The Chronicles of Janie

Detail from St. Thomas - Georges de La Tour Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule over me.  Then I will be innocent and cleansed from blatant rebellion. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19: 12-14 Lately, I've felt entrapped in a spiritual mire; stuck in a pattern of 'doing what I hate'. (Rom. 7:15).  I frequently have trouble viewing my problems from a proper perspective, and my tendency is usually to blow my bad qualities far out of proportion and overlook the good qualities and victories in my life. I struggle against this, but it's easy for me to fall into a fatalistic mindset. I begin to give credence to the lying voice that whispers, 'you've failed. You are failing. You will always fail.' So it's a very healthy thing for me to have some standard ot...

Artist unknown Rise up, Lord! Do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence. Psalm 9:19 This is the age of the internet, where we can conveniently access almost any information, at any time, anywhere. Through our social media sites, we're barraged by a steady stream of talk, talk, talk and photo upon photo. Instagram shots of someone's breakfast mingle with articles about the vanishing of Malaysia Airlines flight 270. Stark photos of Ukrainian protestors are exhibited alongside book reviews...baby pictures...gripes about the weather. That is the jarring and incongruous reality of the times in which we live. The world is right there - with all its tragedy, triumph, and filth - each time I open Facebook or read the news, and this connectedness can grow to be very overwhelming. I sometimes feel the urge to live in deliberate ignorance, focusing solely on the things that are pleasant or under my control. I'm further te...

I am a lover of simplicity.  I would rather walk than drive, sweep than vacuum, and as for washing dishes...I never even used a dishwasher 'til I was in my teens. I trust that God knew what He was doing when He placed me in the here and now, but my lifestyle does not always match my inclinations. Modernity bustles along at such breakneck speed, offers such a bewildering amount of stimulation, that I am sometimes driven to the brink of distraction. I long for the quiet solidity of simple work and the peace of separation from a clamorous world. So once in awhile, it is good to  do without some things:  internet overhead lighting limitless running water phones I do not strictly need these conveniences. I certainly don't deserve them.  It's good to be reminded of that. It's good to lay aside privilege and entitlement and simply enjoy life as it comes. To slow do...

Source I am a dazzled wanderer in this vast and dangerous world of words. I grapple vaguely with ideas that are far bigger than I am, and, generally, blunder about making a terrible hash of things. Nevertheless, writing is an important part of my regimen for maintaining mental and emotional health. Remove the splendid challenge and liberation of transforming thoughts into words, and something inside of me begins to shrivel. Writers seem to be a fairly dissimilar set of folks with individual styles and methods, striving together to achieve excellence in a craft that is vulnerable to the whims and foibles of every reader. Personally, I'm terrified about this level of vulnerability and my hat goes off to any writer who is even  trying . So far be it from me to press unsolicited advice upon my fellow scribblers (who are probably much more skilled than I am, anyway). However, if you're in the humor to waive my lack of authorly cr...