Author Archives: laurieetta

April 13

The Road of Disappointment

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A few days after Jesus has risen, we hear the story of two of Jesus’ followers walking down the road to a town called Emmaus, dejected by the events of the past few days. Along the way they are joined by Jesus, but they do not recognize him. They convince Jesus to stay with them […]

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March 28

Whose Agenda?

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“The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”The words of Judas found in Mark 14:44 This dramatic scene depicts the moment Jesus is arrested; the immediate chaos caused by Judas’ kiss that identified him as the Son of God to the soldiers. The seven figures in the painting […]

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March 18

Facing Our Burdens

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The artist of this grand painting, Sebastiano del Piombo, was among good company in Italy. His teachers and mentors were Michelangelo and Raphael, even though these two never got along. Following Raphael’s death in 1520, historian Giorgio Vasari stated that “first place in the art of painting was unanimously granted by all, thanks to the […]

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March 06

The Battle is Real

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Way back when, around 600 AD, a monk named John Climacus wrote a treatise called The Ladder of Divine Ascent. It is considered an important work for the Russian Orthodox Church and St. John wrote it as a way to represent the monastic path in simple, understandable language. It became an essential book for monks […]

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February 24

Wonderfully Imperfect

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A little bit of history. Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945, and again from 1951 to 1955. For his 80th birthday in 1954 he received a present—a portrait of himself, commissioned by members of the House of Commons and House of Lords. The painter’s name was […]

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February 17

What Condition My Condition Is In

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This rather dramatic painting is by Italian Baroque painter Domenico Fetti. He worked in Mantua, Italy, until he had a feud with some prominent people in town which led him to move to Venice. I wonder if this feud fueled the desire to paint this scene from Matthew 7, where Jesus tells us: “Do not […]

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February 09

Struggling with Doubt

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I find this portrait of Mother Teresa beautiful and captivating with an explosion of bright colors framing a loving and nurturing pose. The artist, Patricia Bellerose, stated, “I was very happy to be asked to paint this portrait of Mother Teresa caring for poor people all around the world. As I researched her life, I […]

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January 19

The Ragpicker

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This painting is considered an icon of 19th century collections. It was painted by Édouard Manet around 1870 and is titled The Ragpicker. One who gazes upon this canvas may be awestruck by its imposing size of more than 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. Parisian viewers would have been familiar with the ragpickers […]

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January 13

The Isolation of Hell

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Let me first apologize if this painting is offensive. Art isn’t always beautiful and this particular piece is both eye-catching and disturbing at the same time. You must agree that the depiction of the human anatomy is astonishing. The strain of the muscles is visceral. The agony of the men writhing in pain as they […]

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December 30

Check out my new book: “Who Told You That?”

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Hello readers! I invite you to check out my new book hot off the press. Go here (https://laurieetta.com/lauries-new-book/) to learn more about it and to place your order. I appreciate you and thank you for taking the time to read my blog. May you be blessed!

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