...These are a few of my favorite things...

Since I've started reading my Bible, I've been reminded of a lot of things! One that I was happy to remember was my favorite artist: Michelangelo. It probably seems cliche, and maybe a lot of people like him because he's so well known...or maybe because he's one of the artists one of the Ninja Turtles was named after...hm... Anyway, of all the art I've looked at in my life, his is my favorite. Mostly his sculptures. I think he had a way of bringing warmth to a chunk of marble. His statues almost look real. But there's another reason why I like him. He combined two of my favorite things: Art and Bible stories. The picture above is of his statue "Moses". I've just finished reading about Moses and am starting in on Joshua's turn as leader. It seems strange to some people, I suppose, but I'm really enjoying reading my Bible! My favorite books aren't up for a while yet (Psalms & Proverbs) but I'm finding a lot of interesting things along the way! I never really realized how bloody the book of Joshua is! Yikes! Unfortunately, I still have a hard time getting through Leviticus and Numbers. So much detail. I know it was important and it was necessary to repeat yourself back then because they didn't have paper as readily available as we do, or palm pilots or Blackberry's...But it is a struggle for me! The reading for the 8th will bring me through Joshua, Judges, Ruth and a little bit of I Samuel! So we're getting into the really good stories now!

Today I'm thankful for getting a reminder of why I love my husband! (Yeah, I know, gag.) We usually watch the same programs every day, but the last couple of days I've decided to put a movie on in the afternoon. Yesterday was "The Quick and the Dead". Today was "Jaws". I thought my husband wasn't paying attention since he was over at the desk playing on the computer. But once Jaws' theme music started, my husband all of a sudden says: "You're gonna need a bigger boat." HA! I was getting lunch for the kids and instead of turning off the movie and putting on sports like he usually does, he sat down and we finished watching it together! Strange how after you have kids, the things that make you happy change! Maybe even seem trivial to other people. But simply being able to sit down together and watch a movie, well...that's the good life! :) And as an added bonus, every time Tyson came out to the living room he'd look at the TV and say *gasp* "Oh no! The shark's teeth!" (He said this no matter what was on the screen!) haha!

I'll leave you with another of my favorite sculptures of Michelangelo's. The Pieta. It's one thing to read about Jesus' death. It's another to have to look at it through the eyes of Mary. And now, being a mom....well...there's no way to describe it to anyone. But I think Michelangelo did a good job of getting the sorrow of a Mother right on this one...Also, there's a good story that goes with it. Apparently someone had said it was the work of another artist, so in his anger, he carved "Michelangelo Buonarroti, Florentine, made it" onto Mary's sash! He later regretted doing that and swore never to sign another work of his. One of my art teachers had been able to see this statue in person. He said you used to be able to go right up to the statue and touch it. But when he was there, they had it roped off. Someone had taken a hammer to either Mary's foot or Jesus', I can't remember which one...They suppose it was for a keepsake and not for malice, but who knows?!