This past Saturday, I helped with a black belt test at my dojo. This is a day-long series of challenges that culminates in receiving this special rank. The moment the belt is placed around the waist is incredibly emotional–it’s the official signification of a long journey’s completion. It took me a while in my ownContinue reading “Material Measurement”
Monthly Archives: March 2023
The Less It Feels Like Lent, the More It Feels Like Lent
When one observes certain annual traditions long enough, you begin to develop layers to your expectations for them. If you’re used to an annual vacation to the same location every year, for instance, there is the macro level of anticipation for the trip overall. The dates are circled on your calendar, you make lists ofContinue reading “The Less It Feels Like Lent, the More It Feels Like Lent”
Coffeehouse Contemplative Book Excerpt: Propane Altars
Below is an excerpt from my book, Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk who lived in Paris in the seventeenth century. He is not really known for any grand speeches, writings, or miracles, but instead something much more subtle: he wrote a brief classic work called The Practice ofContinue reading “Coffeehouse Contemplative Book Excerpt: Propane Altars”
Jeffrey A. Nelson 