New Beginnings
Posted January 5th, 2012
Central Florida Episcopalian:
Bishop's View
Dear Diocesan Family,
I am writing this on the Monday before Christmas, and you should be receiving it around the first of the year, in many ways a time of new beginnings for all of us. It is particularly so for the Diocese of Central Florida, and for the staff who serve so faithfully at Diocesan House.
Bishop-elect Greg and Laura Lee Brewer stayed with Karen and me for several days last week while they looked at possible homes to move to, and Greg had a series of meetings with Committees and the Diocesan Board to begin to plan for the transition and all that will follow it.
He told me that he does, definitely want me to help out in the Visitation Rota, which pleases me greatly as it will mean I will continue to see many of you on Sundays. We have not discussed any details, yet, but all of that will come in due time.
Karen and I had already determined that we need to stay in Orlando for at least the next five years, as we are deeply involved in the lives of our grandson, Johnny (age 14) and his sister, Madeline (“Madi,” age 13), and we need to see them through high school.
A week ago Sunday that involvement became much deeper, as our son’s former wife asked the three of us to become the primary care-givers for the children. John has lived with us for the past several years, and the children and their mother lived with us for about three years, when the marriage first came apart. So, having them move in again is truly a matter of their coming home.
I shared this in an email to our clergy, and I requested their prayer for all of us as we begin to live into the huge changes this entails for all of us. The nearly one hundred responses I have received have been so very encouraging: that this will be a blessing to them, to John, and to Karen and me. But it will not be the retirement we imagined!
I have been aware for some time of the very clear instruction from the Lord, “If any of your kin fall into difficulty and become dependent on you, you shall support them; they shall live with you.” (Leviticus 25:35) But I did not anticipate our having the challenge, and the joy, of raising teen-agers again! Pray for us, as we do for you.
I wish you a very Blessed and Happy 2012.
Love to you in our Lord,
+ John
