It is Friday, and I was about to think my way through Quick Takes, but instead of that, for those of you who pray and know all about that sort of thing, I would be really grateful if you could ask God for some mercy. My mom and dad–Bob and Joyce–are driving across the country from Portland, OR to Binghamton, NY in a 15 foot UHaul truck. They stopped for the night in Indianapolis and sometime in the dark hours... Read more
This went up over at the Christian Research Institute last week, but I’m putting it here in case you missed it. “May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that you have a special destiny here, that behind the façade of your life there is something beautiful and eternal happening. May you learn to see your self with the same delight, pride, and expectation with which God sees you in every moment,” writes Ian Cron in the... Read more
I’m over at Stand Firm today. I had hoped to sleep off my general discouragement about losing a whole lot of writing, but instead, I gave myself one of those “sleeping” injuries—like, somehow during the night I pulled a muscle or something, and so I can’t move my neck. I’m not exactly sure why God is trying to strike me down—was it that I sinned? Or was it my mother? Or maybe my children. It can’t be me. I’ve been... Read more
So far, this has been absolutely the worst day. I did a whole bunch of backed up writing yesterday but didn’t, get this, “back it up” as in push save, I guess. I’m not exactly sure, except that my computer decided to take the file and throw it into the outer reaches of the universe. So instead of working on all the things this morning, I searched and searched and searched and never found it. In place of the very... Read more
It’s a gray, chilly day here in Bing. Feels like fall, actually, or autumn, if you prefer. The leaves are turning out to be glorious, so that’s a huge relief. I went around collecting some on Saturday afternoon and felt that perhaps there is hope for the future. In that spirit, we’ve done a moderately lengthed podcast laughing about an old listicle about what questions to ask of a man on a first date if you’re an intersectional feminist, an... Read more
I’m over at Stand Firm this morning. I don’t know about you, but the thing that is most likely to send me over the edge at this particular moment of this impossibly long year, is that every time I click on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, before I can even get to my feed to see what surprising and unhappy things are happening, I am accosted by an intrusive ad/banner/announcement questioning me about whether or not I have considered the fact... Read more
Hello, Friday my old Friend. I do wish I were not awake. So that’s too bad. Guess I might as well give in and face the fact of my own sleep-deprived existence. One Earlier in the week (was it this week?) I strung together my thoughts and feelings about that Washington Post thing about how we’re all afraid of death and that’s kind of a drag. I suggested that it would also be great to be afraid of God—go all in... Read more
Goodness, it’s late. All the partying yesterday got the better of me. I’m just popping in to link the podcast I did with Melanie Cogdill, about the Enneagram (below), and a podcast that Alisa Childers did with Marcia Montenegro on the same topic (below that). Enjoy! Read more
I’m over at Stand Firm today. Well, today is Matt’s birthday, and as a present to him, I’m going to blog about the thing that he wanted me to, which I only do as a special treat, because, honestly, this stuff is super discouraging. Here is Bishop Love writing in Anglican Ink: I received word late Friday night, October 2nd, that the Hearing Panel, convened by the Rt. Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, has reached its verdict regarding my issuance of... Read more
Me, thinking about more covid. I was trying to really hunker down and read a little bit of the new Rachel Hollis book this morning—after several chapters of the book of Revelation first, naturally—but the cat came and stood on me and saved me, thank heaven, and so instead I read this. The Washington Post has got hold of some psychological “thoughts and prayers,” things like “Terror Management Theory” and “Existential Shock.” There are some great lines in this piece.... Read more
Preventing Grace
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