Washing Machines, Slavery, & Our Future

1) Our washing machine broke this week and for a while it looked like there was little chance it would be fixed any time soon.  I briefly considered a nearly suicidal attempt to hand wash the clothes (yes, for all nine of us – like I said – it was a brief thought) but then I considered how hard and time consuming that would be, so I then imagined having the kids clean their own clothes.  Without using too much imagination, I soon realized how hard that would be on the clothes, the floor, and my psyche… In the end I sent the older boys off to a laundry mat.  The Sears customer service lady has since taken pity on me and arranged it so we should have working washer – soon.

2) I spoke to a friend of mine, Jeff Gardner, who manages The Picture Christians Projecthttp://www.picturechristians.org/ this week and he told me about his recent trip to the Middle East and his interviews with the refugees fleeing from ISIS and their offshoots.  The horrific situation with women and girls being sold into slavery is staggering.  There are a lot of people who desperately need our prayers and support. Suddenly, I felt utterly ridiculous spending any amount of mental and emotional energy on a washing machine.

3) I read and reviewed a book for Catholic Fiction.net http://catholicfiction.net/ named Children of the Good and I was impressed with the depth of background Mr. Whelan developed for his futuristic Christian fiction novel. There were some significantly plausible events in this story. Not all good events, but certainly something to make us think about the future we are creating for ourselves…

4) Schooling takes up most of my day and a great deal of my brain reserves so I am doing very little writing these days.  I write some short stories here and there and I am still editing books I have written, but I figure that my most creative powers must go to serving my kids in school.  When I think about the fact that I am teaching young minds to read, write, comprehend some measure of the arithmetic world, observe scientific reality, learn history, and even, as a priority, to think clearly – then as an artist I have not lost anything.  For if art is truly a vehicle to communicate truth – then education should also be considered a high art form. Notice I said truth – not a personal or cultural propaganda scheme…

5) Speaking of art, I am enjoying the artistry involved in the changing seasons. This autumn is gorgeous. God is the ideal artist.  He doesn’t demand an audience and you don’t need a degree to understand His work.

6) I joined Catholic365 http://catholic365.com/ as a columnist this week and I have been very impressed with their site.  I do not know how much I will be able to add to what they already have to offer, but I think it is wonderful that they offer another vehicle for Catholics to express their faith, through their lives and loves.  If you are looking for a way to revive your faith and rekindle your spirits  - check it out.

7) I also have joined Catholic Mom http://catholicmom.com/ which specifically spotlights mothers and the joys of parenting and family life.  Again, a wonderful way to revive your spirits in a world that seems bent on beating down the deepest joys of life.

Please, keep praying for our sisters and brothers who are suffering so much…