Mid-week News - June 27, 2012

Dear Family of faith, I'm writing this midweek late again tonight (after midnight). Today was such a beautiful break from all the rain and wind that I had to take advantage of it. A long time ago I learned that you have to "seize the day" when you have the chance. Life is short and getting shorter, so don't ever let a sunny day go by unused. There will be enough clouds in the future! Keep dry and healthy. Remember the blessing of our country and the awesome church family we have. Whatever you do, be grateful and help someone else each day. With affection, Pastor Carlan.

Mid-week News - June 20, 2012

Dear Family of faith, I hope you are enjoying this balmy first day of summer. Compared to the heat blast in the Northeast, we have it easy. Isn't it amazing that in the past year the people up north have been getting our hurricanes and heat waves? And some people say the weather systems aren't messed up! This past week I was standing in the shower in our bathroom and looked over at the "garden tub" next to it. I realized, that in the almost four years we have lived in the house, I have yet to take a bath in that tub. Not once did I indulge a long-soak in the very thing that was meant to be a 'come-on' for the sale of the home. I wondered how many other people there were who have such accoutrements in their Florida homes who never use them. It made me think of how many "free" pleasures we have access to in life that we never use. There are children to read to, pets to cuddle with, sunsets over the ocean to watch, hugs and hammocks, hiking paths and gardens to visit...the list seems endless. They cost nothing extra, only a little time; yet day after day they remain unused. I wonder sometimes what I will be thinking about if and when I get housebound and maybe even bedridden from the ravages of age. What will I regret missing? I don't think it will have anything to do with things I could buy with money; mostly I will probably think about the people I knew, the places of beauty I've been, and the unused pleasures I didn't realize could mean so much. Maybe this summer, you could think about those things, too. Better now, than too late.

Mid-week News - June 13, 2012

Dear Family of Faith, If you think I was tan before, just wait until you see me now! We had our Youth Boat Trip on the Gulf today, thanks to Don MacConnell, who graciously took us out to a few islets where we waded and swam around. The weather was sunny and hot, but no one drowned and all had a good time. I couldn't believe the thousands of little hermit crabs running around on the islands. We even saw a dolphin, a little shark, an eagle, and plenty of sting rays and blue crabs. One of the latter even tried to take a bite out of my toe (luckily I was wearing water shoes!) What a diverse world we live in-- so much variety in nature and so much variety in humanity. Wouldn't it be boring if everyone were the same? I've been thinking a lot about civility lately. As I was driving home last night, I was distracted in my thinking (scatterbrained) and forgot to turn off my bright lights as someone approached me head on. In contrast to what often happens, the driver did not 'flash his lights' at me. As I pondered that, I thought to myself: "Nobody even expects people to be considerate any longer. We just take it for granted that people are rude and try to make the best of it." A recent study of TV programs pointed out how there are no more "taboo words" in late night television any longer, and very few in prime time. Politically incorrect words are now the offenders, not crude and rude words. We are so used to reading and hearing words that our mothers would have "washed out our mouths for using" that we don't even pay attention any more. Whatever happened to being kind and considerate of others, of screening out offensive language and speaking only when we had something good to say? It's a troubling development; but we can all do something about it by our own examples. Why not decide to be "different" from the world-- which is exactly what Jesus wants of us. Why not think about the people around us, the people we can influence, when we speak and act? In today's world, to act like a gentleman, or to speak without cursing is the exception, not the rule. Be exceptional!

Mid-week News - June 6, 2012

Dear Family of faith, Have you have "one of those days" lately? Yesterday afternoon I was looking for a place to get a screen repaired. I had the address on Commercial Way (Route 19), but nobody has numbers on their buildings so you're on your own to figure out where something is actually located. I stopped into Staples, looked at their address on a business card, and then asked, "Which way do the numbers run?" They weren't sure of it. Someone thought they knew where the place was I was searching for, so I set out, peering out the window while driving. I knew that I had gone too far and needed to turn around. As is common on these Florida roads, you have to make a U turn to get back to where you are going. (Of course, then you will have to make another U turn to get across the road since there are few access lanes to cross!) I decided to call on my cell phone and ask where the business was. I was happy to reach someone. She told me that I was just about to the place to turn in, so I did-- just as she told me that the business was closed for the day (this was 4 p.m.!) and that she was nowhere near the place since she answered the phone from her home. So once again, I had to make the circle of U turns to go back and forth. I felt like a race horse on an oval! So much for getting my screen repaired. I decided to stop into Lowe's and inquire about it. They don't do screen repairs there. I just decided to buy all the stuff I needed and do it myself! (Of course, I couldn't locate my screen tool at home so I had to invest in a new one of those as well!) On my way toward the hospital to visit I decided to stop into the library to get a book that I had heard about. As I pulled up, something seemed funny. There were very few cars there. The sign said I had arrived during library hours, but as I made my way to the door, I saw a big sign "Closed during repairs." The 'repairs' in question were a little roof work being done. "Florida!" I huffed as I returned to my car. That's just how it goes somedays, doesn't it? I wouldn't have wanted the Parish Nurses to have taken my blood pressure that day! Have you ever thought aloud, "Boy, I could do so much more in my life if I didn't have to put up with all these frustrations!" I guess it's at times like that that we need to remember that life is not a goal, but a journey. It's not about how much we accomplish in a day, but how we lived the hours we were given. More than that, it's not about checking off the items from our to-do list, but how people encountered us as we went about our business. Were we snippy and sarcastic, impatient and rude....or were we encouraging and understanding, patient and kind? Besides, most of our frustrations don't matter a whit in the end. Let's try to make "those days" a little easier-- on others and on ourselves. By the way, with a little help from Jill, I did fix my own screen. :-)