Ordinary Life

  On my honor  I will do my best to do my duty  to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

I recently let my friends at Patheos know I was turning " The Pretty Good Report " out to pasture.   To quote my teenage daughter's favorite anti-hero: " It's me, hi! I'm the problem, it's me. "  I first encountered Patheos as a young-ish blogger, many years ago, at a time when I was also making my faith and life my own.  I explored a lot of new ideas by the authors-of-then.  I met with fresh perspectives and thought-provoking challenges; it was a season of growth and growing up.   As a result, I held Patheos with kind regard and the chance to join their ranks seemed like a good reason - perhaps even motivation- to write.  But the opportunity to write for them arrived in a different, more rooted season.  It is curious to look back and see how tall we've changed, how thick our bark.  " Further up, further in " as the Unicorn was heard to say.  I realized along the way that this whole journey is a continual forward motion until we rea...

I was grieving something I couldn't explain, so I bought a sympathy card.  I didn't write in it for some time. Mailing was further delayed by a literal drenching rain.  But what kept it pinned to my bulletin board long after it dripped-dry was the emptiness that follows calling Grief by name.  And then one day, post-marked months before, my words arrived.  Here is what I said to me (and now, to you, if need be ):                                                                                                                               November 12, 2023 "It is okay if you don't have words for ...