Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write about the joy of reading a novel, a novel on paper pages--Ian McEwan's "What We Can Know" is amazing on several levels, and now I'm off to write a blog post about it.

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to blog a bit about having turned in all my grades for the in-person and online classes that I taught this term, here to start doing some writing that isn't commenting on papers and projects. Or maybe some baking. Or maybe both.

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write a blog post about an idea for a new manuscript of poems, here to do some submitting individual poems in the waning days of the year.

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write in my offline journal, which always makes me wonder why I don't move more of my writing offline.

Here for #5amwritersclub, on the Feast Day of Santa Lucia--the blog post practically writes itself.

Here for #5amwritersclub, on a Sunday, which means the writing is sermon revising--and this time of year, checking the weather radar to make sure the trip across the mountains can be done. Worship is at 10 a.m. at Faith Lutheran in Bristol, TN, and all are welcome!

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write a blog post about yesterday's snowy but safe commute to worship in Bristol, TN.

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to blog about Christmas countdown. I'm always writing at 5 a.m., even when I forget to check in--wishing us all a great week before Christmas, a great week of Hanukkah, a great solstice week, or a great week of no winter celebration of any kind!

Here for #5amwritersclub: a bit of blogging and a bit of writing in my offline journal. It's time to start thinking of New Year's Resolutions, or as I like to frame them, my intentions for 2026.

Here for #5amwritersclub, which is sermon polishing time on a Sunday before heading over the mountains to preach and preside at Faith Lutheran in Bristol, TN. Worship is at 10 a.m., and all are welcome (Christmas Eve is at 5 p.m., and all are welcome).

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to do a bit of blogging in these days before Christmas.

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to do some sermon polishing for tonight's Christmas Eve sermon, which is not the radical sermon I might preach some day, about how history might have been different had we focused on salvation coming from a womb, not the cross.

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write a blog post about a lovely Christmas Eve on this quiet Christmas morning, full of twinkly lights and a pumpkin roll to eat. It's not the traditional rolled cake for Christmas, not a Buche de Noel, but it's tasty. Autumn into Christmas.

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write a blog post about the successful melanoma removal done on my arm yesterday. It was a shallow melanoma (.3 mm)--hurrah! It was wide, though, so I had to have the removal done in the hospital.

Here for #5amwritersclub, here on a Sunday where I'm not preaching so no sermon revising this morning. Maybe some time for poems before the new year arrives!

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write a blog post about seeing a Vegas-style magic show, here in little Williamsburg, VA--what fun!

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write a blog post about watching "Chariots of Fire," a perfect film for New Year's Day or any day.

Here for #5amwritersclub. It's Sunday, which means sermon revising time before heading over the mountain to preach and preside at Faith Lutheran in Bristol, TN. Worship begins at 10, and all are welcome!

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write a blog post about "A House of Dynamite," which I saw twice this week-end--maybe not the best movie to watch during a week-end of happenings in Venezuela (that would be "Missing"), but blog post worthy nonetheless.

Here for #5amwritersclub, here to write a blog post about the first day back after winter break at Spartanburg Methodist College, a day of one brief meeting, workshops for teachers, and two (two!) great meals, real meals, not boxed lunch, not snacks.