Greetings, dear pond readers! For the D&D fans out there in cyberspace you might recognize the subject of today’s blog post as one of the best D&D spells. This is because I’m sharing some recent communications from my family groups that brought me joy and healing, much like the spell does when I’m not rolling well in-game.
The sermon a couple weeks ago at my church home, St. Matthias Church in Waukesha, healed something inside that hurt. As a working scientist who is also a devout follower of Jesus, I have been in both religious and academic spaces that were unfriendly to me. It can be hard to articulate to others why I feel so baffled when this occurs. I do not see a conflict. I have always felt incredibly close to Jesus and the Love of God when I’m exploring questions of how everything works. I know from scientific history that I’m not the only one, either and I appreciate how my rector, David Simmons, mentioned that. One of the most awe inspiring moments in my life, when I was truly filled with Handel-Messiah-levels of wonder, took place in a genetics laboratory. It was the first time I saw precipitated bovine DNA being delicately stretched out against the light. I wanted to sing. Thankfully for my teacher who later became my undergraduate mentor, I refrained from singing and enthusiastically geeked out instead. During the sixth Sunday of Easter service, hearing the scientific philosophies of reductionism versus emergentism explained so much that has puzzled me. The illustrations with jokes helped. Hopefully, watching the sermon might help you sort out hurts you’ve encountered in these areas, too. I tried to link to it beginning at the 22 minute mark when the sermon starts but the whole service is lovely.
Hearing from a dear cousin and friend of mine recently was also a healing experience. She reached out to share that she’s walking in an upcoming Walk MS event this spring in honor of me. I’m humbled and grateful. Rana has been a dear part of my heart before, during, and after my diagnosis with MS. Living with chronic illness is often a lonely business, especially when it’s invisible, but having the support of loved ones makes it bearable. I haven’t managed to do a big Walk MS fundraiser since Books for Brains, barely scraped together a 2024 fundraiser during my 10th year of MS life, and ultimately took a fundraising sabbatical in 2025. We’re five months into 2026 and I haven’t decided if I’m going to do a 2026 fundraiser yet. I feel flummoxed about this. That word almost seems too tame; I’ve been filled with such debate. Tumult? Angst? I’ll have to check my thesaurus but it’s not a pleasant feeling. Rest matters. Prioritizing other creative and professional efforts is important. But I have ideas! I want to get back in the trenches to make a difference! We’ll see. I’m still praying about how best to proceed this year but, hearing from Rana is both a comfort and an inspiration. The work carries on even if I need to stay away for awhile yet. It is gratifying that my example matters. All of this helps calm my inner debate from a roar to a hum. I’m thrilled to donate and spread the word. If you want to help Rana create a world free of MS, please donate to her page:
Pictured at left are Rana and me exploring Allerton Park together in Illinois.
Please consider donating to Rana’s fundraising page for Walk MS here
Wednesday was world bee day. We would all be worse off if we didn’t have bees. They are frequently a source of inspiration for me as well as a balm to my spirit. On my BuyMeACoffee page I have been sharing thoughts and photos of these lovely invertebrates. Tonight I will leave off with a bumblebee photo that I recently rediscovered.
Any healing or joyful words that you’ve encountered recently, dear pond readers? Any springtime creativity in the works? Please leave a comment or question below and thanks for joining me here at the pond today.
technicolorlilypond