Listening to the universe.
About a month ago, a friend asked me if I would be willing to renovate their deck, which was in need of some serious repairs and, in some places, rebuilding…
Archive
A September Update
Hi friends.
I am currently in Iowa City, Iowa, wrapping up four days here. I came here for a board meeting for Mennonite Central Committee, and then yesterday preached…
A video from me to you.
Hi friends.
I started writing y'all, and I discovered that it actually wanted to be a video. So, I made you a video instead.
It's not a very good…
I started writing y'all, and I discovered that it actually wanted to be a video. So, I made you a video instead.
It's not a very good…
The house
Some programing notes: I have moved publishing the weekly newsletter from a target date of Monday to a target date of Friday. I go into the reasons behind that move…
Pennsylvania
I wrote most of this on Friday, and then worked on it on Saturday and was planning to hit send Saturday night, but my ADHD struck and then I felt…
Politics and religion
Hey y'all.
I'm whipped. I spent the last 5 days facilitating a project my church developed we call a Peace Lab. Eleven teens, age 14-19, who spent 5 days learning…
I'm whipped. I spent the last 5 days facilitating a project my church developed we call a Peace Lab. Eleven teens, age 14-19, who spent 5 days learning…
Genius Loci
In the ancient Roman religions, they believed that any given place had a genius loci, or a protective spirit responsible for that place. The woods on the edge of…
This complicated day
Hey y’all!
Today is the Fourth of July everywhere, and in the US it is the holiday called Independence Day, where we celebrate the day the founders of the US…
Eight years ago last night
When we pulled the U-Haul into the parking lot of the apartment building in downtown Jackson, it was nine at night. When Renee opened her door, the humidity rolled in…
Won't you be my neighbor?
I am six years old, sitting on the floor of our living room, eyes glued to the screen. The TV in those days was a small black and white affair…
Meridian
Hey y'all,
It's the day after my birthday, and I'm in Meridian, MS in a bougie hotel downtown--the sort where you have to pay for your breakfast, and there is…
It's the day after my birthday, and I'm in Meridian, MS in a bougie hotel downtown--the sort where you have to pay for your breakfast, and there is…
Birthdays, book events and podcasts.
Hi y'all.
I always struggle to be open about my mental health stuff. It's not my inclination—I would much rather hide and listen to jazz and maybe read a book…
The Magnolia Tree (and a member-only sale)
Hey y'all.
I'm trying something new. I have a lot of things sitting around that I made that are not quite "good enough" to sell to the public. Maybe…
I'm trying something new. I have a lot of things sitting around that I made that are not quite "good enough" to sell to the public. Maybe…
What I want to do.
Last night I was on a Zoom call with some folks, and I mentioned that when I was in high school in the late 80s, I wanted to be a…
There is no app for this
It's not there any more, but twenty years ago, there was a tobacco store on Madison Avenue in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. My friend Richard owned it, and he had bought…
F.I.N.E.
I'm not in recovery for any addiction issue. But I know a lot of people who are.
For nearly a decade and a half I worked with lots of addicted…
Walking the grass
Hi friends.
A custom essay just for you today, mostly composed in my head yesterday while cutting the grass at church.
I was interviewed for The Competent Pastor Podcast…
A series of part time jobs
Hey y'all.
I just wanted to pop a note in to apologize for two weeks in a row without an essay. There's just a lot going on, and while I'm…
Tiny joys
Hi all.
This is another piece for the new book. I'm picturing it having several long-form anchor essays, with a lot of 2-3 page short essays, similar to how I…
This is another piece for the new book. I'm picturing it having several long-form anchor essays, with a lot of 2-3 page short essays, similar to how I…
The little book of self-care
Hey y'all.
Since I almost died in 2017 from burnout, I have wished someone wrote a real-world self-care guide for people who did the front-line sort of work I…
Since I almost died in 2017 from burnout, I have wished someone wrote a real-world self-care guide for people who did the front-line sort of work I…