Life’s Surprises

2025 Update

The post below is part of the origin story of Plainsong Farm - it's easy to see as I look back how incredibly tentative I was about posting anything about it on the internet at the time.

The second reason I didn't keep up the series - the one I wasn't ready to say - is that it became clear that my family would soon be moving from the house we had lived in for fourteen years – so it could maybe, possibly, become Plainsong Farm.

Original 2014 Post

It’s been more than a week since my last Next America post. There are two big reasons for that. One is that I punctured my foot (through boots!) on a rusty nail last Sunday afternoon. I thought being required to keep my foot up would lead to blog writing, but it didn’t. At first my energy went to enduring pain, and then my energy went to wondering (ok, worrying) if I was developing an infection.

Now, almost a week after the injury, I am walking around almost like a normal person. You would have to notice the bandage still wrapped around my foot – or the purple marker outlining the area of potential infection on my foot! – to realize something was wrong.

But I didn’t write my post for the Next America series.

And tomorrow, I am driving to Detroit and getting on a plane to the E-Formation conference at Virginia Theological Seminary. When I get back, I will have to catch up from four days away. Which is to say, I don’t think I will be writing my post for the Next America series this week either.

I am not abandoning this task: I’ve learned too much, and I’m too close to the end. So I’m rescheduling. I’ve altered the calendar to reflect my current plans.

Astute readers might have noticed that in the first paragraph I said there were two big reasons I didn’t write a post this week. The foot injury is one of them. I look forward to telling you the other sometime soon. But it’s a long story, and I have packing to do.

For now, let’s just say the other reason is an answer to prayer which will help me love my family and serve my congregation and community. But it was significantly time- and mind-consuming this week. There. Clear as mud?

Sorry to be cryptic – I’ll be back with more soon!