Well, it had to happen, I guess.  Even the term “Bloggernacle” has now become the subject of a turf war of sorts over at BCC.  Apparently, some hack reporter wrote an article about the phenomenon of Mormon Mommy Blogs and got the story of the origin and definition of the Bloggernacle all wrong.  Ronan pointed this out in his post, and then, somewhat surprisingly, some Mormon Mommy Bloggers showed up with enormous chips on their shoulders and dared everyone not to take them seriously as the big, huge, enormous, serious and superior bloggers that they are.  Some, me included, were only too happy to oblige. (more…)

I dislike the word “apostasy,” at least as it is applied to individuals (I have special distaste for “apostate”).  It seems an unnecesarily harsh way to describe a person who loses faith, for whatever reason, and it seems to have far too much finality.  We hope for such persons to return to faith and fellowship.  We continue to love and hope for them, mourn their absence while they are gone, and rejoice with them if and when they return.  (more…)

I have written previously about this romantic time of year, and I continue to be intrigued by it.  Valentine’s Day is not much in the way of a religious holiday.  Its origins are shrouded in mystery, but it appears, even historically, to have little real connection to religion, despite the quiescent “St.” in its title. (more…)

I wonder if it’s bad to look back at your rowdy days with fondness and pride. I wish it weren’t so.

From ages 13 to 17, I did a lot of improper and even bad things, some I may never share with my daughter. I recently reconnected with one of my then-buddies’ little sisters, which suddenly brought back memories I hadn’t thought about for years, and it surprised me how nostalgic I became. For all the pains that accompany that time of life, I actually had a lot of fun. I’ve never chronicled those exploits with more than a couple of bite-sized references, and was tempted to submit an entry on my own blog, recounting in detail some of the more colorful tales to illustrate how far I’d come since I converted. I was dissuaded by a friend, however, who warned that some things should just stay in the past, or at least not be plastered online.

It started me thinking, though. Are we supposed to eschew all happy thoughts regarding delinquencies and transgressions– does true conversion require that benchmark? If this is the case, perhaps I’m not truly converted. I know that, although I’ve repented of my past misdeeds and have never been tempted to repeat them, I’m not ashamed of them (maybe a little embarrassed by a couple). I mean, it’s been 32 years. How sackcloth-and-ashes does one have to get?