When I can’t fit my thoughts in my regular newsletter, I come here to ramble, sometimes even eloquently. As a jack-of-all-trades type, the topics vary greatly. You’ll find stories behind my paintings, short stories and essays on anything from agriculture to intentional living to cultural issues. If you don’t like one post, maybe don’t give up until you’ve tasted a few.
Often, I’m mentally chewing on some big things and just want to send my thoughts out to the void, secretly hoping for some solidarity.
Always, I strive to filter these thoughts through a sieve built with love.
Thoughts, updates, stories…
With Love, Elli
The Way We’ve Always Done It
Once there was island nation called Potamus, where the trees grew short and stout and the residents lived on seaweed. The island was volcanic, and frequent eruptions of hot gas singed the treetops and forced the rain forest to grow out rather than up. The volcano was only middle-aged and mostly friendly. It still lay low in the center of the island rather than a mountain looming high over it. It would remain so for centuries to come for it was content to bubble and puff rather than build itself up with lava at the cost of destruction of life on the ring of land.
The creatures who lived on Potamus were gray and bulbus, with long tubular noses.
On Stewardship, Slowness and Connection
Remaining disconnected from broken humans and animals that know a thousand ways to die may seem the easier route, but it’s infinitely less satisfying. Much like the health benefits from choosing regenerative farming, choosing to make disciples comes with incalculable benefits, life abundantly. We can all sit and remain “blissfully ignorant” consumers. I won’t pretend that there isn’t pain in watching an addict relapse or a child struggle in an incredibly difficult home. I won’t pretend that it’s easy to encounter my own flesh as we plow, sow and harvest alongside other believers. But friends, the growth and joy and drawing deep into Jesus is more bliss than any ignorance can pretend to give.
Escape to Nowhere / Iridescent Poison
I prayed for refuge from the poisonous fumes I had fancied. I begged to get away from the ever-dry storm that brought smoke in front of flames.
Do you know what happened?
He refused.
Are there Hobbits in Christianity?
Despite having so many projects, deadlines to make and our main school lessons to finish for the year, I can’t help but continue to work on my novel. Even if I’m not putting more words on the page, the characters and their stories are growing in my silly brain. Right now, I’m staring the action scenes in the face so I’ve been reading other novels to give that time to develop. Right now I’m over halfway through Tolkien’s Return of the King.
It’s been a while since I’ve read the Lord of the Rings. And as it should be I’ve learned so much since then, but particularly about spiritual warfare. Tolkien loathed direct allegory, but did love to use symbolism creatively in his works. I can’t even tell you how much beauty and truth I’m finding in it and some of it strikes me so hard and so deep. Why am I telling you this? Because I have a couple of thoughts ignited by my recent reading that I wanted to chat with you guys about, even ask you about. But I wanted to assure you that I’m not going to talk about LOTR forever! I’ll do a couple of posts this week and try (my very best) to be done for the time being. But don’t be afraid to shoot me an e-mail (or reach out on social media) and continue the conversation!
