Monday, June 23, 2014

A Winning Team: Pope Francis and Our Lady

By Nellie Edwards, paintedfaith.net
What is the one thing that Pope Francis is rarely without? Hint: He always brings it with him and is seen wearing it in the majority of his pictures.
Give up?  It’s his smile.  In most of his pictures, he is smiling.  How comforting is that?  Pope Francis has the weight of the world on his shoulders as the Vicar of Christ on Earth.  He is very well aware of the state of the world, and yet, he smiles most of the time. 

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Fantasy Island Meets North Dakota


          "Da plane! Da plane!” Tattoo from the television series Fantasy Island would yell, running up the bell tower to ring the bell, thereby announcing the arrival of a new set of guests at the beginning of each episode. 
On June 13, from our front lawn, my husband Mark announced the arrival of da plane!  It was Air Force One flying over our house in Bismarck, ND with President Obama on board.  He landed at the Bismarck airport and helicoptered out to Cannon Ball, to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. It was his first visit to a reservation during his presidency.  The theme of his visit?  Fantasy Island.  Officially, it was the welfare of the Native American children, but I don’t buy in to other people’s fantasy. 

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Living the Beatitudes for Parents




 Giving life to a child touches a parent’s heart and leads to the Divine as reflected in the Beatitudes (Matt 5: 1-5)  “Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him and He began to teach them, saying:

Friday, June 6, 2014

Religion ≠ Magic; Jesus ≠ Illusionist

Dear Atheist,
There’s nothing like a good magic show, huh?  Harry Houdini, the all-time great illusionist, knew this.  David Copperfield is right behind him in the theater of trickery as the highest paid magician in all of history. What you see is not always what you get, right?  But what you fail to see with religion is that what you get is not only what you see.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Divorce Parties: Beyond Stupid


     Even though my thoughts are like a puff of smoke in the Dust Bowl, I want to suggest that divorce parties are beyond stupid. They reveal shallowness, narcissism, and spiritual darkness.  

     Celebrating divorce, or “uncoupling,” is the latest trend in parties.  Divorce parties are also big business for party planners and novelty companies, even outdoing pet birthday parties.  Yeah, it’s just that big.