A Curious Man: Robert “Believe it Or Not!” Ripley

I was so incredibly depressed and disgusted by Ripley's alcoholic bent, womanizing tendencies, and his manipulation of so many people and cultures for his profit, fame, and curiosity that I couldn’t bring myself to finish reading the entire book.

     
Author Neal Thompson's writing is actually quite beautiful,  interesting, and smooth.  The style of the writing and layout of the book are both perfectly fitting for a biography about such an unusual character.  The photos included are very telling.  The problem I had with the book came in the subject he wrote about in such minute detail.  The moral depravity of the man in question is what shocked me more than any of the peculiar people or practices he wrote about or drew during his extensive jaunts around the globe.  

     
I had planned on reading A Curious Man: Robert “Believe it Or Not!” Ripley and joining a Cursillo friend who’s a librarian for the book club discussion he was leading last month.  A series of unfortunate events that took place during the beginning of that week led me to spend most of my time reading spiritual, religious, and hope-filled books instead of forcing myself to make it through the one about Robert Ripley. 

     
The wildly popular cartoonist and world traveler's manipulative manner in his personal and professional relationships showed a complete disregard for the value of human life.  From what I did read it seemed he wasn’t able to recognize or muster an ounce of respect for human dignity.  He’d exploit anyone and anything to satisfy his curiosities, placate his self-centeredness, and indulge in whatever pleasures and distractions fit his fancy at that moment in time.

     
Believe it or not, Ripley’s ego was bigger than any of his dwelling places.  He was without a moral compass of any sort.  He lived his life like the consummate frat boy: drinking all the time, using people, shirking responsibility, dodging the truth, sleeping with all the women he could get.  He led the unexamined life of a spoiled but intriguing celebrity with very eclectic obsessions and far-reaching influence.    

      
I found it quite disheartening to read about the mess he made of things because of his flippant treatment of women and total irreverence for other cultures.  He tainted newspapers and radio with his unconventional fetishes and raging materialism.  His belief that the only higher power greater than himself was a sultry mix of money and fame underlined his desire to remain in a prominent, lucrative, and highly influential place in society no matter what the cost.   

     
At the end of the day and his life, I wondered if he ever really inspired or gave hope to another human being by the way he lived or what he did.  A whole lot of people over a long period of time were fascinated by his reporting, his exotic collections, and skewed view of things, but did he ultimately cause more corruption and scandal, influence greater greed, degrade women, and present a derogatory perspective of other ethnicities and cultures?  It’s hard to know for sure.  Each person’s life is so deeply entwined with those of other people.  I don’t suppose the answers to the following questions would cast him in too favorable a light: how will most remember him? who and what was most important to him? for what purpose did he use his time, talents, and resources?

     
That having been said I realize people can’t really be contained in or fully explained by anything they produce.  Each project is only a glimpse inside, a part of the mystery, a fraction of the wholeness God created.  Our essence isn’t something others can grasp entirely, nor is it something they can take from us.  It is clear to the Lord alone who we really are, who He made us to be.  No one else gets to determine that or define us, though they may try to.

     
There are some inspiring books I’ve read and a great short film I've seen which treat subjects that would have fascinated Ripley in ways that illustrate these individuals are human beings with inherent value and dignity. I highly recommend the following two books as ones that are heartfelt, faith-filled, and inspirational by a man who was born with no arms or legs: Nick Vujicic. 

Life without Limits and Unstoppable 

Nick has done music videos, public speaking, and also is in a great short film called The Butterfly Circus. The story's about people with special talents and abilities being exploited in a freak show setting and how they are rescued, become a family of sorts who join together to entertains others, but without dehumanizing themselves or anyone else.

It occurred to me when reading this book that we have so many opportunities to use our talents to glorify the Lord or instead to cater to our own self-centered desires for pleasure, renown, and success.  The choices we make not only affect those we come into direct contact with but thousands of others who are influenced by the decisions we make for good or evil.  If Robert Ripley had a bucket list, he probably crossed off a number of things on it before he died.  He became famous, got to travel the world, draw cartoons, write, influence many people...But what I’m left to wonder is what was on God’s Bucket list for his life? 

Self-Portrait of a Cute Carmelite Postulant

 
     Michele Morris actually drew the self-portrait on the right with brown marker and sent it to Kevin and me in a package with some fun surprises I'll share about in another post.
     The note on the top left of the drawing is how she and I would say goodbye to each other in person, letters, phone calls, e-mails or text messages: Love, hugs, and glory bees (a variation of the love, hugs, and prayers I often sign in letters to loved ones).  "Juice" is printed on the top right because one of the many times when Michele appeared at our door it was the first word out of her mouth.  Normally, I'd offer her something to drink upon her arrival, and she often asked for juice and a little snack to go with it.
     One fine day after chatting with Kevin outside for a bit while he was working on his motorcycle, she became particularly parched.  When Michele finally made it upstairs, she knocked, I opened the door, and without so much as a "hi" she said: "Juice!" with the innocence and insistence characteristic of a toddler.  I was completely amused and acquiesced immediately.  
     Michele really cracks me up. Even though she's in a cloistered monastery across the country and I haven't heard her voice or seen her in close to a year now, I can still picture her laughing and smiling, being silly and bringing great joy to The Carmelite Sisters by the Sea in Carmel, California.
     Lord, help us to be open to Your will in all areas of our lives.  Make us mindful of the promptings of the Holy Spirit, so that we are sensitive to how, with whom, when, and where You want us to serve.  Amen.
      

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for Us

     It’s hard to believe that one year ago today, on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, my dear sister in Christ, Michele Morris held the début of Teresita, the one woman, one act play she wrote based on the life and vocational discernment of St. Teresa of Avila.  Michele’s academic and professional background is in theater, acting, and directing, as well as evangelizing through plays and skits.   

In Search of the Right Saint

     For a while, Michele had considered writing a play about another saint, someone far more obscure that she’d have to dig hard to find out about, but when she spoke with Fr. Dan Brady, a local priest who has performed the one-man play Damien written by Aldyth Morris a number of times in our area, he suggested she write her play about St. Teresa of Avila.  With that suggestion and inspiration, she gathered a variety of resources about the saint’s life, including information about her personality, family relationships, vocational discernment, faith, education, and perseverance in entering a religious community as soon as possible.  She researched St. Teresa of Avila’s life through books, letters, poems, biographies, and historical information in preparation for writing her original play named Teresita. 

Asking the Tough Questions

     As Michele Morris has been discerning her own lifelong vocation, she has asked the Lord many times
throughout her life a question that appears over and over in her play: “What do You want of me?”  This question is the refrain directly from a poem written by St. Teresa of Avila called “In the Hands of God.”

     The poignant poem and pertinent refrain are ones I’ve returned to often over the past year as I spend time in prayer discerning what the Lord wants of me in my life, where He is leading me and my husband in our vocation of marriage, and how that changes what we do now and how we prepare for the future.  

     In response to the tough questions Michele has asked the Lord and the answers she's received from Him, she left Richmond, Virginia, for good on Sunday, July 14, 2013 after living here for eighteen years.  After signing over her car and visiting some friends, she'll be heading down to her hometown of Deland, Florida.  From there, she and her mom will fly out to the West Coast.
     On August 6, 2013, Michele will officially enter the Carmelite Sisters by the Sea cloistered monastery and become a postulant.  I plan to publish some more posts regarding her faith journey, the play she wrote, and the many ways she has touched people's lives in profound ways, so please check back for more.

Home Tonight: Further Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son

I finished reading Home Tonight: Further Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son by Henri J.M. Nouwen on Pentecost Sunday.  It gave me a great deal to think, pray, and write about as well as meditate on.  Truthfully, I read through it without stopping each and every time to do the journaling exercises, because I wanted to get the overall message of the book, as Nouwen has for many years, been one of my absolute favorite authors.  I plan to go back and do the journaling meditations over time.  Being a writer, they take me much longer than they might take other people because as long as the ideas keep coming, I keep the pen moving. 

   
As is often the case with Nouwen’s books, I am again very aware that I’m being challenged through these heartfelt personal reflections to accept the love, forgiveness, and mercy of the Lord on a deeper level than I ever have before.  This task is rather daunting because it’s really difficult for me to accept love, especially unconditional love and forgiveness when I know (to some extent) how little I deserve it.  There’s a lot in me that still believes certain lies: that my worth comes more from what I do for others, can offer them, and help them with more than it has to do with my innate value as a Beloved Daughter of God.  We are all God’s Beloved Children, and I know intellectually that favor cannot be earned and isn’t based on performance.  I really don’t understand that kind of love—especially when it comes to God and others loving me—but by golly, I’m sure going to keep trying if not to understand it, at least to absorb it.

   
Nouwen writes and reflects intimately on the love of God and the many roadblocks we put up that keep us from accepting it on the deepest level.  I highly recommend reading this book as well as one of my all-time favorites of his The Return of the Prodigal Son.

I received a free copy of Home Tonight from WaterbrookMultnomah in exchange for an honest review to share on their Blogging for Books site.  To purchase, Home Tonight, click here.  If you love free books, reading, and have a blog, you might be interested in signing up.  Check it out here.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 99)

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Fun with Watercolors I’ve had fun painting with watercolors, one of Vivi’s favorite past-times as well.  Occasionally, I have an opportunity to paint with her.  Over the weekend, I felt like painting with watercolors.  Once the little pictures dried, I enhanced them with details drawn with colored pencils.    

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Uploaded Wednesday Kevin brought pizza over to Carl and Jess’s for dinner, and we hung out with Jess and the girls while Carl was at an interest meeting for volunteers.  I finally remembered that I have about 600 some photos on my computer of the girls that I’ve been meeting to put on a flash drive or something for them.  I uploaded the photos and videos onto a flash drive, so their parents can enjoy them and pass them along to other members of the girls’ fan club.   

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Overheard It always makes me smile and sometimes laugh right out loud when I hear Vivi singing a song or quoting a phrase from a favorite book, especially when it’s a little off from what the actual lyrics are.  The quotes from books, of course her faves by Dr. Seuss, are completely accurate. 

     Thursday, as she ran around in a little circle in the living room she randomly came up with the following lyrics to the tune of Jingle Bells: “Thank you wish, thank you wish, thank you, Santa Claus.”  I have no idea what made her think of Santa or jingle bells, but the fact that thank you is in the lyrics makes me very happy.  I’m also excited that she remembers to say: “May I please…”  Also this week, she's been singing: Where is pumpkin? Where is pumpkin? to tune of  “Where Is Thumpkin?”

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Conversation for the Soul My friend Michele just found out that she'll be entering the Sisters by the Sea cloistered community in Carmel, California, August 6, 2013. She came over Tuesday afternoon so we could catch up.  Five hours later, we'd covered quite a bit.  We both enjoyed sharing our God-incidents and experiences from our recent trips—neither of which went the way we envisioned.  As usual, Michele had some amusing stories to share about her retreat, which didn’t end up being much of a retreat.  It was uplifting to hear the many instances in which God orchestrated things in ways Michele couldn’t have planned or even thought to ask for that made for quite memorable blessings.  One example, she was asked to perform her play "Teresita" for the cloistered sisters in the community where she staying at a hermitage in Pennsylvania for her "retreat," and when she finished, they sang to her the poem “In the Hands of God” on which her piece was largely inspired.  They’d set the poem to music for a special occasion the week before, a novice making her final vows.    

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Now what?! One of my favorite quotes from our soul-spilling epic conversation with my beloved sister in Christ Michele came in the form of a clarification on the role of prayer and its affect on family relations: "I don't think that if I pray enough my family's not gonna act stupid anymore.”  Nothing’s impossible with God, but it’s highly probable that members of the same family are going to rile each other up (sometimes accidentally), have differences in opinion, and varying views on pretty much everything.

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Heaven-Sent by God "We seldom realize fully that we are sent to fulfill God-given tasks. We act as if we have to choose how, where, and with whom to live. We act as if we were simply plopped down in creation and have to decide how to entertain ourselves until we die. But we were sent into the world by God, just as Jesus was. Once we start living our lives with that conviction, we will soon know what we were sent to do." -Henri Nouwen  I receive daily reflections from the Henri Nouwen Society via e-mail.  You can check them out and do the same here.

     

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Kermit on Trial No, I’m not suggesting that Jim Henson’s green, lovable friend is on trial (that would actually get widespread news coverage and genuine concern about the injustices in life).  I’m talking about the Kermit who no one wants to talk about because it might look bad for the abortion industry to discuss how some abortionists have been killing babies after delivering them from the womb.  If you have any question about whether or not our media is biased, check out the media block-out of this trial.

                  

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.

Road Trip & Spring Dance Festival

Road Trip Destination: Columbus, Ohio

   This past weekend I was often fondly reminded of my college friends and the amazing dancers I saw and got to know while attending Hollins University (way back when).  My mom and I went up to Columbus, Ohio, to visit my youngest sister and be there for The Ohio State University Spring Dance Festival.

 
I’d felt bad it’d been almost three years since I’d seen my sister in a performance, especially after going to each one of her dance recitals, many of her dress rehearsals, dance competitions, musical revue’s, and such when she was growing up.  Granted, it wasn’t usually an eight hour commute to get to the other shows she was in from Pre-K through high school, but still.  Being in the audience has been one of the ways that I’ve shown her my love and support.

     
The Ohio State University Spring Dance Festival gave me the perfect opportunity to see some of the OSU campus, witness some of what the dance department’s been up to, watch my sister perform, and see a site-specific piece she directed with her friend. 

All in Good Taste

   I got a taste for the dance department and community at OSU, and I must say I’m very impressed.  I figured I would be and have been looking forward to seeing some awe-inspiring choreography and performance art. 

 
I spent time with Mom and sister, met her apartment mates, three gorgeous women who are also dance majors and fun people to hang out with (like my sister).  I finally got to see some of the OSU campus, some of her preferred stomping grounds, and hot spots in Columbus. 

             
              On Friday, Mom and I checked into our hotel, then we picked my sister up from a rehearsal on campus and headed back to their apartment for a bit.  That evening, we went to the 8pm performance made up of five pieces choreographed by the seniors in the dance department for their mixing dance and media projects.  My sister was in a piece entitled “Staring at the Sun” choreographed by Quentin Burley and Madeline Irmen. 

 
After the Friday night performance at the EMMA Lab at ACCAD, my sister, three of her close friends, Mom, and I went to Spagiō’s for dinner and dessert.  My mom and I shared a tomato basil pizza that was absolutely delectable.  The gourmet dessert with a chocolate-coated exterior, toffee, mocha pudding, and yummy squiggles of chocolate and raspberry sauces for added zest is one I do believe I’ll have to order again.   

Not a School for the Directionally Challenged (like I am!)

   I can say with absolute certainty that I would get undeniably lost trying to find my way around such a sprawling campus.  My mom’s been there a number of times, and she got turned around occasionally.  I remained perpetually in a state of not knowing where the heck I was in relation to any other building, Theresa’s apartment, or our hotel.  Fortunately, Mom did all of the driving when we were up there, so we may have taken the longest possible route back to our hotel a couple times, but we never ended up in the ghetto of another state (which is all-too-likely to happen when I’m driving). 

Being there affirmed once again that a small liberal arts college with a strong sense of community and a beautiful rural campus were the best fit for me.  I would have felt incredibly lost, lonely, and insignificant going to school on one of the biggest college campuses in the country.  Hollins was the right place for me.  My sister has thoroughly enjoyed going to OSU.  I’m grateful we both found places of higher education to fit our personalities, tastes, and to help us grow in the intellectual and artistic passions we have.   

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 96)

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Divine Mercy Clearly Christ's Passion, death, and Resurrection which we contemplate during Lent and Easter are the greatest sources of evidence that the Lord is merciful to us.  The first Sunday after Easter has been named and celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday.  To read more about what that means, how it is observed, and to learn one of the most powerful prayers around, The Chaplet of Divine Mercy, check out this website and/or this personal reflection on the devotion and associated prayers.

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Quality Time I had a nice treat around lunchtime on Tuesday when I went over to drop off a burrito bowl from Chipotle for my sister, I got to catch up with her a bit while holding my twelve lbs. one month old nephew, Ezra, who snuggled up in my arms and slept soundly for most of the time. Thanks for reminders of the many miracles in our lives, Lord!

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All Fired Up A dear friend of mine I’ve known since I was 11 has recently gotten a part-time job at a cool paint your own pottery place.  Though I painted all three of these pieces at the Carytown location with the same name, I’m looking forward to seeing the Short Pump one where she works and adding another bowl to our set of original water-themed dishware. They are all having to do with water and the lake since that's where Kevin and I first met, at his family's cottage on Lake Ontario when I was only sixteen.

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Young Sponges Soak Up Everything I’m reminded about a million times a day how infants and toddlers are such sponges.  Vivi will start singing part of a song or say a line from a book then ask me to read it, or she’ll suggest we do something that we used to do before her sisters were born (last May), or I’ll see one of the twins mimic their big sister.  Kids are listening to the songs you play, the words you say, the things you sing, everything they watch on TV, DVD, computer, XBOX, and it does affect them and stick with them much longer than you think.      

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Back to the Throne Room Knowing that young children are listening, watching, and imitating what I do makes me feel a huge sense of responsibility, especially since I can remember and am still affected by what people close to me said and did even before I was 5 years old.  I am that much more certain that I need to be grounded in prayer and fully relying on God when such precious, impressionable people are in my care.  I feel that way about everyone, but I have always been especially sensitive to how powerfully we can influence children’s self-esteem, interior monologue (which at a young age still is an external monologue), and the habits they form…

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The Theology of Marriage It’s been interesting to read what different people have to say about: what the definition of marriage is, what it has meant, and should mean in the future.  This is a reflection I wrote on marriage and the one book in addition to the Bible that explained most beautifully God’s love for us and His intentions for us.  This is the best recent article I’ve read (thus far) explaining the Roman Catholic teaching on marriage from the beginning.          

     

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The Chronicles of Narnia I have a confession to make.  Not only was it only within the past 6 months that I finally read all of The Lord of the Rings for the first time in my life, but also I am only now reading The Chronicles of Narnia.  I feel a much greater appreciation for classic Catholic literature now that I've taken greater steps to round out my very secular studies as an English (with a concentration in creative writing) and French major at a liberal arts university.  I’m also very excited to be working on something within the genre of Catholic fiction that will hopefully entertain and inspire many.

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.

Back to School: Supplies Surprise

My sisters and I always loved getting new school supplies when we were growing up.  Heck, I still love getting them now for the afterschool clubs, tutoring, substituting, nannying, babysitting, and my own personal enjoyment.  Because we would get new crayons, colored pencils, markers, paper, and such each year, we have quite the array of supplies leftover.  Between that and the fact that we have always loved doing lots of arts and crafts outside of school, we have accumulated quite the stash of stationary supplies over the years. 

     
This past week, I spent most of the day Wednesday sorting through things at my mom’s in preparation for her move from the family home into a one bedroom apartment.  I have only gone through a few closets and some cupboards in what was formerly my room and more recently my youngest sister’s and my other sister’s former bedroom, and yet I have already gathered a good number of school supplies.  A friend of mine who has worked with the Boy Scouts for years told me that she knows of a school that could really use such materials.  It’s been much easier and more purposeful for me to go through the things I have at our place and sort through stuff at my mom’s knowing that these school supplies are needed and will be appreciated by kids who don’t have much. 
     
I have tons of arts and crafts things because one of the ways I have fun is to be creative and make things.  I also have a number of supplies since I have done afterschool clubs, tutoring, summer camps, and such, in which I needed to bring my own stuff from home.  It’s been exciting to go through and thin out my supplies keeping in mind that underprivileged students whose supply closet is sparsely stocked will be using them. 
     
In previous years, my husband and his coworkers have really gotten a lot out of taking part in gathering items for schools in need.  Those who delivered the supplies returned with stories of grateful teachers and elated children. 
     
Do you really need three boxes of crayons, markers, or colored pencils when there are many children who don’t have any even to share among their classmates at school?  What if you went through what you have and gave away anything extra?  What kind of message would that send to your spouse and children?  What would it mean to teachers and students in a school that’s just scraping by?

A Passion for Paper

Apparently my passion for paper began at a very young age.  I’m told that when I was little, my mom used to keep wrapping paper in the bottom drawer of the dresser in my nursery.  I was nicknamed the “paper monster,” because I would often open the drawer, pull out all of the paper, and have a blast flailing it around, crinkling it, crumpling it, and folding it.

     
My parents used to read a lot of books to us when we were growing up, and Mom did lots of arts and crafts with us over the years.  I like writing letters and am inspired by blank notebooks, pages of lined paper, beautiful pieces of stationery, or greeting cards.  I enjoy doing scrapbooking, card making, and photo collages, so it comes as no surprise that I’ve absolutely loved teaching Paper Camp to 2-5-year-olds this week.

     
Through a tour around the classroom we discovered that we use a number of products that are made from paper every day: including, paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, tissues, paper grocery bags, sticky notes…

     

We made our own paper on Tuesday.  We put scraps of 100% cotton paper, pieces of toilet paper, and water in a bucket to sit overnight, then our awesome camp director/papermaking pro, Miss Darlene, put our mix through the blender, prepared the molds and deckles for our papermaking adventure, and helped each of the kids produce a piece of circular paper with colored scraps and a few spices added.   

     

We each made a greeting card, created a flower garden with tissue paper, made fans out of wallpaper, made bookmarks, tried a special kind of markers and paper, as well as assembled books about how paper is made and how much paper comes from a tree. 

     

Our folding fun included origami boxes, frogs, and of course paper airplanes.  We experimented with different airplane designs, types of paper, etc. to see which ones would be the most aerodynamically sound. 

     

Sifting through a bag of recycling I brought in from home, we saw a number of different household items made of paper, such as, cereal boxes, cardboard toilet paper rolls, receipts, menus from take-out restaurants, used envelopes, old magazines…  Each of us got our own paper bag to collect all of the different scraps we had left over from our projects. 

     

I have good reason to believe some of the kids have already caught my propensity for paper.  It’s been a fun week!

Nature Fun for Kids: Create the Box, then Think Outside It

Last week at Nature Club, I taught the kids the how to fold a square piece of paper into a little box. We counted the number of triangles, squares, quadrilaterals, rectangles, and trapezoids each time we did another step of the process. Before we opened up our origami boxes, I had them color the edges, pointing out the ones that would show once we completed all of the proper folds.
    
I was about 11 or 12 when I first learned how to fold this origami box, and it’s the one thing I remember how to fold without looking at instructions. I knew the exercise would be a hit since the boys in Nature Club had often begun folding any leftover pieces of paper to make airplanes, some which were much more aerodynamically sound than others.

After we opened up and did the final folds on our 3” X 3” boxes, I asked them to imagine what sort of things from nature could fit into the box they’d made. They named a number of different insects, arachnids, and such, then I asked them what they might find on our school campus from nature, that wasn’t still living, that would fit into their boxes. They came up with a number of things before we set out on our nature walk to see what we could find to put in our boxes.
    
All of us had fun selecting fallen flower petals, leaves, the tops of acorns, mini red berries, little sticks, nibbled on pine cones, pieces of bark, rocks, half-eaten tree nuts, and such to put in our little boxes. When we returned, we dumped our things out and examined what each person had found, then I had them draw and color some of the sundry treasures they’d found. It was so enjoyable, that I decided to do the same thing with my French Club on Thursday, only we talked about the colors, items, shapes and names of things in nature in French.
    
Lord, thank you for the gift of children, who so often help us to slow down and recognize the beauty, delicate details, and wonder in the world around us. Please increase our ability to see Your handprints on everything and in everyone. Amen.

Be Dazzled: Sudden Sparks of Inspiration

I’m often inspired by the kids I teach and take care of, but I had no idea what five hours with a creative nine-year-old would rekindle in me.

Her mom told me she liked to make jewelry and would be content to spend the entire time we were together coming up with new beaded creations. We went to the craft store where I’d been countless times since fifth grade in order to get some more supplies after making a few pieces of jewelry each.

By the time I got in the car to drive to the store, I was inspired again to take up a hobby I hadn’t done much of since I was in middle school. We picked out some more supplies for her bead collection, and I ended up getting several things so I could make jewelry for my mom and sisters for Christmas. I’ve had a blast getting back into jewelry-making all thanks to a day I got to spend with a nine-year-old who reminded me of a creative outlet I thoroughly enjoyed in my youth.     

When growing up my mom, Mary, and I did tons of arts and crafts. We loved making jewelry, and frequently made trips to Ben Franklin, a local craft store, for supplies. We had quite the collection of markers, crayons, colored pencils, glitter, sequins, beads, paper, paints, scissors, glue, clay, popsicle sticks, yarn, thread…and we made and decorated all kinds of things.
    
I’ve never really stopped doing arts and crafts. Working with children, I often get to use crayons, markers, glue, pretty papers, beads, yarn, and things. I also learned how to cross-stitch from my mom and how to knit from my grandma. I picked up scrapbooking and card making interests along the way.
     
I still love paper. Apparently, I have ever since I was little. My mom used to keep wrapping paper in the bottom drawer of the dresser in my room. I used to have so much fun taking it all out and flinging it around. I was nicknamed “the paper monster.” Now, I’m more likely to write on it, fold it, decorate it, etc., but it’s still fun to experiment with.
    
It’d been a while since I’d made jewelry more complicated than ten beads on stretchy string that’s virtually impossible to tie, especially around a squirmy little kid’s wrist or neck. I’m very grateful that a certain someone reignited my passion for making jewelry.
    
Lord, thank You for the many opportunities you give us each day to inspire others with our interests, our creativity, passion, knowledge, generosity, and curiosity. Help us to accept the invitations You give us to celebrate beauty and creativity. Amen.

The Most Valuable Works of Art

Many interesting things happened in and around me one April day. Walking down that morning to pray at the abortion clinic and meet the parishioners who came over after 11am Palm Sunday Mass for the procession led by Fr. Kauffman, the pastor of St. Benedict’s, I was thinking, praying, and it occurred to me how ironic it is that in a little house with a small separate building the most precious works of art are being destroyed purposefully and legally.

    
Across the street is the huge building with heavy gates, security guards, and cameras, that’s known as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. These works of art created by human hands are guarded, cared for, of interest to the cultured, wealthy, learned among us, yet right across the street, original one-of-a-kind works of art more precious than the most striking painting, the most unusual sculpture, the largest diamond, the rarest gem, the purest gold are being completely destroyed at the hand of someone who calls himself a medical professional. The sign on the door of the house on the corner of Grove and Boulevard is one that deceives: Richmond Medical Center for Women when it is nothing more than another abortion clinic.

     
Note to reader: I've written several blog posts over the past three years about being involved in 40 Days for Life. Since the movement has grown bigger, but the message of love and healing has remained the same, I've decided to post the articles from my previous blog site here. This post was written and originally posted on April 13, 2009.

    
A man who has been involved in 40 Days for Life brings flowers and lays the bright bouquet at the side door of the clinic every time he comes to pray there. What a powerful gesture. This man recognizes this property for what it is, a graveyard for thousands, who died a traumatic, tragic death, at the hand of a trained killer and with the consent of their mother, father, grandparents...

    
And if this isn’t horrific enough, our government is now considering removing the conscience laws protecting those doctors and medical professionals who have moral, ethical, and possibly even spiritual integrity from having to participate in atrocities against life.

    
During this 40 Days for Life campaign, many things have happened in our city and around the world that are coincidences to some, and clearly God-incidents to others. In Richmond, our governor didn’t pass legislation that would expand the death penalty, and after much hard work led by some key local pro-lifers, he also signed the bill that has brought Choose Life license plates to Virginia. Yes, politicians can be taught the importance of respecting life and the calls of their constituents to answer to that will arise even if the people remain silent and the stones cry out.

    
I saw the Family Lifeline office for the first time that day on the way to having breakfast with Mom after praying outside of the abortion clinic with Fr. Kauffman and others after Mass. On the windows, there are huge pictures of the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. I believe there are four different panels. I intend to go back and take pictures of them.

    
A small white butterfly fluttered along with me as I walked to the abortion clinic to pray this morning, and during the time I was there humming the Divine Mercy Chaplet to myself, holding my Rosary, and an “I Pray 40 Days for Life” sign with an African American mother kissing her baby, I saw three, sometimes even four, of these small white butterflies fluttering around. These were definite signs of hope for me, their significance even stronger since the book I am reading by Sue Monk Kidd While the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions revolves strongly around imagery and symbols, especially that of the cocoon and the butterfly.

So how can we, an Easter people, honor new life? In Richmond, people involved in the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil are continuing to pray at the clinic for at least two hours a week from now until the next 40 Days for Life starts in the fall. My family and I are again taking part in the Pregnancy Resource Center of Metro Richmond's annual Walk for Life. This resource for men and women, formerly known as the Crisis Pregnancy Center, provides a wide variety of services to help pregnant women in our area. Many of us are also contacting our government leaders and speaking for those whose voices are being taken away.

We can honor new life through prayer and apostolic action.

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri J.M. Nouwen

I’ve never read a book by Henri Nouwen that I didn’t like, but this is definitely one of my favorites of his. His literary prose, vivid imagery, and appreciation for art and beauty alone would make this work a pleasure to read. The profound insights he has into the spiritual life and what he gleans from a very close study of a painting about a well-known Biblical story create a rich, thought-provoking work.
   
I have often been inspired to write after seeing/experiencing artwork and performances, but the enthusiasm and passion Nouwen possesses for the subjects of mercy and forgiveness as they are portrayed in the painting show the inner workings of a soul that is close to God. Certainly religious art has often inspired and been inspired by devout men and women of faith. Nouwen’s study of the portrayal of a parable in the form of a portrait is so meticulous and thorough. His observation of the father’s hands showing the Lord God as having both the love, compassion, mercy, and protection that come from both mother and father has stuck with me years after reading the book.
   
This spin on a parable most people are very familiar with is refreshing, insightful, and deeply moving. In The Return of the Prodigal Son, Nouwen has created a masterpiece out of art, carefully crafted prose, a life of prayer and reflection, and a spirituality which keeps inching closer to God at every opportunity.
   
You can purchase this book here.  I wrote this review of The Return of the Prodigal Son for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.