The household lost its/out Internet connection some time this morning (Monday, September 22, 2025). I didn’t notice until I tried opening a new Web page.
Long story short, I learned that our provider knew about the situation and figured service would be back around 1:30 in the afternoon. Mid-afternoon, my daughter told me the projected ‘got it fixed’ time was around 8:00 p.m. — so I did some digital art, relaxed, and was pleasantly surprised when the Internet access icon changed to its ‘connected’ version.
That was a few minutes before 6:00 p.m. — good, and unexpected, news.
My excuse for posting this is that while this household was disconnected, Webcam: Sauk Centre MN was unavailable. If you tried viewing earlier today: that’s why you couldn’t.
And now, it’s back to relaxing for me. Have a good one, and may God bless.
One of our daughters and her husband run a milling company on the homestead where my mother grew up.
Nothing about running a small business is, I suspect, “routine”, but some days are less routine than other.
Take, for example, the fire that didn’t get out of control earlier this summer.
There’s an old Red River Valley joke where a newcomer asks “does it always blow this way?” and the local replies, “no: sometimes it blows the other way”.
This particular day was windier than usual. A strong south wind, filled with bits and pieces of dry stalks and leaves, was blowing over the waste pile. And over everything else, of course. Then a fire started in the waste pile.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that my son-in-law had dug a holding pond, kept if full of water, had pumps and hoses on hand: and everyone there knows how to react.
That’s why, when our granddaughter came into the house and said “fire”, our daughter was out the door. Promptly.
Meanwhile, our son-in-law had called the nearest town’s fire department. It would be some time before they could get there, but I doubt that they’d have dawdled.
As he tells it, son-in-law had the phone in one hand, a water hose in the other, and was trying to make himself heard over the sounds of wind and rushing water. At the other end, it probably sounded like the desperate distress call in a corny action thriller.
(Not) Waiting Until Help Arrives
A problem with outdoor fires on windy days is that they’re not well-behaved. Instead of considerately staying in one place, they’ll scatter flaming invitations to join the party.
The waste pile, along with the mill and the rest of the homestead’s buildings, is on the south side of what we call the timber claim: about 10 acres of woodland my mother’s people planted.
Ideally, there’d be no waste from the mill. Or the waste would be stored in a fireproof container until someone recycled it. But as I keep saying, we don’t live in an ideal world.
By the time Hillsboro authorities arrived, in the person of an older police officer who was — as our daughter put it, dressed for writing traffic tickets, not fighting fires — our son-in-law was hosing down the waste pile while our daughter handled smaller fires elsewhere.
Help Offered, Accepted, and Declined
Our daughter was dressed more informally and carrying a sturdy hoe over her shoulder.
Hmm. I’d better describe, briefly, our second-oldest daughter. She’s the same height as her mother, five-foot-nothing, with shoulders she inherited from both of us. She’s not by any reasonable standard overweight: but slender and delicate she is not.
Anyway, conversation ensued. The police officer saw a doused main fire and householders at work on putting out hot spots.
So he said something like ‘looks like you’ve got this under control. Should I call off the fire department?’ Their response: ‘no! this could go south any time’.
Well, literally, a new fire would be going north, into the timber claim, blown by that brisk south wind. But the police officer got the idea.
Just then, our daughter spotted a smouldering log, not much over four inches across and maybe a dozen feet long.
As she headed toward it, the police officer said ‘maybe I’d better help’. That’s when our daughter swung the hoe over her head, catching the log on its far side, rolling it over and calling to our son-in-law: who sent an arc of water onto the log, dousing it.
The police officer commented that she was obviously doing just fine.
Fire Watches, Winter Weather, and Getting Work Done
Time passed, folks from the fire department showed up, and the last problematic hot spot was hosed.
Our son-in-law and daughter had lost part of the day’s work, but kept a small fire from becoming a big one. And nobody got hurt.
For that, I’m glad and grateful.
Fire weather watches are a summer thing in the Red River Valley. Come winter, they’ll be dealing with other situations: including but not limited to shoveling out after blizzards and keeping the access road open.
This is where I’d usually talk about why family matters and using our brains is a good idea. But it’s been one of those weeks, and — I’ve talked about that sort of thing before:
Someone’s written a book about Pope Leo XIV: “León XIV: ciudadano del mundo, misionero del siglo XXI”; or “Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century”.
The book, in Spanish, was released today, September 18, 2025. I gather it’ll be available in English next year.
A whiff of this biography, and a recent interview, popped up in my news feed, along with the usual sound and fury. Since I prefer reading specifically “Catholic” news through outlets that aren’t marinated in my native culture, I did a little digging and came up with this:
“…Asked about how he sees the papacy, Pope Leo highlighted the ‘pastoral part’ of his new role, especially the ‘outreach to people of all ages.’ ‘I appreciate everyone, whoever they are, what they come with, and I listen to them… So, there’s an aspect of being pastor of the universal Church that I think is very significant, and I think one of the things people appreciate is that,’ he said….
“…What is new, he said, is his role as a world leader. ‘I’m learning a lot about how the Holy See has had a role in the diplomatic world for many years,’ he said. ‘I’ve always tried to stay up on the news, but the role of pope is certainly new to me.’ Here, too, he said, ‘I’m learning a lot and feeling very challenged, but not overwhelmed.” …”
Nothing really surprising there, which didn’t surprise me a bit.
Vatican News doesn’t try being ‘dramatic’ in the American sense, and I expected that our 267th pope would be Catholic.
Two other outlets, closer to home, said pretty much what the Vatican News piece did, although from a more ‘American’ viewpoint:
Pope Leo XIV isn’t telling Catholics we must vote for one party and demonize the other, or that that either we must live as if it’s 1950 or embrace whatever wacky notion is top of the charts this month.
So I expect a fair number of us will be loudly horrified, shocked, and appalled.
Not necessarily in that order.
One of those American news outlets used the LGBT acronym in referencing the political angle of a particular wacky notion, the other LGBTQ.
In both cases, and since he’s repeating what we’ve been told about people, I figure the usual suspects on all sides will express the usual angst. Again, no surprises.
First Pope From the United States: it Matters, a Little
“…Asked about the significance, ‘on the geopolitical level,’ of being the first Pope from the United States, Pope Leo responded by saying, ‘First of all, I hope that it will make a difference eventually with the bishops of the United States.’
“With regard to ‘some of the things that have been said’ about the U.S. episcopate and the relationship between the Church and politics, the Pope said, ‘The fact that I am American means, among other things, that people cannot say, as they did with Francis, “he does not understand the United States, he simply does not see what is happening.”‘
Some of what the Church says and has been saying, like ‘killing an innocent person is a bad idea’, and ‘people deserve respect’, are hot button political topics. Sooner or later, if he’s doing his job, Pope Leo XIV will offend someone.
And, unless news media over here changes — a lot — I expect the occasional headline about what the pope said. Then I’ll look for a less dramatic version of what the pope actually said.
More about how I see popes, the news, and being Catholic:
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” helped set the tone for American Christianity.
By some standards, this isn’t a particularly “Christian” blog. I don’t rant about the fires of Hell, or gush over cheerful thoughts like this:
“…The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you….” (“Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” , Jonathan Edwards (1741))
That’s because it’s not 1741 any more, and I’m a Catholic.1
Besides, I got thoroughly fed up with frothing radio preachers in my youth, and figure I’m not the only one who got tired of appeals to fear.
But actions do have consequences.
So this week I’ve dusted off and polished something I wrote in 2014, back when A Catholic Citizen… was on Blogger (blogspot.com).
Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”. (ca. 1495-1498)
As a Christian, I agree with Simon Peter:
“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. “We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.'” (John 6:68–69)
Basically Good, Needing Help
Jean-Baptiste Théodon and Pierre-Étienne Monnot’s statue of St. Peter, Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome.
I became a Catholic after learning who holds the authority our Lord gave Peter. (Matthew 16:16–19)
As a Catholic, I have to believe that God wants each of us to seek, know, and love Him with all our strength. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1-3)
That’s why God sent our Lord to live as one of us, be tortured, executed, and then stop being dead. (Catechism, 484-486, 638)
I also must believe that God creates a good and ordered universe: and didn’t make a horrible mistake by creating us.
Humanity, and each of us, is basically good. But since our beginning, we have lived with the consequences of our first parent’s willful disobedience. This is “original sin”. We lost our original holiness and justice; but we’re not utterly corrupted, just weak and wounded. (Catechism, 289-299, 388-409)
Baptism isn’t so much a matter of washing a dirty soul, as it is a reset: giving us a rebirth, and there’s a lot more to it. (Catechism, 1213-1274)
Since two of our six children died before getting baptized, I’m particularly interested in the “baptism of desire.” That, and the “baptism of blood”, are — more topics. (Catechism, 1257-1261)
(Joy and Elizabeth weren’t baptized because they died before birth. My wife and I were preoccupied each time, and I’ve been over that recently. (August 30, 2025))
“And He Found it Very Good”
“God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed – the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)
Part of the Small Magellanic Cloud, and Genesis 1:31.
That “found it very good” is after Genesis outlines God’s creation of everything, “the heavens and the earth”, and humanity. (Genesis 1:1–31)
Genesis?!
I’m a Christian — and a Catholic — so I take the Bible very seriously. It’s ‘in the rules’. (Catechism, 101-133)
But I don’t consult Sacred Scripture when my computer is on the fritz, and I understand that scientific discoveries are an invitation to “even greater admiration”. (Catechism, 283)
Like everyone else living today, I’m called to seek God: but wounded by sin. I need help. That’s where our Lord comes in. (Catechism, 763-766, 771, 1949)
I can decide to seek God, and act as if following God’s will matters: or not. About that second bit: “faith without works is dead”. But I can’t work or pray my way into heaven. (James 2:26; Catechism, 1704, 1730, 1815, 1987-2016)
Sin is Real, Forgiveness is an Option
Sin — deciding to act against reason, truth, and a right conscience — is real. It is an offense against God, and a very bad idea. It’s not that I could hurt the Almighty. The problem with sin, deliberately turning away from God, is that it can result in my being permanently separated from our Lord: in Hell. (Catechism, 1033-1037)
As long as I’m alive, I can decide that my offense was wrong: and ask God to forgive me. (Catechism, 1849, 1851, 1861)
God forgives sins. It’s a fairly straightforward process, but there’s more than just saying ‘I’m sorry.’
Next, I have work to do: fixing, as far as I can, the damage done to myself, to others, and to my relationship with God. (Catechism, 1422-1470)
Acting against reason, truth, and a right conscience, has consequences. It’s not that God ‘gets even’ with folks who sin. God has woven ethical principles into this creation. When we act against those principles, we get hurt. (Catechism, 1472, 1950-1960)
God doesn’t send anyone into Hell, but each of us can refuse God’s forgiveness. Nobody’s dragged, kicking and screaming, into Heaven.
“…Our Written Obligations”
Elsheimer and Kay’s “Witch of Endor”. (1805) Saul should have known better.
King Josiah lived about 2,650 years back.
“He did what was right in the LORD’s sight, walking in the way of David his father, not turning right or left.” (2 Kings 22:2)
Judah’s two preceding kings, Manasseh and Amon, had other priorities.
Manasseh
“…immolated his child by fire. He practiced soothsaying and divination, and reintroduced the consulting of ghosts and spirits….” (2 Kings 21:6)
Amon’s reign was more of the same. By the time Josiah became king, Judah was a mess. Among other things, the temple in Jerusalem was in bad shape.
Josiah ordered a massive repair and restoration project, which uncovered a long-ignored document:
“When the king had heard the contents of the book of the law, he tore his garments and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, son of Shaphan, Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan, and the king’s servant Asaiah:
“‘Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah, about the stipulations of this book that has been found, for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us, because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book, nor fulfill our written obligations.'” (2 Kings 22:11–13)
I tend to remember Josiah’s words in my own dialect – something along the lines of “we had a written contract!” or “we had a deal!” — with God — and violated the terms.
No wonder that King Josiah was upset. He understood the consequences: which is why he paid attention to what the prophetess Huldah said. (2 Kings 22:14ff)
Love and Forgiveness
St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City: Jraytram’s photo.
Briefly, there was no avoiding penalties for offenses committed by the two preceding kings. That’s just the way things work. But since Josiah reacted as he had, God delayed the consequences.
“‘But to the king of Judah who sent you to consult the LORD, give this response: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: As for the threats you have heard,
“because you were heartsick and have humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard my threats that this place and its inhabitants would become a desolation and a curse; because you tore your garments and wept before me; I in turn have listened, says the LORD.
“I will therefore gather you to your ancestors; you shall go to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil I will bring upon this place.”’ This they reported to the king.” (2 Kings 22:18–20)
King Josiah’s efforts at restoring terms of the covenant seem harsh by today’s standards. We’ve learned quite a bit in the last 26 centuries: and still have much left to learn.
Josiah was buried “in his own grave” in Jerusalem, after falling in battle at Megiddo. (2 Kings 23:29–30)
That isn’t going “in peace” by today’s standards: but I’m quite willing to see Josiah’s life and death as a fulfillment of God’s promise.
As I said earlier, forgiveness is real: but so are consequences.
Judah’s next king returned to the low standards set by Manasseh and Amon.
Several centuries later our Lord came into this world: not to condemn the world, but to save it. (John 3:17)
God’s Love
God loves sinners: and wants us to stop sinning. The ‘punishments’ we experience as the result of our actions are a consequence of our ignoring ethical realities — and opportunities for us to learn. (Romans 5:8; Catechism, 226, 1424, 1472-1473, 2544)
Bottom line:
Sin, deliberately acting against reason, truth, and a right conscience, is real
God loves us, but consequences happen
Seeking forgiveness is an option, as long as I’m alive
I’ve talked about that, and how it applies to living in today’s America, before:
Fourth Great Awakening (“This article has an unclear citation style. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation and footnoting….”) (late 1960s-early1970s, a “controversial” term)
My wife tells me he’s left behind a wife and five children. [update Sept. 10, 2025 9:15 p.m. Central: seems it’s wife and two children, don’t know where the other number originated. Either way —] Those folks are hurting today.
No pressure, and I realize that there’s more to life than prayer: but putting in a word or two on those folks’ behalf couldn’t hurt. I’ll be doing that myself in a few minutes.
This is “current events”, but I’m putting the “history” tag on this post, since I consider what’s happening as history that’s in progress.
I’m not looking forward to the usual sound and fury in my news feed.
There may be more to say about the latest high-profile murder in my country, but most of what matters in how I see it — well, I talked about it a couple months back:
Something new each Saturday.
Life, the universe and my circumstances permitting. I'm focusing on 'family stories' at the moment. ("A Change of Pace: Family Stories" (11/23/2024))
Blog - David Torkington
Spiritual theologian, author and speaker, specializing in prayer, Christian spirituality and mystical theology [the kind that makes sense-BHG]
I was born in 1951. I'm a husband, father and grandfather. One of the kids graduated from college in December, 2008, and is helping her husband run businesses and raise my granddaughter; another is a cartoonist and artist; #3 daughter is a writer; my son is developing a digital game with #3 and #1 daughters. I'm also a writer and artist.
