Five things friday

 I know. I had good intentions of blogging several times this week... Yada yada. Anyway...

1. I did take the week off from running due to my bum ankle. Instead I rode my bike Monday, Wednesday and today. I also continued to ice, soak in epsom salts, and wore a compression sock as much as I could stand it. The swelling has gone down some, and it doesn't hurt like it did, but I definitely needed a break from running. The ankle was feeling pretty good until last night when I played basketball with the grandson. Dangit! Of course, the 23-mile bike ride today didn't help. I may take another week off from running (at least).
2. I finally started the actual writing of a sermon this week. I've sort of been preparing for it since February, and I don't deliver it until mid-July. I probably over-prepared though, which then made the act of writing that first sentence that much more difficult. I read several books, consulted several others, plus various substack posts and other items of information. I'm putting way more work into than it warrants, but, you know, that's how it goes. I'd say the hardest parts for me are: just getting started, and then putting the final touches on once I've got the basics down.
3. I read today where, between 2020 and 2024, the median price for a starter home rose 44%, from $169K to $287K. Did you catch that: a STARTER HOME!!! Oh, but let's occupy our news/politics/mindless airspace with the nut-job in the white house! The article doesn't mention it, but I still say private equity is to blame (or whatever the proper term for it is -- corporate "something"). Grr.
4. I saw the picture at the top of the page in the June 6, 2025 Renovaré newsletter It's from Fan Pu and is called "Happy Jesus" (I LOVE it!). This is the little write-up they had with it: "Christ’s Incarnation is unrepeatable, unique. But it was the Trinity’s good plan that the physical body of Jesus would leave this earth, and that his people would become the dwelling place for his Spirit. Fan Pu’s image reflects the incarnational reality that we are Christ’s body—the habitation for his Spirit on earth. Is our fellowship of such a character and unity that we are a “happy” expression of Christ’s body to the world? My friends, we cannot bear the image of Christ alone. Each person is one expression of God’s creativity, one unique package of personality, gifts, and beloved personhood. But the expression of God’s reality as a loving communion only comes into focus and into power as we love each other and join in worship, submission, growth, service, and friendship. A body’s strength and beauty comes from the diversity of its parts." 
5. "Simplify, then add lightness." (This guiding principle for high performance is from engineer and inventor Colin Chapman - h/t to James Clear - and is how I want to do the final edit on all my sermons from now on!)

Okey doke. I've been soaking my left foot in a bucket of ice water while writing this. Time to warm it up a bit with my afternoon tea, and maybe a nap. 

Find some peace (and joy) this weekend. However you can.