Musings

By Rick Moore While visiting the Grand Amphitheater at the Sorbonne in Paris, I took photos of the backdrop from which Theodore Roosevelt gave one of the most famous speeches of all time. His address on April 23, 1910, to the university was originally titled Citizenship in a Republic, but...

Inspiration beckons….. making a home in our being. And in that moment, we are blessed. Brighter and blessed and grateful for our place on this earth.  What ignites you? What sings to your soul? Have you paid attention to how passionate you are about the life you are living? I...

By Sean Dietrich I'm looking at an old man standing by a casket. He is tall—so tall, in fact, he leans forward at the neck. He wears a side cap, trimmed in gold. He uses a cane. The preacher says words over the mahogany box—which has an American flag draped...

Vocations often define people. So much so, that when introductions are made, they’ll say Mary is a Police Officer, Tom is a therapist, or Kathy is a minister. These days it’s common to hear of multiple occupational foci. Now the conversation may go, “Bill is an engineer who is also a...

By Rev. Pete Hyde It was the spring of 1963, he was eight years old. His father, a career Air Force man, had been assigned to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines and had gone ahead of the family to find a place for them to live. The eight-year-old...

By Lauren Catanese I’m not one for labels. But this one I’m sure to keep. Being my daddy’s girl has changed the world for me. I used to think he read a manual or was just born with all to know. Now that I am older, I’m even more grateful...

By Kirk McCarley Britton Hill is 54 miles away. Positioned near the unincorporated community of Lakewood, it measures 345 feet above sea level and is the highest crest in Florida. More a gently rising undulation than an actual mound or knoll, Britton Hill’s summit is denoted by a plaque, monument, restroom,...

By Rick Moore Most new cars have gauges to diagnose the smallest of potential problems. Warnings appear on the dashboard. Some vehicles actually send a message to cell phones and computers when it is time to take a car in for service. Even the tire pressure can be revealed by...

By Rev. Pete Hyde In the dark of the night the light of a nearly full moon filtered through a layer of thin clouds. The coastal air was thick with humidity. One-by-one, each house in the neighborhood commenced the Sunday night ritual. Every trash can was lined up and down the street on...

By Sean Dietrich The Choctawhatchee Bay is calm this morning. I’m fishing. I always fish on Father’s Day weekend. There is a blue heron standing on the shore, looking at me. He doesn’t move. He only stares. Strange bird. Today has been an unproductive day. I caught exactly one catfish and...