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September 22, 2018
It’s early on a Saturday morning. Benedict is cheerfully building train tracks upstairs, I have my coffee, and it’s pouring rain outside. Welcome, Fall!
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Reading
September 21, 2018
Currently reading: The Enthusiast: How the Best Friend of Francis of Assisi Almost Destroyed What He Started by Jon Sweeney 📚
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Haiku
September 21, 2018Last Day of Summer
Goodbye hot summer,
Days of 100 plus temps.
I prefer the cold.
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September 21, 2018
A really great tool for finding lighter/darker shades of a color for web design.
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Reading
Book Review: When Francis Saved the Church 📚
September 21, 2018I love when I approach a book with preconceived notions about the subject matter and end up walking away pleasantly surprised. Alison got me this book for Christmas and, based on its title, I figured it was a biographical account of the life of St. Francis. I’m familiar with some of the folklore surrounding his life, but have never actually read a book about his life story.
So I dove in.
What I found was much better. Instead of a historical recounting based on the available information we have about Francis, Jon Sweeney does something very clever. He acknowledges the “theological gloss” that has been assigned to Francis and the stories of his life and instead focuses on the big picture.
Sweeney sets up the narrative by starting with a small fact or scene from Francis’ life, and then unpacks the meaning from the event. Going further, he then shares how it relates to Francis’ worldview, in conjunction with the cultural and geopolitical events of his day. He then brings it full circle by applying it to the modern era.
I found this approach refreshing. Sweeney didn’t claim to have new information, nor did he make a judgement as to the credibility of the stories that we all know. Instead, he presents an accessible recounting of how Francis saw the world and responded to it.
If you know a lot about the life of St. Francis, you’ll need to check your knowledge at the door. If, like me, you have a low level knowledge, this manuscript does an excellent job of laying out not the facts of Francis’ life, but the essence of his spirituality and worldview. In this way, I come away from the book understanding the man Francis, not just the historical Francis.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
ISBN: 9781594716461
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September 21, 2018
I love ordering new stamps.
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September 21, 2018
My children call the song Mrs. Hippopotamuses’ by Relient K the “Cat in the Hat song.” I can’t help but think this is high praise for Matt Thiessen and company. 🎵
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September 21, 2018
My favorite season is fall and my favorite type of weather is rain. Forecast says I’m in for a very good weekend!
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Haiku
September 20, 2018One Month
One month of haiku,
A delightful way to share.
Shall I continue?
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Reading
September 20, 2018
Finished reading: When Saint Francis Saved the Church: How a Converted Medieval Troubadour Created a Spiritual Vision for the Ages by Jon Sweeney 📚
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September 20, 2018
Oh, Google. You still don’t get it.
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September 20, 2018
Completing online surveys for restaurants, businesses, and even doctor’s offices can be an inconvenience. But, they’re also a great act of mercy and just might earn someone a much needed promotion and raise.
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Haiku
September 19, 2018The Worst Kind of Day
Head is volcano,
Migraine ruined my whole day.
Sorry I can’t play, kids!
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September 19, 2018
My family gathers for a week at Thanksgiving each year at a rented beach house in New Jersey. We can only go every other year, and this is an off year. 😔
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Haiku
September 18, 2018Best Year Ever
Ready to make change,
Why wait for January?
I’ll start right here, now.
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September 18, 2018
My dream home has no doorbell.
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September 18, 2018
The way most people pay for these…they pay so much per month, so if you look at even the phone that’s priced over $1,000, most people pay $30 a month for it, so that’s about $1 a day.
I hate the way that he minimizes the issue.
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Haiku
September 17, 2018Self Control
Public release day,
Updates galore: apps, OS.
I updated none.
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September 17, 2018
Four hours after the public release and my resolve to stay on iOS 11 is flagging.
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September 16, 2018
I’m going to hold off on the iOS 12/macOS Mojave updates. Not any particular reason, just self-control.
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ChetCast
Episode 32: Dinner Plans
September 16, 2018The weekend is winding down and this children aren’t too interested in podcasting. So I welcome a special guest!
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Haiku
September 16, 2018America Runs On
I went to Dunkin’.
Just a dozen; confusion.
“Are you sure that’s all?”
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A Bit Too Comfortable
September 16, 2018One of the themes that I’ve been reflecting on in recent weeks is that of comfort. Jesus said many times that we would be persecuted, and that our hope should be in the life that is to come. We all have a desire to be comfortable, but as Catholics, that isn’t meant to be.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells Peter quite clearly that He doesn’t need to be defended. Truth requires no defense. It’s not my job or responsible to convince people of the truth of Truth, but rather to live my life in accord with it. By my example, others might choose to believe.
First Reading: Isaiah 50:5-9
Second Reading: James 2:14-18
Gospel: Mark 8:27-35
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Haiku
September 15, 2018Caffeine Headache
Quit coffee Friday.
Caffeine headache really hurts.
Should be over soon.
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September 15, 2018
Micro.blog is great in that your blog can be anything that you want it to be. I’m on version 2.0 of my blog, deleting everything and restarting after eight months of use. In version 1.0, I made it my Twitter. In version 2.0, I made it my own.