"All men and women can make fruitful the talents received from God’s hands, provided they allow themselves to be transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit, forging a personality that reflects Christ’s face. But this does not imply losing one’s own personal traits. Saint Josemaría insisted: “you have to be different from one another, as the saints in heaven are different, each having their own personal and special characteristics.”

From: A Personality Identified with Christ

C.S.Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein's debate acted out

Art is elemental. Reason alone as it's expressed in the sciences can't be man's complete answer to reality, and it can't express everything that man can, wants to, and has to express. I think God built this into man. Art along with sicence is the highest gift God has given him. ~ Pope Benedict XVI

Personalities, lines, borders, gates, sheep, and the Shepherd

I noticed that on left brain right brain tests that I come out just right of center on both generic tests and also with political tests, but usually right brain is associated with being out of the box, and a lot of people associate leaning to the right as being trapped in a box, but I don't think that is necessarily true. Some say the right brainers and artistic and musical people choose left wing politics, but I do lean more to the right on the political tests and it corresponds with my voting choices. Maybe it could just have something to do with the personality or temperament God gave me. Not saying that it's without weaknesses but there are strengths in it I believe. I cannot remember who said it, but there is a quote that says to create a work of art, you must first draw a line. And I see that as literally what is being said about starting the work, and making the first line, but also I see another dimension to it as when we draw a line and understand the limits of something or the uniqueness of something.

For instance some may look at a border between things as a negative, but the border between things could also be a positive, because the border could be protective of both those who are inside it and outside it and a border could direct someone to a gate. A gate to some is seen as a negative, but to others it is seen as a positive. I think a gate can be very welcoming, and so can a door with a knocker and a doorbell. But I think someone breaking down a door to impose themselves is a negative (unless it's something like a medical emergency and the person can't get to the door.) Our houses we live in would not exist if we didn't first make a line somewhere. We would be just sleeping on the ground in an open field. And I'm not saying this to say, oh I'm so great, look at me, I'm better than you. I'm just saying my perspective as a person just right of center in politics, and just right of center on the left brain/right brain tests might also have a gift to offer out of the love in my heart so that everybody no matter where you fall can know where I'm coming from and that I'm not trying to purposely hurt anyone.

Also, for instance, I feel closer with Pope Benedict than Pope Francis and so when I don't understand what Pope Francis is saying because he seems sometimes like a Picasso painting to me (or maybe that is what the media is doing to him as the information is being filtered through it and that may not actually be his true personality but what the media wants him to be.) When I feel confused, I will go read it from the view of our previous Pope Benedict because he seems to be on my same wavelength I guess. Not saying one is better than the other, but one makes me have to stretch my mind very far to try and hear where he is coming from or to get to the truth of what he actually said, while the other felt simple to understand and seemed very straight forward to me. Often I have to shift through so much half truths and media bias' to actually find the truth of what Pope Francis actually said in it's fullness. ButI don't want to shut out Frances because I have a preference for the personality of Benedict. Does that make any sense? But when I go back and read the things Pope Benedict said I can find them in full books and can read from the front to the back and get it all in a context with a beginning and and end with a conclusion at the end.

And John Paul II to me seemed like the Prince Charming coming to rescue the sleeping beauty with a pure chaste kiss on the forehead and he was so encouraging to me as an artist and was the motivation behind a lot of my persevering in working on my art. I was sad when he passed away, and at first I was a little afraid of Benedict because he looked so stern until I actually read his writings and felt they were clear as a bell. So, this is why often I like to quote Benedict.

Do you see sheep herding as a positive or a negative? Do you like Jesus' parable of the sheep and the fence and the gate or do you not like it? I don't think the parable is meant to belittle people like when people call each other 'sheeple'. He means it in a loving way, all like sheep have gone astray, but he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. And all who go through Him will go in and out and find pasture. And He cares so much for each sheep that he will even leave the 99 and go look for the one sheep that was lost and bring it back into the fold. This video of sheep herding is very relaxing for me to watch. It has some nice peaceful music. Maybe we could let that parable in to form us a little bit and understand it's not meant to be belittling but uplifting and encouraging.

"If you love me, feed my sheep" ~ Jesus