What's in a Word?

Hi there! Hope your 2024 is off to a terrific start.

I was in northwest Arkansas last week visiting my brother, and my sister took this photo of the lovely Christ of the Ozarks statue outside Eureka Springs. It's 65.5 feet tall, and Jesus's hand span is almost exactly the same distance. The man who provided much of the funding had a challenging past, including anti-Semitism. The sculptor it turns out created Rapid City, South Dakota's Dinosaur Park, much beloved by my family.

I've been thinking about how even the worst of lives have some good--and that the worst of people are loved by God and have the opportunity for redemption. (And of course, even the "best" of people can grow in love and faith.) There's time for change, but we never know how much more time we have.

I was messaging with my friend Christine Eberle as I was retiring from the day job. She went full-time self-employed several years ago and since she was too young to retire, she considers herself "repurposed." I liked that a lot, and asked if she'd mind if I made that my word to live by for 2024. She was kind enough to say yes.

"Repurposed" to me says the good parts and the good efforts of my life aren't ending; rather, they're being put to different uses in this different time. And, I hope, the repurposing will lead to the winnowing out of some of the bad parts--sooner rather than lat.

What's your word for 2024 and why? Please let me know, and I'll include some responses (first name only) in next month's newsletter.

On the Nightstand: The Great Unknown: The Holy Spirit and His Gifts

I'm pretty confident that if you ask 10 friends to which Person of the Holy Trinity they pray, eight or nine of them will say God the Father or Jesus. The Holy Spirit just doesn't seem to get as much attention, beyond the beautiful "Come, Holy Spirit" prayer.

I'm looking forward to delving into this new book, which includes among its promised benefits "practical methods to help you grow in docility to the Holy Spirit" and "the one way for your soul to be practically and profoundly Christian."

What's on your nightstand?

I got home from Arkansas to find author copies of the little booklet I wrote for my friends at Bayard/Creative Communications on praying with Bernadette of Lourdes. I'm delighted with the way it turned out, and hope you'll consider ordering a copy or two.

My new book, Unforgettable Women of the Gospels: 8 Unnamed Women in Scripture and Their Encounters with Jesus, is available for pre-order from the publisher or any other online or bricks and mortar bookstore. It will be published later this month. It's already been chosen as the next selection for a Pennsylvania parish's book club, and I'll be joining them virtually for a conversation. Just let me know if your group is interested in something similar.

I'll also be catching up with friends I haven't seen for too long, attending a couple of Smithsonian virtual events, going to a couple of Capitals games, and... knitting. I used to knit a lot decades ago, and this time, I'm going to make something for myself! A repurposed skill, as most of my earlier projects were baby gifts

Have a great January! Peace, Melanie