News Fast, Day 4: The Joy of Limitations

Here I am on Day 4 of my self-imposed news fast.

What I miss the most:  Commenting on Facebook posts about news or news-related things.

What I don't miss at all:  Morning TV.  I have replaced that with music and podcasts from my iPod.  Nice!

What I love the most:  The limitation!

With "news" off the table, there are actually more things to explore.  I have downloaded podcasts to my iPod that I am now listening to when I would have been listening to, watching or reading the news.  I recommend Stuff You Missed in History Class.  (The link is to some top podcasts, including that one.)  OK, so I'm technically listening to old news!  How about A Crash Course in Miracles?  (Future news?)

Another limitation I have learned to truly enjoy is living gluten free.  There are so many things in the grocery store I just don't have to look at now.  I have enjoyed getting to know much better the international foods aisle and the health food aisles.  I didn't miss anything delicious in last night's dinner of Spicy eggs diablo on polenta.

Imagine other possibilities for creative limitations:

• Calorie limitations:  Dr. Oz promotes "extreme life extension" through a limited calorie life-style.  He calls it a "diet"; I prefer to adopt a "life-style."  Think of it as life extension rather than deprivation!

• The ability to say no:  Seven Simple Ways to Say No (from Zen Habits blog)

• Edited to add:  Haiku Productivity:  The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential (also from Zen Habits blog)

To be continued ...

No News is Good News

I had to quit watching the news.  Something about losing my marbles ...

The whole not-at-ground-zero not-a-mosque thing finally got to me.  It wasn't just that so few people seemed to remember the reason that Civics and American History were required courses.  As a pastor, I marveled (in horror) at how Bible stories about God's love and "who is my neighbor" were either long-forgotten or had become irrelevant to so many self-identified God-fearing Christian people.

I kept watching the news for evidence of a higher level of discussion, some bridge-building, rational thought, or "liberty and justice for all" responses worthy of "the greatest nation on earth."

I began to hear the "We just don't want them ... here ... now" reason sounding very much like the "ick factor" justifying homophobia and the "we're just not ready for that ... yet" of 1960's anti-segregationists. 

I felt helpless and bruised.  I ached watching people of faith (any faith) killing each other, even with words.  I had gotten too tense.  I had come to feel too responsible for helping people "see the light." I found little comfort in the news coverage, much less joy.

My soul clamors for more calm.  I need to breathe more deeply.  

Today I begin a 6-week news fast.  

From now until October 5, I have given up talk radio, news programs, and news sites.  I will not post on Facebook about news events.  Ditto for news tweets and re-tweets.  I suspect the world will go on just fine without me.  News of all kinds will continue to be made even if I am not there to hear it or see it or be involved in it.

I will watch a little Stewart and Colbert.  They are humor, people!  I could use the laugh.  I also will take some time Saturday to pop in on my favorite news blog, but only to catch the FireDogLake book salon with Frances Moore Lappe about Getting A Grip 2: Clarity, Creativity and Courage for the World We Really Want hosted by Christy Hardin Smith.

Today, as I drove around doing pastoral calls, I listened to lots of XM Radio Margaritaville.  Tonight, to really unwind, I tuned into AMC and watched the first Nanny McPhee movie.   And I blogged this! 

Friday Five: De/Re/Clutter

RevGalBlogPals throw out (so to speak) a Friday Five about clutter.


But first, a story:  I discovered the magic of being a "clutter-holic" when I was a child in my grandmother's attic-like garage.  After Sunday dinner, during "adult conversation time," we grandchildren amused ourselves by going out to the garage and going through her stuff -- trash to some, endless treasure to us. One year, we accidentally found the yet-unwrapped Christmas presents.  


Another time, we uncovered the not-so-well-hidden box of my uncle's treasures from his military days.  This picture reminds me of our best find -- a two-foot tall wooden naked (except for her grass skirt) Hawaiian girl who sported red Christmas lights where her nipples would have been.  Oh -- yes, indeed-y -- when she was plugged in, she danced (I believe) and her "girls" lit up (most definitely)!  The adults then would confiscate her, chastise us, and then put her somewhere else.  Then, the game every week became finding where they had hidden the floozy we named "Jezebel." 


1. What things do you like to hang on to?  Books and papers

2. What is hard to let go of?  Books and papers

3. What is easy to give away?  Clothes are easier than anything else

4. Is there any kind of stumbling block connected with cleaning out?  I don't want something to "go to waste" so it's easier if I know that I can give things to someone who will use them.

5. What do you like to collect, hoard, or admire?  Books, doilies, glass things, sentimental things, photos

Bonus: Tell us about recycling or whatever you can think of that goes along with this muttering about cluttering.

I would love to tell you about my worm composting, but I haven't actually started that ... yet!

Friday Five: Decisions, Decisions

The RevGalBlogPal "Friday Five" topic du jour is "DISCERNMENT" and the assignment blessedly avoids angst or deep digging.  "Tell us which word in the pair appeals to you most, and after you've done all five, give us the reason why for one of them."

1) Cake or Pie:  CAKE
2) Train or Airplane:  TRAIN
3) Mac or PC:  MAC
4) Univocal or Equivocal:  UNIVOCAL
5) Peter or Paul:  PAUL


Reason for Mac over PC:  I don't like to struggle.  My MacBook doesn't freeze up. It's easy to figure out.  It does what I want to do instead of the other way around.  And -- with a really cute hot pink skin -- goes everywhere stylin'!


Most difficult choice:  Peter or Paul, and it was the most fun to think about!


Catch 22 choice:  Cake or Pie, because I'm gluten free.  However, either can be made GF, and I've always liked cake the best, and not just for the icing, either.


My go-to discernment method:  For the big decisions, I don't always know what saying "yes" to God looks like.  However, when I consider saying "no" to something, and it feels like saying "no" to God, then "yes" is the way to go.