love to paint

My husband's favorite author is Wendell Berry.  Periodically, he will ask me to read an excerpt from one of his books or an essay.  On Saturday, he asked me to read this essay:   http://home.btconnect.com/tipiglen/berrynot.html   The essay is titled "Why I am NOT going to buy a Computer".   Though you may disagree with his decision to not buy a computer, his 9 standards of whether or not to purchase a technological innovation are worthy of contemplation.  My favorite is number 9.  I think the computer and social networking often hinder our relationships and our ability to be present mind, soul, and body with the ones around us.  We can be so distracted by what we may (or may not be) missing on the world wide web that we don't pay attention to what's right in front of us.  I often mention the book Distracted and the ideas that Maggie Jackson articulated which I'd already been feeling about how distracted we are because of all of the technol...

I began writing another entry when I was struck that what it was really about was wasting time, which made me reflect back on my past few days.   Yesterday, I was sitting with another mom outside my daughter's ballet class talking about homeschooling and commitments.  I have to admit this--at that moment I was having a great day and felt such peace about God helping me learn to cut things out and simplify.  My husband's schedule has been crazy lately and instead of packing it fully like I have in the past, I chose to simplify and make our lives less stressful rather than more. The beginning of her conversation began with her asking me how I seemed so calm and how I was able to juggle 3 young kids.  I told her very humbly that I am in a good place right now.  I was enjoying that moment in my life and the peace that God has given me amidst my husband's busy life.  But, I said that very humbly as I explained to her that just the day before we'd gone on a...

I began writing another entry when I was struck that what it was really about was wasting time.  When we pursue something that is more than we can handle, it is a blessing when God says simply "no".  Sometimes that "no" looks like rejection.  Sometimes it is simply a door that never opens.   Yesterday, I was sitting with another mom outside my daughter's ballet class talking about homeschooling and commitments.  I have to admit this--at that moment I was having a great day and felt such peace about God helping me learn to cut things out and simplify.  My husband's schedule has been crazy lately and instead of packing it fully like I have in the past, I chose to simplify and make our lives less stressful rather than more. The beginning of her conversation began with her asking me how I seemed so calm and how I was able to juggle 3 young kids.  I told her very humbly that I am in a good place right now.  I was enjoying that moment in my life a...