Faith Archive

It’s 9 a.m. on a Tuesday and the doors of Waterfront Thrift Store in Gulf Breeze are open for business. George and Sylvia Fleetwood of Navarre tuck their car into a parking spot as other locals arrive to shop for bargains while helping a worthy cause.

But the Fleetwoods are not there to shop; they have come to serve as volunteers.

The second annual “Grace’s Place Family Dinner” was held outdoors the afternoon of Nov. 1 on the grounds of Covenant Community Church in Navarre.

A crowd of about 50 attended, with several participating in the featured event, a chili and soup cookoff. The winners were Wendy Justice for the best soup and Alex Ramirez for the best chili, each of whom took home a large gift basket.

There is a dog food commercial that makes me laugh. It begins with slow-motion footage of a sleek wolf bounding through the woods. The wolf leaps effortlessly over a log but then mid-leap, is transformed into a golden retriever that nails the landing and bounds off.

A voiceover explains that inside every dog there is the spirit of a wolf, so buy this company’s dog food. What makes me laugh is that, nearby, our “wolf,” a 15-year-old, 20-pound snaggle of fur, is laying on the floor snoring loudly and sporting a “male wrap,” which is kind of a doggie diaper.

“Good evening, and welcome to Community Life Church and to PRC’s annual fundraising banquet,” Becky Pala, PRC Board Secretary and event host greeted those who gathered last month.

The Pregnancy Resource Center of Navarre (PRCN) held its annual fundraising banquet Oct. 20 with a unique twist; there was no banquet. This year’s fundraiser was conducted without a banquet as a virtual event out of concern for the spread of the coronavirus.

St. Augustine Church’s community takes care of its faith community.

“We are all about outreach,” said St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church’s Senior Warden, Terri Rothe through a floral face mask. This claim is borne out in the number of community outreaches in which this relatively small congregation is engaged, and they are challenging others to step up and join with them.

I am basically inept when it comes to home repairs. Admitting it has kept me out of the emergency room and has, on occasion, paid some tradesman’s mortgage.

One time, I tried to change out an exhaust fan in a bathroom. An easy job, right? I was glad that I had read the instructions because I learned to shut off the circuit breaker to avoid electrocution.