Always remember, never forget

Magnet #1297 - Cross from Mexico

I found this cross at yesterday's Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus gift shop. I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy it mainly because it is such a religious icon to make into a magnet.

But, given that I'd just bought Jesus on a magnet (yesterday's Supper at Emmaus), I figured I'd already crossed that line. Plus, this photo does no justice to this magnet to how gorgeously painted this magnet is.

Anyway, using this cross feels fitting today, as everyone shares their own September 11th memories on television and all over the internet.

Private reflection feels the mood of my day, with the highpoint of just taking a long, leisurely walk on the Upper West Side.

A much different walk than 10 years ago.

Authority always wins

Magnet#1274 - James I (1603-1625)

Meet James I.

As in King James Bible, which is apparently 400 years old this year.

One wonders what someone's thinking when they say..."Oh, you know what? I think I'll just issue my version of the Bible."

King James (who, as son of Mary Queen of Scots, was the King of Scotland for 36 years before he ever sat on the English throne) was a theologian as well, and had some issues with how the Puritans had interpreted the Bible, and so decided to do his own. It was only the third English version by 1611, and he used almost 50 translators to get the job done.

They must have done a good job, given that the Authorized Version became the one widely accepted.

Or, at least, accepted in hotel rooms worldwide, anyway.

The sky is my father

Magnet #1177 - Navajo Sand Art, Father Sky

The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is the home of the New York branch of the National Museum of the American Indian. A must-see if you're in downtown NY, and as part of the Smithsonian, it's free!

Really interesting exhibits and the building itself it totally gorgeous, both inside and out.

I picked up this magnet - a Navajo sand art painting magnet with Father Sky depicted. From what I've learned, sand art paintings are used in holy ceremonies where Earth people and Holy people come together.

In fact, the Navajo destroy their sand art upon completion, releasing the spirits into the wind (I assume). Kinda freaked me out that I had not only kept one of these paintings, but that it's in the form of a magnet!

But, the site I linked to earlier mentions that the Navajo fear having the correct version of any of their holy people in just anyone's hands. So, these pieces, and any of the ones found available for commercial sale, have important mistakes on them, so that they're not accurate depictions of the real thing. Whew.

When I learned that, it sort of made me feel a lot better, because I also felt just a little oooky having bought a magnet of one of entire culture's holy figures.

Of course, now that I've read up on this stuff, next time I'm back home, I'm totally heading back to the museum to go see if Mother Earth is there on sale, because now it's freaking me out, not having a complete set. Every image I've seen of Father Sky, he's usually standing right beside Mother Earth.

Maybe he's lonely. Maybe it's the reason for the last year of insanity. Maybe if I right the balance, things will go swimmingly.

What? I know I'm not Navajo, but whatever you believe in, don't go tempting the fates of someone else's culture or beliefs.

I learned that the hard way - having left my ATM card in an ATM, after kindasorta mocking the creepy music and the creepy guy following us around the Joseph Smith birthplace we just had to visit in Vermont.

But maybe that's another magnet...

Church signs

Magnet #1143 - When your heart speaks, take good notes

I was totally gonna try and wax poetic about this handmade sign that I made into a magnet, but it's a magnetblog and honestly, I haven't figured out what my heart's saying yet, so I haven't taken any good notes. But, rest assured, I'm ready.

Anyway, this might make me sound like I grew up in the Bible Belt (which I did), but one of the things that I've always liked about the South are the omnipresent church signs and their attention-getting quotes.

We've read them all our lives, and my sister wondered aloud the other day, where must these church sign sayings come from. I've figured out, that other than the Bible or hymnals, some of them must come from this simple, but well-done Church Sayings site.

I must pass at least a dozen signs every day, on the way to taking my mother to and from work, running errands around town, etc. Signs that say stuff like,

"Do not buy silk, when you owe money for milk."

Or, "Keep looking up, Jesus is coming!"

Or, "7 days without prayer makes 1 weak."

Or, "God adds and multiplies. Satan subtracts and divides."

Or, my new favorite, "If you can't make a choice - you just did."

The thing is that I never really notice the name or denomination of the church, but as time goes on, I've found the quotes they use start to reflect their personalities. Sometimes they're deadly serious, like you will totally go to hell if you don't stop by this church right this holy second, and sometimes, they're funny as all get out, and you just can't stop chuckling miles later, and sometimes, just sometimes, they're spot on the inspiration money.

It's not like I'm really devoutly religious - but sometimes, when you're driving down the road, you need a pick-me-up message, and these sayings sometimes hit home.

A sign from God. Literally.