Lovingkindness

I've always liked saying the word "lovingkindness."

It feels very King James; it rolls off the tongue with a hint of the exotic flavor of archaic language. Written as one word, it's quite memorable, and as a word person, I rather enjoy it.

I also have some nostalgic attachments to the word. I remember my mom teaching me to sing Pslam 63:3 - "Thy lovingkindness is better than life / Thy lovingkindness is better than life / my lips shall praise thee / thus will I bless thee / I will lift up my hands unto thy name."

But it wasn't until about a year ago that the word really started to mean something to me beyond the quaint combination of descriptor and noun. I started to see why it was written as a single word.

Interview with Ginny Owens - Part One

I am an unlikely Ginny Owens fan.

Mine was a classical music family; I didn’t know the difference between R&B and jazz, but I was certain I didn’t like them. So when I first heard Ginny perform back in 2005, two things immediately came to mind: 1) this sounds kind of jazzy, and 2) I kind of like it.

It was a bewildering experience.

I love good lyrics, and Ginny Owens’ are among the best. They drew me in and sustained me while my ears acclimated to her musical style.

Traditionally characterized by soul, jazz, and R&B influences, Ginny has always been versatile. With her newest album, she crosses into pop music, bringing those thoughtful lyrics with her.

Ginny crafts her words with great care, and it shows. In addition to writing songs, Ginny blogs on her website, co-wrote a book with Andrew Greer about the relevance of the Old Testament to our faith and lives, and recently released a 14-day devotional. In each case, her writing is not just good, but insightful.

Anyone who takes such pains in her craft is someone I wanted to speak with about my favorite subject: the intersection of faith and the arts. So I did! Here’s Part One of what she had to say:

For folks who don’t know, how did you get into songwriting?

I started songwriting at age seven or eight – probably because God knew it would take me a long, long time to become decent at it. But I was fervent at first in not pursuing music. I liked writing songs, but I bristled at the stereotype that all blind people have to be musicians.

Postus Interactivus! (Survey Time!)

Howdy, folks!

I've been on a bit of a sabbatical from blogging, but the hecticness is finally over!*

Since I combined my two blogs, I thought it might be a good idea to see what you guys** are actually interested in reading about. Please complete this (very short) survey and let me know! For your convenience, I've included a short description of each option below.

Thanks!!


Survey:

Create your survey with SurveyMonkey


Descriptions:*^

Arts & Faith: My thoughts about the intersection of these two topics. This will manifest itself in mini-essays, personal reflections, and perhaps the occasional interview or guest blog.

Wednesday Review: Typically, I've reviewed books, movies and music on Wednesdays. Learn what's out there that's good! (I only review things I liked.)

From the Vaults: These posts feature old work of mine (from childhood, school days, college, etc). Basically good fun.

Off the Shelf: I've traveled a lot, and in my travels, I've collected some great souvenirs. Off the Shelf posts tell the stories behind the stuff.

Memory Lane: Here, I basically recount a story of my life and travels, either from memory or from my journal. If you're wondering, "that sounds boring," I have lived in six states and three countries, and have visited several more. I also spent six years in the Air Force. So... it can't be that boring.

Creative Writing: If you're interested, I'm happy to share some of the things I create.

Q&A: Submit your questions about faith, writing, or adventure in the comments section of the most recent post, and I'll answer some of them.

Other: Daily life stuff, or you can make a request for specific content.



*It might return at some point, but when it does, I'll be ready!
**Assuming you're still here after my months-long absence...
*^For examples, see previous posts.

Work-Life Imbalance

Originally posted on the Ooligan Blog.

School, work, and life: The graduate school trifecta. It can be demanding, especially around finals week. Thankfully, the only thing at stake is our futures, a fact we’re so much more aware of than we were as undergraduates. So no pressure.

Everyone’s work-life situation is unique to them; the only thing I have in common with my fellow students at Ooligan Press is that we’re all studying book publishing at Portland State University. The rest is up for grabs. We work, we have families, we’re looking for jobs in the industry—we’re trying to get enough sleep. It’s impossible, and that’s why we keep blogging about it.

Weekend Update - Anna Lynn

Big update for my first ever "Weekend Update:" I have a new niece! Her name is Anna Lynn and she is now seven days old. She's a petite little thing; even though she was only about two weeks early and not premature, she was born 5 lbs 11 oz, and fits well in the little preemie outfits I brought her yesterday.

Me holding Anna, 6 days old.

Mom came out on the train, so I picked her up and we drove to my brother and sister-in-law's together, sniping at each other when we got confused about which roads to turn on, and laughing immediately afterwards because this is how we roadtrip. We're having fun.