Last year marked the 20^th anniversary of my first freelance writing job. I know this because a pen-making company invited me to order hundreds of 20^th anniversary pens, to distribute to my clients. My girlfriend ordered one, to give to me in celebration.

I have been writing for money for 20 years now—in the past seven years, I’ve even managed to make a living at it. But this year, I’m giving my clients excuses rather than pens. I tell them I am taking a sabbatical.

My girlfriend says I’m on a “spiritual journey.” I think of it as “my year of living dangerously”—there’s no way we can pay the bills without some sort of income from my corner; I have no idea what the point or endpoint of this time will be; sometimes I’m not even all that well convinced that there’s anything to this spiritual stuff.

But still, I’m turning down my clients. And practicing a morning prayer. And reading bits and pieces of the Bible, as the Roman Catholic lectionary suggests. And trying to pay attention, including shaping something out of (almost) every week, to put up here.

So something’s going on in this, my upstairs office. You’re invited to discover it with me—I’ll aim to post an update about every Friday.