From the Rev

Dear Friends,
 
This past Monday was one of those wonderful days of complete joy and relaxation with lots of family: Our daughter, Brittany, is in town for a few days; our son, Marshall, lives with us while he finishes at FSU; and Beth’s old brother, Denis, (sorry, Denis, I mean ‘oldest’ brother) and his wife Thelma are in town. We slept in late (except for our neighbor’s dog who gives us a wake-up bark at 6:30AM EVERY SINGLE MORNING!!), had a light brunch, and went for a nice long walk on an absolutely beautiful day on the Lafayette trail….more

Dear Friends,

I was talking with a friend last week who has been out of work for almost a year. He has sent out dozens of resumes and had a number of interviews but nothing has come through for him. As you might imagine, he is extremely frustrated. Others I have talked to who are in this situation tell me that it’s not just the loss of income but the loss of identity. Self-esteem often takes a hit…more

Dear Friends,
 
A friend was telling me about an exciting adventure they had over the holidays. They had made detailed travel plans for a trip to New York City. After a week spent visiting family and friends, the plan was to get to the airport with lots of time to spare, find the gate, settle in, board the plane and fly straight home to Tallahassee. What could go wrong? They had a plan! . . . more

Dear Friends,
 
So…did your team win in the Super Bowl on Sunday? This may put my manhood into question but I really didn’t care who won. One of the reasons Beth married me 27 years ago is because I’m not a football fanatic. Oh, I enjoy a good game but my spirit is not crushed when my favorite team loses…more

Dear Friends,
 
Have you noticed that when I miss a week of writing to you….(in case you didn’t realize it yet, I didn’t send “From the Rev” last Wednesday)…the next Wednesday I tend to drone on and on. I feel it coming today…more

Dear Friends,
 
We had a Memorial Service this past Sunday for a remarkable woman, Carolyn Bridger, who was well known and dearly loved within the music community here in Tallahassee, particularly at FSU, and many other places around the world. Carolyn was killed in a tragic car accident back in November…more

Dear Friends,
 
As I have listened to the news regarding the tragedy of AirAsia Flight 8501 over the past couple of weeks, I have heard many experts in the field of aviation share their thoughts and opinions on what may have caused the plane to go down. One gentleman who I was glad to see interviewed was Chesley Sullinberger, better known as “Captain Sully.” …more

Dear Friends,
 
On this Christmas Eve I simply share with you a story by an unknown author for your pondering:

Many years ago, there was a very wealthy man who shared a passion for art collecting with his son. They had priceless works by Picasso and Van Gogh adorning the walls of their family estate. As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His son had died. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season had vanished with the death of his son…more