Help Allison Gingras Reach Her Goal!

Allison Gingras, CWG Member

I wanted to share this important message from Allison Gingras.  If your devotions are anything like mine...I think a devotional App idea like this sounds great.  I hope my readers will lend a hand in helping her reach her goal.  What a cool idea!  





Hello Fellow Catholic Writer’s Guild member,
My name is Allison Gingras.   I’ll make this very brief.  I have created a Catholic Daily Devotional App – taking my writing to a whole new venue.  I’m so blessed to have Little i Apps providing the development –with a projected Nov. 1st roll out date. 

To learn more about me - please visit:  www.reconciledtoyou.com or read my bi-weekly TechTalk column on www.Catholicmom.com   (mine is the 3rd face from the left on the top row) .  The project can be found at www.gofundme.com/reconciledtoyou.

Thank you in advance for your consideration in helping a fellow Catholic writer to serve God!!
God’s Many Blessings,

Allison Gingras

Encountering Christ Through Discipleship

This little piece may be featured for a Catholic Writers' Guild endeavor, but I thought I'd share it first with my readers.

Raised as a Protestant in the Nazarene denomination, I recall hearing the term discipleship bandied about quite a bit, but I think the true meaning eluded me until we were called home to the Catholic Church.  For me at least, the experience of joining the Catholic Church in 2005 was evocative (in a small way) of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s words from The Cost of Discipleship.  “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”  The follower of Christ must hold nothing back for himself in his wholehearted embrace of God’s will for his life.  This means not necessarily depending upon the support of family and friends, but unwaveringly taking the path to which we have been directed.

Too often discipleship seems nothing more than a vague and nebulous idea rather than a relationship hinging directly upon the mysterious person of Christ.  There was a popular spiritual book a few years ago called The Shack.  It's message purported to free the reader from those unpleasant obligations associated with Christianity.  It embraced a faith free from organized religion, and claimed to offer in its place a relationship with no strings attached.  I call this a lie clothed in a truth.   Yes, the relationship part is critical if we are to successfully live our lives for Christ from Sunday through Sunday: every day for Him.  It’s important to also bear in mind, though, that every relationship has its own associated expectations and boundaries.  John 14:15 reminds us that if we love him “we should desire to also keep his commandments.”  It is through these commandments that we are set free to live for Christ, and become the people we were intended to be.  

 In a similar vein, I suggest that community is another critical component of discipleship.  We’re not “going this alone,” after all.  How we behave towards and treat others is so critical in our spiritual walk.  We need to learn that it’s not about us.  As C.S. Lewis put it so eloquently in the Weight of Glory.

 ...it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.  Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

When my grandmother lay dying in her hospital room overlooking the colors of fall in the Yakima Valley some years ago, I remember talking to my grandfather (now also gone home to be with the Lord) about the death of self.  My grandparents were a powerful model of this kind of life lived for Christ.  Just as my grandfather crafted beautiful and solid things from wood, his words, actions, and sacrifices were a meaningful cooperation with Christ in building lives for Him.  This concept of death to self has always been close to my heart.  

Like everyone, it’s a struggle to put our own desires and hopes on that cross at times, letting things go, but it’s through the act of offering these daily struggles up that we infuse our lives with a deeper spiritual meaning and depth beyond our petty selves.  If we follow Christ and die to ourselves, surrendering everything to Him, we are on the true road to discipleship.

Erickson's Crazy Art Sale!

Cover art from "Tristan's Travels"

With a new school year lying just around the corner, we decided it was a good time to...sell some art!  Hope you can check out the action on Ebay!

(Click caption.)

Lighthearted illustration from "Toupee Mice"

*Also, let us know if you're looking for prints!

Would you like to learn more about....

Kimberly Erickson

Karl Erickson

Tristan's Travels

Toupee Mice

Reflections on Race Relations

I've talked about racial issues a few times before on my blog, but I thought today was a good time to visit the issue again.  

Had an interesting talk online today about racial relations.  I thought I'd share some of the discussion, and a few related observations.

Here's the opening commentary from an online friend of mine named Michael.  (Mike was a floor-mate of mine on 2nd Marston (South) at Seattle Pacific University in 1987/1988.)

"People are beginning to act like it will be the end of the world as we know it if Zimmerman is found innocent, as if the decision (either way) will tell them something they don't already know about anti-Black racism, as if a not-guilty verdict will somehow make them angry enough to...what? Write a Facebook post?"

Being a glutton for punishment, I decided to enter the discussion; this was probably a mistake.  

"I'm just a Norwegian/German guy who tries to do the right thing. This has gotten me in some trouble lately, but I digress... I'd only respectfully suggest that the issue of racial justice has less to do with the outcome of a particular legal battle involving one incident--the ultimate facts and details of which are arguably only known to a single living man--than how we all care and respect each other daily. Probably a sappy cliche...but I suggest it begins with our individual interactions rather than projecting larger meanings and symbolism onto court decisions of this nature. The world will continue to spin if Zimmerman is exonerated, but our participation within it will see a setback if we focus squarely upon the negative and never the positive."

Now, I realize that I'm not all that knowledgeable on liberal ways of thinking, but I thought the next post was an interesting one by a man named Rob Gross.  (I actually appreciated his cordial tone, by the way.)

"...it's not a matter of good intentions, although that's needed as well. It's a matter of systematic, structural and pervasive oppression that the majority, i.e., white people, allow to continue in the same way that most of us walk past homeless people without batting an eye. 

It's not just me a matter of me treating my (all to rare) Black friends well; it's a matter of me being moved to act as if injustice to Black folk was/is as serious to me as injustice to Jews, or people with disabilities (groups I am a member of).

My more disabled children have taught me how blind I was to "ableism," the tremendous oppression disabled people suffer at the hands of the able-bodied. It is one thing to be aware of ableism or racist; it's yet another entirely to really "get" what living as an oppressed person feels like and to act accordingly as an ally.

I try to keep on learning, and acting, about Black oppression. I use my own experience of growing up working class and experiencing systematic antisemitism to help me understand."

About this time, Michael decided to remind me that I was indeed not of African American heritage, which, of course, was just riotously original and funny (not to mention dismissive and condescending), and other comments soon followed--once I was pegged as free game.  

Now, I find it interesting that when discussing issues like this with liberals, they seem loathe to discuss the fundamentals of your argument, but they instead focus often squarely upon personal observations--as if it's easier to dismiss your thoughts and observations through personal attack than reasoned intellectual argument.  

I guess I learned my lesson: don't ever venture to discuss race relations should you happen to be white; we can, of course, have no opinions or thoughts of any objective value.  It's interesting, though...because this constant drumbeat of victimhood and anger doesn't seem reflected in the writings of Martin Luther King.

"We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies."

How about talking a little more about the good that takes place within race relations, because there's certainly a lot more good than evil evidenced around us.  In short, how about a little less anger and a little less inflammatory rhetoric?  Just my two cents for the day.

When Good Institutions Let us Down

An exciting job opportunity came to my attention recently.  When the "coveted" communication job was finally announced, I applied that same evening.  I sent all the requested information via e-mail.  As often happens these days, there was absolutely no confirmation message.  Not wanting to be a pest, I waited a week, or so, to send another e-mail.  Again, there was no response.  I waited a few more days, then called the HR department at the institution.  After I identified myself and the position about which I was inquiring, I was told that the HR director was reviewing the application materials that afternoon.  I also felt that the person with whom I was speaking seemed to know who I was.  In my mind, then, the call confirmed the application receipt.

The next week, however, I learned what I was afraid of the most: my application e-mail was never received.  Within hours, I was able to get them everything by e-mail again.  I learned the next day, however, that I was too late.  The HR person could not confirm that the director even saw my materials, and the interviews had already been scheduled.  It seemed abundantly clear that my materials came too late to be seriously considered.

I politely pointed out that the e-mail problems likely did not originate on my end, but theirs.  This approach did not meet with great success.  In fact, I had noticed e-mail issues with regards to this non-profit in the past, and I probably should have driven out to the institution to confirm that my information was received timely; my own lack of follow through contributed in a small way to this institution's poor response.  It also rasies some interesting questions.

First, I think it's important that we bear in mind that there are no perfect earthly institutions--with the possible exception of Pixar.  What I mean, then, is that we can project qualities of our own making on an institution we may only know in a superficial way.  For instance, I absolutely loved attending Seattle Pacific University as a student in the late 1980s.  Working as a security staff person there more than two decades ago, however, was not a particularly pleasant experience.  Institutions are run by imperfect people; we should try to avoid letting these kinds of experiences unduly color our larger view of the institution and the substantive good it does.

It reminds me of a childhood friend.  This guy seemed to search out instances where he felt slighted or disrespected.  He would carry these "hurts" with him for years and years.  When I became Catholic some years ago, for instance, his first question to me was couldn't I remember how cruel some of the children were to us when we attended Catholic schools.  Eventually, though, one must endeavor to forgive and let that stuff go.  Hand-in-hand with this forgiveness also comes an acknowledgment that evil can be done to us through the actions of people who still represent good and praiseworthy organizations.  We must be able to separate the perceived personal injury from the greater good performed by the institution in question.  That takes maturity, but it's possible.

Second, it's a good reminder of where we are technologically as a culture.  I work with editors and writers all the time, for example, who never respond timely to e-mails.  If you follow-up, they will often still fail to respond to you.  I've come to the conclusion that many people truly must not understand e-mail, or they are too disorganized to make appropriate use of it.  What also seems to happen many times is that small organizations without the luxury of dedicated IT staff--especially non-profits...and maybe literary agents, too--seem particularly ill-equipped to handle and coordinate their own e-mail efficiently.  What was supposed to create improved communication can lead just as easily to overflowing inboxes and sloppy spam screening. 

I think we all need to take this into account.  Without crossing the line and making a serious pest of yourself, I suggest you, as a job applicant or writer, follow up until you receive some manner of confirmation--if there's any doubt.  Whether it be a newly submitted manuscript or a complex job application, don't assume that it was received by that right person.  Take some initiative and ensure that it took the correct exit off the Information Superhighway.

If they want to avoid your follow up, they can take simple steps such as the creation of reliable internet pages dedicated to uploading materials where you easily receive a confirmation of status--like Oregon State's current job system.  Alternatively, HR departments could set their e-mails to automatically reply with a polite thank you when the application is received.  This tells you that it was indeed directed to the right individual, and you have something in-hand should problems arise later.  Until some future time when everyone is competent in using e-mail, circumstances may just require that you be a pest from time to time when it comes to safeguarding your information and avoiding lost opportunities for professional advancement.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

As I've shared in the past, I am not persuaded that Islam is the religion of peace it purports to be.  In just recent weeks, we have seen radicalized individuals decapitating a soldier on the streets of London, the Boston Marathon bombing, and worldwide persecution of Christians (and other non-Muslims) in barbaric countries such as Iran.  The Islamization of Europe is well on its way, and I suggest the West would be wise to wake up and stop cowering in fear behind political correctness.  It's time to call it what it is.

What I Learned from Samwise, My Interview with Sean Astin FREE on Kindle (May 24th-May 27th)

I am excited to announce that my latest e-book, What I Learned from Samwise, My Interview with Sean Astin is scheduled to be available for free between May 24th and May 27th.  I hope you can check it out!

You may recognize Sean Astin first as that brave hobbit, Samwise Gamgee, from Peter Jackson's motion picture The Lord of the Rings, but there is a lot more to Sean than this brilliantly played role. This is a man for whom theater runs in his blood--hard to avoid when Patty Duke is your mother!

This e-book features my wide-ranging interview of Sean Astin from 2011. The interview touches on everything from his role as Sam and spiritual reflections to his thoughts on the much loved children's book he and his wife hope to bring to the big screen soon. (Lois Lowry's Number the Stars)

It also contains a review of Sean Astin's impressive book, "There and Back Again," as well as a short essay on Sean's newest project known as #Run3rd. What does he hope to accomplish with his newest endeavor?

The e-book concludes with a variety of links which may be helpful to the reader in learning more about this great actor/director.