Pic of the Day

Laboring for the Lord

 

Tomorrow is Labor Day, a holiday that reminds us of the dignity of work and the contributions of workers in every field of life. For many, it’s a day of rest, marking the end of summer and the beginning of a new season. But as Christians, it’s also an opportunity to reflect on what Scripture says about labor—not just the work of our hands, but the work of our hearts and lives in service to God.

 

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 9:37–38:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Our world is full of need—spiritual, physical, and emotional. The work of sharing Christ’s love is never finished, and Jesus calls us to be part of that labor. Yet this is not a burdensome task. It is a holy calling, an invitation to sow seeds of kindness, compassion, and truth in a world desperate for hope.

 

At the same time, John 6:27 reminds us:

“Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life…”

We all know the demands of daily work: paychecks, deadlines, chores, and responsibilities. These are important, but they are not the whole picture. Jesus calls us to a deeper labor—the kind that nourishes the soul and points us toward eternity. When we labor for love, justice, and mercy, we invest in what can never fade.

 

The Apostle Paul encourages perseverance in 1 Corinthians 15:58:

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Even when our work feels unnoticed, exhausting, or unfruitful, God sees it. Every act of service, every word of encouragement, every moment we choose faithfulness over despair—it all matters in the kingdom of God.

 

And our work isn’t just about ourselves. Paul says in Ephesians 4:28:

“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

Work provides, but it also allows us to give. Honest labor is not just about earning a living—it’s about living generously. Our labor becomes an expression of love when it blesses others.

 

That’s why Paul instructs in Colossians 3:23:

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”

Work takes on new meaning when we do it for God. Whether it’s sweeping a floor, teaching a class, caring for children, or advocating for justice, when we do it “unto the Lord,” our daily labor becomes an act of worship.

 

Paul offers a warning in 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12:

“If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat… Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 

Labor is not only a calling but also a responsibility. God designed work as part of the goodness of creation—not as punishment but as purpose. In working, we live out both dignity and discipline.

 

And finally, Paul reminds Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:18:

“The laborer deserves his wages.”

Here lies an important truth: God values the worker. Just as employers should treat their workers with fairness, we must also remember that God honors every honest effort. No laborer goes unnoticed in His kingdom.

 

So, this Labor Day weekend, let us rest in gratitude for the work God has given us. Let us labor not only for earthly gain but also for eternal good. Let us find joy in doing all things as unto the Lord, steadfast and immovable, abounding always in His work.

 

Because in the Lord, our labor is never in vain.

Pic of the Day

 

Moment of Zen: College Football Season

College football season is here—time for touchdowns, tight pants, and plenty of eye candy.

Wrapping Up the Week

 

Friday is finally here—and it’s a holiday weekend, too. It’s been quite a week. Most of my time at work has been spent buried in emails: finding the right information to answer them, or carefully wording responses to delicate matters that really should have been handled by my boss. Still, I think it turned out to be a successful week overall.

I’ve got a few more emails to get through today, but the good news is that I’m working from home. Well, part of the day will be spent working from the mechanic’s while I get an oil change, but that still counts.

Once the workday is done, I’ve got three days ahead for some much-needed rest and relaxation. Here’s hoping it’s a restorative weekend for all of us.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, everyone!

Pic of the Day

Riding Out the Week

I’ve had some good days and some bad days lately with my back and leg pain. Monday wasn’t too bad, Tuesday was not so good, and yesterday turned out to be a pretty good day. The trouble is, my migraines seem to have struck a bargain with my body—if the back and leg aren’t bothering me, then the migraine will.

I’m about two weeks out from another round of Botox treatment, so the timing of these flare-ups is not entirely surprising. Monday began with a migraine that thankfully lifted by Tuesday, only to come back again yesterday. Yesterday’s was minor (if there is such a thing), but around midnight it flared up again and hasn’t eased this morning.

Still, I’m determined not to call in sick. I have things that need doing, emails to send, and hopefully I can get through them quickly. If the migraine doesn’t ease, today may turn into a half-day. The good news is that I’ll be working from home tomorrow, which should make it easier to take things at a slower pace if I need to. And after that comes a three-day weekend—something I’m definitely looking forward to.

Here’s hoping a little rest, a quieter schedule, and some time away from the grind will bring more good days than bad in the week ahead.

And of course, no week is complete without the Isabella Pic of the Week—Her Majesty all curled up in a soft gray blanket, perfectly demonstrating how to do rest and relaxation the right way.

Pic of the Day

Naked to Eternity: Male Bodies in Ancient Egyptian Art

Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep from the 5th Dynasty tomb at Saqqara 

When we step into a museum gallery of Egyptian art, our eyes are often drawn first to the monumental: gilded sarcophagi, stone statues of gods and pharaohs, and painted papyri filled with hieroglyphs. Yet another thread runs quietly through these collections: the unclothed male body. Ancient Egyptian artists depicted nudity with striking frankness, and far from being taboo, it carried layered meanings about status, labor, youth, purity, and renewal.

Mastaba (tomb) of Ti at Saqqara (c. 2400 BCE)

Unlike the Greeks, who later celebrated the nude as the pinnacle of beauty and heroism, the Egyptians approached nudity as a visual code. In Old Kingdom tombs, men engaged in physical work—farmers, boatmen, fishermen—are often shown nude or in the simplest of belts. The tomb of Ti at Saqqara (c. 2400 BCE) shows such figures, their lean musculature emphasizing vitality and their role in sustaining society. In contrast, Ti himself appears clothed in fine linen, his dress underscoring elite distinction.

Illustration of the Circumcision Ceremony in the Tomb of Ankhmahor

One particularly rare and fascinating relief from Saqqara, dating between 2350–2000 BCE, shows a circumcision ceremony in the tomb of Ankhmahor. Here, nude male figures are shown undergoing and performing the ritual—one of the few surviving artistic records of the practice in ancient Egypt. The nudity underscores both the ritual’s intimacy and its role in marking transition into maturity.

Wooden figure of a nude man. Egypt, Late Old Kingdom, 2345-2160 BC

Sculpture also embraced this frankness. A striking wood and plaster figure from the Teti pyramid cemetery at Saqqara depicts a naked man, his body rendered with a simple, direct realism. Nudity here communicates not shame, but the humanity and vitality of the subject.

A bas-relief on the wall leading to the suite of Mereruka’s son Meryteti shows nude male figures. The side-lock braids was a hairstyle worn by youths

Children, meanwhile, were almost always represented nude, often with the distinctive side lock of hair. In the tomb of Mereruka, on a wall leading to the suite of his son Meryteti, reliefs show nude boys with this hairstyle—a clear marker of youth. Such depictions reinforced the cultural code that nudity signified a stage of life, unencumbered until maturity called for clothing and social role.

“The Sole Companion Ha’a”

Even tomb owners themselves were not always portrayed clothed. For a brief period in the late Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period, there emerged a fashion of depicting the deceased nude before Osiris, lord of the underworld. These figures symbolized renewal and rebirth. A powerful example is the statue of the “sole companion Ha’a,” now at the Walters Art Museum, which shows the tomb owner nude in a stance of rejuvenation. His unclothed body is not vulnerable but potent—a symbol of life reborn.

Priests could also be represented nude in scenes of purification, where absence of clothing symbolized ritual purity. Nudity here functioned as a spiritual statement, aligning the physical with the sacred.

Statues of Menkaure (Mycerinus) with Hathor and Nome deities (c. 2490 BCE)

Even the kings, though usually shown in elaborate regalia, sometimes reveal the ideals of the nude body beneath. The famous triads of Menkaure (Mycerinus) from Giza (c. 2490 BCE) clothe the pharaoh in a kilt, yet the carving clings so closely that the idealized musculature beneath is practically a nude form.

It is worth remembering that erotic art did exist in Egypt—the Turin Erotic Papyrus (New Kingdom, c. 1150 BCE) leaves little doubt about the Egyptians’ playful side—but within tomb and temple contexts, nudity was symbolic rather than sensational. It marked youth, labor, ritual purity, or eternal renewal.

Men harvesting papyrus reeds in the tomb of Nefer at Saqqara

For us today, the honesty of these depictions can feel startling. To stand before the Ankhmahor relief in Saqqara, or to study the Walters’ statue of Ha’a, is to be reminded that the ancient Egyptians saw nudity not as scandalous, but as part of the visual language of life, death, and rebirth. For queer viewers especially, there’s something poignant here: the male body, shown frankly across centuries, becomes not just a record of status or ritual, but a reminder of continuity in human fascination with form, vitality, and beauty.

Where to See These Works Today
If you’d like to connect these ideas with objects you can actually view, here are a few key examples:

• The Tomb of Ankhmahor, Saqqara (2350–2000 BCE) – Relief of a circumcision scene (on-site in Egypt, reproductions in Cairo Museum).
• Wood and Plaster Nude Figure from the Teti Pyramid Cemetery, Saqqara – Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
• “The Sole Companion Ha’a” (late Old Kingdom / First Intermediate Period) – Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
• Reliefs from the Tomb of Mereruka, Saqqara – On-site in Egypt, with reproductions in major collections like the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Statues of Menkaure (Mycerinus) with Hathor and Nome deities (c. 2490 BCE) – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
• Turin Erotic Papyrus (c. 1150 BCE) – Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy.

Pic of the Day

I’m Dating a Man Who’s Married

 

I’m Dating a Man Who’s Married
By Aaron Smith
 
to a man who’s dating a man who’s                                                        
married to a woman. The husband
 
of the man I’m dating knows he’s
dating me and my boyfriend knows his
 
husband is dating the man who’s
married to the woman who does not
 
know her husband is gay. The guy
she’s married to—the boyfriend
 
of my boyfriend’s husband—just told
his mom he’s gay and she’s happy
 
because she never liked his wife
which is kind of funny but mostly
 
sad and I feel sad that her husband
who’s dating a man is also a man
 
with a mother who has never liked her.
I tell my boyfriend to tell his husband
 
to tell his boyfriend that he needs
to tell his wife sooner rather than later
 
and I know he knows that but still it needs
to be said. My boyfriend said his husband
 
said his boyfriend plans to tell his wife
Memorial Day weekend when his grown
 
kids are home from college and everyone,
I imagine, is eating potato salad by the pool.
 
She works at a flower shop two towns
over. I want to go there when she’s not
 
there and buy her flowers, leave a note
with her coworker at the counter:
 
              You deserve happiness, Natalie.
              You deserve love.
 
              Love,
 
              Your husband’s boyfriend’s
              husband’s boyfriend.
 
 
About the Poem
 
Aaron Smith’s poem “I’m Dating a Man Who’s Married” is a witty, layered, and poignant exploration of queer relationships, secrecy, and the tangled webs of love and obligation. At first glance, it reads like a piece of small-town gossip, the kind of convoluted story that grows more confusing the more one tries to explain it. Smith himself admits he “wanted this poem to seem like gossip and to sound convoluted in the way these scenarios sound when we try to convey them.” And indeed, the poem succeeds—its sentences loop and overlap, names vanish into pronouns, and each relationship branches into another until the reader feels caught in the same dizzying spiral as the speaker.
 
The poem begins plainly enough: the speaker is dating a man who is married to a woman. But very quickly, the cast expands—his boyfriend has a husband, that husband has a boyfriend, that boyfriend is still married to a woman, and on it goes. Each turn introduces another complication, another layer of secrecy or disclosure. The humor lies in the almost absurd wordplay of “my boyfriend’s husband’s boyfriend’s wife,” a construction that captures both the awkwardness of explaining queer love in heteronormative contexts and the entangled reality of lives lived in partial closets.
 
But beneath the comic tangle is sadness. At the heart of this web is Natalie—the unsuspecting wife, working in a flower shop two towns over. Her husband is living a life she doesn’t fully know, and the speaker’s compassion for her emerges in the imagined gesture of leaving her a note:

You deserve happiness, Natalie.
You deserve love.

It is the poem’s emotional crux. For all the confusion and gossip, Smith doesn’t let us forget the human cost of secrecy, the pain of those excluded from the truth, and the longing for everyone involved to find honesty and love.
 
The ending drives this home. The planned revelation is postponed until a convenient holiday weekend, when the family gathers “eating potato salad by the pool.” The image is almost comically suburban, yet it underscores how deeply closeted lives are woven into everyday rituals. Queerness is here, already part of the family table, even if it hasn’t been named aloud.
 
Smith’s poem is, in its way, deeply queer—not only in subject matter but in form. It resists straight lines, tidy categories, or simple relationships. It embraces convolution, contradiction, and the messy truth that love doesn’t always fit the scripts we’re handed. It is funny, yes, but also sad, compassionate, and achingly real.
 
For LGBTQ+ readers, the poem may feel familiar: the half-truths, the awkward explanations, the struggle to claim love openly without hurting others along the way. And for straight readers, it may pull back the curtain on just how complex closeted relationships can be—not only for the queer person hiding but for everyone around them.
 
Smith reminds us that at the end of all this gossip, the heart of the matter is love—love withheld, love shared, love denied, love deserved. And that is a truth worth repeating, even if it takes a whole poem of tangled pronouns to get there.
 
 
About the Poet
 
Aaron Smith is the author of several poetry collections, including Blue on Blue Ground (2005), Appetite (2012), and The Book of Daniel (2019). His work often explores themes of queer identity, desire, humor, and vulnerability, blending candor with a sharp, conversational style. Smith has received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and his poems have been widely published in literary journals. Known for his mix of wit and emotional honesty, Smith often examines the complications of gay life in America—balancing comedy, longing, and sharp social observation.

A Migraine Morning

I woke up this morning with a bad migraine. Sometimes, if I get up, take my morning medicines, and have a cup of coffee, the pain will ease enough to get through the day. Unfortunately, this is not one of those mornings.

I’ll wait until just after 6 a.m. to text my boss and let her know that I won’t be in. There are times when I can push through a mild migraine, but this one is anything but mild. I’m nauseated, and every movement makes the pain worse.

My back and leg are aching too, but they’re background noise compared to the pounding in my head. So today, I’m doing the only sensible thing I can do: calling in sick and going back to bed.

I do have physical therapy tomorrow morning, and maybe that will at least help improve my overall well-being. Here’s hoping tomorrow looks a little brighter.

Pic of the Day

 

Boasting in the Lord

 

“But, ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”

—2 Corinthians 10:17–18

Paul reminds us that real approval does not come from boasting about ourselves but from living a life that reflects God’s love. In today’s world, however, it often feels like those who shout the loudest about their own greatness get the most attention. Some leaders demand constant praise and belittle those who refuse to glorify them. But as Christians, we are called to a different way—the way of humility, service, and compassion.

That kind of leadership is not new. Scripture repeatedly warns us against arrogance and pride. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble” (Proverbs 11:2). The one who exalts himself may enjoy temporary power, but it does not last. Self-glorification is hollow because it centers on greed, fear, and division—not on God.

By contrast, there are leaders—both within and outside the church—who live out their faith not by proclaiming themselves righteous but by working for justice. They may not wear religion on their sleeves, but they defend the vulnerable, extend compassion to the marginalized, and recognize the inherent dignity of all God’s children. “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

President Jimmy Carter’s life of service—building homes for the poor, advocating for peace, and living humbly even after holding the highest office—is a sermon in itself. President Joe Biden often speaks of drawing strength from Scripture and has spoken openly about leaning on faith through personal tragedy. Whether or not one agrees with every policy, there is a recognizable humility in such leaders—a willingness to see others, to work for justice, and to help the vulnerable.

For LGBTQ+ people of faith, this passage speaks directly to our lived reality. Too often, we hear leaders who boast of their own “faithfulness” while working tirelessly to take away our rights, deny our families dignity, or paint us as enemies of God. They boast in their own power, but their actions betray the spirit of Christ. “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Words without love are just noise.

Right now, the difference could not be clearer:

Some leaders use fear, scapegoating, and exclusion to divide.
Others seek to protect rights, feed the hungry, and extend a hand of welcome.

As LGBTQ+ Christians, we know what it means to be on the margins. But we also know what it means to encounter Christ’s love in unexpected places—in a chosen family that embraces us, in a church that opens its doors instead of closing them, in the simple kindness of a stranger who affirms our worth. These are glimpses of God’s kingdom.

Glorifying the Lord is not found in loud proclamations of greatness or in parading one’s faith as a weapon. It is found in compassion lived out, in justice pursued, in love made visible. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). That is the measure—not who shouts the loudest, but who loves the most.

So let us boast in the Lord by how we live:

• When we advocate for the oppressed, we glorify God.
• When we refuse to return hate with hate, we glorify God.
• When we love boldly as LGBTQ+ people of faith—without shame and without fear—we glorify God.

This is our call to action: to live as people of hope in a world often bent on fear, to shine love where others spread hate, and to trust that God’s approval matters far more than the world’s applause.

Pic of the Day

 

Moment of Zen: Showers

Pic of the Day

 

A Rough Couple of Days

 

Yesterday was a rough day. Something had me extremely drowsy. I woke up, fed Isabella, and when I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer, I went back to bed. Later, I managed to write yesterday’s post and get ready for work, but I was still so out of it that I nearly fell asleep in the shower. At that point, I realized it wasn’t safe for me to drive. I texted my boss to let her know I was having some issues—balance and nausea, which were also true—and went back to bed.

When I woke up again, I felt a little better. My back and leg weren’t bothering me as much, and I wasn’t quite as drowsy, though the nausea lingered. Once I got to work, I was too busy to focus on how tired I felt, but the nausea stuck with me all day. I finally managed to eat a little dinner before heading to bed early, waiting for the dark to settle in.

This morning I woke up with a headache and lingering nausea, though I did manage some coffee and breakfast. I sort of slept well, but Isabella was agitated all night. She woke me at 10:30 for an unusual snuggle—curling up on my chest while I petted her until we both drifted off. Then she woke me again at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 4:00. I got up a few times to check on things—my blood sugar (since she has woken me before when I was hypoglycemic), her food and water, even just walking around the apartment. She had plenty of water, but I topped it off anyway. I never did figure out what was bothering her.

I’ll be glad to get home after work today. If I’m still feeling rough by lunchtime, I may just call it and come home. I’m looking forward to a restful weekend, though I do have an event to work tomorrow night. Thankfully, it’s not long, and I’ll be with some people I truly enjoy working with.

Wishing you all a great Friday and a wonderful weekend ahead!

Pic of the Day

 

Balancing Acts

Yesterday was a rough day. I actually expect the same today—not for the same reasons (at least I hope not)—but because I have an event to attend that usually requires standing for long periods and sitting in those uncomfortable folding chairs. With my back, I can’t stand too long and I certainly can’t sit in the wrong kind of chair for very long either. The event is scheduled for three hours, though I suspect we’ll only be there an hour and a half or two. Still, even that feels daunting.

What made yesterday difficult was having to go down into the basement to pull some objects for this event. My boss and I have already discussed my difficulty with stairs, and I’d been told to ask a particular person for help. When I did, that person went to my supervisor to complain—and instead of backing me up, my supervisor somewhat chastised me for even asking. Thankfully, someone outside of my department offered to help, which made all the difference.

I think today will work out fine, but I know my back and leg will pay for it later. After standing longer than usual yesterday, I already paid the price last night with extra pain. Still, I’m holding onto hope that each day brings a little more strength, a little more resilience, and maybe—just maybe—a little less pain.

Pic of the Day

Running on Empty

Some mornings, the words just don’t want to come. Today is one of those mornings. I thought maybe I’d write an art history post, but nothing has clicked yet. Maybe tomorrow inspiration will strike, but today, I’m drawing a blank.

Part of the problem is that work has been so busy lately as I catch up from when I was out. Yesterday was productive—I actually managed to get quite a bit done—but by the time I got home, I was wiped out. It felt like I had run a marathon without leaving my desk. Of course, there’s still plenty more to tackle today. Somehow the pile never gets smaller, it just rearranges itself into new and interesting shapes.

Right now, though, I don’t exactly feel like conquering that pile. I’m sitting here, yawning, wishing energy would magically appear. But I also haven’t had coffee yet, and let’s be honest—without coffee, I’m basically running on fumes. A cup or two might just be the miracle cure. Isabella has already had her breakfast and is now looking far more content and energized than I feel. I swear that cat has better time management than I do. Her daily schedule mostly consists of sleeping, staring out the window at the birds, eating a snack, and then fitting in a few more naps before starting the whole cycle over again.

So here’s to coffee, to productivity (hopefully), and to finding a spark of inspiration when it decides to arrive. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have an art post to share, but for now, I’ll just share the honest truth of a sleepy morning trying to find its rhythm.