Acedia is an ancient term for a sin which can be defined as apathy, or boredom, or more precisely, "why bother." I heard Kathleen Norris talk about acedia at the Festival of Faith & Writing. She quoted some very profound writers on the subject. Acedia was a big problem in monasteries in the 4th … [Read more...] about Got Acedia? Who cares.
Exercising the Kingdom
I love my gym. ?I work out at a Lady of America about a mile from my house 4-5 times a week, first thing in the morning. The names of the classes sound painful (cardio kickboxing, cardio interval, bootcamp, step 'n sculpt) but they feel wonderful. ?At least, when they're over, they do. What I love … [Read more...] about Exercising the Kingdom
New Mexico, Land of Enchantment
Our trip to New Mexico was everything I hoped it would be, which is saying a lot. We arrived in a dust storm and saw our first tumbleweed before we got off the plane. (Or should I say, before we de-planed. ?How often do you get to use that word?) In Santa Fe we bought turquoise on a cold, windy … [Read more...] about New Mexico, Land of Enchantment
Loving the Talent, Loving the Teens
Teenagers get such a bad rap. People complain that they're sullen or out-of-control or whatever. I disagree. Tonight I went to "So You Think You've Got Talent" at the high school. I only knew a few of the kids who were on stage, but that didn't matter. It was the easiest thing to sit in … [Read more...] about Loving the Talent, Loving the Teens
Decade by Decade: What Emerges
Our Lent theme at church is: Decade by Decade: Questions Along the Journey. Each week, in addition to the sermon, a member of the congregation is sharing a bit of their faith journey. Each week focuses on a different decade of life. My goal is to reinforce the fact that our entire life is a … [Read more...] about Decade by Decade: What Emerges
In Praise of Valentines Day
I know that a lot of people hate Valentine's Day. ?And I understand that it's too much pressure and too commercialized and they jack up the prices on flowers and you can't get a reservation. ?All that. But at the gym yesterday, women were talking about how V-day is "just for the kids" with their … [Read more...] about In Praise of Valentines Day
The Terror of the Night
Does your child ever have night terrors??They're different from nightmares, and quite worrisome. When our older daughter was a toddler, she went through a period of waking up in sheer terror. My husband I would wake up when we heard her screams, rush into her room, and find her sitting up in bed, … [Read more...] about The Terror of the Night
Singing Harmonia Sacra to Greet the New Year
I spent New Year's Night singing hymns in a church, unaccompanied, with 300 or so other people. ?The crowd was diverse in age, but entirely white in skin color. Everyone was dressed very nicely in what I called "church clothes" growing up. I've sung with Old Order Mennonites before, it's a memorable … [Read more...] about Singing Harmonia Sacra to Greet the New Year
Something New — My First Blogpost
Three years ago my husband bought me my domain name for Mother's Day. ?He said "it's for when you get published." ?Well, the years go by, and it's like having a piece of lingerie in the drawer that's "too good to use." ?Which is not my style. ?If you looked in my drawers you would understand that … [Read more...] about Something New — My First Blogpost