News Items
The Winter Solstice is upon us next Tuesday. In this hemisphere, it will be the shortest day of the year with the greatest number of hours of darkness. We have a history of fearing such a time because our brains are wired to rely on vision which requires light. This year, I encourage you not … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections December 17th, 2021
Holidays focus a lens on our lives which make the good so much better and the bad so much worse. I remember being 8 months pregnant with Liam and ordering Chinese food for a Christmas meal with Bill, Mom and my brother Mike. It was our first holiday season without my father, who had received … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections December 10th, 2021
It always amuses me how clean and shiny the stable appears in the nativity pictures and how magically recovered Mary seems to be. Birth is messy and exhausting. Stables are filthy, dusty, and stinky much of the time. Babies are beautiful and sweet when bathed and dressed in clean clothing, but that is not always … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections December 3rd, 2021
At its November 22 meeting, the Board reviewed local COVID-19 indicators and the status of the building. The current building use policy is still in effect. There is good news! Local indicators continue to show steadily declining COVID-19 risk in Okaloosa County. The work of the pest control company is done: The rodents are out … Continue reading Update on UUFEC building and in-person activities
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” – John Lennon I am a planner. I always have a plan, a back-up plan and often a back-up to the back-up. My purse always contains the usual wallet and keys plus pen and paper, lipstick, cough drops, extra quarters, tissues, phone charging cord, … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections November 20th, 2021
UUFEC member, Miriam Lavandier, appears in a film, “Someone Waits for Me,” premiering this Friday, November 12, at the Pensacola Little Theater at 7:00 p.m. In addition to Miriam the film features several LGBT people in this area, a gay couple and one lesbian couple. A cocktail hour will precede the film at 5:30 p.m. … Continue reading Movie Night November 12th, 2021
Mary Oliver writes about the Alligator as a fixture in the Florida landscape: “In beautiful Florida, he is king of his own part of the black river, ” and she celebrates the strength, speed, beauty, ferocity of this animal. I recently saw a video about Wally the registered Emotional Support Gator. He’s about 5 feet … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections November 12th, 2021
Dear UUFEC Members and Friends, It is with great sadness that I announce the resignation of our beloved Director of Religious Education, Sophia Lopez, effective the end of December. Sophia joined us in the fall of 2019 and kept our children’s RE program going strong through the pandemic. We are so fortunate to have benefitted … Continue reading Director of Religious Education Resigns
A giant inflatable Santa went up Tuesday next door to my lodgings in Ft. Walton Beach. I laughed out loud as I walked past, but it was a slightly nervous laugh. I haven’t been able to freely enjoy Christmas since I was in college. When I began working in a church I discovered that before … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections November 5th, 2021
A big thank you to all who attended the Oct 31 Congregational meeting. We elected our 2022 Board and updated members on church developments. Election of 2022 Board members President: Jane Park Vice President: Karen Lauer Secretary: Linda Carson Member at Large: Judy Byrne Riley The 2022 Board will also include: Gil Brown, continuing as … Continue reading Congratulations to 2022 Board & more from Congregational meeting
