Today is Annie Hammon’s 60th birthday. For those who don’t know, Annie is my Aunt by marriage (and also choice). She is my dad’s wife’s sister (hi Ruth!). Previously, I have written reflections on the terminal illness (#effcancer) her husband Chris lived with for too many years. Ruth presented Annie with a collection of pictures and pieces from friends far…
James from Liberia – Remember the day? Eight years ago on a Tuesday in June, you reluctantly hopped into a big red cargo van, driven by some random American girl who happened to be 21 with a license – the two qualifications Passport needed to entrust her with your safe travels. Remember the day? No air conditioning. No radio. Just…
Many of you have likely read or created a “Where I’m From” poem like the one below. “Where I’m From” poems were made famous by Kentucky poet laureate, George Ella Lyon, and they serve to help take us all back to our roots. I wrote the one you are about to read during our church’s women’s retreat. I hesitated to…
I don’t know why I remember the Monday Night Football guys, but they lurk somewhere in the recesses of my memory, reminding me of the fearless exuberance I embodied in childhood. Every Monday night after dinner, I would walk my dog, Regis, up the hill by my house to Kennedy Park to swing. Little more than a backyard playground for…
Martha Jean Martin. Born September 2, 1928 in Louisville, Ky., to Ann and Benjamin Ray Smith. One of five children, Martha grew up during the most economically challenging time in United States history. I don’t know much about her childhood, except that she grew up in downtown Louisville when that was the place to be, and graduated from Manual High…
Each year, I become more and more sentimental about birthdays. At first, birthdays were just days to celebrate a new milestone – one year closer to driving, adulthood, college, being “legal,” graduating, etc., etc., etc. Now (and with the dawn of Facebook), birthdays are days to reflect on all the memories, relationships, and experiences that have shaped me into the…
A month ago today, a lot of awesome people gathered for the nuptials of the Rev. Dr. Meredith Holladay. Her sister gave a toast, and now wants to share it with all the awesome people who weren’t there. Happy One Month Anniversary, Zachadith! Hi everyone! My name is Emily Holladay, and in 1996, I was named the best sister in…
October is National Clergy Appreciation Month. As I’m feeling particularly sentimental this October, I decided to spend the month writing about clergy persons who have influenced my life in some major way. There’s no real rhyme or reason behind the order of these posts (other than I’m saving the best for last), but just the true hope that these wonderful…
Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel like giving up? Like your best will never be good enough and you’ll never be worth a place at the proverbial table? Like you can’t seem to breathe hope into the future, because everything around you seems so dark? Have you ever had one of those days only…
I’ve learned that some of the holiest moments in a young minister’s life are when mentors become friends. These moments are hard to mark, because the relationships shift gradually, in the same way that a mother and daughter shift from instructor to counselor to friend – you don’t always notice it happening, but when you do catch a glimpse of…
Rev. on the Edge 