Nate, I loved reading this again. Great work. I'm just a humble reader, but when I restack each of your pieces, it's because they ask me think about what it means to live a meaningful life. This means a great deal to me. Thank you.
“They ask me to think about what it means to live a meaningful life.” That comment means a lot to me. I’m glad they serve that purpose for you and I hope that I can continue to write in a way that brings this same question to the reader.
My wallpaper is an icon of St. Benedict of Nursia, reminding me of the same thing! I also have “ora et labora” tattooed on my hands since prayer and work are the activities they are (or should be, at least) involved in.
Congrats! I enjoy your posting immensely especially your reverence to trade craft and teaching our youth that developing a skill and applying it is an honorable endeavor that can be valued for their lifetime.
This piece names so many things that I have learned in my work as a nurse. It is a beautiful meditation on the reality that the physical IS the spiritual. Thank you for sharing.
Love this. My Dad has been a pastor for over thirty years. He’s never been to seminary and was a carpenter before and sometimes while pastoring. My grandpa and two of my dad’s brothers were all some combination of pastor and carpenter as well and when I was small they did historic reconstruction together in New England.
Congratulations on your anniversary Nate! This was a wonderful piece and I think the focus on manual labour is spot on. There is a profound satisfaction when we invest our whole body in interacting with creation, making things happen. Both my husband and I are word people, and I often long for manual engagement that gets me our of my head (thus two bags of freshly sheered wool in our garage that I am currently processing with my youngest son - never tried this before....).
Nate, I loved reading this again. Great work. I'm just a humble reader, but when I restack each of your pieces, it's because they ask me think about what it means to live a meaningful life. This means a great deal to me. Thank you.
“They ask me to think about what it means to live a meaningful life.” That comment means a lot to me. I’m glad they serve that purpose for you and I hope that I can continue to write in a way that brings this same question to the reader.
Yesterday I put a pretty new wallpaper on my phone which reminds me, "Ora et Labora." Thank you for sharing this article again.
My wallpaper is an icon of St. Benedict of Nursia, reminding me of the same thing! I also have “ora et labora” tattooed on my hands since prayer and work are the activities they are (or should be, at least) involved in.
I’m glad your thumb recovered enough that you could start typing out your thoughts for us.
And I’m glad that it led to our paths crossing.
Congrats! I enjoy your posting immensely especially your reverence to trade craft and teaching our youth that developing a skill and applying it is an honorable endeavor that can be valued for their lifetime.
This piece names so many things that I have learned in my work as a nurse. It is a beautiful meditation on the reality that the physical IS the spiritual. Thank you for sharing.
Love this. My Dad has been a pastor for over thirty years. He’s never been to seminary and was a carpenter before and sometimes while pastoring. My grandpa and two of my dad’s brothers were all some combination of pastor and carpenter as well and when I was small they did historic reconstruction together in New England.
Congratulations on your anniversary Nate! This was a wonderful piece and I think the focus on manual labour is spot on. There is a profound satisfaction when we invest our whole body in interacting with creation, making things happen. Both my husband and I are word people, and I often long for manual engagement that gets me our of my head (thus two bags of freshly sheered wool in our garage that I am currently processing with my youngest son - never tried this before....).
All the best in your continued writing and work!