Monday, According to Isabella

I woke up this morning, opened one eye, and saw Isabella standing next to me, staring—clearly just about to wake me.

I closed my eye again, rolled over, and checked the time.

3:00 a.m.

Then it hit me.

Fuck. It’s Monday. I have to go to work today.

I went back to sleep, absolutely not ready to face the day.

Isabella tried again at 4:00 a.m. I ignored her. By 4:30, she was more persistent, so I constructed a pillow barrier between us and fell back asleep. That worked… briefly.

I woke again and noticed the living room light was on—a sure sign that it was after 5:00 a.m., which in Isabella’s mind means it’s time to escalate the campaign.

I checked the clock.

5:05 a.m.

Ugh.

At that point, I had no choice but to start my day.

Pic of the Day

Joy as an Ethical Measure

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

— John 15:11

There is a quiet belief that has shaped my life more than I sometimes realize: joy matters.

Not just my joy—but the joy I help create in others.

That idea can feel almost subversive in a faith tradition that has often taught us to be suspicious of pleasure and wary of desire. We were taught, sometimes explicitly and sometimes by implication, that holiness was measured by restraint, by endurance, by how much of ourselves we could deny. Joy, if it appeared at all, was treated as a reward—something deferred, conditional, or fleeting.

Yet Jesus says something very different.

He speaks of joy not as a side effect, but as an intention: “that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” This is not the language of scarcity or fear. It is the language of fullness—of lives lived in connection, honesty, and mutual regard.

When I examine my choices—whether they are tender, complicated, earthy, or entirely ordinary—I find myself returning to three simple questions:

• Did this bring life?
  
• Did it honor the other?
  
• Would I receive what I’m offering?
  

These questions aren’t loopholes or excuses. They are ethical touchstones. They force me to consider not just what I want, but how my actions land in the lives of others.

They echo Jesus’ own teaching: “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). This is not about moral bookkeeping; it is about reciprocity. It assumes dignity. It assumes consent. It assumes that love is something exchanged, not extracted.

Paul writes, “For you were called to freedom… only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become servants to one another” (Galatians 5:13). Freedom here is not erased by desire—it is guided by love. Service is not self-erasure; it is attentiveness to the humanity in front of us.

Even in places where language is earthy and desire is intense, the Spirit does not suddenly leave the room. The question is not, Was this pure enough? but Was this honest? Was it mutual? Was it life-giving?

Scripture reminds us that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” (Galatians 5:22). Joy is not an afterthought—it is evidence. When joy appears alongside love and peace, something sacred is taking place.

At my core, I don’t believe ethics are about shrinking ourselves to avoid harm. I believe they are about showing up fully—awake to our own humanity and to the humanity of others. Joy that honors the other is not selfish. It is relational. It reflects the God who looked at creation and called it very good (Genesis 1:31).

Perhaps the holiest question we can ask is not Am I allowed? but Did this make room for life?

If it did—if it honored, enlivened, and respected—then joy was not a detour from faith.

It was the path itself.

Pic of the Day

Moment of Zen: Coffee

Pic of the Day

Friday, Interrupted (Briefly)

I don’t have a whole lot to say this morning—and honestly, that feels very on brand for a Friday.

Thankfully, it is Friday, and I’m working from home today, which already puts the day in a better light. Last night, however, didn’t help much. I stayed up far too late watching the Fiesta Bowl, only to see Ole Miss lose to Miami in the final minutes. Disappointing endings are never great, but they’re especially rude when they cost you sleep.

Of course, Isabella did not care about any of that. She still wanted breakfast at 4 a.m. sharp. She’s fed now, priorities have been addressed, and since I’m working from home, I have the luxury of crawling back into bed for a little while longer.

That’s exactly what I’m about to do. With any luck, I’ll be sound asleep again by the time this posts—dreaming of a better ending, a quieter night, and maybe a nap later that doesn’t involve football at all.

Happy Friday, friends. I hope yours starts a little more smoothly than mine.

Pic of the Day

A Bit Sore, but Moving Forward

Yesterday’s root canal went far better than I expected. In fact, it was quick and almost anticlimactic. I spent more time sitting in the chair waiting for the dentist than I did actually having the procedure done—long enough, even, to finish the book I’d brought with me. That felt like a small victory in itself.

The novocain did its job without causing the usual problems. No nitrous oxide here—none of the dentists around me seem to use it—but thankfully, the numbing agent didn’t trigger a migraine this time, which is always my biggest concern. When I got home, I lay down and took a solid nap. By the time I woke up, the numbness had completely worn off.

That’s when the soreness set in. I was achy once the novocain faded, and I woke up this morning still feeling some lingering pain. It’s not unexpected, and it’s manageable, but it does mean I’m moving a little slower today and being intentional about resting, hydrating, and not pushing myself.

Unfortunately, today is still an in-office day. I have a list of things that need to get done and some catching up that can’t really wait, so in I go—even if I’d much rather be taking it easy. The small consolation is knowing that tomorrow will be a work-from-home day, which will allow me to slow down, stay comfortable, and give my body a bit more grace as it continues to recover.

I want to keep today’s post centered on that—on health, recovery, and listening to what my body needs. I know I sometimes write about politics here, and many of you may have seen the news about the tragic shooting of a woman in Minneapolis yesterday by an ICE officer. I’m too horrified and angry to say much more right now. What I will say is this: sending armed agents into cities to intimidate and terrorize civilians is not governance—it’s cruelty. And history is very clear about how “I was just following orders” has never been an acceptable excuse for crimes against humanity.

That said, today I need to pull my attention back to healing, to staying grounded, and to taking care of myself so I can show up again with clarity and strength. Some days require reflection and outrage; others require rest and recovery. Today is the latter, with a quiet acknowledgment of the former.

I hope your own day is gentler than my jaw feels at the moment—and that you’re finding space to care for yourself, too.

Pic of the Day