Category: links elsewhere

Christian Art

Gryphon Rampant Grapic Arts.  Exceedingly cool.  Click and go see.

–> Link courtesy of John McNichol, source of much coolness, whom had I had the great pleasure of meeting during the momcation.  It will not surprise you to learn that the lovely Mrs. McNichol is herself a delightfully interesting catholic-mom person, as I had long suspected.

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And as long as we’re doing a celebrity round-up, Bishop Elizondo, who confirmed the nieces, Wow!  What a guy.   I generally  do not go in for clergy-watching, but my goodness that man has a gift.   Very happy.  Spot-on.  Real pleasure to have been there.

And yes, that was *my* niece arguing with him when he quizzed the kids during the homily. Makes an aunt proud.  (I told her she did the right thing.  Cause she did.  Good girl that one.)

 

 

 

Home again.

Momcation successful.  More news later.  If your e-mail to me is sitting all sad and lonely in my inbox, I promise to dust it off and respond soon.  Ish.

Two notes for now:

1.  Wow, it is really neat to have a place that is home.  To be able to go off on vacation someplace superior in weather, scenery, traffic-planning — generally better in every way –, and then come home to a hot, muggy, concrete-laden, weed-infested corner of suburban sprawl and just grin with happiness at being HOME.  And have no desire to live anywhere else.

I like that a lot.

2. Please pray for John Hathaway and his family.  I want very much to keep him in exile here in this fallen world a little longer (a lot longer), but he threatens once again to make his escape. Please pray.

Mothers & More

Here’s a great article on “Why Mothers Matter”, h/t to the Pulp.it for pointing it out.  Totally made my day.  (Yes, I am goofing off.  Bad mother! Clean house!  Make children clean house!)

–> Which explains why St. Thomas More re-married so quickly after the death of his first wife.  As Butler’s Lives points out:

More was a man of sense as well as sensibility, and he had four young children on his hands: so he married a widow, seven years older than himself, an experienced housewife, talkative, kindly and full of unimaginative common sense.

Apparently she didn’t appreciate his jokes, though, which the biographer observes was an “undeniable trial of patience” — for which spouse the text does not specify.

A quick saint bleg on that topic:  Our VBS-alternative (“Terrific Tuesdays”) will feature St. Thomas More, St. Joan of Arc, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux, and St. Martin de Porres.  If you happen to be sitting on a linky-link treasure trove of free-to-copy coloring sheets, puzzles, clip art, and the like, I would be most grateful to learn your secrets.  Thank you!

–> FYI if you are in a similar boat, I’ve been mining the My Catholic Pray and Play Activity Book for generic worksheets.  Nicely done, good little resource for elementary-age catechists to keep in the drawer.  The sheets are reproducibles for non-commercial use.

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And this is a random other lives-of-saints observation I stumbled upon last night, and had to share.  From Butler’s Lives, further down on July 9th (same as More), concerning the martyrdom of Sts. Nicholas Pieck and Companions, Martyrs of Gorkum in 1572.  This was a Calvinist round-up in the Netherlands, and the clergy arrested included not only the saintly types, but also St. James Lacops, who “had been very slack in his religious observance and contumacious under reproof”, as well as St. Andrew Wouters, who “went straight from the irregular life to imprisonment and martydom”.

Here is the bit I found to be a timeless reminder:

. . . when already Father Pieck had been flung off the ladder, speaking words of encouragement, the courage of some failed them; it is a significant warning against judging the character of our neighbour or pretending to read his heart that, while a priest of blameless life recanted in a moment of weakness, the two who had been an occasion of scandle gave their lives without a tremor.

Rant of the Day – Romance

Gwen rants so I don’t have to. Topic is romance novels, Christian and not.

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But here’s my rant: Parenting, marriage, and yes, NFP literature that sets up ideal-husband jobs.  As if the measure of a man were whether he wrote down your temperature for you every morning. (No, really honey, just go yell at kindly remind the kids to make themselves breakfast, I’ll write down my own temp, thanks.  In this nice quiet room AWAY from the noisy people.)

A major moment for us in the first weeks of parenting, was the discovery that TWO sleep-deprived parents was a very, very bad idea.  Much better for ONE parent (the lactating one) to be up all night with young Mr. Screechy.  The other adult could thus be rational and productive during daylight hours, and provide actual useful help.  Do you really want pointers on how to change a diaper at 3 AM?  No.  Better not to have the spouse “helping out” at that time.

[In our marriage.  Maybe some couples prefer the share the duty.  For us, it was a recipe for colicky grow-ups.]

I don’t mind helpful ideas.  I am forever indebted to the Mother’s Rule of Life lady for teaching me to get the coffee-maker set up the night before.  Not that I am organized enough to do that, but at least now I know.  But all this “a good husband would . . .” or a “a good wife should . . .” just sets the stage for smoldering resentment.

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Ahem.  And this has nothing to do with how I forgot my anniversary.  Again.  And the boy’s birthday as well.  It’s a busy month.  I made dinner for people, that’s pretty good, right?

Audio books; not-audio books.

Few quick links this morning before I attempt to resume school after the Spring Break That Would Not End.

My Audio School .com Recommended by a friend of mine, who uses it for her daughter who struggles with reading.   It’s a well-organized compilation of audio books of particular use to homeschoolers and other educators.  The free resources are useful, and my friend tells me that if you have a need for lots and lots of audio resources, it is worth paying for the subscription.

On the topic of audio books, Christian Audio’s free download this month looks sorta interesting.  It’s free, you know?  I downloaded The Hiding Place last month, and I guess I signed up for notifications?  Which is handy, because they reminded me today there was a new book up.  For free.  Otherwise have not been receiving much spam from them (none that I recall, but I have a fast-acting delete key, so I might have supressed the memory).  Reputable source, seems to me.

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On the topic of non-audio books: The Catholic Writers’ Guild blog is pretty much put together now.   This morning Walt Staples is up for his monthly humor column, and the topic is writing and cats.  So you know where that’s going.  The blog address, by the way, is this:

http://blog.catholicwritersguild.com/

And you have to type that exactly, no “www”, or something weird happens.  Just so you know.

FYI my affiliation with the blog is that the important people at the guild saw me saying it would be nice to have a blog, and they pounced.  So my job is to line up writers.  If you are a (dues paid) member who has something 500 words or less and in some way related to catholic writing and publishing, you know where to find me.   Current schedule is:

  • Sunday pm/Monday am: Prayer with Mike Hays – post your requests in the combox.
  • Mondays: Monthly columns by guild members on the topics they love.  Current line-up is:  Humor; Gardening; Teens & the Faith; Self-publishing & e-books.  Need someone to fill that 5th Monday that pops up every quarter or so.
  • Tuesdays: Beginning Writers.  Or Karina Fabian says something friendly and encouraging, Or I write about editing.  If you have seen the pen of death in action, you already know what I’m going to write.  [Hint: It’s not about grammar.  You knew that.]
  • Wednesdays: Sarah Reinhard has been writing a column on blogging and related topics.  I’d like to find some other volunteers to join the Wednesday rotation, and I’d like the focus to be on everything related to writing and the internet.  In case that interests you.
  • Thursdays & Fridays: CWG Officers write about officer-y things. –>  I’m looking for someone to do a regular member news column.  If you’ve always wanted to be a gossip columnist and you are a member of the guild (easy to do), there’s a gig waiting for you.  Your name in lights.  Meanwhile, members with news just have to e-mail me and then I post it.  So you see why we need someone better than that.
  • Saturdays: John Desjarlais on writing catholic fiction.  So far I think this one is my favorite column.  Don’t let the other writers know. (Despite Blogger’s evil attempts to thwart him.  I don’t love blogger either.  But it’ll do.)

So that’s what there.  Because you needed more blogs to read, I’m sure.  Happy Monday.

BADD 2011 – The Vast Middle

I’m persuaded that the late 19th and early 20th century love affair with eugenics continues to inform our understanding of disability.  If the unfit are slated for elimination, it becomes very important to draw a clear line between them and us, and put “us” firmly on the proper side.  The recent return-to-fashion, via pre-natal screening and consequent abortion of undesirables, hasn’t helped.

What I see is a fictional polarization, in which the culture cuts a medical boundary between them and us.  On the one side, people who are Disabled, on the other, everyone else.  It is a fanciful line, that has little regard for actual abilities, or happiness, or life expectancy.  Oh sure, if you’re significantly paralyzed, that makes you Disabled.  But say you have a hand that doesn’t work quite right, or is missing parts? Does that make you Disabled?  Or just sorta decrepit?  Discrimination is in the eye of the beholder.

It would all be a silly parlor game if the stakes weren’t so high.

But they are high, because there’s an all-or-nothing mentality out there.  I stumbled the other day on an internet conversation about faking disability.  One accusation: If you see someone in the store using a wheelchair or scooter, and that person is actually able to stand and even walk, they must be faking.  (Because, you know, they’d totally want to show their hand right there in front of you. It was all a great game until the Cheetos were out of reach.)  No comprehension that  someone might be able to walk a little bit.  Inconceivable.

The US disability benefits system is a bit like those combox warriors, only clucking over who can work and who can’t.    There is cash at stake, and people do fake in order to grab at it.   But still, the can-she-or-can’t-she thinking permeates the system.  There is little recognition that many disabilities may limit, but not eliminate, the ability to work.  That one may need assistance only intermittently; or assistance to compensate for lower wages,  higher expenses, or the ability to only work part-time.

But to me the most painful aspect of the polarization is the social aspect.  The whispering and uncomfortable tones.  The notion that in order to write or care about disability issues, you must somehow Be One of Them.  There must be some Deep Reason you care about this arcane, specialized topic for weirdos; simple common sense is not enough.  And furthermore, if you complain that this or that facility needs better acomodations, you must be one of those nutty bleeding-heart types.

–> After all, those people don’t _________, and anyway if they wanted to do, than they could __[insert ridiculous cumbersome workaround guaranteed to keep Those People away]_.

It’s dumb.  It’s just dumb.  So don’t play.

Rant over.

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Thank you to Ruth for reminding me once again of the date and place for the annual BADD Blogfest.  It is not too late contribute yourself, so have at it.  Time-delay entries are accepted.

More language stuff – Audio Bibles

Free audio bibles, in about a zillion languages.  Download as an MPS, or scroll down to the bottom and listen online.   Mighty mighty handy if you are studying a foreign language.  Or just wish to amuse yourself.

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Funny story, and I can’t be the only one:  So I found that link via Gwenn Mangine, the very down-to-earth evangelical missionary in Haiti.  I go take a look at the bible site, click a selection to listen to, and then flip back to Google Reader to see what else she has to say.  Click on the next unread post, and read this:

I once read a comment by Lady Abbess Benedict Duss, OSB to the effect that the chant in Latin was the most effective and most complete and transcendent prayer of praise outside of the mass. I don’t doubt it.

And I thought: Really?  I had no idea she was such a fan of Latin Chant!  What do you know?!

What you know, though, is that it was the Anchoress who said that.  I had two different windows with Reader open, and I’d unwittingly clicked on the other one.

–> Happens all the time.  I think I’m reading one blog, but I’ve actually clicked on a different one.  They all look the same in Reader.  And I’m thinking, “Wow, what an interesting thing for that writer to say . . .”

Really tests your ideas, when you don’t have the context of who is saying it, and you have to judge the ideas on their own merit.  Google Reader needs a ‘shuffle’ button.  Would help the brain, I feel sure.

 

My Thursday Reading.

Links Round-Up today:

John McNichol has up part 1 and part 2 of the Argument from Design for explaining God’s existence.  The man breathes apologetics for teens.  It’s as if he does this for a living or something.

Mrs. Darwin has a cautionary tale about writing. If it seems like people wrote better books in the past, it’s because you haven’t been made to read them all. I buy vintage books from thrift stores — I know.  She tells the truth.  (That said: I have found some absolute treasures in catholic non-fiction that are now out of print.  Kills me.)

–> Mrs. D goes on to share Betty Duffy’s happy news, which is why Mrs. Duffy’s writing career is apparently again on hold for procreation.  (Congratulations!).  I’m so there.  (Not pregnant, just educating people.)  Ever used the expression, “Don’t you have anything better to do?” to criticize somebody?  When I think about my vocation, that’s what I ask myself.  Is there something better I could be doing?  Well, I could put the kids in the school, any little ones in day care, and pursue a number of other more profitable and prestigious careers.  They’d be fun.  They’d be worthwhile.  They would be good work.  But none of them would be better.  I’m doing the best one.  The riskiest one, too.  But worth it.

Dorian reviews a nice Catholic music curriulum.  My two oldest did Kindermusik one year, and it was great — huge help — and so I’m with Dorian.  These things are good. But here’s what, and follows my plea: I listened to the sample tracks.  They are quite musical.  But my fifth graders would fall apart laughing if I played one of those in class.  Yes they would.

Dear Music Publishers,

Please, please, oh please record a plain, boring, musically non-descript sing-along CD for use in catholic religious ed.  Miniscule ranges.  Transparent accompaniments.  NO CHORAL VOICES.  Sung by some lady (or guy) who sounds like a fifth grade teacher, not a Famous Musician.

Thank you.

Jennifer.

And if you haven’t bust out laughing like a 10 year old after listening the music samples (perhaps you are not a 10 year old?), read  this review of the IC’s Communion of Saints book by Allen’s Brain. It is funny.  The Communion of Saints series is even funnier.  Highly recommended.

 

I’m outta here. Happy Thursday.

 

Everyday Theology and the Wider Culture

This post at Real Hope for Haiti is part of a larger series, but I think it stands on its own.  The topic is: How do (rural) Haitians view God and the spirit world in general, and how does this impact their lives?  It matters to Christian missionaries, because it turns out [I am told] that if you show up in Haiti expecting to evangelize the same way you did back home, there are going to be a few misunderstandings.

I like the article most of all because it makes me think about American Christianity.  What are our spiritual assumptions?  What is it, when we turn to God, that we are seeking?  Or when we don’t turn to God, what keeps us away?

–> As I mentally run through the hypothetical scenario, How would I explain Christianity in a way that is meaningful to a rural Haitian?, it turns on a part of my brain that I need to use more.  Because the people I actually know (none of whom are rural Haitians, as it happens), they have problems and assumptions and experiences that matter.  Eternally matter.  If I am to be of any use, I need to meet them with the Gospel where they need it most.  And that’s probably a different place than where I am myself, or ever was.

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The funny thing is that you can get a little nervous.  We explain God this way ________.  If I change how I explain God to someone else, am I changing the Gospel?

Always a risk, of course.  But there is also this: God is immense.

–>  I’ve never had anyone ask me, “I’m trying to figure out how to deal with the spirit world, because this Christianity thing is interesting, but there are these spirits I need to placate, and I need to make sure I’m not going to end up in more trouble rather than less.  Can you help me out here?”  So I suspect that conversation might go a little differently than my usual 5th grade CCD class.

But it would be the same God.  An unchanging, logically coherent, morally watertight God.  No relativistic your-truth-is-different-from-my-truth wishwash about it.  The answers aren’t different because God is any different to a suburban American 5th grader and a rural Haitian farm.  The answers are only different because the questions are different.

[And no, neither of them are allowed to remarry if they murder their spouse.  Bet that question comes up both places.  Sheesh.  People.]