Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

My beautiful Christmas boy, David (born December 16th, 1992), never set a New Year’s resolution.  Instead, each New Year’s Day, he’d take a walk in a lovely cemetery. No matter where he lived in the world –  Oxford, Washington, Shanghai, Cambridge, Philadelphia – he’d do this same strange but holy practice.  He began with the…

Benjamin Britten wrote this fabulous text that strengthens me this Christmas like little else. Enjoy the Old English as a nod to Christmas past, but more, be blown away by the babe. This Little Babe by Benjamin Britten This little babe so few days old,Is come to rival Satan’s holdAll hell doth at his presence…

When you are bereaved, you’re repeatedly told the first year is just that: your year of firsts. Today is David’s birthday. His first birthday since his passing. He would turn 29 today. And as I type these words, I’m crying. And I’m full of rage. See, I KNOW in my head that what we’re sharing…

This week’s devotional is written by Leslie Eichhorn, a team member at Nancy Hicks Live. The world Jesus was born into was a mess. If we were to craft the story of how Jesus came into the world, it wouldn’t sound like this: The angel Gabriel proclaimed God had chosen a betrothed (but unmarried) woman,…

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”). Matthew 1:23.  I have a hard truth to tell you.  But Nancy, it’s Christmas, could you just keep things merry and bright and feed us something that will give us that cozy Christmas feel? …

It’s Thanksgiving Day and yes, we’re giving thanks. And it’s no surprise the holidays are very hard this year for our family. There’s an empty seat at our table.  I’ve been asked by a few people in this community to please tell you more about David. Between you who asked and a spiritual director who…

This week’s Note from Nancy is written by Leslie Eichhorn, a team member at NancyHicksLive. Ah, November, the month of reflecting on what you are grateful for. Your Facebook friends are posting daily reasons they are #blessed. Wooden signs appear on front porches and on the walls of our homes with phrases like “thankful,” “blessed”…

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. Philippians 1:3 Cam and I were going through our son David’s car, painfully cleaning out his silver Toyota Prius in order to sell it. I slowly picked up each item: Gum, pens, hand sanitizer, and held them gently like a broken bird. David touched these,…

You can’t be thankful and resentful at the same time.  Do I mean to say when you’re in the middle of a terror that flies by night or an arrow by day, you should not tend to the attacks but instead give thanks?  Let’s say I am to give thanks even in those situations. Would…

No one is good but One, that is, God. Mark 10:18 God is good.  I believe this wholeheartedly, but as my son, David said, ”There’s a lot of prequel to ‘God is good.’” Bang on, baby.  The Psalms are replete with the goodness of God. “You are good, abounding in love,” “ Taste and see that…