With the 2023 HIM Marriage Conference in our rear view mirror, and Sarasota, Florida, up next, we sandwiched in a day of counseling as well as a quick trip to Gordon College to watch Isaac Jarvis play basketball. We’ve know Isaac since he was a very little (chronologically as well as physically) through Family Camp at Berea. We had planned to join his parents, Skip and Avonne Jarvis, to watch Isaac play back in December, but a broken elbow in early November sidelined this very gifted freshman, so we were delighted when our schedule and his lined up. It was so exciting to be sitting in the stands, rooting for a young man we know and love. And a “W” put an exclamation point on the evening.

*Skip and Avonne Jarvis have been friends for almost 20 years now and we so enjoyed watching their son play at Gordon College.*

*A ladder might help for the next photo . . .*

After those full days, we were off to warmer climes Thursday, Feb. 9. Returning for the second year in a row, we happily partnered with the Sarasota Community Church for the weekend.

The weekend was launched with a staff social evening, hosted by Liz Lane (and her husband Steve). Liz serves as the family pastor for the SCC and our relationship goes back to the early 1990’s when we were teaching the Marriage and Family class at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Liz was in that class and that began a just-under-30-year friendship/partnership in ministry with the Lanes. The evening was full of laughter and chatter, both reminders of how good it is to gather together.

*These wonderful folks serve a growing congregation at the Sarasota Community Church.*

Saturday morning we spoke on “relationship lessons from the life of Daniel” to a very full house. Though not our usual demographic (the average age of the congregation might be 78), we LOVE interacting with those farther down the road than us and this group was full of wise sages. Notably, since we talked about relationships, we had many conversations with folks who are broken-hearted over wayward, lost, children and grandchildren. We were thankful for opportunities to be hope-giving, through both prayer and encouragement to not give up.

*Dennis Bontrager, interim pastor of SCC, welcomes the Saturday morning seminar attendees.*

Sunday morning we taught their very large adult Sunday school class, which was followed by our teaching at their worship service. Thankfully SCC has rebounded from Covid protocols as well as from the resignation of their previous pastor and the sanctuary was full and robust. It was soul-filling to worship with almost 500 in the house of the Lord, and our teaching on “Judge Not” seemed to resonate with many, based on conversations we had after the service.

*Liz Lane introduces us at the worship service.*

Church was followed by a “Carry In”—which is also known as a “Pot Luck.” An amazing spread of yummy dishes lined the table and the tables were filled up by people hungry for both food and fellowship. Both of us having grown up during the era of church pot lucks, we felt right at home in this setting, which triggered some sweet nostalgia.

*The “Carry In” lunch following church provided space for sweet fellowship over an eclectic array of yummy foods.*

Our lovely accommodations were provided by a church member who opened the door to his vacation condo to us, situated on Siesta Beach. Hard to beat!! We walked our 5 miles daily on a seemingly endless stretch of beach and there are few things we enjoy more than that. It was quite the lap of luxury and his generosity was not lost on us.

*View from the balcony of the condo . . .*

*. . . and the view from the east side of the condo.*

We had a lovely evening out with Dennis and Alice Bontrager before we left Sarasota. Dennis has sacrificially served the church for almost two years and all we heard were great reports on his leadership and stabilization of the church following a difficult period of time. We are so thankful for how God is using them.

*Dennis and Alice Bontrager, who are providing great leadership for SCC, have become dear friends.*

*Beach walking is one of our favorite things.*

We took full advantage of being in Florida to connect with friends, and while on the west coast of Florida, we were able to meet up with Cissie Graham Lynch. We became good friends with Cissie and her husband Corey when Corey was in the NFL, and were so glad for the opportunity to have breakfast with Cissie and their youngest, Georgia. Cissie hosts a podcast called “Fearless with Cissie Graham Lynch” (check it out) and during our breakfast together, she extended an invitation to us to join her on a podcast discussing some of the "ins and outs” of seeking therapy or counseling. We readily agreed and recently recorded a segment with her which will air in the next couple of weeks. We’ll keep you posted. That aside, we thoroughly enjoyed catching up with her and being reminded of why we had such deep hearts for them.

*Breakfast with Cissie Graham Lynch and her youngest, Georgia, was a delight.*

Moving from one restaurant to another, we met up with Polly Woodworth over lunch. We go way back with Polly, initially meeting through Mom to Mom at Grace Chapel in the mid-1990’s, and the Woodworths quickly became “chosen family” friends. For many years, Jack and Polly took our dog Baker for the whole summer while we ran family camps and we still deeply grieve Jack’s sudden death in 2003 from a severe anaphylactic reaction to fire ants. Polly spends half the year in Florida and half on the Cape and we were so very happy to get to catch up with her after a long absence.

*Polly Woodworth is in the “salt of the earth” category and it was a joy to reunite with her.*

The next day, which happened to be Valentine's Day, we drove to Tampa to have lunch with friends we met in the Caribbean nine years ago. We’re all sure God orchestrated our meeting while on that cruise and we became fast friends. Cathy is one of the most creative people I know, with both fabric (she designs and sews costumes for ballerinas and little Disney princess wanna-be’s) and with food, and we were feted to a most remarkably beautiful and tasty lunch. We felt like royalty as we enjoyed seeing the beauty, consuming the yummies, and connecting with dear friends. Paul felt no need to do anything more for Valentine’s Day. :)

*Cathy Robrock is a very talented and dear friend.*

On to Orlando for an unimpressive meal from Q’Doba with a very impressive friend. Jackie and I became friends as sophomores in high school (“Remember the Titans”), which led to her coming to our church youth group led by my parents, which led to her coming to Christ. She’s been a part of our family ever since, which puts her in a very small pool of half-century friends. None of us wanted to tackle a restaurant on that highly impacted day, so we settled for ease and had a lovely time catching up with one another while eating simply and getting our 5 miles in. We were joined by my brother Frank, his wife Beth, and her two nieces, who were in town for a multiple-day Disney experience. Such serendipity to have time with them in Florida!

*My brother Frank and his wife Beth and Paul and I invaded our dear friend Jackie’s home in Orlando.*

Next stop: Port St Lucie, Florida, where we “camped out” at our friends’ home for a 10-hour counseling day Wednesday. We were so grateful to Kurt and Michelle Ling for opening their home to us as our “home base" for the next three nights. We drove up to Melbourne Thursday to meet up with Jake and Kaylee Gosselin and their three adorables. The bonus was having Jake’s mom, Gayla, there as well. We loved being able to see all of them. Kaylee has been in our lives since she was in elementary school as a family camper (brought by her parents, who were carrying on the tradition of family camp her mom had experienced as a youth at CBS.). Kaylee and Jake were both on our staff in years gone by and we are loving watching the mantle of faith being passed down through the generations in their precious family.

*Kurt and Michelle Ling took good care of us during our three days on the east coast of Florida.*

*Connecting with Jake and Kaylee Gosselin, Jake’s mom Gayla, and their three littles was a definite highlight.*

We also managed to have an evening with Brant and Carolyn Hansen and that’s always a good time. Brant’s latest book, The Men We Need, joins his first three on my “everyone should read these” list.

*An evening with Brant and Carolyn Hansen was full of stimulating conversation and incredible problem-solving.*

And thus ended our 10-day adventure in Florida. We left the sunny skies and warm temps to return on Feb 18 to the late arriving winter in New England with full hearts and many deposits in our “we are rich because of the people in our lives” bank.