A Little Girl's Prayer
Tuesday mornings at Fort Valley Methodist Church are typically a review, a time to rehash the prior Sunday's Worship Service and to catch up on what's happening in the life of our congregation. The offering gets counted and, at some point, Angela Meeks, our Administrative Assistant, goes through the Connection Cards to see if we had any new guests or if someone has shared new information or a prayer concern. It's the routine, holy stuff of a church office. I got permission fr
2 days ago3 min read
Out Of The Blue
Reynolds is a small town about 15 minutes west of Fort Valley. It straddles Highway 96, a four lane road referred to as the Fall Line Freeway which cuts across the very heart of Georgia. We travel that road often. In late March, Regina and I were heading home from our granddaughter's birthday in Alabana. The Reynolds police take their duties seriously, so I made sure to pay attention to my speed. Not that I was exceeding the posted speed prior to entering the city limits. At
Apr 233 min read
Roses and Divine Grace
My mother was born in 1930, and she was raised by two Baptist parents who advocated modesty in all things. Usually, my grandmother pointed out flaws in the dishes she'd prepared - the choclate icing was a little dry, her beans needed a "tad more salt," or the broth in her chicken pie was too thick. None of that was really true. Her food was always amazing. Every now and then, though, she just sat quiet and let us carry on over how much we liked everything. That was as close a
Apr 173 min read
Pistachio Pesto and The Gospel
A group from our church, Fort Valley Methodist, took a trip this week for lunch at Ciao Bella, an Italian market in Perry, Georgia. And when I say it's an Italian market, I mean it's an Italian market. Seriously Italian. Meaning the menu has a whole bunch of words that Reverend Redneck doesn't recognize, stuff like prosciutto and arugula and stracciatella . That's ham , a leafy green vegetable , and a type of cheese , respectively. I Googled all that. Really. Because I was
Apr 153 min read
Palm Sunday Memories
Yesterday - March 29, 2026 - was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week leading to Easter. Do you remember Palm Sunday from six years ago, way back in 2020? I looked it up, discovering that it was April 5, which meant that it occurred less than a month into the COVID pandemic. March Madness for college basketball had been cancelled, as had the Master's, Major League Baseball, and the NBA season. Georgia, along with many other states, was in a "shelter-in-place" mode which me
Mar 302 min read
Going Forward
Since publishing my most recent entry, Into The Misty Fog , I've wrestled with whether I should make our life with Alzheimer's the focus of this blog. While that may be the case in the future, I've decided not to do so at this time. My reason is rather simple-Regina is more than her Alzheimer's, and so is our life together. That is not to minimize her condition, nor to diminish the impact of it on our lives, but rather to recognize and appreciate the rich blessings we enjoy.
Mar 162 min read
Into The Misty Fog
The picture is from August 9, 1986, but the story began in mid-September the year before. It's Baptist Student Union Gathering at the beginning of Fall Quarter for the University of Georgia. I'm there with high hopes of seeing Dawn, a girl I'd gone out with a couple of times before Summer Break. I honestly can't remember if Dawn was there. But I do remember another girl . . . We started talking in the refreshment line. I'd later learn her motivation for being there was simila
Mar 14 min read
