Joining the Conversation

...or...A Pen Addict's Gonna Post*

In the Fall of 2014, I had a major health crisis that sidelined me from work and activities for several months. While recovering at home, I stumbled on an article about pens on the exceptional review site The Wirecutter. I clicked each link and researched every contributor in the article. I had no idea such a rich and diverse community of people existed who share a similar interest in a tool I treasure for its historical and utilitarian value. Finding this community bolstered my mood and outlook during the time of healing. The pen community appeared genuine, intelligent, friendly, benevolent and welcoming. After following many of these pen people over time, through conversations, podcasts, interviews, and reading some of their very personal work, I can say that their appearances are authentic.

I have always enjoyed a well-made pen and the tactile qualities of beautiful paper. Prior to finding this vibrant pen community, however, I only used varieties of pens and papers available through the major office supply stores. I did not use fountain pens and had no idea there were small businesses devoted to crafting writing products with a story and a personality. I did not listen to podcasts or know that Kickstarter was a thing. My wife can attest to the many instances I said I would never write with a fountain pen because "it was too much trouble" and a rollerball could "put ink on paper just as well without all the mess!" She could remind me that I said I would never (ever!) listen to a podcast about pens! But she doesn't because she knows how important this hobby and community have become for me.

Since finding and devouring the work of the major pen reviewers, from Brad Dowdy, AnaReinhardt, Mike Dudek, Ed Jelley, Tessa Sowry, and many others, I had the desire to join in the fun and start a blog of my own. This desire was aided by the many purchases I made and the growing collection of pens, notebooks, and inks taking over my office. I blamed these wonderful people for enabling these purchases and for claiming more and more of my time. I went from just reading about pens to researching, photographing, and even listening to podcasts about pens.

The pen community has filled my time with well-crafted writing and gorgeous photography, and also broadened my horizons for media and art. What I appreciate most about the pen community are the people I've been introduced to: amazing craftsmen and makers, dedicated and passionate writers, and thoughtful, generous creators and entrepreneurs focused on all facets of life. From handkerchiefs to focused living, CrankyHankyCo to Shawn Blanc, I have found a community that values diversity and helping others experience the best quality in the things they find to be important, from the material to the immaterial: pen cases to productivity, titanium nibs to time with family.

The decision to start a blog is an easy one. Deciding what to write about is difficult. When I open my news app each day or listen to NPR, I'm inundated with things that are truly important and deserve attention: millions of starving children in Yemen, suffering in Syria, hundreds of murders in Chicago, and the ongoing struggles for racial justice in America. How can I take time and space to write about pens and paper when the world has so many needs that are worthy of attention and thought? I've also earned my Master of Divinity degree and was a youth pastor many years ago. God's Word and discipleship are very close to my heart. Writing about the Bible and the Church is a wise use of time that might even have an eternal impact. But, there are all these pens sitting on my desk, and there are all these unique and interesting people in the pen community. I want to contribute to the pen community because it is open to and supportive of new voices. Yes, there are many pen blogs out there now. There's an established group of people consistently creating great material. Those leaders seem to encourage active participation, and that could be a major reason why so many of us try our hand at adding to the conversation. The diversity embraced in the community means I can build this space in a way that is unique to me: I don't have to shelve my thoughts and concerns about world issues or my passion for God's Word. Several writers have already led in the area of diversifying their content in ways that reveal their unique personalities and interests.

 

So, I feel excited and reassured to take this step in my involvement with my fellow pen addicts. Now, I must answer another hard question: what pen do I write about first?

*I do prefer to post my pens.

Goals

January Workspace. (c) 2017 Jason Couture.

At the start of a new year we feel a renewed energy, or maybe just a new sense of urgency, to list and accomplish things we want to be true: we want to be better eaters, better exercisers, better readers, better parents, better spouses, better people. We list all the ways we will be better this year. Our resolutions are essentially a list of all the ways we have fallen short of our ideal selves. If we're honest, by February, the list we made on New Years is of all the ways we will continue to fall short. 

Out of all the things I could put on my list, I have only committed to two: read the Bible daily and finally write and publish a blog. 

One week in and I'm off to a good start. I selected the 5 Day Bible Reading Program (the link goes to a .pdf). This particular plan doesn't require reading on the weekend, and I already benefitted from this on Sunday, January 1. 

On the first morning, I got the Bible off the shelf, grabbed a pen and a new notebook, and sat down. Then, I realized something as I thought back on the process of getting the day's reading done. I not only need to commit to reading, but I must also commit to clearing a place and a time to read. In order to complete this goal, I must be prepared to commit to the entire process. 

Like many of you, when I woke up on Monday there were kids and bills and email and unfinished work already waiting for me. The table I wanted to read on was cluttered with projects from yesterday and for the days ahead: stacks of paper, piles of books, collections of pens, and plenty of little gifts left by my kids as they come in and out of my workspace. I had to physically move the clutter and clear a space. I had to ask my wife to help with the kids. I had to put down the phone and the iPad and the laptop. This process, physically moving things and clearing away the clutter in order to make a space to read and to complete my goal for the day, was just as important as the goal itself. 

I must push pause in order to move forward.

I have always viewed goals as singular items on a list. That morning, I realized if I am going to accomplish my goals I need to see how they are related to the other facets of my life. Committing to a goal means I must commit to the entire process of completing that goal. I must be prepared to clear a space, to deal with distractions, and to pause my concern with all the other things that beg for my attention. Some of these attention-seekers are external and vocal (my children), and some are internal and habitual, like my concern with keeping a neat, organized workspace. The children require outside help and planning, like asking Kelly for help and/or getting them set up with food and activities in hopes of buying myself enough time to read. The internal, mental distractions are more difficult to overcome: I must convince myself that reading on a cluttered desk in order to accomplish my goal is more important than organizing the accumulation of stuff. If I followed my instinct, I would have spent my time on Monday morning restacking papers, shelving books, and shuffling through the buildup, and the Bible would have never opened. Maybe the toys would have found their way back to the play room. Since this goal is important, I paused my instinct, shelved the anxiety about the disorganization, and pushed the piles aside for the time being and read on a cluttered desk. The mess can wait. 

Success comes from renewing my commitment daily.

Committing to a goal means committing to the process and the mental change needed to accomplish that goal. These commitments must be renewed daily. In order to read, I must move aside the things that stand in the way of reading. In order to write, I have to be willing to stop doing something else. I also have to plan for how my goals will affect others: the lives of my wife and my children don't stop because I'm working toward my goals. For success, I will need their support, and the best way to get their support is to make sure time focused on my goals doesn't negatively affect them. These realizations may be obvious to some of you but they became clear for me as I relearned these lessons while moving aside piles and stacks in order to make room for this years' goals. 

There are so many resources and articles on accomplishing goals. They seem to be required reading in magazines, blogs and newsletters this time of year. The best advice I've seen this year is from Shawn Blanc, who suggested that, instead of tackling our entire list of goals, we start small and start simple. When I consider all the variables that must be considered and addressed in order to accomplish even one goal, the advice to begin slowly and keep things simple is very wise. 

I am excited to begin this year. I'm very glad our culture continues to place importance on the beginning of a new year. Taking time to review the past and plan for the future because we turn the page of a calendar can be appear arbitrary, but it can also be helpful to know that we are joining with millions of people intentionally setting goals and trying to prepare for a better future by learning from the past. 

So, welcome to my little space of the internet. I invite you to read the other introductory posts and the About section to learn what I hope to accomplish by writing here. I will say this: I'm a bit concerned that the topics covered may initially appear chaotic--the more writing I've done this week the more things I've become interested in writing about. I have a feeling that particular themes and regular topics will emerge over time. I look forward to connecting with more people and engaging in the communities I've been following for the past couple years. Thank you for reading and Happy New Year!

*   *   *

If you're interested in more about Bible Reading for the year, here are some resources:

[  ] More information on the plan I chose.

[  ] A variety of plans for 2017.

Welcome | About

Purpose

I hope to build Permeseus into a place where people can interact with the Bible together and discover how God’s Word shapes all aspects of our daily lives, from the mundane to the extraordinary. I have found that understanding the Bible strengthens my understanding of God's purpose for my life. I have also found that a deeper understanding of God's Word deepens my relationships with others and with God.

Approach

Permeseus Thought of You provides a space where I interact with the Bible based on the practice of daily reading. The focus is on digging in and applying God's Word to what I believe and how I live. I bring my questions to God and seek His guidance and His answers knowing that He alone knows my passions and my fears, my struggles and my strengths. 

You may not believe that the Bible is God's Word. To you, the Bible may be a historic book concerning the religion and spirituality of Christianity. If you feel the Bible, as an historic religious book, is limited in its ability to change and shape lives, then you are still welcome here. I hope you join in the discussion as I study and interact with the text. I have some partners in this project that will be adding to the discussion. We are all in different places in life and approach the text from different viewpoints and with different backgrounds. Whether you're reading for spiritual growth or for knowledge about a religious document, reading the Bible should be done in community with others. After all, the Bible (and Christianity) seems intensely focused on relationships: the Trinitarian God, the relationship between Creator and creation, humanity's relationship with God and with the world, relationships between nations and cultures, and even relationships of time--past, present, and future. In addition to the relational content of the Bible, it seems important to read the Bible with others because many of the books were originally letters to communities of people. That is to say, I'm glad you're here, and I hope this space provides a helpful community and resource as you investigate the text of the Bible.

Goals

[1] I hope to post weekly as I complete readings for this year’s Bible Reading Program. These posts will focus on what I learn about God’s Word and how the daily reading applies to aspects of daily living: family, relationships, world events and social justice.

I don’t want to get caught in the trap of reading for reading’s sake. By writing about and discussing the week’s readings, my intention is to understand how to apply the passages to our lives today: how does what we read affect our understanding of our purpose and the quality of our relationships with one another and with God? For example, one common desire is to feel that our lives have value. From the Bible, we get a picture of God as the creator and source of life. If God ultimately determines the value of what we do (1 Corinthians 3:12-14) and if we are to find our life and meaning in Him (Acts 17:25-28), then understanding God's Word should help us with our desire for value and meaning. 

I also hope to grow in my understanding of how a passage connects with the larger message of the Bible: what is the passage telling us and how does that deepen our knowledge of God and His plan for His creation? For example, asking the question, "What does this passage teach us about God's character?" can help us learn more about God and how His nature is consistent over time and between passages. This question can also be a good starting point for understanding difficult passages. There are many questions that are useful in accomplishing the goals of understanding and applying the text. I will try to be open about what specific questions or filters I am using when I study and write about a passage.

[2] I also hope to write about a variety of creative pursuits and interests, including pens and stationary, photography, and art. Ideally, I can find a way to show how our hobbies, work, and creative undertakings are related to and combined by our relationship with and study of God’s Word. This is a developing long-term goal for this webspace. Over time, it will be interesting to see how time in God's Word shapes our creativity and our drive to create through the visual arts. This is an area I’m still brainstorming and where the community aspect will add unique perspectives, challenges, and ideas.

Discussions in the Comments are open to all. I am leaving them open for now, relying on the overwhelmingly positive character of the communities I follow to engender constructive and valuable conversations. I am aware of the unfortunate development of hateful and destructive trolling. I value differing opinions and constructive feedback. I ask that the comments remain civil and respectful. If you feel so angered by what is written on this blog that you feel like attacking someone or using hate-filled language, it is probably best to move on to another community. Comments will be moderated or closed if trolling becomes a distraction. If you have questions or feedback that you want to send directly to me you can use the information on the Profile page. In the meantime, thank you for reading. I look forward to the feedback and discussions to come.

Originally posted 3.22.2015; Revised 1.8.2017.