The experiment (read about it here):
It’s been two weeks since I cooked this thing up. This week has been a challenge. C came to work with me yesterday morning (daycare provider had a doctor’s appointment) and she’s pretty self-entertaining for a four year old, but it’s impossible to do head-down concentration work with her around, […]

This past Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, was my fourth anniversary at Suburban Presbyterian Church.
It was a beautiful service, and always is every year. We have a huge round communion table that the flower guild fills with red, orange and yellow candles—twenty-five or thirty of them, at various heights, on a lovely red tablecloth. The effect is […]

Friday night while the girls slept over at MaDear’s we went to Stately Outdoor Concert Venue with a Grisly Name to see A Prairie Home Companion. As the lights went down I turned to R and said, “Wow, look at all the white people.” This was a last minute idea of ours, and knowing the […]

The RevGalBlogPals blog (link in the sidebar) is having a discussion of Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis. I was this month’s “host” and wrote the following “review.” I’m posting it here as well just because.

I was excited to have an excuse to read Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, since Jan at A Church […]

Read about the experiment here. I started last Thursday, and it’s Saturday now.

I am enjoying life with less Internet. I feel a tiny but perceptible change in mental state. Actually there hasn’t been much difference there, yet. But I thought I would feel bereft without the constant stimulation and flow of information, and I […]

In honor of my experiment:
1. Have you ever successfully quit a bad habit, or gotten a good habit established? Tell us about how you did it.
I have gotten on regular exercise kicks in the past—while pregnant with C, and several years ago in anticipation of a trip to Colorado and a goal to climb something […]

Keith’s comment on the previous post was timely, since I was coming over here to post a few quotes I’ve run across recently:
“Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.” –Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis
“We will […]

So I was a no-show at a lunch meeting yesterday.
The editor and a couple of board members for Independent Denominational Magazine had asked to meet with a group of young (young-er? young-ish?) pastors to talk about how their magazine might be more useful, interesting, or appealing to the next generation of clergy. I think […]

So, I am working on the title for my sermon series inspired by Harry Potter, for July 1, 8 and 15.
The title of the series is giving me trouble. I am toying with “From Heaven to Hogwarts: The Gospel and Harry Potter,” because I’m addicted to alliterative titles. But I’m concerned that in that phrase, […]

To the members of National Crankypants:
So, remember today at the meeting, following the PJC report which was tense and sad, during the prayer which was very sensitively offered by Madame Moderator, when the cell phone rang with Bono singing “Beautiful Day”?
And then, remember when the owner of said cell phone fumbled with it for freakin’ […]

Today was my first work day since the experiment began.
I must admit, even though I worked from home, and spent part of the day at a prenatal appointment and a lunch, I ended up checking my e-mail several times today. And I did it much like I usually do; whenever I felt a lull, or […]

(First, why do they call it that?)
In the car today:
RM: C, we found out today… we’re pretty sure you’re going to have a little brother.
C: Woo-hoo! I knew it! I’m so excited!
Later: I had to press on the brakes a little forcefully.
C: Mommy, you stopped so fast that the seatbelt crushed all my eggs.
[discussion about […]

Read about the experiment here.

There is no “day two report” since I was way offline yesterday. I think I popped on once and had to do some work stuff.
I did go see “Waitress” with Keri Russell, which was fluffy fun, especially for a preggo chick like me. The woman bakes pies. Scrumptious, amazing pies. And […]

(Go to the previous post if you don’t know what the experiment is.)

Today went pretty well. Since I had a bit of a backlog of e-mail, I actually worked on (mostly work) e-mail off and on throughout the day. So tonight I allowed myself just 30 minutes for e-mail and other web tasks.
That’s cheating, technically, […]

Several weeks ago I read this article about a writer, Stephen Elliott, who gave up the Internet for a month.
It was a neat read—I find myself wanting to quote the whole thing though…

So what did I do during my month offline? “You must be getting so much done!” was the refrain I heard constantly. That […]

Last night after dinner, R went upstairs to get the window fans going because “It’s wicked hot in here.”
C: Mommy, what does ‘wicked hot’ mean?
RM: It’s just an expression.
C: That must be what witches’ brew is—wicked hot.
RM: C, that’s pretty good! Did you make that up?
C: No, Jesus told it to me. He’s so COOL […]

So it was 1 year, 11 months ago that I posted the previous pregnancy FAQ. Life is strange.
Here’s what I know…
When are you due?
And right here is reason #1 why I was dreading telling my colleague in ministry:
November 30: another “Get out of Christmas free!” card
(Told her today; she took it fine.)So BB and M […]