I told you I was writing a letter to the incomparable @theebillyporter. I\’m even doing it the same day I made the pronouncement. I\’m even doing it while listening to his rendition of I Am Changing. It, along with the live version of Why We Sing are in my Spotify \’liked songs\’ that I often keep on rotate while I work. These two amazing songs are between Eric B. & Rakim\’s Don\’t Sweat the Technique and Joe Jackson\’s A Slow Song. Do with that what you will. But I digress. The point of this evening missive is to say thank…

I\’ve been on a Pharaoh Sanders kick for the past several weeks. There is something mystical-magical-inspirational about his work. As I sit here now, wrapping up another work week, feeling accomplished even though I didn\’t get everything that I\’d hoped for completed today, I\’m listening to Hum Allah Hum Allah Hum Allah on Spotify. I love this graphic from the YouTube video for the song. My version is just over 15 minutes long. I love every note. I am working with a student who lives on the other side of the planet from me. Our time to speak each week…

It doesn\’t take a lot to make me happy. Walking outside and seeing the sun reflecting off snow on the mountains after days of rain … Hummingbirds … Dog smiles … I could go on, but much of the list would include things like that. I suppose such happinesses come from humble starts: my parents worked hard and did their best to provide for my well-being. I am fortunate that while they didn\’t necessarily foster my whims, they didn\’t squelch them either, which meant I was able to foster them on my own. I\’ve always had big dreams. You do…

I have been pondering the notion of Sabbath for some time. Oh, not that I don’t understand it, but it’s like a jello mold … if you try to pick up the jello from the plate with your hands, what happens? It’s all jiggly and sluices through your fingers. Sabbath can be like that. Image courtesy Psychowith6 Dr. Wilson (click the link just under the picture there) nailed it. Here’s my thing with ‘creep’, that insidious drain of life that distracts us from connecting with the Creator and doing what we’re supposed to. I know what I’m supposed to do.…

My devotional reading this morning was about recognizing that we all are destined for something similar, no matter what our beliefs: eventually, this physical shell will cease to function and the part of us that is ‘us’ will go on. Every week or two weeks, depending on schedules, there’s a small group of us who meet and we spend the time encouraging one another. One of our party talked about wanting to grow old well — how some people’s minds go, but their bodies stay spry, while others have a sharp mind and a broken-down body. Our prayer for her…