“Hubbell, you’ve got it wrong. There is no way Lent is coming this early.” My friend’s skepticism was understandable. The calendar still feels tethered to the dregs of January, yet the liturgical clock is ticking with an urgency. “Well, my friend,” I replied, “Ash Wednesday is a mere two weeks away. February 18th is the…
The Perfect Lenten Recipe
The chili I made yesterday wasn’t my best. We were snowed in and missing a few key items, so I made do with substitutions. It worked out—and on a cold winter’s night, chili and cornbread is still the right combination—but it lacked the depth of my original intent. It was “good enough,” but it wasn’t…
February Pivot
Today marks the true beginning of the year. If January is a month of ambitious resolutions and stuttering false starts, February is where the work actually happens. The “2025” mindset has finally expired. It is time to get down to business: finishing the manuscript, navigating the tax forms, meeting the trainer, and shedding the winter…
Snow — The Silent Transformation
For the first time since we moved to Charlotte, we are experiencing a “real” snow. Not the usual tentative dusting that vanishes by noon, nor the dreaded “wintry mix” of ice and slush that defines a Southern winter, but inches—actual, honest-to-goodness inches of snow. It is breathtaking. The world has shifted into a different perspective.…
Dialing It Down
When my football coach would scream, “Dial it down!” it usually meant we were too caught up in the adrenaline of the moment. We were vibrating at a frequency that invited chaos; we were out of control and risked doing something really stupid. Of course, I heard the expression in other places, though usually with…