Word-play comics are some of the best, as they often catch us off guard through the wonders of language and meaning.  Consider today’s Frazz by Jef Mallett:

I’m still trying to figure out how it went from being “walking” to “traveling,” but still . . .

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Travel is the name of the game for me this weekend, too.  For the second time this year, I’m leaving the country.  This time for my favorite inn on the south end of Victoria, British Columbia.  It will be my third time there, my second for Thanksgiving.  My trip to Scotland ended up being all adventure and little-to-no reflection.  This trip should bring some balance to that equation.  The blend of weather, atmosphere, and time of year makes it perfect for some good thinking and writing.  So I’ve got a short stack of books (including a novel started in August) to work through and a list of words to guide my reflection.  The word?

• simplification
• instrumentalization
• imagination
• institutionalization
• intimacy
• constraints
• meaning(lessness)
• rest, and
• the evidence of rest

Some of these, the last two in particular, have been on my mind since visiting Laity Lodge earlier this year.  The question of meaning(lessness) comes from observations made at work this year.  The rest are ideas that bridge work and faith, church and friendship.

I’ve also got a stack of recent online articles to work through (and a short series on Eugene Peterson’s “The Unbusy Pastor” to complete.  After a number of “hit-or-miss” weeks here on the blog, I’d like to get some consistency back.  That “unbusy” piece is a great place to start (again).

(image from gocomics.com)