Monday meander

I don't know why it is sometimes so hard to write a post. I fully intended to do a Five Things Friday... but it was a busier than usual day and I was just too wiped out to get it done before date night began. Instead I was going to do a Six Things Saturday... and Seven for Sunday... and... here we are. Oof. But I wanted to get something down because this looks like it will be a wild week too and today may be my only chance. So, here's some stuff...

1. I loved this article in The Athletic about Dr. Alan Poisner: 'I'm 90 Years Old and Still Walk Competitively.' Hows about that?!? I believe it's a free article, but basically he didn't start walking intentionally (or competitively) until later in life, and he still finds joy in it!
2. Speaking of running things... Several years ago I started practicing (or trying to) a style known as 'Chi Running.' According to their website: "Chi (pronounced chee as in cheetah) is the Chinese term for “that which animates all life.” It is also called “life force energy.” The ChiRunning and ChiWalking techniques have blended movement principles from the ancient martial art, T’ai Chi, with the active sports of running and walking. This blend creates a more mindful, centered and balanced approach to fitness."  I also receive their newsletter, which you can sign up for at the bottom of the aforementioned website. Anyhew, what I wanted to mention was... In their 7/24 edition they discussed how we can actually use chi running techniques when we face stress in everyday life too. If you become overwhelmed they suggest putting chi skill into action: Pause, Ground yourself, Realign your body, Breathe, and Focus your mind. It's good stuff!
3. In totally unrelated interests... Richard Beck had another awesome substack post on 7/21 that, at least in my opinion, really gets to the heart of why I believe the MAGA movement is demonic. He was pulling from a 2013 address he made that was originally titled "On Anarchism and Assholes: Social Psychological Reflections on Anarchism and The Principalities and Powers." The Christian Scholars Conference he was speaking at made him change it to "It Should Not Be So Among You"... but when I talk about trump as being "anti-Christ" and MAGA being demonic, this is what I mean. It's worth the read HERE.
4. Speaking of substack... Yeah, I finally took the plunge and wrote a post on mine (HERE). Please do feel free to subscribe (it is free, btw). Anyhew, I intended to post the Five Things Friday there each week, and maybe even share it on my Facebook. But, you know, I'm feeling pretty chicken right now. We'll see if I ever write anything there again...
5. I haven shared about a movie in some time... mostly because I forget about them (almost immediately). We saw two this weekend that I actually remember though! We saw F1: The Movie in the theater, and I really liked it! Of course it helps if you like Brad Pitt, and now Brad Pitt as the wild, old soul. I think it was a good movie. And I liked the underlying message that "It's not always about the money." The other movie we watched (at home) was American Fiction. It's not just about Black entertainment, but the shallowness of it ALL. I enjoyed (and remembered) both films.
6. On a more personal note... I have met with a friend and fellow pastor once-a-week(ish) for right about 26 years now. We started meeting when I got my first job in August 1999, and he had just started a few months earlier at a neighboring church. We have met to discuss books, as accountability partners, to sharpen one another, complain with one another, we were briefly business partners (coaching), and until a couple years ago - when he moved to Michigan - we used to have breakfast together. Now we meet on Google Meet. Except a couple weeks ago he was in town for his denominations triennial conference, and we hung out together in person again! I had a breakfast meeting with someone else that day, so we went to lunch together, then spent a few hours at Sweetwater drooling over guitars and other musical equipment. It was nice.
7. The quote for today: "Beauty isn't all about just nice loveliness.... Beauty is about more rounded, substantial becoming. So I think beauty, in that sense, is about an emerging fullness, a greater sense of grace and elegance, a deeper sense of depth, and also a kind of homecoming for the enriched memory of your unfolding life." - Irish poet John O'Donohue (from Aundi Kolber's 'Try Softer' p.129)

Alrighty kids... not sure when I'll be back, but in the meantime... there are plenty of dragons to slay. Let's do it!!!