I have not had a lot of time to read lately, either the many books stacked up on tables and shelves throughout the house or the many blogs and twitter feeds I subscribe to, but I did manage to find four really wonderful blog posts recently that made me think, smile and in one case, bust out laughing a half dozen times.

When Heroes and Heroines Die by Kate Bornstein (@katebornstein on twitter)

When our heroes and heroines leave this life, will we carry on their work? Will we take hold of what was good and beautiful about that person’s life and carry it forward?

Turn Envy into Inspiration by Jennifer McGuiggan (follow her on twitter @thewordcellar)

Jennifer is a SoulSister of mine, and also a wordsmith. I’m hoping she can teach me a thing or two.

And I totally dig where she’s going on this post. I have been feeling this too. That my discontent isn’t something to repent of or to wish away, but it’s showing me where I am needing — more peace, more beauty, more compassion.

We need to stop reacting to jealousy with guilt and the subsequent meanspiritedness. …

What is it about that other person’s situation that you want? Is it the recognition? The creative freedom? The money? Don’t judge this. Just admit to yourself why you envy that other person. When you know the reasons for your envy, you’ll see what you covet. When you see what you covet, you can discover what you love. And when you’ve discovered what you love, you’ll know what you are meant for.

Spot on.

On Love and Sex by @RevSongbird (who I found via @RevDebra — another amazing woman)

Here’s what I want for [my children] (who are 23, 18 and 14 now). I want them to view themselves as whole people, loved body and soul by God. I want them to love themselves, body and soul, and to recognize how inextricable those two parts are. I want them to love another person, body and soul, and to regard that person’s wholeness to be as precious as their own. In talking to them, I’ve called it a Love Ethic where sex is concerned. Love yourself, love your partner, and remember that how you live is an expression of how you love God. It’s for them to work out when that happens, and I trust them to be true to their teaching.

Ok, how do we get this “Love Ethic” thing to catch on?  Seriously. I want to start a movement!

Containing a capital letter or two by Heather B Armstrong (you know her as @dooce)

I came late to the dooce party. But now that I am here, I don’t want to leave. She makes me laugh, and I’m not easily amused (just ask my husband).

This post was especially funny because: A) I am a mom and B) My washing machine just broke.

(Did I mention that it has 2906 comments? Yeah, she’s a rock star.)

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So there you have it, four posts that have made me jealous this week — jealous because of their sincerity, their wisdom, and their wit.

I am jealous, and I make no apologies for it.

“Jealousy is a compass. It points us to our true north, to what we value and long for the most.”

- Jennifer McGuiggan