Last night, my wife and I drove to a nearby ballot box to deposit our mail-in ballots for the upcoming presidential election. We were greeted by a special kind of ballot box watcher. We need more of this kind of voting observer than the kind called for by the current U.S. president. It feels goodContinue reading “The deed is done”
Category Archives: faith
Cleanup on the aisle of atrocities
Never in a million years did I think I’d become a fairly regular reader of that bastion of liberals and glorifier of a city I don’t even particularly like, the New York Times. Yet, here I am, reading it, without any shame or remorse. I also never thought I’d categorize myself politically as a liberal.Continue reading “Cleanup on the aisle of atrocities”
The power of observation
A powerful yet simple truth is that we learn quite a lot from observation. I’ve been thinking about that this morning, and recalling incidents in which I developed and changed over my lifetime as a result of watching others. I can recall, for example, the great power of observing my grandma kneeling at her bedside,Continue reading “The power of observation”
The unbearable whiteness of being
I thought up this post title as an attempt at a witticism, but now face the harder part of actually writing something substantial or relevant about whiteness, a serious subject. If you don’t get the humor, think of a movie with a slightly different title from the 90s starring Daniel Day-Lewis, which in turn isContinue reading “The unbearable whiteness of being”
Hope flickers
Change, including positive change, is rarely easy and quick. Yesterday, I happened to look back on all of the previous posts I’ve written and I found it encouraging and helpful to see the variety of emotions and circumstances documented in them. In particular, I sensed a pattern of ongoing change in them. Writing things downContinue reading “Hope flickers”
Equilibrium
Equilibrium — a word that sounds vaguely, and indeed is rooted in, Latin. Kind of like Londinium (Roman name for the city of London) or palladium. Anyway, it occurred to me today that this is what I have frequently lacked. Here is a complete definition: e·qui·lib·ri·um| ˌēkwəˈlibrēəm, ˌekwəˈlibrēəm | noun (plural equilibria | -ˈlibrēə | ) a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced: the maintenance of social equilibrium.• aContinue reading “Equilibrium”
Walking
Walking — simply, walking — may be the key means by which I get better, physically. I’ve begun to walk 1-2 miles every other day. Honestly, it is not easy. It is quite hard, but at least it is something I can do to get some exercise. I don’t need special equipment or complicated instructionsContinue reading “Walking”
Fruit (of the Spirit)
Yesterday I enjoyed eating part of a fresh papaya, something I haven’t had in a long time. I had forgotten how beautiful they are when cut open — the striking orange-y yellow with the glossy dark seeds in the middle — so I decided to take a photo. This time of year is when locallyContinue reading “Fruit (of the Spirit)”
Perseverance
It is hard to keep going when hope is lost. And when hope is lost, it is surprisingly hard to get it back. These are some of the thoughts running through my head of late. This morning a Bible verse came to me: Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he hasContinue reading “Perseverance”
The golden hour
The featured photo for this post shows the view from my living room window yesterday evening as the sun was setting during the golden hour. The light was beautifully warm, definitely golden, with a special quality. To me, it was a small bit of encouragement, somehow. Bits of encouragement are needed every day. Heaven knowsContinue reading “The golden hour”
The OW Factor 