Church Blog

My future sister-in-law, Pam, attended Appalachian State University with Kim Hodges who later became Kim Oliver. In fact, they were roommates for a period of time. It was Pam who arranged the blind date that led to our marriage three years later! It all started when Pam suggested to Kim, who had been in a rather lengthy relationship, that she might want to meet her boyfriend’s brother who was coming out of a serious two-month Myrtle Beach romance. She suggested…

As you pass my office door do not see all the artwork as clutter. These are valued kids’ creations that I have come to cherish through the years. These are the masterpieces of our little ones here at Poplar Springs that I have plastered and hidden throughout my workspace. They remind me each day how wise, caring, and loving our children can be, not to mention how fun they are. As I did last week, I will try to preserve…

One of my favorite things to do on Sunday mornings is to go visit our Poplar Springs Sunday School classes. It has been a long time since last Sunday or Wednesday and I miss the family. This past Sunday I stopped in to harass the kids in Anna Hunt and Jeannie Price’s class. In my discussion with one of the young members of the class, I was gently corrected by her. I will not use the last name to avoid…

What a joy it is to live in rural, small-town America! The city is ok and I love certain cities. I have discovered that Winston-Salem is about as urban as I get. This is the case because it has been identified by some as too rural. In fact, a couple of years ago a major corporation left Winston because, as they described it – it was too “bucolic.” I was concerned when I heard this criticism of my city. I…

My dear friend, Steve Austin, used to say when we worked together at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church many years ago, “When there’s a fire everybody grabs a bucket!” The gist of his comment has been a part of my approach to teamwork since Steve made this very timely statement. It means if you and your team, your coworkers, your friends, or your church are in a pinch, everybody pitches in to deal with the situation. I have offered the aforementioned…

Last summer Katherine and Nicole picked out a t-shirt for me, and I do wear it occasionally. It contains this statement that sums up my Parkinson’s journey thus far…especially my adventures in medication! The shirt reads: I CAME, I SAW, I MADE IT AWKWARD. Truer words have never been spoken. I have had more awkward moments than I care to share ranging from some strange dancing otherwise known as dyskinesia to the inability to pronounce certain words. I have discovered…

Another year of Camp Horison has taken its place in the 2021 history books and as usual, it was another great year. Over the past 10 years of my association with this wonderful camp, I have found a number of yearly adjectives characterizing each annual session of the camp. The descriptive words have ranged from controlled yet chaotic to exciting and challenging. I would like to share with you my adjectives for the 2021 session. “New and improved“ would be…

I have tried to be as transparent as possible concerning my plans for retirement. I have shared with numerous individuals and committees and I informed the 15 to 20 who attended our May church conference of my intent to give Poplar Springs some relief in July/August of 2022. I have always believed it is much better to leave one year too early than one year too late, and the last thing I want to do is stick around until some…

I never knew what “daunting” meant. I heard it used in situations that were challenging to almost impossible. So, I assumed that it referred to a difficult assignment. When all else fails consult Webster’s. So let me drag out my index card as if I am beginning a talk to a local service organization and say, “Webster’s dictionary defines daunting as…” Well, I found the word “daunt” so I will go from there: DAUNT: to make afraid/to intimidate/to dishearten…see dismay.…

As you read your newsletter this week you will see a statement submitted to the church at the conference on May 16th. Let me summarize it for you… “We are back in bidness!” (Bidness…a term used by my friend Steve Austin meaning we are “ready to go”). The great thing is that you are coming back. We have had great attendance and it is so good to see all the family again. It is especially good to see unmasked smiles.…