I woke up early this morning, around 5:15am. The dogs were antsy, so I got up with them, made coffee and by 6:30, I was at the table writing. I knew I had to leave early today for work because I am the host for a nonprofit that was meeting at the church today. The […]
I’ve decided to take on a self-imposed writing challenge. My goal is to write approximately 500 words a day, every day from now until Easter (on April 17th). This is writing 500 words for fifty days straight (inclusive of Easter and today (Transfiguration Sunday). I’m using my blog as a space for accountability and updates […]
The story of the woman at the well from John Chapter 4 is a story I used to find annoying. I think, because it was an overdone story about Jesus being Jesus. It gets overused as a salvation story for a way of life that is no longer feels like an issue. Women, in general, […]
One thing rural communities rely on is repetition. Repetition creates consistency, memory, and tradition. This repetition matters, whether it is football of Fridays in the fall, the festival on the first weekend of May, or knowing who to call when someone in the community dies to get the prayer and meal train going. I’ve learned […]
Mighty long shifts are for workingHeavy dreams are for toting aroundLet’s pretend there’s a place to goWhere I can lay this hacksaw down. Zack Bryan, “Quiet Heavy Dreams” This lyric gives some language to my feelings as of late. The past couple of years (not just the pandemic, but life itself) has been a mighty […]
A few years ago, I was on my way to a funeral. An in person, non-masking, church member funeral with a receiving of friends, a service, and committal. Funerals remind me of funerals, the same way this Christmas will remind you of last Christmas. So many of the practices are the same. At this funeral, […]
Does anyone else have seasonal playlists? I have a summertime sooth playlist filled with chill country music. I built it last year while I was tearing out walls in the basement before the basement waterproofing team sealed the cinderblock walls. It includes, of course, the song “Summertime” by Orville Peck. I discovered Orville Peck through […]
My wife’s Valentine’s Day gift to me was a trip to our local art museum. They just opened an exhibit titled “The Works of Warhol.” For years, Andy Warhol has been my favorite artist. If I am ever in a city and they have an art museum, I always check to see if they have […]
With the pandemic beginning to taper off, I am finally getting to offer in-person courses again (I know the proper protocols to maintain safety, am encouraging people to only sign up if vaccinated, mask up, and maintain distance). Some of my favorite in-person courses are United Methodist Studies courses offered in my district for lay […]
I spent some time on my parents’ land yesterday. I try to walk the land regularly, but in the past few years it’s been harder as I’ve been working more. I found myself in my grandparents backyard. I was next to Pawpaw’s old truck. The tires are now flat and it’s grown over with vines, […]
Jonathan LeMaster-Smith 