We lost Jim McDonald this past week..I don't think that I'll ever

look at that far back pew that I won't think about Jim.What a wonderful

person. Jim's nephew is a banker that works with me out of

Athens and I stayed in close contact with him about Jim.....he said

often how much St. Michael's meant to Jim...how much he loved

our Church, how important it was to him and how good everyone

was to Jim/Charlotte......

What an incredible Faith Journey Jim experienced. It was a ministry

to all just watching him as he went about his quest to become a deacon and use

his health issues as a way of helping others......................We ALL, if we're honest

with ourselves, are on our own Faith Journey's.......for me personally, sometimes I

feel like I'm moving down that road at a fairly rapid pace on a sunny day and the

breeze at my back.....other times , it seems as though, I'm climbing a steep hill into a

rainy wind and I'm crawling along at a snails pace.... through it all, the one constant

for me during the "highs and the lows" has been St. Michael's.

St. Michael's IS a special place.....and we're a special congregation...we're very supportive

of our community, our Church and each other. What unites us is this beautiful

Church. I've said it many , many times to close friend ... the exterior is a beautiful,

classic Episcopal Church, but the interior awes me... who's walls have been painted

for over 120 yrs. with so many, many prayers.........Prayers of Hope, Prayers of Forgiveness,

Prayers for Healing, Prayers of Thanksgiving, Prayers of Joy.

WE ALL LOVE THIS CHURCH....WE MUST SUPPORT IT.

These are tough times.........we all know that.

a. Economically.......probably will be for sometime

b. We're a Church in transition.......probably will be for sometime

c. UGA "ain't doing so good its ownself"

.............but it's all the more important to support St. Michael's now more than

ever. Any new priest will want to see if we can support his/her ministry financially...........

just a fact of life. Bo Hogan/Finance Committee has done a remarkable

job with his stewardship of The Fisher Fund, but that wasn't intended to sustain our

operations nor should it be expected to fund the day to day operations of our

Church.........THAT'S UP TO US.

Giving is the life support of any Church...our's is no different. St. Michael's needs

your support. Please give generously.......take the time to make a prayerful decision

about you commitment to our Church's well being.

In closing, I was at a bank sr. mgmt. strategic planning meeting in Athens this

week. We were lamenting about earning, the economy, etc,etc. and where we

went from here........pretty unexciting sorta meeting........someone told the group

about this young girl in Acct. dept. that was a single mom with a small child with

health issues............she had a poster on her desk that read........... "Life isn't

about sitting down and waiting for The Storm to pass......it's about learning to

Dance in the Rain".

Jim McDonald learned to Dance in the Rain..............I pray St. Michael's will as

well………….

Tat Thompson