Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Death Panels by Michelle Buckman



 
The following is shared on behalf of Michelle Buckman, a Catholic fiction writer I have great respect for. 



      CHRISTIANS: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
      The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
                  -Edmund Burke
Evil is triumphing because good men didn’t do anything. No one would listen in 1994.
Government controlled healthcare has resulted in almost all healthcare providers being hooked into huge corporate conglomerates. Homosexual marriage is not only valid, but forcing Christians to participate through their businesses. Baby parts are being sold for big profit. Transgenderism—where is that headed? And at the root of it all, Christianity being attacked and systematically destroyed, or at the very least, stymied. Anything Christians speak against is railed at as being racism or bigotry, while every other religion is given free reign. Tolerance is only for the immoral.

The pathway to this free-for-all was visible in the ’90s for those willing to stop, look, and listen.
Back then (1996), there was a push for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). People acted like it was no big deal. Why, they asked, do we need to defend marriage? It’s been around since the beginning of time? What’s to defend?

Back then, no one was challenged for being Christian. Transgenderism was an odd mental condition that few people even pondered; the actual physical condition of people being born with more than one set of genitals so rare that it was an anomaly, and certain not something discussed in daily conversations. 

Back then, the one issue that was being discussed was abortion, legalized twenty years earlier and growing in numbers as the agenda was pushed in schools and every forum possible as being for the safety and benefit of women, to protect girls from suffering back-alley procedures and from the mental stress of raising unwanted children.

I was a young mother at the time, very attuned to the political ramifications of issues at hand and appalled that no one could see what was coming. So, I wrote a book about where we were headed: Death Panels.

Back then, the book was titled Liberty because that’s what it is about—people remembering that the value of our country lies in our extraordinary liberty, and how political agenda was bent on first restricting and then destroying the fantastic liberty on which our nation was founded because the plan to thwart the domination of Christianity was already underway.

When I wrote DeathPanels, I did my best to make everything as farfetched as possible. I wanted to shake people up enough that they would consider where the various pushes against Christianity could lead. Unfortunately, I was a new author and after one publisher’s acceptance that ended up falling to rejection in favor of another book, I abandoned the manuscript until 2008, when Obama was elected. I presented it to Tan Books / St. Benedict Press and it was bought and published in 2010.

Now, six years later, many aspects of the story have come true, or can more clearly seen as the end result of our current path. You’ll see, this isn’t about hating anyone. It’s about loving people, but not embracing their sins as normal, acceptable behavior.

Read it. Think it through. Pass it on.
Stand firm in your beliefs.


Sunday, May 15, 2016

The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion

This came in my email today from Lisa Hendey. I'm honored to be one of the writers taking part in this project. 



We're thrilled to give our readers a sneak peek at The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections, the newest addition to our CatholicMom.com Book Imprint with Ave Maria Press:
Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion
Conversation about this epic resource first began in the Fall of 2014. Since then, a team of over eighty talented writers have joined efforts to create this one-of-a-kind daily devotional.

The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion

Here is an overview:
Are you a Catholic mom who prays for the wisdom and patience to get through each day? Do you pray for your children, husband, family and friends, and sometimes even yourself? The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion offers a new, daily resource to make the most of those few, precious minutes you have to pause and reflect.
For more than fifteen years, the award-winning CatholicMom.com website has been a trusted source for sound, practical, and spiritual guidance. In their new book, authors Lisa M. Hendey and Sarah A. Reinhard bring together more than eighty moms, dads, and trusted spiritual companions to provide fresh, uplifting meditations for every day of the year.
You'll find encouragement when you're struggling, reassurance when you feel alone, and comfort when you're distracted by worry. Created by moms for moms, these hope-filled meditations touch on the issues and concerns you face as you try to get through the day with a sense of God's presence in your life. Whether you are a new or seasoned mom working in or outside of your home, this inspiring collection of reflections for every day of the year will help you
  • stay in touch with the seasons of the Church year
  • remember Mary's loving presence on her feast days
  • keep company with both new and familiar saints
  • see the spiritual meaning of secular holidays and
  • make you smile with occasions such as Houseplant Appreciation Day and National Popcorn Day.
Each day begins with a brief quotation from scripture, saints, recent popes, or important spiritual writers. A personal reflection--written by contributors including Danielle Bean, Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle, Lisa Mladinich, Elizabeth Scalia, Carolyn Woo, Mark Hart, and Jeff Young--focuses on some dimension of your spiritual, emotional, intellectual, or physical life. Each day also includes a brief prayer and a question or thought to ponder throughout the day. In just a few minutes of quiet you'll find the boost you need from a friendly voice. Each month also has a special theme such as love, family fun, and slowing down. Start these reflections any time throughout the year and feel your days become more grace-filled and inspired.
As we prepare for the book's official launch in August, we invite you to pre-order your copy now to ensure that you'll have it on the first day available for a great price.
Pre-order online today at:
Your pre-order and help in sharing this book with family and friends will help us ensure that as many moms as possible are supported and served with this resource. Over the past few weeks, as Sarah and I have been in the final editing phase, I've been so blessed by the reflections and prayers in this book! I can't wait for all of you to have your own copies--I believe you'll agree with me that the few moments you spend each day with our team of writers will greatly bless and uplift you in your vocation. Thank you, in advance, for your support for our site through your pre-order of The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections. 
Thank you, in advance, for your prayerful support of this book and all of our work at CatholicMom.com!

#OpenBook for November 2026

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