I only have a few minutes online–this week has been crazy with work, flying, driving, family reunions, conferences, etc. I’m even trying to fit in some “rest.” While it’s been difficult to be offline, it’s been wonderful to spend time with people I know primarily through blogging. You can skip straight down to the prayer if you want.

Highlights:

• Lunch and conversation with John Dehlin (of Mormon Stories fame) and his family. The real stars were his wife and his two oldest children. I’d like to adopt the three of them as my spiritual mentors.
• Unfortunately, I was under the influence of medication when I got a chance to talk to fMhLisa (one of my heroes!), so was not my usual brilliant and articulate self. In fact, I may have come across as one of those guys who talk feminism to pick up hot feminist women.
• It was very, very cool to meet one of my favorite Mormon feminist bloggers, Lynette of Zelophehad’s Daughters.
• BiV, in particular, is every bit as direct and insightful as she is on her blog.
• There were many other good people, and I’m sorry that I don’t have the time to mention each by (screen)name. I can say this much: one of the great things about being part of a blogging community is that you already have a foundation to build on when you meet a fellow blogger in person.

I don’t want to bore you all with my weekend cavorting, so I’ll just leave you with this prayer (which I discovered in my research of Religion + Internet):

Our Sysop,
Who art On-Line,
High be thy clearance level.
Thy System up,
Thy Program executed
Off-line as it is on-line.
Give us this logon our database,
And allow our rants,
As we allow those who flame against us.
And do not access us to garbage,
But deliver us from outage.
For thine is the System and the Software
and the Password forever.

by Scarborough, Bill. “The Cyberpunk’s Prayer.” Qtd. in O’Leary and Brasher, 264