Stories & Blogs
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 18, 2024
** CNN’s Good Stuff brings us inspiration and encouragement. In Gothenburg, Sweden, an orchestra has come together involving 300 players with different backgrounds, languages, voices, and musical talent, including Ron Davis, conductor. Members are refugees, immigrants, and others searching for a safe place to live, play and be a part of something special, thus, The…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 11, 2024
“ Opinions do not strengthen connections; Opinions do not carry the power to heal divisions nor hearts. The sharing of our Stories is how we connect; by listening to the stories of others, and telling our own story, divisions are healed, as are our hearts.” Roy Bowen – 2024 ** Multiple internet sites provide reasons…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 4, 2024
** The word Community has been heard often this week. The Paris Olympics have encouraged Community across borders, language, and teams to form International Communities. Toyota ads promote joining the “Toyota Community.” The rapid growth of online global Communities provides everyone, whether urban or rural, a way and place to belong. My heritage and understanding…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 28, 2024
Last week’s Sunday Letter described the importance of uniforms to student for improving academic achievement and consistent attendance. I have now learned the members of our local University Christian Church, provided 6,897 shirts, jeans, and shorts to Fort Worth girls and boys during the 2023-24 school year. I am sure UCC would welcome your contribution…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 21, 2024
** Each Monday, I begin with a blank pad of paper following the sending forth of the Sunday Letter. The process seems to include notes on a news item, a quote on keeping the seams together of society, climate, faith and perhaps a personal sharing begins the slow move from pad to screen. When the…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 14, 2024
** As you know, Public Libraries have always been my safe place. My mother took me to the Fort Worth library for my 1st library card when I was 7 or 8. The library encouraged me to be curious, to explore and to learn. In 2024, (rural and urban) libraries are still community hubs for…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 7, 2024
** Sunday Letter readers live coast to coast. Each of you bring a unique perspective and background to your comments and email follow-ups. One observant reader responded via email: “There are Land people and there are Ocean people.” It seems to me that Ocean people see different colors of green, brown, ocean and sky blues,…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for June 30, 2024
Nature report from Pershing: Our street is blessed with an abundance of trees, and birds. Two Common Flicker Woodpeckers come daily to the suet basket on our front yard Red Oak. A Red Headed Woodpecker, my first, is finding food in our neighbor’s large but aging tree…Stunning! A neighbor joined us in taking down their…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for Jun3 23, 2024
I am writing about fathers for a 3rd Sunday, as I have truly reflected on your comments. Many readers wrote about the teachings, love, and importance of fathers. I was also taken by readers comments about the missing of a father due to an early death, divorce, or addictions. This missing was supported by the…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for June 16, 2024
** Father’s Day is an opportunity for memories and connecting in meaningful ways between daughters, sons, wives and dads. Sometimes, we honor our dads for all they do or accomplish as well as, and especially, strengthening the family. It is even more important to honor our dads for who they are and are still becoming….
Roy’s Sunday Letter for October 12, 2025
WHO WOULD YOU INVITE TO YOUR TABLE? A Netflix favorite is “Somebody Feed Phil.” This popular food and people show introduces the culture of food, chefs, and cities nationally and internationally. Each episode ends with Phil inviting 6 to 8 food guides and chefs of that episode to share and enjoy a table and meal…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for October 5, 2025
WISDOM THAT TEACHES, COMFORTS, & CHALLENGES One of Beth’s life enjoyments is finding and copying wisdom quotes and sayings into one of her now five journals. I have lifted today’s writings from one of her journals. I am confident SL readers will find favorites to read more than once, perhaps to write into your own…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for September 28, 2025
THOUGHTS ON FAITH – THEN AND NOW This week’s letter is the third in a series…recent Sunday Letters have been about Crosses, Prayers and Meditation. Faith is the focus for the third in the series. I chose Faith last as it continues to evolve even now as an elder. We are all pilgrims in this…
Roy’s Sunday Letter For September 21, 2025
THOUGTHS AND WRITINGS ON PRAYER AND MEDITATION Most of us, perhaps all of us, seek the best way to live our lives with wisdom, kindness, and joy. Two widely accepted practices to do so are prayer and meditation. Each bring us closer to God, the Divine within our Souls, our family and friends and our…
Roy’s Sunday Letter For September 14, 2025
This Sunday, I invite you to take a deep dive into the Number 3. There are religious, cultural, and scientific research that indicates the significance of the Number 3 in many societies and countries. The Number 3 is mentioned 485 times in the Bible, 75 of these in the New Testament. What are 3 books…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for September 7, 2025
SEPTEMBER IS MORE THAN A TURN OF THE CALENDAR The earlier wintering months gave way to the greening and garden hope of spring. September lifts our spirits from the heat dome of a Southwestern summer. September reminds us there is coolness and rain showers with the turn of calendar pages. September is also a check…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 31, 2025
A LIFETIME OF MUSIC SHAPING and HELPING US GROW UP Music of my growing up years came to me through the social injustice, national protests, marches and all led by the televised forever images, sounds, and words of Pete Seeger, Odetta, Peter, Paul, & Mary, and Joan Baez. The home and car radio were always…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 24, 2025
CROSSES AND CRIFIXICS OF FAITH I received my first cross from a graduating seminary friend in 1969. Beth added her own crosses as we married and purchased our first home. Through travel, art fairs and conferences we have added diverse crosses of wood, metal, New Mexico mortar and wire. Crosses and crucifixes are worn as…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 17, 2025
ARE INSPIRING PERSONS AND CAUSES STILL IMPORTANT TO TOU, YOUR FAMILY, OUR COUNTRY? The ongoing daily news/events of local, national and the wider world can drain energy or a sense of wonder for a better tomorrow. For all of that to not be my only reality, I choose to filter and search for the balancing…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 10, 2025
WAYS YOU CAN AND WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH OTHERS, AND PERHAPS THE WIDER WORLD My world, your world, is a fast-moving, ever-changing collection of stories, decisions, and events. And yet, many of us want to find an edge or small ways we can and will improve living or working conditions of other persons, animals,…