you are invited

I love to share poetry—that’s how this began. But this year, I want to invite you along as I commit to more beautiful rhythms for growing in wisdom and faith. These are all delights that I want more of in my life, that I believe are for the flourishing of people. And they are becoming more rare among our tech-saturated world. (I do not miss the irony of using tech to encourage these things, but even I cannot escape it entirely.) These aren’t the only means to wisdom or the encouragement of faith, but they are some, and the ones I think are needed in our time. In the Christian circles I walk in, people are dedicated to the reading of the Bible and to following Jesus. These are the most important steps of faith, and means for wisdom. What I hope to share in this little blue room, this little space where we can meet and talk, are good and beautiful ways to supplement Bible reading. Ways we can encounter God’s common graces in our daily lives. Paths that others have trod before me.

Poetry is one path—I believe to my core that poetry is for all people, and I share poems with pep talks in the hope that you might not be intimidated by the words.

Walking is another path—I believe we were made by God, and the natural world was made by Him as a dwelling place for us. Though the Fall of humankind has corrupted the world, there are remnants of glory woven into the fabric of our lands, and walking among the trees is a way to love what God loves and what God does.

Reflecting is also a path—I believe the art of reflecting is growing rare in our culture, to our detriment. “We do not learn from experience, we learn rom reflecting on experience,” said John Dewey. We have so much experience, but I am afraid we often do not learn from it. I want to push back against that temptation.

Grieving or lamenting is the last path—I believe we are neglectful of our sorrows and the space they need. We stuff them in our souls and trudge on, but God has wisdom to share through sorrow. He has people to make us through sorrow. This one may not show up every month, but it will appear as an invitation to grieve.

Welcome to the little blue room.