As a number of people have pointed out to me, I haven't been updating my blog much recently. This is partly because I got into a more conflicted relationship with publication such that I was withholding a lot of writing I was working on.
But right now I have some time to kill recovering from a nasal surgery a week ago—I wasn't able to breathe through my nose for most of the past 5 years, and now I can, thanks to God and medical care! I'm feeling great mentally, I just have low physical energy. So I might try to dig out some old writing and post it now. If it looks like I am suddenly doing a lot more writing, that's an illusion: I'll mostly be editing old stuff. But maybe I'll sneak in a new thing or two to keep you on your toes.
There also used to be a system to notify people of new posts by email, but it stopped working a while ago. The root cause is that I really need to take the plunge and update WordPress to a much newer version so that I can use plugins that are still being maintained. But I'm a little nervous about losing data so I want to be cautious about it.
On the morning of my surgery, I only had time to read a single blog post, and I providentially stumbled across the following quotation from the Apocrypha:
for that profession was established by the Lord.
2 The gift of healing comes from the Most High,
and the king provides for the physician’s sustenance.
3 His knowledge gives the physician high standing
and earns him the admiration of those who are great.
4 The Lord has created medicines from the earth,
and no one who is sensible will despise them.
5 Was not water once sweetened by a tree
so that his power might be revealed?
6 He has endowed human beings with skill
so that he might be glorified in his marvelous works.
7 Through them the physician heals and relieves pain,
8 and the pharmacist prepares suitable medicines.
Thus, there is no end to the works of God,
from whom well-being continues to spread throughout the entire world. (Sirach 38)
This seemed providentially appropriate in light of the circumstances...
