Elmer Carroll was convicted of the crime. The Orlando-Sentinel reports that “Carroll had two previous convictions for lewd and lascivious assault of a child – in 1980 and 1983.”

The crime is horrific. There is no question of Carroll’s guilt. His execution is scheduled for May 29

As horrifying as his crime is, I oppose the decision of the state of Florida to execute him.

My opposition is not based on what Elmer Carroll did. It is about who I am and who we are. It is about what I do and what we do.

And we can do better than to execute even in the situations that offend us most deeply.

I join Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty who suggest three actions in relation to this case:

1. Write letters and call Governor Rick Scott. Ask him to convene the Board of Executive Clemency to commute the death sentence of Elmer Carroll to Life in Prison Without the Possibility of Parole. Ask Gov. Scott to suspend ALL executions to conduct a thorough, balanced, and public investigation into Florida’s wasteful government program for the Death Penalty that has wrongfully convicted and sentenced more people to death than any other state.
2. Sign up to receive future action alerts and news from Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) at www.fadp.org/esubscribe.html.
3. Forward this action to a friend (or five!) and have them contact Governor Scott too!

Gov. Rick Scott
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: 850-488-7146
Email: Rick.Scott@eog.myflorida.com

See you along the Trail.

Against a field of green,
some petals appear,
others wait in anticipation.

Richmond, Virginia
16 August 2012

Today the congregation held an intergenerational all-church retreat. I had the privilege to help lead the retreat working with gracious and talented staff members Jan Moody, John Horman, and Kirby Lawrence Hill.

About thirty-five people participated in the retreat. And they participated fully.

We considered the topic of why and how followers of Jesus engage in witness and advocacy in the public arena, that part of life where the decisions that shape and guide our common life.

I am grateful

• for the welcome I received
• that thirty-five people were willing to give up the better part of a Saturday
• that the participants were willing to try what I suggested
• for the participants’ creativity
• for how working together spurred greater creativity and deeper insights
• for acting and writing and directing skills tapped as the participants created presentations for each other
• for relationships made and deepened
• that participants made over fifty Red Hands to call for an end to the exploitation of children as solders

I am grateful.

See you along the Trail.

Minus – I have not reached my goal of 10,000 steps on either day.

Minus – I have not been able to walk for 30 minutes either day.

Minus – I have eaten a bit too much this evening.

Plus – I did not over eat on the trip from New York to Washington, DC. That almost never happens. Airport and train stations transform me into some form of over-sized locust that eats everything in sight.

Plus – Yesterday I ate well. Today I came close.

Plus – I have reflected on how I did rather than just letting it happen.

Plus – I have recorded my numbers even when they were not what I wanted. Usually when I fail to walk or eat too much or my blood sugar is too high, I don’t make a note of it. Denial means it did not happen, perhaps?

I am on the road. Travel invariably plays havoc with any effort at self-care. My presentations for tomorrow being complete, this seems a moment to take stock of the past two days.

Minus – I have not reached my goal 0f 10,000 steps on either day.

Minus – I have not been able to walk for 30 minutes either day.

Minus – I have eaten a bit too much this evening.

Plus – I did not over eat on the trip from New York to Washington, DC. That almost never happens. Airport and train stations transform me into some form of over-sized locust that eats everything in sight.

Plus – Yesterday I ate well. Today I came close.

Plus – I have reflected on how I did rather than just letting it happen.

Plus – I have recorded my numbers even when they were not what I wanted them to be. Usually when I fail to walk or eat too much or my blood sugar is too high, I don’t make a note of it. Denial means it did not happen, perhaps?

See you along the Trail.

They celebrated greatly, giving thanks for one another, relieved that another academic term had ended.

Balloons played a role in the festivities. At some point, someone or someones decided to create balloon characters.

I believe this one represents me. The color fits. I accept it as a token of appreciation.

See you along the Trail.

I have entered a season where my heart hangs heavy and my soul aches for friends who face serious health issues.

In an exchange with one friend, I received the advice, or the challenge, “You better stay healthy.”

I appreciate the sentiment but the reality, as my friend knows, is that I need to get healthy.

For almost two days now, I have tried. I ate well yesterday. I walked on the treadmill last night. I installed a number of health apps to measure food intake, exercise, weight, and other bodily functions, I ate well today.

As I type, I recognize the privileges that I carry: access to good food, access to a gym, access to a smart phone and a computer, financial resources to pay for them, freedom to make use of them, safety to practice them, time to devote to them, and more.

Humbled at having so much, I renew my commitment and head to the gym for a second night.

See you along the Trail.

I have a bad habit. Or I probably should say, “Among my bad habits is the fact that I carry bills in my pockets.”

I simply cram them into the pocket. They end up resembling the spit balls that my friends and I used to create in junior high school. Little wads of green.

Some interesting things result.

I receive bemused looks when I pay with cash. I dig into my pocket, pull out what bills are there and straighten them. I have reminded more than one cashier, “It all spends.”

I find little wet wads of green now and then when doing laundry. I delude myself with the line, “Made money again.”

And I drop bills from time to time. It happens. I confess I do not know how often it happens. Sometimes I find the fallen bills. Sometimes, as today, I rely on the kindness of friends and strangers.

When this happens, I come up against one of my guiding principles for money. If I find money, I first try to find the owner. Failing that, I give it away. Coins end up in the hands or cups of strangers on the street. Larger bills usually go to a program addressing hunger in some way. It may feed people or help people feed themselves or work to change the reasons people are hungry in the first place.

I will join today’s dollar to some others and pass them along before the evening ends.

Guiding principles trump bad habits. At least on this one.

See you along the Trail.

Inside people enjoy art;
outside a butterfly enjoys the flowers.

Richmond, Virginia
16 August 2012

Photos of purple flowers routinely post on Mondays. But, this is not a photo of purple flowers. It is a photo of Tricia and Eric watching me take photos of purple flowers. By the ball fields of Central Park, Tricia spotted some purple flowers. As I wandered over to take some photos, she and Eric watched. At her suggestion, I took this one. And I post it today, Sunday. 

See you along the Trail.

As we speed downtown
toward South Ferry
the window captures my image
where it hovers, perhaps forever,
leading me to wonder:
whose train-snared shades surround me?
Who went before?
Whose paths do I share?
Who are my companions?

11 May 2013
1 Train between 116th and 110th