God, grant me the patience
to work with the unjust systems
I cannot change today,
the courage to strategically
enact progress
when I know I can,
and the wisdom to know that,
despite structural oppression,
I still can make a difference. Amen

—Friar Nicolas Maria

“If everything is precious,” writes Joshua Fields Milburn, “nothing is.”

Ouch.

Truth about excessive consumerism spoken there.

And here: “Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.”

Christ Jesus says that in Luke 12:15.

QUICK REVIEW
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes,” famously said Anne Lamott, “including you.”

Take a moment.

Right now.

Catch your breath.

Maybe, even in the parlance of an old United Methodist ad campaign, “Catch the Spirit.”

Too many of us Christians are guilty of taking a deep breath, and understand that any way you want, and think we’re done.

The idea isn’t a pattern of Inhale and Hold It.

Too many of us need to exhale.

See what Acts 1:8 and 2nd Corinthians 13:14 have to say about that.

TODAY What’s one thing you can do today, tomorrow, and for like the rest of this month, to give such behavior a go?

As always, I look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you back here tomorrow.

QUICK REVIEW

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes,” famously said Anne Lamott, “including you.“

Take a moment.

Right now.

Catch your breath.

Maybe, even in the parlance of an old United Methodist ad campaign, “Catch the Spirit.”

Too many of us Christians are guilty of taking a deep breath, and understand that any way you want, and think we’re done.

The idea isn’t a pattern of Inhale and Hold It.

Too many of us need to exhale.

TODAY

See what Acts 1:8 and 2nd Corinthians 13:14 have to say about that.

I’m looking forward to see you back here tomorrow.

From yesterday —

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes,” famously said Anne Lamott, “including you.”

Take a moment.

Right now.

Catch your breath.

(Maybe, even in the parlance of an old United Methodist ad campaign, “Catch the Spirit.”)

— Warning! Goofy image coming up, but it’s all too common —

Too many of us Christians are guilty of taking a deep breath (and understand that any way you want to) and think we’re done.

But that’s only the start.

Too many of us need to exhale.

(Yup.)

Hope to see you back here tomorrow.

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes,” famously said Anne Lamott, “including you.”

Take a moment.

Right now.

Catch your breath.

(Maybe, even in the parlance of an old United Methodist ad campaign, “Catch the Spirit.”)

And I hope to see you back here tomorrow.

As someone who understands several vices all too well, there’s one that’s never held much appeal, and yet currently, it seems that, well, here’s what Dave Ramsey says – – –

The fastest growing addiction that is destroying young men in their 20s is online sports gambling. FanDuel is a portal to hell. Draftings isn’t king of nothing except their own pocket book.

And they’re screwing an entire generation of young men. Because you don’t win.

That’s why they can afford to buy ads.

They’re back to back to back to back to back ads every time you turn on a sporting event. They’re spending billions of dollars. You know where they’re getting that? Out of your kid’s freaking pocket.

They’re screwing an entire generation.

This is evil stuff right here.

-– – What say you?

EXCERPT
Too much work is not good, and too much leisure is not good. Not having purpose makes life kind of pointless.

SOURCE: https://www.barrons.com/articles/early-retirement-stresses-fire-04012ad9?st=iKXvN8&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

WANNA KNOW MORE AND EVEN BETTER? Jump in, the water’s fine —

If we weave together John 3:16 and John 10:10b, we get this summary of why God sent Christ Jesus —

“I have come so that you may have more and better life, on both sides of eternity, than you ever dreamed possible; and not just you.” (RDSV)

— I forget and get lost in the weeds. Do you?

From my notebook several weeks ago: a personal note to Patty in a Christmas card from her academic mentor —

I always appreciate when there is an opportunity to interact. You are always so many good things.

— I love that.

May you and I find ways today to be “so many good things” and may we notice when others are “so many good things“ as well.