"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

-The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien

Taking a break from the strictly theological, we take a look at what it means to host like a Hobbit!

-What hospitality really is

-Home-brewing the "best beer in the East Farthing"

-An outline on how to start elevating your hosting experience

Music by Gregory S.

JRR Tolkien wrote a myth, in part, so that we would recognize the value of myths. "Myth" doesn't necessarily mean "falsehood." What if a myth were actually true?

-Check in on our Lenten Booster Project

-The myth of Middle Earth vs. the Antediluvian (pre-flood) world

-We don't have to deconstruct history in order to understand it

Once again, we check in with each other to see how we're putting these ideas into practice.

-Our Lenten fasting, prayer, and almsgiving routines

-Oops, Bilbo!

-Building a new "Lenten Enhancer" system (patent pending)

The preparation for Lent can be a time for reflecting on why we need a savior in the first place. Why did the crowd choose Barabbas, and how do we see ourselves in that?

-Just as the Hobbits are the ones fit to bear the ring, Jesus is fit to bear the cross.

-We become Barabbas when we rely upon ourselves for our own salvation.

-When we force our will upon the world, we become a member of the crowd choosing the revolutionary.

Merry and Pippin- the youngest Hobbits in the Fellowship- have a great deal to teach us about stopping to find joy in everyday things. Let's learn from their youth, and find ourselves acting a "fool of a Took" once in a while.

-Take time to do things that are contrary to the day-to-day efficiency of our lives.

-Curiosity makes us open to opportunities.

-How to become more curious by "lifting our eyes."

Music by Gregory S.

The Hobbits are known for writing and telling stories. Why do we find that so endearing? We look at finding ways to tell the story of your life and your family.

-Stories connect us to each other.

-Preserving our past makes the value of life known.

-How long are these people going to be sick??

Music by Gregory S.

The early months of the year can be a difficult time: The gatherings slow down, the days are short, and the cold seems to stifle all activity. How can we grow in holiness and even happiness during this time?

-The desolation of Frodo and Sam

-Nerdy ramblings on deep(er) Middle Earth lore

-Let the cold & quiet just be cold & quiet

Music by Gregory S.

Exploring the difference between an Adventure and a Quest in both Middle Earth and our own lives. Quests choose the heroes, and leave them permanently changed.

-Parenting, a Quest

-Quests change our identity

-The reality of the human condition: Crisis as the forge of heroes

Turning our gaze back to our own lives, we look at how to approach the new year through good resolutions, one-word mission statements, and emulating the saints.

-Finding ways to apply "Shine" to various parts of life

-Sharpening our own edge to be who we're made to be

-Random Saint Name Generator

Music by Gregory S.

Sometimes we're called to be Frodo- carrying the Ring to its destination. Other times we become Sam and carry the Ring-bearer. Special guests- Stacy's Parents- discuss the major health journey they've been on, how they suffered in hard times, and carried each other through it all.

-Christ unites Himself to us through His Passion

-There and Back Again: A Journey Towards Health

-Closeness to God in the Darkness of the World