When I first began this blog, I was making a Benedictinian effort to spend my days meditating on the Psalms. When St. Benedict wrote his rule, he required that all living it out with him would chant/pray the entire book of Psalms every week. (In case you haven’t checked lately, communally praying through the book of Psalms in one week is a major undertaking). Modern Benedictines are content to pray through the book once every two weeks (which is still... Read more
As I wrote yesterday’s post in honor of my main squeeze, I was feeling a little nostalgic…and feeling that we needed a new poem (it only took me seven weeks after Christmas to take down “Mary’s Song”…pregnancy is a good enough excuse, right?). We haven’t had a good love poem for our memories yet. And so, I’ve picked the poem that was read at our wedding, one that I should seriously memorize simply because of its role in my marital... Read more
Chris and I have never been much for Valentine smooches and the necessity of lover-gifts on February 14th (not that I don’t love V-Day…though I love it in the sense of wearing red and making homemade cards and heart cookies with pink sprinkles with my kid…not fancy dates and glitter balloons). However, it is a day for love and, so, I feel the need to give my husband the honor he deserves on this Shiny-Red-Sweet-Day. In his honor, what almost... Read more
Remember how I’m reading through Esther de Waal’s Living With Contradiction? I’ll admit I’m slow-going on it, but really fascinated. Last night I read a chapter titled “Living with Myself.” Sounds like something I need to learn from, huh? Here’s what I found most fascinating. De Waal spends a lot of time focusing on the tension and the interrelationship of three major Benedictine vows that the novice lays on the altar in his or her moment of entering the monastic... Read more
I’ve always understood that I have a soft heart for the homeless. I don’t say that in some self-congratulatory way. In fact, in some ways I find the business of engaging and caring for the homeless people I come in contact with much more difficult because of that. I wish I were one of those people who could feel confident that the best way to care for the down-and-out, the mentally broken, the victims of addiction I encounter on the... Read more
A husband who is much kinder to me than I am to him. His new thing? Talking to August about how important it is to tell me I’m beautiful. So this is what my kid now says to me on a regular basis: “Mommy, I love you. You’re beautiful.” Or, “Look at your beautiful dress!” whenever he sees me in my prego nightgown with orange flowers. Ahhh. I can survive with that little voice loving me. Fire. That is, my... Read more
Yesterday during time of confession in our worship service, I ran my mind over my past week and realized that if I’ve had a pattern of brokenness in my life the past few days, it’s been in the form of fear. As a hormonal mama who wants nothing more than to make our little nest ready for baby, I’m feeling the burden of what I don’t know about our future: how much I wish I could feel settled, how much... Read more
“How Meditation May Change the Brain,” an article published in the New York Times last Friday has remained one of their most emailed articles throughout this week of insane news. Despite the craziness of winter weather across the country and the intensity of the Egyptian riots, people have been drawn to an article about how meditation may actually make our brains look different. Here’s the gist of Sindya N. Bhanoo’s article: “…those who meditated for about 30 minutes a day... Read more
This week most of our country is under ice. Over the weekend my in-laws got nearly two feet of snow. Now they’re living through an ice storm. My friends in Dallas have been trapped in their homes because of ice, while Austin friends are losing power. My family is suffering through a high of 8 degrees while the Amarillo wind seeks its revenge on all things still standing. (There’s nothing colder than Amarillo wind…this coming from a girl who lodged... Read more
Last night, after receiving a package of new trains and cars sheets for August’s bed (he’s been sleeping with our grown-up plain tan ones) from my parents, August and I were making his bed. I said, “Let’s spread this out.” He said, “Let’s spread it like mayonnaise!” My sweet, dear friends in my Bible study showed up at my house Sunday night with balloons and puffy streamer poofs, a sign that read: “We Heart Baby T-Rexy,” and lots of cheese... Read more
Micha Boyett
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