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Have you noticed that the concept of friendship changes as we get older? When we are younger, many of us want to have as many friends as possible. Going to a small Catholic school in South Florida, I considered every person in my class of 25 to be my friend. When I got to high school, I learned that friendship and makling friends was now mixed with the realities of adolescence and findine one’s identity. We identified the unique groups and factions that made up our the now mu

Christmas is coming but please don’t tell me how many shopping days are left until Christmas. I love giving gifts. I even love taking time and energy to carefully plan out gifts for my friends and family. I feel blessed to be able to show people how much I love and appreciate them. I just wish that the coming month would entail more than that search. The days leading to Christmas will be consumed with the act of preparation. Our homes, schools, and places of work will be a wh

Don’t Swim Alone - Never let them see you sweat There was a series of commercials in the 1980s for an antiperspirant that had an interesting marketing campaign. They found famous people, people who excelled in their fields under stressful situations who gave the viewer the following important advice: “Never Let Them See You Sweat!”. It was pretty catchy.  We sweat when we are stressed. We sweat when we are exerting ourselves and pushing ourselves to the limits. It is a natura

I’m a sucker for a run of the mill, average Adam Sandler movie. To be clear, I love Adam Sandler and some of his movies have made me fall out of my seat laughing. But I think that there are some movies that fall into the “cute family lesson” category more than hard hitting comedy. One movie that exemplifies this is “Click”. It’s not a complicated plot. Adam Sandler’s character doesn’t appreciate the life and family that he has and constantly wishes that he could fast forward

I should probably be writing this blog post outside. A couple of weeks ago, I went for my yearly physical with a new physician. This means getting to know someone new and developing a relationship that will be essential to helping me know how healthy I am living as well as how I can grow into the stewardship of my mind, body, and soul. Of course, as part of this process, I had to do all the annual bloodwork that is required. We tested my levels of sugar, cholesterol, and infl

The Feast of All Saints is one of my favorite days in the life of the Church. Not just because we get to sing, “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God” which features everyone’s favorite line, “and one was slain by a fierce wild beast!”, but because it’s one of the best days to baptize new converts to the faith.  The baptismal liturgy found in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer is steeped in the traditions of the Church and rich with reminders of God’s redeeming love and the power fo

From the moment I started this project, I knew I wanted to reach out personally to clergy so I could give them a voice, hear their stories, and let them know they weren't alone. I've enjoyed moving the conversation forward and highlighting how clergy often feel alone in their struggles. Now I want to give those clergy a voice directly. The next phase of the Don't Swim Alone Project will be a podcast. I'll be interviewing clergy and the people who have promised to support them

Last week, I wrote about the importance of Diocesan conventions and the need to recognize why we as clergy and lay leaders are one fish among many. It’s tempting to focus only on the life and ministry within my congregation and to care only for the needs of my flock. While the people that I serve do take priority, I was ordained for the whole church, which means that every community matters to me.  That is why the time that we take away from our faith communities to be among

This weekend, congregations from all over the Episcopal Diocese of SW Florida are gathering to worship, learn, eat, and reflect together...

The first time I ever heard of an 8 o’clock service was in the 4th grade, when I became an acolyte and was assigned to serve at that...

Several years ago, a parishioner who had worked in the business world sent me an email in which he tried to convince me that the best way...

I am eternally grateful for having come of age in a time before social media, and not just because I don’t want any of the kids from the...

In approximately 283 days, my family and I will drop off my firstborn son at college. It will be a bittersweet moment as he embraces the...

One of the greatest benefits of the information and social media age has been the ability to reach people worldwide with the click of a...

“How will you react?” “What will you say?” These are the questions that swirl around my head whenever there is a national tragedy or acts...

One of the most important books I read in seminary that formed my understanding of work/life balance was The Impossible Vocation  by John...

One of my favorite shows at the circus was always the juggler. I loved how they would start with a few colorful balls and then move up to...

A few years ago walked up to me and began to ask me a deep theological question about the nature and person of Jesus. “How does Jesus...

At their ordination, every priest is examined by the Bishop, who reminds them of the gravity and nature of the call they are about to...

Today, my oldest son and I are driving to Jacksonville to participate in a unique event. The University of North Florida hosts an...