I’m trying to practice the rhythm of consistency, but sometimes it’s not possible. Last week’s blog was quarantined as non-essential and stayed inside. Rhythm There are people in my life whom I love but no longer share a rhythm of relationship with. Some are friends who used to visit regularly, others are out-of-state family with separate lives. It can feel like we start again right where we left off, but unless it’s one of those rare connections, we spend our time on updates during occasional visits. Checking in is fine for some connections, though. We need to be willing for friend and family relationships to morph as need and availability changes. It isn’t necessary to have everyone you’ve ever met, click to continue reading…
Category: Spiritual Disciplines
Sometimes the feeling trails behind the action
The drinking bird
For some reason, I think every new season will be easier to wrangle my routine into submission than the previous three months. Right now, I’m trying to get back into working out consistently. I had almost a month off the gym when was Covid in the house and then a 50th birthday party for my husband right after. Then it was just laziness and lack of routine. Camping and travel stilted any momentum after that. I’m still trying, but fall has brought several changes, including Spanish Class at BSU. ¡No puedo creer que soy estudiente de nuevo! When you start or restart exercise, there’s a period of transition from too tired to do anything except the workout, to training and click to continue reading…
A taste for lamb
For the past few months, I’ve been reading less fiction than normal. I don’t keep perfect track, but I think I’ve only managed my monthly book club selection since May. I’ll pick something up but not focus enough to finish. Some people read more in the summer, but lately I think I’ve been watching more television. I’ve been watching a drama about a Haredi Jewish family, and recently an elderly woman in it mentioned how she looked forward to seeing her deceased husband in heaven. Her Rabbi son was dismissive, even a little incredulous. He said, “Heaven is segregated!” meaning men on one side and women on the other. It made me laugh and recite Galatians 3:28, “There is no click to continue reading…
My life’s work at a garage sale
Many years before the Breaking Bonds Series, I had two completed manuscripts which only family had seen. I met a man with a published book and told him how wonderful that would be—it was my dream. He sort of shrugged and said, “Yeah, but then one day you walk by the bargain bin and see your book, and it’s worth so little.” Regardless, I wanted to see a story of mine bound and to hold it in my hands. A decade later, I had to let go of those first two stories to be ready to write Sovereign Ground. After Heart of Petra was published I found it in a discount bin. It was almost like a bucket where a hundred click to continue reading…
Keep Waiting
We’re still in Hawaii but we’ll come home this week. We have another trip at the end of the month, so all the plans have me thinking my husband’s description of traveling: Hurry up and wait. Years ago I learned about the idea of choosing a word for the year instead of a resolution. It was popular in the online writing community and I have been doing it for awhile now. My word for 2021 was “wait,” so I have spent some time contemplating it. I was actually glad to have it because everyone was so “over” 2020 and expecting the calendar page-turn to instantly change everything. The word kept me from unrealistic expectations because I knew it wasn’t the click to continue reading…