Joe Stobaugh

Bittersweet day as the final session of the North Texas Annual Conference has adjourned. The appointments have been fixed and I am excited to soon begin my fifth year as the senior pastor of University Park UMC! God is doing something wonderful in our midst and it’s a joy to be a part of the work of the Spirit!

Survivorship is a strange experience. I can’t remember where I read this but it feels cogent to my journey: when you receive a cancer diagnosis your medical team acts like a fire department. There is a fire in your body and they come screaming to the rescue and they attempt to put the fire out. And, if they are successful, they put the fire out and mostly head back to firehouse and you are left with the remains of your burnt out body and it’s up to you to clean it up and figure out how to rebuild it pretty much on your own. No one really prepares you for the survivorship part, which is filled with big emotions and a lot of fatigue. It’s been quite a journey of the body, mind, spirit, and soul. Even though I am so thankful for the amazing medical professionals who continue to help me on this journey and I am grateful to be alive, there are many days when I have to remind myself of the fortunate cookie fortune I received at lunch today! Such auspicious timing! Thank you for all the ways you’ve prayed for and supported my family and me. We wouldn’t be here without you!

Haven’t had a chance to do this in a while!

What a blessing to be surrounded by so many amazing mom’s! Happy Mother’s Day, Sally Lawrence Stobaugh, Becki Williams Veal, and Sarah Veal Stobaugh. You are so amazing and I am so thankful for each you: thank you for the many ways you love so well and bring such beauty and joy to so many lives!

Round 2, Game 2: Let’s go!!!

So proud of this young woman, whose ensemble won first place in state tonight in indoor percussion. This was the inaugural year of indoor drumline at HP and they went off and won the whole thing!

What a wonderful celebration of the Resurrection I am so thankful for all of the volunteers and staff who made this life changing celebration possible!

If you are struggling with your sartorial choices today, why not consider blue?

Still on a pretty big high after getting to help lead Upper Room worship with the band and especially this amazing bass player!

I have been wearing out this wonderful new resource in my day-to-day life in parish ministry. Thank you, for this beautiful and practical collection!

What a privilige for UPUMC to host an important conversation with members of Roots tonight, whose mission is to foster a grassroots movement of understanding, nonviolence, and transformation among Israelis and Palestinians.

It was a hope-filled evening, shared with nearly 200 people from a wide variety of religious and non-religious traditions from across the metroplex.

In a world torn by war we experienced a critical reminder that Peace IS Possible.

Thank you to the UPUMC staff, our Church and Society Committee, Thanks-Giving Square, Faith Commons, and the Perkins School of Theology for a powerful evening.

To learn more about Roots, visit their website at: www.friendsofroots.net