Author Archives: Jeff

Austin Lockdown – Churches

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Jeff

You go to war with the army you have. Donald Rumsfeld Rumsfeld took a lot of flack when he said this during the Iraqi invasion. It didn’t comfort the families whose members were dying due to shrapnel from Improvised Explosive … Continue reading →

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Austin Lockdown – Parcel Delivery

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Jeff

Yesterday, I received a text telling me I had a parcel in the lockers. Expected but several days late (2 days usually, 4 days this time). It’s a refill of some OTC anti-viral supplements. Today (Sunday), I received a text … Continue reading →

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Austin Lockdown – Days 2 & 3

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Jeff

Austin has slowed way down. Wednesday we went to the supermarket early to get staples that weren’t on the shelf the previous trip. This was in the middle of the morning rush hour. Normally, we only consider turning right out … Continue reading →

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Austin on Lockdown

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Jeff

Tuesday around noon, the Mayor of Austin and a Travis County judge announced a shutdown of all bars and restaurant dining areas (take-out and delivery are still allowed) and a ban on all meetings or gatherings with ten people or … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 | 1 Comment

Austin, Ides of March, 2020

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Jeff

Laurence Musgrove, an English professor at Angelo State University and the author of The Bluebonnet Sutras, has started Tejascovido, a Web journal for Texans (now gone) writing about the COVID-19 crisis. He is publishing several pieces a day, both poetry and prose. … Continue reading →

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Know It Owl

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Jeff

Couldn’t resist. A Burrowing Owl in Berkeley, CA, home of the University of California, Berkeley and several other fine institutions of learning.

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Beautifully Broken

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Jeff

A blog post by one of my favorite writers, Austin Kleon, and a YouTube video by one of my favorite musicians, Warren Hayes keep banging up up against each other in my head/heart. The song is “Beautifully Broken”. The post … Continue reading →

Posted in Spirtual Practice | Leave a comment

Don’t Read Poetry, by Stephanie Burt

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Jeff

Back in the 80s, I lived and worked for a month outside London. Weekends and a few week nights I’d ride the train into Waterloo Station, hop on the Underground, ride part way, then walk the rest to a museum, … Continue reading →

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The Bluebonnet Sutras

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Jeff

These wonderful sutras (Buddhist teachings) were written by Laurence Musgrove, English professor at Angelo State University. With no retreat centers or meditation teachers nearby, he documents his spiritual journey in original sutras, calling into dialogue the imagined persona of the … Continue reading →

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Niebuhr on Preaching

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Jeff

I hope my preaching will comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Reinhold Niebuhr This was one of the meditations today in the worship service. It is catchy, memorable, and a nice play on words. I don’t like it for … Continue reading →

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