Category: Family & Legacy Stories
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Do Not Call Unclean What God Has Called Clean
A Family Story When I began researching our family history, I discovered things that some might prefer to hide. Three of my grandparents were born out of wedlock. One of my grandmothers was born to a woman who ran a brothel. There were marks against their names before they ever had a chance to choose…
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Amanda Joy: Love Worthy of Being Loved, Even in the Wilderness
A Third Sunday of Advent Reflection The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete—“Rejoice.”It is the Sunday of joy, marked by the lighting of the rose-colored candle. Yet the joy of Advent is not shallow happiness or easy celebration. It is a joy that dares to exist alongside sorrow, waiting, and longing. It is a…
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In Honor of My Mother, Lelia Hilda McGill, On What Would Be Her 112th Birthday
On November 20, 2025, my mother, Lelia Hilda McGill, would have turned 112 years old. Though she has been gone for many years, her life, strength, and remarkable spirit continue to shape me every single day. This is my tribute to the woman who gave me life—and taught me how to live it. A Childhood…
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Growing Up on a Farm in Greene County, Mississippi: The Foundation of My Life
A reflection by Roy Pearson I grew up on a small farm in rural Greene County, Mississippi, during the 1950s—a world far removed from the conveniences and noise that surround us today. Ours was a life of hard work, simple pleasures, deep roots, and lessons that would quietly shape the direction of my entire life.…
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Growing Up in a Country Church in Mississippi
A Reflection by Roy Pearson I grew up in the red clay hills of South Mississippi, where farming shaped our days and faith shaped our lives. My father was both a farmer and a preacher—a bi-vocational calling that was very common in those days. He pastored anywhere from two to five small rural churches at…
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Honoring God’s Creatures: The Role of Animals in Our Lives
Roy writes: Animals have always been part of the story of God’s creation. From the very beginning, God gave us creatures of every kind — not only for the balance of the earth, but for companionship, work, and joy. They are reminders of His love and of the goodness He placed in the world. When…
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Living Simply: Lessons from the Quaker Faith
My ancestor, Peter Pearson, came to America as a Quaker fleeing persecution in England. Today. the Adult Formation Class at St. James Episcopal Church, studied a chapter on Household Economics written by Sharon Daloz Parks from the book, Practicing Our Faith edited by Dorothy C. Bass. The chapter mentioned simplicity as a practice of the…
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The Front Porch: Where Stories, Conversations, and Connections Happened
Growing up on a farm in Greene County, Mississippi, during the 1950s, life was different in a way that’s hard to describe in today’s world of constant connectivity. We didn’t have phones, we didn’t have television, and the nearest neighbor was a mile away. Yet, somehow, the front porch became the heartbeat of our home—a…
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The Seeds of Love: Lessons in Relationships and Faith
When I was a boy growing up on a small farm in Greene County, Mississippi, my father gave me a handful of corn seeds and told me to plant them beneath an old oak tree. I had asked him why we couldn’t grow crops in the cool shade rather than out in the hot sun.…
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Porchlights and Fireflies: A Song That Took Me Back Home
The first nine years of my life were spent on a small farm in rural Greene County, Mississippi. Life was simple, and by today’s standards, some might even say primitive. We didn’t have a telephone or television, and there was no central heat or air conditioning. Our “running water” came from the well in our…
The Curious Pilgrim 