It has been a few weeks since my last blog.  The reason for that has been a break neck pace of responsibilities, meetings, conferences, and intensive projects that required extra attention.  My blog is not the only thing that has not gotten much of my attention in the last month.  The layer of dust in … Continue reading Laying Down the Yoke

This Sunday I am preaching from the rich scripture passage from Jeremiah 18 about the potter and the clay.  It is such a timely Scripture passage as our church also begins to spend the month unfolding a draft for our new Vision and Core Values here at Centenary United Methodist Church.  This is a very … Continue reading Clay in the Potter’s Hand

It's true.  I am an Olympic junkie.  I'm kind of glad to get my life back now that the Olympics have ended. I always feel as though I might miss something if I don't watch them!  But the Olympics never disappoint me.  A periodic reminder that although we come from all the corners of the … Continue reading Goodbye Rio

It's hard for me to believe it's been a little over a year since I left the life of a District Superintendent and reentered the pastoring a church world!  I have been thinking a lot lately about this past year.  It has been a very good one for me.  But as I reflect, it has … Continue reading A Year in the Life

Last night I had an unusual experience.  My husband and I participated in a night hike on Grandfather Mountain.  After watching the sun set while it was lightening 8 miles away  unfortunately it started raining so the experience had to be adapted. But towards the end we went on a sensory hike, aka walked a trail in … Continue reading Beauty in the Night

My heart is still full from one of the most meaningful experiences I've had in a long time.  Last night our predominantly white Centenary United Methodist Church came to worship together with St. Paul United Methodist Church, who are predominantly African American.  We had folks from United Methodist Churches in the east Winston Salem area … Continue reading Lamenting our Losses, Clinging to our Love

How do you discern that another person has been destined to serve as one of the leaders of the United Methodist Church?  How do you know who would make a good Bishop?  How do you hold the future of the church and its leaders in your hands and remotely feel prepared   to decide whose … Continue reading Picking a Bishop

It's been a glorious week of vacation.  Any vacation for me is typically glorious because I love to travel just about anywhere.  But the past couple of days Greg and I traveled to a place cell signals couldn't find us.  No emails.  No text messages.  No phone calls.  No internet.  No television.  There was a daily … Continue reading Getting Unplugged- Good for the Soul

It felt a little different this year.  Annual Conference took place last week at Lake Junaluska where United Methodist clergy and lay leaders from across Western North Carolina gathered to do some "holy conferencing" as is our tradition.  This year was different for me.  Partly because I am back in the local church from serving … Continue reading Annual Conference 2016

Here we go again. I am packing and leaving to head to Lake Junaluska for Annual Conference, a gathering of United Methodists from the Western part of North Carolina.  As I prepare to head up the mountain I am struck by the timing of life events.   Normally my memory is not this historically accurate but … Continue reading Love Wins