iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I was on LinkedIn, and saw a CEO/executive type was using his experience with a rideshare driver who he thought drove too fast and haphazardly, even after he told the driver he wasn't in a hurry, as an example of not listening to clients' needs, and wondering when he had done the same.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Your AI designed posters and fliers look like crap and make me actively not want to support your event.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Had my initial meeting/interview with the volunteer coordinator at the hospice house this morning. My first shift/orientation is next week. It was good to figure out how to get in and to see the space. Looking forward to my first shift and seeing how this takes shape.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I was brushing my teeth, getting ready for bed, and I looked in the bathroom mirror and thought I looked sickly. I'm hoping it's just this retreat center bathroom's fluorescent light and I don't actually have the black death.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

So, a week from today I go in to interview with the volunteer coordinator at a hospice house. I'm excited to see what my volunteer time might look like, and also to get a closer look at hospice and, more specifically, a hospice house.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Saying you're "neutral" in matters of violence and oppression does nothing to stop the violence and oppression. Even though you can tell yourself you're not adding to the oppression, you aren't trying to make it stop, and thus you are on the side of the oppressor and that is not neutral. It's evil.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

At the end of the Centering Prayer formation, one of the other participants, a 70-something-year-old woman who'd been in my small group, came up to me, hugged me, kissed my chest, and said she loved my heart. It was kind of on the line between endearing and weird.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I am participating in a Centering Prayer Presenter Formation this week. By Friday, I will hopefully be a Presenter-In-Training. I will have to work with a mentor and lead a few introductory workshops and then, hopefully, become a commissioned presenter. I know I'm a geek, but I'm kind of excited. 🙏🏼

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Disney should never have been allowed to acquire The Muppets. They obviously lack the creativity and spirit to give The Muppets the platform they need to spread joy and love and humor in the world.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I want to start a restaurant where we serve different kinds of homemade soups (and bread). I think the name would be "Souper Friends" because it has the words "soup" and "friends" in it, which are two things I love, and it sounds like "Super Friends," which was a cartoon I loved growing up.

An image from the 1980's cartoon Super Friends, which starred heroes from DC Comics. In this image, standing in a line striking poses, are Batman, Robin, Gleek the blue monkey-alien, Zan and Jayna, the Wonder Twins, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Superman. Above them is the title "Super Friends"

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I got a TB test today (part of the process of becoming a hospice volunteer) I have no reason to believe that I have TB, but I've been googling what bad results of the test could look like. I have to go in a day or two to get the results read. So I figure I'll be mildly obsessing about it until then.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I don't believe in hell, but surely there has to be some kind of retribution in the afterlife for people who "reply all" to an email and then share awkward personal information on an email that should have just been a "reply."

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I have never had any sort of paranormal experience before, that I know of. But I legitimately think that my current apartment is haunted by a ghost cat. I have had a lot of experiences where I think I see my cat or feel him walking on my bed at night and then he is nowhere in sight.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Have you ever been discerning something and then you noticed it popping up in your life more than usual? Sometimes in ways that seem too "on the nose" to be a coincidence? How do you tell the difference between nudges from the Spirit and confirmation bias?

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

My parents recently moved to Massachusetts to be closer to my older brother and his family as they age. She texted me today to tell me it was 67 degrees with a nice rain. Here in Kansas, where I live, it felt like 102 degrees and was dry as a bone. I told her that text felt aggressive.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I know I'm in the minority, but I really wish we'd stop calling foods "crack" that we think are delicious. Crack is an addictive & harmful drug that destroys lives & has been used to devastate Black communities. It's not the same as not being able to control yourself around snack foods.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I'm pretty sure it was somehow Donald Trump's fault.

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Reposted by Mark Lepper

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 25/08/2026

Do not normalize children dying from measles. Measles was previously eliminated in the US, thanks to vaccines. When children die from measles, it means that adults have catastrophically failed to protect them because they have rejected basic science.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

This is a charcuterie board I made for a group of Sisters. They had also been planning on ordering a small pizza to go along with it, for a small party their living group was having. When they saw the charcuterie board, they decided they didn't need anything else with it.

A charcuterie board with a rose made of salami in the center, surrounded by sliced pears, carrots, rolled deli meat, sliced cheese, dried mango, sliced peaches, celery, broccoli, cucumbers, grapes, olives, dates, peppers m, and some little bunnies I made out of those little Babybel cheeses.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

My cat was being obnoxious when I first woke up this morning, so I pushed him away and spoke sternly to him. I immediately got a pretty bad cramp in my calf. I'm pretty sure he put some kind of hex on me.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I thought I heard a ghost in one of our guesthouses yesterday. A few people have mentioned having experiences there, so when I heard the noise upstairs I got spooked and quickly left. Apparently, it was just the ceiling falling down because of a bad condensate pump. I kind of wish it was a ghost.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Whenever I hear or see the word "affogato," in my head I sing "Affogatos from Mexico!" to the tune of the avocados commercial.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This is a picture of my cousin Sarah, me, and my Uncle Mark in a chairlift at Geauga Lake, which was an amusement park in Ohio. This was around 1988. It was also on this trip with these two that I had an epic meltdown in Burger King because they ran out of the ALF puppet that I wanted.

A 12ish year old white girl with short brown hair, a 10ish year old white boy with short brown hair (and you can't see it but I'm wearing my ALF for President shirt), and a 37ish year old white man with long brown hair, dark sunglasses, and a brown moustache riding in a red chairlift.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The first CD I purchased was Chant by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos, back in the 90s when Gregorian chant was having a heyday for some reason. Maybe it was foreshadowing of what was to come in my life. My second was The Sign by Ace of Base.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Last night, I gave a presentation entitled "All I Really Need to Know About Spirituality I Learned From Walking the Labyrinth." It was a lot of fun and really well received. Today, we are making our own finger labyrinths.

A finger labyrinth made out of a circle piece of wood. The frame is dark brown. The background is blended green to blue to dark blue to purple, intended to look like trees and a night sky. The path border is made of orange yarn, and I added a few sparkly bits to look like stars.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

This little guy was chilling on the back steps of my apartment this evening when I got home. It was so dark I'm surprised I even noticed them. We are pretty much best friends now.

A little frog perched on the metal rung of my back steps.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I've been taking classes @ St Johns School of Theology in Minnesota, working toward a certificate in Benedictine Spirituality, but I think I'm going to extend that into a Masters degree in Monastic Studies. Getting another degree was not on my radar, but I'm enjoying the classes, so why not?

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

This morning, our local Episcopal congregation hosted a viewing of The Philadelphia Eleven at the local movie theater. It's a documentary about the ordination of the first eleven women in the Episcopal church. It was a great story of vocation, call, persistence, and determination.

A screen shot of a white background with "The Philadelphia Eleven" in a style that looks like it was cut from a newspaper headline.

A white news reporter in a gray suit in front of a screen showing a scene from a worship service, with a green stripe at the top and "Episcopalians" written in white in the green.

Two white women in white albs and red stoles presiding at communion.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

If you're the praying/good vibes type, I'd appreciate some sent my way. I did a thing and I'm excited about it and what it might entail. But I'm also pretty anxious about it and what it might entail. So, some prayers for wisdom, insight, discernment, all that good stuff would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

In the 19 hours since I posted this, I have received the monthly newsletter from the organization and also a facebook post from a friend sharing an event happening in the city where this job is and telling me I should come to it. Could mean nothing. Could mean something. Just seems kinda strange...

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I just saw a posting for a job that would be pretty amazing and that I believe I am uniquely qualified for. But then the thought of transition and leave-taking and moving pops up and I start to get anxious and second guess myself.

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Reposted by Mark Lepper

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @theradr.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Live your life so that when you die, those who knew you and those who didn't wish for your memory be for a blessing.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

So, lately I've been thinking a lot about the possibility of doing a CPE residency and pursuing some kind of chaplaincy. 2003 Mark, who was petrified of his summer CPE unit and just hoped to make it through alive, would crap his pants if he knew 2026 Mark was considering this.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

A couple months ago I texted two guys coming to the retreat center where I work about their arrival times. Today they started chatting in that same thread, and I don't think they realized I was still in it. It wasn't anything too personal. Should I have reminded them I was there?

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

One time I had a dream about a superhero team called Eggplant Man and Aubergine. It was a dad and his daughter and they just wore purple sweatsuits and fought crime. I don't think they had any super powers. Sometimes, my subconscious is weird.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Sometimes, when I'm just sitting here minding my own business, all of a sudden I'll remember someone I worked at church camp with in the late 90's, and I'll wonder what they're up to now.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

It seems that every time I pour (or reheat) my cup of coffee at work, that inevitably means something will come up or my boss will ask me to do something that will require me to go away from my cup of coffee, and it will be cold when I return to it, which means I need to reheat it, which means...

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Packing my stuff up this morning, I saw a lone star tick just chilling on my duffel bag. I believe "all God's critters got a place in the choir," but not all of them have to be so close to me. Especially if their potential for spreading weird illnesses is high.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

I have spent the past week at a centering prayer retreat in Sewanee, TN. Most of this time has been spent in silence. I did go AWOL one afternoon with Sister Hannah, a nun from the convent next door, and she took me on a tour of Sewanee, which included these goats.

I am standing in the middle of a grassy field. There are several goats standing around me in varying shades of white and brown. I have a smile on my face because I love being with the goats. What you can't see, and what I'm also laughing/smiling about, is that one goat is standing on my foot. She came up to me almost immediately and stood on my foot for several minutes. I think we became best friends.

Similar to the previous photo, I am standing in a field surrounded by goats. This time I have picked up a small brown and white goat. What you can't tell in this picture is that she was not a fan of this choice and is just starting to squirm like a maniac so I will put her down. It worked, and I put her down shortly afterwards.

A sign on the gate of the pasture. It is white and in black letters it says, "Come in. Be calm. Pet goats."

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

I'm at a centering prayer retreat where we do several consecutive sits of prayer separated by short, mindful walks. One of the women has a pair of sandals that makes fart noises when she walks. It's hard to stay mindful and prayerful when I can't stop thinking of Fozzie Bear's fart shoes.

It's the Muppet Fozzie Bear's legs. He's wearing brown and white wing tipped shoes, with whoopie cushions tied to the bottom of each. I tried to find a gif or picture from The Muppets movie where they learn they just lost the theater to Tex Richman and they're sadly walking out and Fozzie's shoes are making fart noises and Rowlf says, "Not now, Fozzie."

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Here is a picture of me with my goddaughter 18 years ago on the day of her baptism, and another picture of me with the same goddaughter taken yesterday at her high school graduation party. It doesn't really feel like there has been enough time in between these two events for that to be possible.

A white man with brown hair in a green button up shirt and khaki pants holding an infant with brown hair, dressed in a white gown.

A white man with no hair in a blue button up shirt with various fruits, flowers, and vegetables on it taking a selfie with a young woman with brown hair in a yellow dress with purple polka dots.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

I've been looking at a program to deepen my spiritual direction skills, & thought it might be good to see a certified practitioner for my own direction. None of the people on the list seemed to click, but then I saw one who listed L'Arche as part of her formation, and it felt like the stars aligned.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

I've been trying to eat better/healthier lately. So, gas station chicken nuggets probably wasn't the best choice I made this evening...

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

I think I'm going to work on planning a weekend retreat(Friday-Saturday) based on Life of the Beloved, by Henri Nouwen. It's something I have wanted to do for a while, but keep putting off. Dream Henri (see previous post) has got me thinking about it again. I just want to be sure I do it justice.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I was watching a reel on FB & this young woman was sharing a recipe that her grandma wrote in 1974. She said "You can see how old it is because it's all stained and worn." I felt attacked & was unable to watch the rest of the video. I wasn't born in 1974 but it was close enough that it still stung

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I had a dream that I actually got to meet Henri Nouwen. It was at some conference or something, and I knew he'd be there (obvi he wasn't dead in my dream). I unexpectedly ran into him, and tearfully told him what he meant to me. He teased me about something I had misspelled on a document.

A black and white photo of Henri Nouwen, in a sweater and collared shirt, smiling at the camera.

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Mark Lepper @thelepper.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Does anyone here subscribe to Britbox? What are your favorite shows?

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