Patti Edmon Artist

Physical, mental, social…spiritual. Interestingly, this is the one that brings it all together. The thing that makes life worth it, the thing that rises us above the mundane and everyday, the thing that brings meaning to life, is when we are aware of the spirituality of our lives, the presence of God within us and around us and through us, the step of enhancing our life by connecting to the Spirit. - Dr. Woody Berry This is exactly what I felt while floating in the lake, hearing nothing but the cry of the hawk that lives in that particular cove. I spent several minutes gazing at the trees that form a semi-circle horizon above the rocks. I saw more shades of green than I ever thought possible, patches of deep blue sky showing through in spots… and the elegance of the lifeless tree that must have fallen years ago and now rests horizontally, weathered and stretching gracefully down from where it was once rooted. I watched the finches darting from a nest tucked out of sight in ...

Today is Woody's Birthday. The Rev. Dr. Woody L. Berry is my pastor, mentor, counselor, collaborator on matters relating to art, life, the journey... and best of all, my friend.  If I hadn't wandered in to Maxwell Street Presbyterian 3-1/2 years ago, I wouldn't know Woody and that's not a scenario I like to consider. I wasn't a Presbyterian then but after my second visit I knew I'd found home. It has been a relatively short distance from visitor to member, deacon, active  membership committee participant, house writer. My frequent conversations with Woody are light posts marking the distance between the stretches that are at times, dark, reflective, sometimes lonely but always filled with meaning. He has this way, that continues to amaze me, of taking a concept that seems difficult, convoluted, maddening, and untangling it into a framework that is so easy to grasp that I can't imagine how I didn't see it in the first place. He's one of the smartes...