Preface: Me and This Blog

And now for something completely different: A Mindful Berean.

Howdy folks! Come on in.

My name’s David W. Jones and I'm on a spiritual journey to touch Wisdom. Won't you join me?

Seriously, who am I?

• I have an awesome wife, five wonderful kids, and five grandkids (i.e. I'm poor and tired).

• I've been a federal employee since 1988. I've been diagnosed with anxiety and depression (totally almost not related). I had a migraine in 2019 which brought a friend (a small stroke) and I'm still kind of dealing with that.

• I have a couple of earlier blogs, one called A Mindful Guy (where I shared what I learned about Mindfulness in therapy) and one just called Writings (fiction, poetry, complaints - you know, bloggy stuff).

• I write a monthly column called A Mindful Berean over at The Tattooed Buddha. You should drop by and visit our community.

What we'll do with this blog: 

• We'll consider Jewish, Christian, and Buddhist teachings and beliefs through a lens of Wisdom Traditions, occasionally including other traditions' views.

• We'll also look at reconsidering God, the Bible, and one's Spiritual Journey using Buddhist principles such as Innumerable Meanings and Beginner's Mind.

• I want to encourage those who are in the process of Faith Deconstruction or Reconstruction. I see you.

• I also hope to encourage others to find their own way in seeking answers to spiritual questions, including atheists, agnostics, and anyone who considers themselves outliers.

• Maybe most importantly, I want to help others become more open to their own spiritual possibilities while having a few laughs along the way.

• I hope to post once a month. Life permitting, I might even do two some months.

• By the way, I'm starting a parallel blog called A Lotus in the Bouquet where I'll be writing a commentary on Buddhist, Jewish, and Christian texts from a non-traditional perspective.

My views are unorthodox and evolving. I will make references to Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Journey lyrics and Asian horror films. I thoroughly respect and honor the various religious and Wisdom traditions, but I don't want to be yet another somber analyst; we have plenty of those. 

In all, my goal is to discuss these matters as authentically as I can: true to the spirit, true to myself.

Welcome, and be well.