Author: Gary Furr

I am a musician, writer and Christian minister living in Alabama. I am founder and President of the Alabama Coalition for Healthy Mothers and Children.
Blessing, Disappointment, Hope, humanity, Theology and Life3 Comments

Reframing to Blessings

Gary Furr

When I first began to preach as a pastor it was in small churches in Central Texas. They were mostly blue collar and working folks, farmers, retired people who had moved out from the city, an assortment of people who end up in a church together by virtue of geography. As I was just beginning my ministry, I desperately read books about how to preach and how to be an administrator and how to do all of this and that. But I particularly remember one preaching book that encouraged me to try to turn my main point into a positive … Continue reading Reframing to Blessings

Children, Faith, Family, Hope, hope, humanity, Spiritual disciplines, spirituality, Suffering, Theology3 Comments

Turning the Page to a New Day

Gary Furr

Some people can look at the big picture and take it in. Others of us have to plant down on the earth and focus on digging the one hole that is ours to do. When you’re trying to get it together, simple is best. You can’t fix the entire universe, but you can fix a healthy breakfast. You can’t answer the question of suffering humanity, but you can lend a hand to one person hurting. We live in time. It’s different for each of us. But what we do with the hand dealt us will finally determine how the story … Continue reading Turning the Page to a New Day

Covid-19, Ethics, fear, pandemic, Politics, Sickness and Health4 Comments

When You Aren’t Sure

Gary Furr

I got the Phizer vaccine. Both shots. Felt a little bad half of one day after the second shot and since then–nada. Truth is, the shingles shot walloped me a lot harder. But then shingles aren’t so great. I have talked to a lot of people who are unsettled about getting the shot in Alabama. They had a lot of different reasons. So I decided to write down a list. If I were worried or had questions about getting the vaccine, here is where I would go to settle my mind. Your doctor. Or a nurse or other health professionals … Continue reading When You Aren’t Sure

Americana, Anger, Country Music, Doc Watson, Family, Memory, Music, Narrative, Old-time music, Songwriting, Story, Tragedy2 Comments

Tom Dooley

Gary Furr

Some years back Vickie and I vacationed near Boone, NC, home of Doc Watson. We stayed in a place with a view of Grandfather Mountain and traipsed around in the Smokies for a week. It was great. We ventured over to Wilkesboro, NC where the events remembered in the old murder ballad “Tom Dooley” happened. There are many versions of the story and many versions of the song, but here is a more traditional one I recorded a few years ago more in the style of Doc. Read a most interesting piece on the migration of lowland Scottish people to … Continue reading Tom Dooley

Children, Family, Grace, Home, Hope, hope, Love, Mothere's Day, Parenting, Poetry

Stay Connected

Gary Furr

Every Mother’s Day for the last dozen years of my ministry as a pastor, we’d combine Mother’s Day with Graduate Recognition. This is because our college students ended earlier than high school students and if we wanted to see them all before they went to Cancun or their senior trip, we’d better get it done. So, oddly, we celebrated Mother’s Day (which is lauded above Father’s Day). For all of my childhood, I figured Mother’s Day was in the Bible and we often got a sermon on the woman described in Proverbs 31. This was the only time we heard … Continue reading Stay Connected