Author of spiritual regeneration. ...
Everyone singly is created anew, refashioned by the Light. If this most wise and loving Spirit takes possession of a shepherd, he makes him a psalmist, subduing evil spirits by his song and proclaims him King. If he possess a herdsman and dresser of sycamore-figs, he makes him a prophet. Call to mind David and Amos.
If he takes hold of a good youth, He makes him a judge of elders, even beyond his years, as Daniel testifies, who conquered lions in their den. If he takes possession of Fishermen, He makes them catch the whole world in the nets of Christ, taking them up in the meshes of the Word. Look at Peter and Andrew and the Sons of Thunder, thundering the things of the spirit. If of publicans, he reaps profits of them for discipleship, and makes them merchants of souls. Witness Matthew, yesterday a publican, today an evangelist. If of zealous persecutors, He changes the current of their zeal, and makes them Pauls instead of Sauls, and as full of piety as He found them full of wickedness.St. Gregory Nazianzen, Oration 41, On Pentecost
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| Coreopsis, Near San Antonio, Texas by Julian Onderdonk, 1919. via Wikipedia |
I liked this so much. In many ways it reminded me of Kathal where a police investigation is entertaining and interesting while weaving serious topics into the story without heavy-handed moralizing.
When two identically dressed brides, with requisite scarves covering their faces are grabbed by the wrong groom at different train stations, how will they be restored to their rightful places? Especially when neither can remember the name of their groom's hometown?
I fully expected this to be the story of each bride learning to love the new man she is around, but this story did not go there at all. Add the complication of a Bandit Bride who pretends to get married in order to steal the wedding jewelry, and you've got a captivating set of circumstances. The writing and directing was good, the acting wonderful, and it left us feeling good. What more can you ask for?
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| The Comtesse d’Egmont Pignatelli in Spanish Costume (1763). Alexander Roslin (Swedish, 1718–98). |
The countess’s glowing gown of white satin has sleeves slashed and woven through with ribbons and pearls, in the Spanish style, a reference to her husband’s ancestry. A talented musician, the countess played the guitar for her Spanish guests. She spent her days studying history and literature and conversing with artists and poets. The book she is holding may be a work by the philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
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| Matthias Grünewald, detail from Isenheim Altarpiece, c. 1515 |
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| Exorcism, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld |
The call of the first disciples is followed by Jesus' first miraculous work, an exorcism. By this act Jesus' announcement of the kingdom (v. 15) becomes dramatically perceptible and concrete. Throughout the public ministry mark shows Jesus' progressive dismantling of the powers of darkness, the advancement of his assault on Satan's kingdom that began with the temptation in the desert (1:13; see 3:23-27).
[...]
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION: The story of Jesus' first exorcism portrays the forces of evil in a way that may appear to readers today as strikingly personal. For Mark, as for the whole New Testament, evil is not an impersonal force but is concentrated in invisible, malevolent beings who are bent on destroying human beings and hindering God's plan of salvation. These evil spirits are responsible for various mental and even physical maladies (7:25; 9:17-27; see Matt 12:22; Luke 13:11). Some exegetes, nothing that the Gospels do not always clearly distinguish between illness and demonic possession, have concluded that the references to demons are simply a mythical way of symbolizing the misfortunes to which human beings are prone. The Church has always taught, however, that demons are real spiritual beings, fallen angels who were created by God but became evil by their own free choice (Catechism, 391-95). Anyone tempted to dismiss accounts of demons as fables does not have to look far to see evidence of their influence today. Such phenomena as "racial cleansing," group suicides, and the sexual abuse of children show a more than merely human malice at work, seeking to destroy the image of God in man. But as frightening and real as is the power of demons, the authority of Christ is infinitely superior. Through his cross and resurrection, Christ definitively conquered the powers of hell. For the present time, however, their malicious actions are permitted by God, who is able to good out of every evil (Rom 8:28). The grace of baptism affords us protection from demons and the strength to resist their seductive influence.
We discuss time travel, relationships and using thermal mugs — Time travel in a Japanese cafe. Episode 331: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
"Eat locally, eat seasonally." A simple slogan that is backed up by science and by taste. The farther away from the market something is grown, the longer it must spend getting to us, and what eventually arrives will be less than satisfying. Although we can enjoy a bounty of produce year-round -- apples in June, tomatoes in December, peaches in January -- most of it is lacking in flavor. In order to select wisely, we need to know more. Where and how was the head of lettuce grown? When was it picked and how was it stored? How do you tell if a melon is really ripe? Which corn is sweeter, white or yellow?This description may make the book sound clinical but Parsons infuses it with details and personality that make us relate to what he writes about. The argument about whether fat or skinny asparagus are better? Been there. Argued that. To reduce the heat of a pepper remove the ... no, not the seeds ... the ribs, which is where the capsicum is stored. Aha!
Russ Parsons provides the answers to these questions and many others in this indispensable guide to common fruits and vegetables, from asparagus to zucchini. He offers valuable tips on selecting, storing, and preparing produce, along with one hundred delicious recipes. Parsons delivers an entertaining and informative reading experience that is guaranteed to help put better food on the table.
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| Peter Graham, Wandering Shadows, 1878 |
Is the Lord going to use you in a great way? Quite probably.I need to be reminded of this all the time.
Is he going to prepare you as you expect? Probably not. And if you're not careful, you will look at the trials, the tests, the sudden interruptions, the disappointments ,the sadness, the lost jobs, the failed opportunities, the broken moments, and you will think, He's through with me. He's finished with me. When in fact He is equipping you.Charles Swindoll
Neither strict nor lenient laws will end homelessness. But a systematic and community-wide focus on homelessness prevention measures just might. ...This is an op-ed piece by John Berry (National St. Vincent de Paul Society President) that ran on Real Clear Policy. He discusses how becoming homeless is a contingent event, in other words, not one that’s inevitable or irreversible. It is very clear look at homelessness, the political arguments surrounding it, and how to help prevent it.
They save lives, dignity, and dollars, and more communities should invest in them. In our experience, these programs succeed because they are personal and flexible: personally administered and rooted in Christian charity; and flexible in the assistance they offer—whether it’s repairing a car, paying a utility bill, or working directly with a landlord to keep eviction at bay.
Precarious living situations don’t fit neatly into bureaucratic boxes. And administrative layers add complexity to application processes, deterring the very people who most need help. Flexible funding, personally administered ensures that households in crisis get help as quickly as possible. The simpler the process, the more quickly we can stabilize families and entire communities.
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| Ephraim Moses Lilien (1874–1925) A scribe, wearing a traditional Middle Eastern costume of robe and turban, sews together pieces of parchment of a Torah scroll. |
To give this study [of the Torah] ... a class of scholars arose. These were the Scribes, the experts in the law. The title of the greatest of them was Rabbi. The scribes had three duties.
(i) They set themselves, out of the great moral principles of the Torah, to extract rules and regulations for every possible situation in life. Obviously this was a task that was as endless...
(ii) It was the task of the scribes to transmit and to teach the law and its developments. These deduced and extracted rules and regulations were never written down; they are known as the Oral Law. Although never written down they were considered to be even more binding than the written law. From generation to generation of scribes they were taught and committed to memory...
(iii) The scribes had the duty of giving judgment in individual cases; and, in the nature of things, practically every individual case must have produced a new law.
Wherein did Jesus' teaching differ so much from the teaching of the Scribes? He taught with personal authority. No Scribe ever gave a decision on his own. He would always begin, "There is a teaching that ..." and would then quote all his authorities. If he made a statement he would buttress it with this, that, and the next quotation from the next great legal masters of the past. The last thing he ever gave was an independent judgment.
God calls all the souls he has created to love him with their whole being, here and thereafter, which means that he calls all of them to holiness, to perfection, to a close following of him and obedience to his will. But he does not ask all souls to show their love by the same works, to climb to heaven by the same ladder, to achieve goodness in the same way. What sort of work must I then do? Which is my road to heaven? In what kind of life am I to sanctify myself? Apart from the universal calling of all of us to perfect love, to holiness, to the following of Jesus, and obedience to his will in everything, however small, a calling at the last to heaven, what is the particular and special vocation that he puts before me and you and each one of us? ...Well, that's the $64,000 question, isn't it? What am I being called to and am I obeying?
We do not "choose a vocation" but seek to find our vocation, to do all we can to hear the divine voice calling us, to make sure what he is saying — and then to obey him. Where vocation is concerned God speaks, calls, commands: man has not to choose but to listen and obey.Blessed Charles de Foucauld
When you say, "The Lord is my shepherd, no proper grounds are left for you to trust in yourself.Thinking of Jesus as the good shepherd or the Lord in the psalm that we all know so well, we tend to forget to think of the logical consequence of this reality. That means we must trust him. And obey.St. Augustine, Sermon
Jon Batiste says he doesn't need either a kazoo or a tambourine in the movie, thank you very much.
We discuss the Pixar movie Soul in episode 330 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. After all, it's darned hard to find a kid's movie featuring old fashioned astral transmigration displacement. That's gotta be talked about!
I like that reminder that blaming God for everything we don't like means that we don't understand God or his creation."Just because you don't like the way things are," said Jean Valjean, "that's no reason to be unfair to God."
Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
I am continually surprised by how this guy nails it ... from 100 years ago.The modern world is not evil; in some ways the modern world is far too good. It is full of wild and wasted virtues. When a religious scheme is shattered (as Christianity was shattered at the Reformation), it is not merely the vices that are let loose. The vices are, indeed, let loose, and they wander and do damage. But the virtues are let loose also; and the virtues wander more wildly, and the virtues do more terrible damage. The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth; and their truth is pitiless. Thus some humanitarians only care for pity; and their pity (I am sorry to say) is often untruthful.
G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
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| Portrait of Michelangelo by Daniele da Volterra |
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