GPS (Case of the Missing Jesus)

This Year's Christmas offering is a song I first conceived about six years ago but finally can deliver to the world. A story about baby Jesus being stolen from a town Nativity inspired it. I kept with my original vision of a folk style song with Southern Gospel harmonies. It's available for download as a single at CD Baby or as part of my Christmas album "Kresh" at Noisetrade.

Mary and Joseph and shepherds
in a stable with cows and sheep near
while a baby lays in the straw
He's the fourth one we put out this year
Some vandal keeps stealing our Jesus
from the manger in our city square
to keep our Navidad feliz
our chief of police
vowed to solve the caper this year

We put a GPS in our baby Jesus
for the next time they steal Him in the night
the Wise Men followed a star to find Him
but we'll have three satellites

Just after one in the morning
the burgler appeared in the park
we watched on the security camera
to see who was lurking in the dark
the thief who was dressed up like Santa
threw baby Jesus on a sled
to keep our Noel joyeux
our officers pursued
the beacon in the baby's head

We put a GPS in our baby Jesus
for the next time they steal Him in the night
the Wise Men followed a star to find Him
but we'll have three satellites

The blip on the screen stopped moving
our SWAT team converged on the spot
they found a stash of Jesuses (or Jesi?)
in a van behind the old Dairy mart
But we never caught the perpetrator
though we solved the mysterious theft
we kept out Natale buon
though the suspect is gone
baby Jesus is back in the creche

We put a GPS in our baby Jesus
now everything is alright
the Wise Men followed a star to find Him
but we'll have three satellites
We put a GPS in our baby Jesus
Merry Christmas to all and goodnight

© 2014 David Samuel Thomas

Baptism in the Holy Spirit Video

This is an awesome video that explains the history of the Charismatic gifts in the Catholic Church and specifically the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. With Pentecost coming up, I recommend it to all who want a deeper relationship with Jesus and empowerment for holiness and service.

Sweet Sacred Heart -- New Recording

It seems like every Lent and Advent I record some new songs. This year is no exception. Here is a free download from Soundcloud of "Sweet Sacred Heart". The lyrics are from a hymn by A.E. Tozer with original music and prayers from the Litany of the Sacred Heart.



When all the day of toil is done
and twilight spreads her purple wing
when starry vigils have begun
before the Eucharistic King

In light or darkness, life and death
In time and in Eternity
Devoted heart with trusting faith
we consecrate our all to Thee

In joy or grief, in hope or fear
In sin, in suffering and distress
behold a refuge ever near
to heal, to comfort and to bless

In light or darkness, life and death
In time and in Eternity
Devoted heart with trusting faith
we consecrate our all to Thee

When softly dawns the golden light
and shadows melt oer land and sea
O sweet and sacred heart of Christ
We consecrate our souls to Thee

In light or darkness, life and death
In time and in Eternity

Before Thine altar's holy throne
Where we now humbly kneel and pray
we bring to Thee, to thee alone
the offering of the newborn day

In light or darkness, life and death
In time and in Eternity
Devoted heart with trusting faith
we consecrate our all to Thee

Building a Prayer Chapel

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet..." (Matthew 6:6)

Throughout history people set aside sacred space in the home for prayer. This can be found in all the great religions. Growing up Protestant we would pray at the dinner table or the side of the bed, but the attitude was that you can pray anywhere so why build a specific place. 

My interest in sacred space began when I became Eastern Orthodox. I ran out an bought some icons of Christ and the Theotokos, then our patron saints. Later I entered Communion with Rome and married a sweet Catholic girl so we added some statues to our prayer corner. We gather there for prayer at least every night and other times too.

We moved into a rental that didn't have a good corner to put our chapel in. The solution was to get a bi-fold closet door at the Habitat Restore for $5. 

One side was against a wall and the other side was by the front door. The great part about this is that I was able to mount a shelf and coat hooks on the back side.

I added hooks to the side for Rosaries and chaplets. The small decorative shelf made a nice place for candles, Holy Water, and other "prayer-a-phenalia".

The arched frame and shelf for the Divine Mercy image I found at a rummage sale. It has a nice shelf on it for candles. Originally it was a mirror. Some black paint made it coordinate with the cross and shelf.

A rounded corner shelf made a nice table when I put a table cloth on it. This gives extra storage underneath for books and seasonal items for Lent, Pascha, Advent, and Nativity.

When it came time to move I searched for ideas for the new chapel, saving them to a Pinterest board. Since this was another rental I wanted to prevent putting a million holes in the wall, so the bi-fold doors could be used again. Unfortunately a smoke detector meant that I needed doors that were smaller and narrower. On my trip to the Habitat Restore I found a roll of wallpaper that would work perfectly.

I scored some glass corner shelves at the Flea Market that could hold the wait of a statue when mounted using hollow wall anchors. Again I used the corner shelf and table cloth.

Here are some more pics of this chapel:

Top of the chapel

Middle of chapel

Bottom of chapel

Though I had ideas on what I wanted to do, part of the design and development occurred through prayer and asking God what He wanted the chapel to look like. I also asked the Blessed Virgin Mary to assist me. I truly think they directed me. When I finished building it my 11 month-old son came out of his room, looked at it, and knealt down for several minutes. I guess he approved.