As I noted last week, I’ve been sick, tired, and busy, which is a bad combination; at this point, there’s nothing for it but to punch through Christmas, and then I can take some time to rest and recharge. Thinking about it, though, I realized that that’s not the only issue: this interruption has knocked me off the discipline of writing. When I took up the thought of blogging as a spiritual discipline, that made a major difference in the frequency of my writing (as a look at the blog archive clearly shows), and I think it’s done me some good; and part of that has been the most basic part of the discipline, that of just sitting down and posting something, even if I don’t have anything particularly profound or significant to say. I’ve lost that in the last several weeks, and unfortunately, the last seven days of Advent aren’t a great time to recover it, especially with a wedding to do right after Christmas. That, I think, will need to be part of my more general recovery time through the Christmas season proper. That discipline has been too valuable for me—I don’t intend to let it go; and if it’s occasionally been valuable to others as well, then so much the more reason.
So, yes, I’m still around, still breathing, and still experiencing an occasional flash when one neuron is willing to talk to another; and while I can’t claim I’ll be back to normal posting frequency tomorrow, I fully intend to be soon. In the meantime, God’s richest blessings be upon you this Advent.
Rob, I am totally with ya on this. When I took up blogging in 2007, I posted a few times a month, and discovered a new part of myself that I didn't know existed. For 2008, I decided to do a 365 challenge, and I did, combining fun with photography and cooking and writing, and God used it to speak to me through those 2 years in immense ways. I gave myself a "break" for 2009 but it wasn't the break I expected; I have missed the discipline, the insight, and the time that it takes to stop and think of what to write. I've missed the time with God. So I'm definitely with you on the 'not giving it up part.'
Here's hoping and a prayer that you feel better, and that this Christmas is a time of peace, rest, and rejuvination for you and your family. Looking forward to when you feel like writing again, I love coming here.
Thanks very much. I'm starting to feel rested, I think. God's blessings on you this year.