October 30, 2022

Archive

Night Watches

Running in and out of rooms during the night watches Unforeseen sleep-walking as I glance at the clock A little alka-seltzer and I grab a pen to jot thinking thot My fingers stiff during night watches where I recall yesteryears while thinking in darkness of the new day about to dawn I reach for Marley and rouse him and he gets to work licking his fur I roll overand find a new, comfortable recline Only in this darkness do I...

Acknowledging My Mother’s Birthday Today

Taking a few moments from my busy day – after having noticed the date – to mention that my mother, Margaret Ruth Linger Slifer, was born on this day ninety-nine years ago. Last night before bed, I opened my mother’s red diary to browse through her notations from April 1946 and then her large-hand-written notations in the same journal in January of 1967. I was three years old then, and apparently, she was quite upset around that time (reflective) about...

Hand-Painted Church Portrait on Wedding Invitation

Last week I finished another commissioned watercolor painting on matteboard surrounding a wedding invitation. The piece was custom framed in a cream barnwood, and my client was very pleased! “Oh my goodness! I love it. Your work has a wonderful 3D effect and your use of color really make the whole picture pop!” ~ karen Copponi The joy I feel when clients communicate their feelings about my work and how gifts were received brings such meaning to all I do...

Repentance, Fifty Shades of Black and Fifty Shades of White

Repentance. It’s a loaded word, and one that seems particular in most ways to Judeo-Christian thought. A word that from various sermons I’ve heard over the years means along the lines of making a 180 degree turn. A word that is defined by the Oxford Dictionary in the following way: re·pent·ance noun the action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse. “each person who turns to God in genuine repentance and faith will be saved” Similar: remorse-contrition-contriteness-penitence-sorrow-sorrowfulness-regret-ruefulness-remorsefulness-pangs of conscience-prickings of conscience-shame-guilt—self-reproach—self-condemnation-compunction-conversion-rue-sorriness...

Linguistic Battles

Tonight in my YouTube feed this talk called Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality (with Jordan Peterson and Helen Joyce) came up and I listened all the way through. I think this is a worthy share. Dr. Peterson presents so much for consideration, drawing upon his deep expertise in the field of psychology and his own personal experiences of vitriolic response to his non-compliance. Equally, Helen Joyce, a British journalist, presents such keen observations and also tells of the vitriolic response...