ADORA Y CONFÍA

No te inquietes por las dificultades de la vida
por sus altibajos, por sus decepciones,
por su povenir más o menos sombrío.
Quiere lo que Dios quiere.
Ofrécele, en medio de inquietudes y dificultades,
El sacrificio de tu alma sencilla que, pese a todo,
acepta los designios de su providencia.
Poco importa que te consideres un frustrado
si Dios te considera plenamente realizado:
a su gusto.
Piérdete confiado ciegamente en ese Dios
que te quiere para sí,
y que llegará hasta ti, aunque jamás lo veas.
Piensa que estás en sus manos,
tanto más fuertemente tomado
cuanto más decaído y triste te encuentres.
Vive feliz. Te lo suplico.
Vive en paz.
Que nadie te altere.
Que nadie sea capaz de quitarte tu paz.
Ni la fatiga psíquica. Ni tus fallos morales.
Haz que brote, y conserva siempre sobre tu rostro
una dulce sonrisa, reflejo de la que el Señor
continuamente te dirije.
Y en el fondo de tu alma coloca, antes que nada,
como fuente de energía y criterio de verdad
todo aquello que te llene de la paz de Dios.
Recuerda: cuanto te oprima e inquiete es falso.
Te lo aseguro en nombre de las leyes de la vida
y de las promesas de Dios.
Por eso, cuando te sientas apesadumbrado, triste.
ADORA Y CONFÍA…”

iglesia.org

Carole Marini…Is She A Sex Machine?

photo by Alan Mercer

You see her every Monday and Tuesday night on ‘Dancing With The Stars.’ She sits on the front row and always joins in the standing ovation for her husband Gilles, after he finishes dancing with partner Cheryl Burke. Carole Marini is a dark haired French beauty, as you can see in the photos, with a seductive accent, that you will have to take my word for. She is a devoted mother and a supportive wife helping her husband of eleven years live his dreams. She is also charming, soulful, and funny, with a warm, genuine smile.
I was inspired to talk to her after I posted the interview and photos of Gilles during the first week of the show. I noticed how many people were interested in knowing more about Gilles and his personal life, thanks to Google. I also thought Carole would have a unique perspective on sudden fame since her life has dramatically changed over the course of the past few weeks.


AM: How would you say your life has changed the most in the last six weeks?

CM: Oh Wow…..

At this point Gilles steps in and says, ‘more sex!’

CM: Don’t put that in because he has been saying that everywhere and now it’s all over the internet.

Gilles then says, ‘well, is it not true?’

CM: Yes it’s true, but I don’t want People magazine to say that.

Gilles: You don’t want them to say you are a sex machine?

CM: Exactly, I don’t want that!

AM: Obviously life has gotten a lot busier.

CM: I would say crazy. Crazy good. Busy is good. In a little bit of time a lot has changed. Now we have people looking at us when we walk in the street. People just put a lot of attention on us. If I went with my boy somewhere before, nobody would pay any attention and now it’s, ‘Oh my God!’ Now Gilles is never home because he is rehearsing so much! He used to be home all the time for his kids. For the kids it has changed the most because they never have Daddy around, but it’s for the better.

AM: Have you learned any of the dances?

CM: Not at all.

AM: Will you learn them after he is finished?

CM: I don’t know if he will want to teach me. I would love too but he will probably be very busy.

AM: Do you have time to go out to dinner?

CM: We go out to dinner and get recognized all the time now.

AM: Has Gilles had any offers for after the show? Is he going to do the tour?

CM: There is no tour this year which is better for Gilles as he does have many offers coming in now. For now he is really caught up in what he is doing so he can’t do anything else.

AM: When does the show end?

CM: May 19 if he makes it to the end.

AM: He’s going to make it.

CM: I hope so but you know what? I will never say for sure because I would never plan on that. We take it week by week. I know he is good, not just because he is my husband, I know he is very good. Every week I am scared because you never know what will happen on the show. People can think he is safe and then not vote and then he is gone. It’s always scary because they create the drama.

AM: A lot of times we hear rumors about a love affair between the dance partners.

CM: There is always talk on line to say these things. I’m past all of this. Sometimes I read it just to see what’s going on. I know they think a lot of things but I don’t care.

AM: Do you read some of the things people write about Gilles?

CM: I do.

AM: Some of it is so stupid.

CM: Every person has there own way to think. I’m not going to complain or say anything about the way people think. People love all the contestants on the show and I respect that. Sometimes I have to admit that they are saying things about Gilles that are just not true. It’s not fair because he is working hard. He doesn’t see his kids and people try to put him down to make other contestants win. That’s mean but I don’t care about that either because I know who he really is so it doesn’t matter.

AM: Do you have any special plans if he wins?

CM: I am going to a spa without Gilles! (Laughing)

At this point Gilles brings out a bottle of Champagne and says, ‘This is for that night.’

CM: Unfortunately if he wins he will have to get on a private jet and go to New York. So we will not be here to celebrate.

AM: Will you go to NY too?

CM: I’m not sure because of the kids. This is something you can’t plan for. We are going to France to see our families and have some time in Monte Carlo. I’m sure we are going to enjoy it.

AM: Where would you like to be in say two years?

CM: In this business the big fear is to keep the family together. We are very down to earth and strong in that way. We are also very close. You never know what can happen and that’s the scary part. You have to open your eyes and know that in this business not many people stay together. Two years from now I am sure we will be together. I’m hoping for him to have his dream finally come true because that is why we came here ten years ago. He wants to be an actor and pretend because he plays like that with his kids all day long. I hope he will be where he really wants to be. That’s my goal for him.

AM: Do you think you will have more children?

CM: I had my first child at twenty years old and I am now thirty-two. I have two kids so most of the time when you have your kids very young you start enjoying your life around forty-five or you have your kids later and enjoy your life before. I have really been enjoying my life and the time with my kids. If we decide to have another child in a couple of years we may adopt. Perhaps a child who is four or five years old. We have had two kids already. I love a baby but it’s a lot of work.

AM: Do you get any help with the kids?

CM: I have never used a baby sitter for my kids. I am always here for my kids. I have a friend who takes care of them on Monday and Tuesday now and I thank her for that. I am scared to leave my kids with someone. I don’t have any family here. If there is no one to help then I say to Gilles just go alone. I will not leave my kids with a stranger.

AM: Can you tell me about meeting Gilles for the first time and what you thought?

CM: I met him in a club in France and there were like eight other women around him. I thought what a handsome man. We were there for a mutual friend’s birthday. I saw Gilles and we started talking. I said to myself, ‘this guy is beautiful’ and I know every girl was thinking the same thing. I got the lucky number.

AM: Did he pursue you?

CM: He asked for my number and then he never called me. A few days later I saw him in front of a café and I went to him and said, ‘Why do you ask a woman for her phone number and then never call? Don’t ask for the number.’ He showed me his phone and said, ‘Look I have no ones number in my phone.’ He had accidentally erased all the numbers in his phone. He then begged me to give him my number again and he looked happy to see me so I gave him my number and said. ‘This is the last time I will give it to you. The next time if I see you and you haven’t called then too bad for you.’ He called me the same night. He was pretending to be somebody else to see how I would react.

AM: So a romance blossomed from this?

CM: We started seeing each other every day. I got pregnant pretty fast. He wanted to be a Dad very young. I was in shock. My Mom told me that no matter what she never regretted having me so it would be alright. I also thought well at least my kids will be beautiful!

photos by Alan Mercer

Jason Dottley Wants Us to Dance

photo by Alan Mercer

Most of us know Jason Dottley from playing Ty in Del Shores “Sordid Lives, The Series.” He is about to gain a whole new fan base with his music, a dance single titled ‘Hit Play’ that is getting the attention it deserves. I had a really quick photo session with Jason on a recent Monday morning. We took the shots at Newell and Rosemary Alexander’s home. We got in we got out. Jason’s mind was going a mile a minute with countless responsibilities he had to take care of…..talk about multi-tasking, always risky with photo shoots, but Jason pulled it off with panache. I loved working with him and while the hair iron was warming up he talked to me about his identity as an artist.

AM: How did you get involved with recording a dance song?

JD: I’ve always wanted to perform as a recording artist. I grew up idolizing Madonna and that got me started. She was the first ‘gay man’ I related to.

AM: Have you been recording for a while now?

JD: I have had a few dance singles recorded by producers who weren’t right for me. I’m vocally limited. If the producer knows how to work with me I can sound great. So I finally teamed up with the right producer (Joe Hoag) and ironically he has won several Dove Awards for Christian music.

AM: When have you recorded in the past?

JD: I recorded two songs when I first moved to Los Angeles. The second single got me some meetings with dance labels but I was only 19 and as green as green can get. The material might have been good but they were telling me I wasn’t ready. At any rate, during every hiatus I’ve ever had, I would end up in my garage with my laptop in Garage Band writing songs just for myself.

AM: What is your writing process like?

JD: I start by laying a beat down and then I write a melody or I write a lot of poetry so I will start there. This spring when I realized there was going to be time I started writing six or seven songs literally singing into the lap top built in microphone. You can only imagine the quality of this. None the less I felt like the songs were good. I sent them to several producers and then my friend Debby Holliday who’s had 5 or 6 top twenty dance hits told me Joe Hoag would be perfect for me. We clicked and started working together.

AM: Did you have success with Joe Hoag?

JD: It was very experimental at first, and we had various results. We finally had a product that my publicist leaked on MySpace and I did not get any negative feedback. You know how we love to be negative. I’m guilty of it, but I got no negative feedback so I thought, ‘Wow people are digging it.’ There is positive feedback.

AM: What was your next step?

JD: I decided to do a surprise performance at the Rose Room in Dallas this past March, which is my home away from home. I did not want any publicity. I just wanted to perform my song and do my ‘naughty’ routine.

AM: What was that like?

JD: The crowd loved it! They went crazy. I had two women throw themselves on my runway. One woman pulled her top off and screamed, ‘I love you!’ She completely threw off my choreography. The response was so intense and overwhelming that it threw me. The very next weekend I was booked in Nashville where I was told I couldn’t do anything except sing. I couldn’t even touch myself.

AM: Did they love you in Nashville?

JD: The response there was phenomenal. With every step it appears like the single could be successful so I have had to take new steps like hiring a promoter. It was not an easy sell for me. My promoter represents an A list clientele (Celine Dion, Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Pet Shop Boys) so he can’t water down his talent pool.

AM: Was he enthusiastic?

JD: It took two weeks before I got a yes from him. I’m just about guaranteed to chart in Billboard. My song has been getting played in Berlin. I have requests to have the song in other European countries. DJ’s are emailing me for the song.

AM: How did you know what to do to get the song played?

JD: I’m doing this the way I heard about from Lady GaGa. She basically toured the country playing any bar for free when she started promoting ‘Just Dance’ so by the time the song got heat behind it people knew who she was. It’s really hard to get any song and artist you don’t know played. I am using this as my template for the pre-promotional push. Once the song is actually serviced by the promoter to all the DJs around the world with all the re-mixes I will stop working for free.

AM: Sounds like you are really enjoying yourself.

JD: It’s been a blast. One of the most fun experiences of my life so far.

AM: Do you consider yourself a singer who acts or an actor who sings?

JD: First and foremost I do not consider myself a singer at all. I think you should be able to sit down with a piano or a guitar and sing. I don’t do that. I think I am enjoying this more than I am enjoying acting, but it could be a result of not working on any acting jobs recently. Is it that I just love working? So I am having to figure out, do I just love being in front of people performing whether it is on film or stage or do I enjoy singing more. I have more control in the singing. I started my own record label. I know that I love performing. Once I am acting and singing simultaneously I will be able to answer that question more accurately. Right now I do not know. I am confused in a good way.

photos by Alan Mercer

Learn more about Jason at his MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/southernbaptistsissies

Solo dentro de la Iglesia se puede comprender la Biblia como Palabra de Dios, dice el Papa

«Solo el contexto eclesial permite a la Sagrada Escritura ser comprendida como auténtica palabra de Dios que se hace guía, norma y regla para la vida de la Iglesia y el crecimiento espiritual de los creyentes». Con estas palabras, el Papa Benedicto XVI recibió esta mañana a 30 representantes de la Pontificia Comisión Bíblica que acaban de celebrar su asamblea plenaria.


El Pontífice se refirió al tema de la reunión, «La inspiración y la verdad en la Biblia», y destacó su relevancia porque «atañe no solamente al creyente sino a toda la Iglesia, ya que la vida y la misión de la Iglesia se fundamentan en la Palabra de Dios que es alma de la teología y, al mismo tiempo, fuente de inspiración de toda la existencia cristiana. Además, la interpretación de las Sagradas Escrituras es de importancia capital para la fe cristiana y para la vida de la Iglesia».

Según el Pontífice, «el estudio científico de los textos sagrados no es suficiente de por sí. Para respetar la coherencia de la fe de la Iglesia el exégeta católico debe estar atento a percibir la Palabra de Dios en estos textos, en el interior de la misma fe de la Iglesia».

«La interpretación de las Sagradas Escrituras no puede ser solamente un esfuerzo científico individual: debe siempre confrontarse, insertarse y autentificarse merced a la tradición viva de la Iglesia. Esta norma es decisiva para precisar la relación correcta y recíproca entre la exégesis y el magisterio de la Iglesia», explicó.

El Papa señaló que «el exégeta católico no nutre la ilusión individualista de que, fuera de la comunidad de los creyentes se comprendan mejor los textos bíblicos. En cambio, es verdadero lo contrario, ya que esos textos no se dieron a los investigadores para satisfacer su curiosidad o facilitarles argumentos de estudio e investigación. Los textos inspirados por Dios fueron confiados a la comunidad de creyentes, a la Iglesia de Cristo, para alimentar la fe y guiar la vida de caridad».

«La Sagrada Escritura -dijo el Papa citando la constitución dogmática Dei Verbum del Concilio Vaticano II- es la palabra de Dios, en cuanto escrita por inspiración del Espíritu Santo. La Tradición recibe la Palabra de Dios, encomendada por Cristo y el Espíritu Santo a los Apóstoles y la transmite íntegra a los sucesores para que ellos, iluminados por el Espíritu de la verdad, la conserven, la expongan y la difundan fielmente en su predicación».

El Papa recordó que el Concilio Vaticano II indica «tres criterios siempre válidos para una interpretación de la Sagrada Escritura conforme al Espíritu que la inspiró. En primer lugar, es necesario prestar gran atención al contenido y a la unidad de toda la Escritura ya que, por muy diferentes que sean los libros que la forman, la Sagrada Escritura es una, debido a la unidad del plan de Dios del que Jesucristo es el centro y el corazón».

En segundo lugar, «hay que leer la Escritura en el contexto de la tradición viva de toda la Iglesia. Efectivamente, la Iglesia lleva en su Tradición la memoria viva de la Palabra de Dios y es el Espíritu Santo quien brinda a la Iglesia la interpretación según el sentido espiritual».

El tercer criterio es «prestar atención a la analogía de la fe, es decir a la cohesión de las singulares verdades de fe entre sí y con el plan general de la Revelación y la plenitud de la divina economía que encierra».

iglesia.org

No juzgueis y no sereis juzgados.Artículo personal

Lucas 6:37: No juzgueis y no sereis juzgados.



(tarda un poco en aparecer el video)

Lo vi el otro dia en la tele, se trata de Susan Boyle, en el video se ve claramente como los jueces y el publico antes de oirla cantar se rie y pone cara como diciendo "pero que hace esta señora aqui" pero cuando la oyen cantar la cosa cambia.

Coming Up Soon A ROCK and ROLL LEGEND

There is nothing like a legendary figure to give your day a lift! Newly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and one time paramour of Elvis Presley, Miss Wanda Jackson graced my life with her presence. I’ll have the photos and interview posted in a couple of weeks.
In the mean time go to You Tube and check out all her videos. There are many live concert videos from the last couple of years where you can see how the dynamic Miss Jackson is still hot as a pistol.
Watch some interview clips from the Smithsonian Channel biography while you are there.
Enjoy this video from 1958 now.

Gilles Marini is proving to be very popular and lots of people are interested in more of his life. Luckily I photographed his beautiful wife Carole so I asked her how they are handling the change in their life. Those photos and interview will be posted on Monday.

This time of the year is a perfect time to hang out in Julie Newmar’s garden and so we did. Wait until you read my conversation with this fascinating icon and there are new photos too!!!

Actor/Singer Jason Dottley (Sordid Lives, The Series) has a dance single ‘Hit Play’ coming out soon. He needed some ‘Pop Star Shots’ so he came to me. We talked about his experience so far.

Alan Mercer and Wanda Jackson

Indulgencias.Artículo personal.

Hoy voy a hablar resumidamente de las indulgencias explicandolas claramente para que se entiendan bien.

¿Que son las indulgencias?
La remisión ante Dios de la pena temporal correspondiente a pecados que han sido perdonados.
Esto quiere decir que el alma, es por decirlo asi como una madera, que esta limpia, pero si le clavas un clavo (un pecado) se le hace un agujero y cuando le sacas el clavo (confesion) ya no esta el clavo pero esta el agujero que seria como el agujero en el alma por el pecado.
¿Para que sirven?
Para que ese "agujero" se limpie y el alma quede como nueva.
Si con la confesion se limpian los pecados ¿para que las indulgencias?
Con la confesion se te quita la culpa del pecado (los pecados) y la pena eterna, pero la pena temporal permance.
¿Cuantos tipos de indulgencias hay?
Dos, la indulgencias plenaria y parcial.
¿Que diferencia hay entre cada una?
La indulgencia plenaria te quita la pena temporal completamente y la indulgencia parcial te quita parte de la pena temporal.
¿Como se puede ganar la indulgencia plenaria?
Lo primero de todo se necesitan algunas condiciones generales que son:
1.Estar bautizado.
2.Estar en la gracia de Dios.
3.No estar excomulgado.
4.Tener intencion de ganar la indulgencia.

Y se necesitan cuatro requisitos que son:
1.Acudir al sacramento de la confesion.
2.Comulgar.
3.Rezar por las intenciones del papa.
4.No tener ningun afecto hacia ningun pecado ni si quiera venial.

Dias antes de ganar una indulgencia se pueden hacer los requisitos, pero es recomendable que se comulgue y se rece por las intenciones del papa el mismo dia.

Algunas obras para ganar indulgencia plenaria:
1.Media hora de adoracion al Santisimo Sacramento.
2.Tres dias de retiro espiritual.
3.Rezo piadoso del Via Crucis recorriendo las 14 estaciones y meditando la pasion y muerte del Señor.
4.Rezo del Rosario (En una iglesia, en familia o en grupo)
5.Lectura espiritual de La Biblia al menos media hora.
6.Hacer la primera comunion o asistir a ella recibiendo la Eucaristia.
7.Visitar la iglesia en el dia de la fiesta titular.
Hay mas obras que podeis buscar, por ejemplo este año (y creo que todos) en Semana Santa hay determinadas obras que se pueden hacer para ganar indulgencia plenaria, una de ellas es asistir a la Vigilia Pascual y renovar las promesas del Bautismo.

La indulgencia parcial se gana si se hace una obra para ganar indulgencia plenaria pero falta algun requisito.

Y ya por ultimo, decir que las indulgencias plenarias se pueden ganar solo una vez al dia mientras que las parciales no tienen ningun limite diario.