Here in the Mid-Atlantic winter is wrapping up, coming to a close. While it is mid-February and we still see frozen precipitation of every kind (and least of all snow, sadly), there are signs that longer and warmer days are coming. We have been walking the dog in the dark for what seems like months … Continue reading Wintering is almost over
It's okay to step away from something, even if you've been doing it for years. Especially if you've been doing it for years. It's something I've been trying to tell myself. Unfortunately, some of my time that I've rediscovered as I've stepped away from commitments is steeped in guilt, kind of like the half-drunk mug … Continue reading You are not your calendar
One of the most important things we are able to do as humans that set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom is reflect. We can look into the past and remember in order to make the present or future different. It's how we learn about ourselves and the world around us. These … Continue reading BONUS POST: Narratives we tell ourselves
It's Sunday and the sight of the fluffy flakes calling outside is enough to bring tears to my eyes with the anticipation of rogue, anarchic mid-afternoon caffeine soon to hit my veins. As I wait for the coffee to brew, I lean against the doorjamb and observe that the shade of the heavy clouds matches … Continue reading The calm in the winter storm
Over the past seven years or so, I have been made acutely aware of my body. At first she seemed like a stranger to me, someone you pass in the night but can't quite see past the darkness and shadows. It's quite ironic that I was so separated from my body because I am tall. … Continue reading Coming back into my body
I don't mean that the act of not drinking is so difficult. I mean, it can be, especially on the Saturday of a long weekend where I just feel good all day, and what could make it better besides a lovely cocktail or two? In all honesty though, overall it hasn't been difficult for me … Continue reading Choosing to not drink is easy; sobriety is hard
I think I underestimated the effect that reading so much would have on me. I forgot how a book can climb its way into your soul, into the very threads which weave you together. Upending your memories, thoughts, feelings, relationships. Turning over new stones of discovery and wrecking you in the very best way in … Continue reading Creativity for creativity’s sake
I think so many people across God's green earth would agree with the sentiment of "Good riddance, 2020." "Peace out." "Fuck off." "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Twenty-twenty was a year. And damn, does it feel good to be about three weeks away from it, to have 2020 growing smaller … Continue reading “Good riddance, 2020.”
Goodreads review of Cal Newport's Deep Work here. Spend enough time in a state of frenetic shallowness and you permanently reduce your capacity to perform deep work.Cal Newport This quote in and of itself is quite alarmist, and the reason I re-read this book. I had read it previously in 2017, surprisingly long ago. I … Continue reading Thoughts on a second read-through of “Deep Work”
Why is it that my heartrate increases and my breathing become jagged when I come across evidence of a previous version of myself -- that is, the one that wholeheartedly committed to the Pentecostal evangelical way of doing faith? I feel so many things when I hear the jargon, see smiling people worshipping together, come … Continue reading The clouded lens of faith
MPM 2.0: mercy unmasked 