Feathered Friends

Our giant whooping cranes have had a baby and they keep wandering through our backyard. So cute! 

 

Traveling Again

My last out of state work trip for 2025 was this week. First I started off preaching at East Naples UMC: one church in three languages. 

Then on Monday I popped by to see how hurricane repairs ar going at Trinity UMC in Bradenton. 

And then it was finally our turn to host the Bishop's Listening sessions in the district. We had an afternoon meeting at Harvest UMC in Lakewood Ranch. 

And then we had an evening meeting at Cypress Lake UMC in Fort Myers. 

Tuesday morning I flew up super early to Georgia to do some seminary visits - we got to attend chapel, visit with a colleague who is now the Dean of Methodist Studies, and I taught a lunch and learn class on clergy wellbeing. 

Wednesday I drove down to Conyers to visit the Monastery of the Holy Spirit and meet with the abbott. I'm working on planning a retreat for some seminary students here in the spring and needed to check it out. What a beautiful space! And the monks make fudge and other goodies that they sell in their store. 

The abbey was built by hand by the monks under the direction of a construction project manager. It is spectacular inside. 

Then I drove back to town to visit with friends - the Revs. Susan and Dave Allen Grady. I went to Thanksgiving dinner at their church and spent the night at their house. Their house was already decorated for Christmas along with its Contemporary Hotel monorail (they're big Disney fans too!) 

Thursday afternoon I flew home and was able to hang out with my guys in the evening. 

 

The Week in Review

I spent Monday in Fort Myers hanging out at Cypress Lake UMC to Zoom for some meetings and then head to another meeting in the area. 

I got back to Sarasota in time to attend the rehearsal at Church of the Palms for The Messiah concert. And then I walked the labyrinth after practice. 

Tuesday was super super cold! I had the day off and went to yoga and then snuggled under some blankets on the back porch with the dogs and the firepit - I sat and read for a while. 

Tuesday night I had the chance to go to the worship night at the South Florida Wesley at USF - this ministry is finally relaunching as a UMC presence. Such a wonderful evening of worship and to raise cash for the ministry - and we already have some students attending with an interim director. 

Afterwards I drove to Winter Park to get ready for a meeting there the next day. And I hit the gym to finish getting in my steps. 

Wednesday morning I went to the Harry Leu Gardens in Winter Park for a fundraiser breakfast to celebrate the ministry of Crave - which is run by a United Methodist deacon and has other UMC clergy involved. It's a leadership development incubator that has tremendous community impact. I was one of the mentors for the founder and she asked me to come and give the opening prayer. 

Then I drove to the conference office for several meetings. I capped off the day by attending an event at Florida Southern with Rev. Adam Hamilton and Bishop Berlin. And Latricia was there too so I got a hug!

Thursday I spent at the district office and then Daryl and I went to see the Sound of Music at the Venice Theatre - where Pastor Sarah and her daughter Ami were both in the cast. They were fabulous as one of the abbey nuns and the youngest Von Trapp daughter Gretl.