Business – Page 3 – gregoryjoel.com

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Bluebonnets and New People

March 14, 2019 gregoryjoel

Thoughts From the Porch: I got to see the sunrise this morning. Big deal, you say? It is after several days of rain and overcast skies. I know we’ll be praying for rain in a couple of months, but I have way too much to do to stay at the desk.

A slight chill hangs in the air as a reminder that the official start of Spring, the vernal equinox, is still a week away. Still, the birds are singing and I even saw Bluebonnets peeking through the grass. For those unfamiliar with Texas, Spring comes with an explosion of bright color along side our highways and bi-ways. I know it happens elsewhere, just not like here. Bluebonnets bring vibrant blues, followed by the orange and black of the Indian Paintbrush. Yellows and deep greens fill in the blanks and everywhere is awash with blooms. It makes up for the winter months and reminds us to truly “stop and smell the flowers”.

Facebook will soon be plastered with pictures of people sitting in fields of blue. That’s a big thing here in Fort Worth. Taking pictures of loved ones, especially kids, amongst the wildflowers is a tradition for many folks here in North Texas. Nature provides the perfect background for the best portraits. The photographs are constant reminders that life is always fresh and new, even during the coldest of winters.

Each Wednesday I attend the Fort Worth Development Group (FWDG), a business networking and development group that seeks to “Bridge the gap between Business and Ministry through cultivating meaningful relationships in the workplace.” I knew that I needed to network for my writing business even though I’m painfully shy in new situations. I picked the FWDG because of their Mission Statement and quite frankly, it was close to my house. Maybe I’d be more comfortable with like-minded folks despite my fear they would engage in “religious speak”, but hey, I didn’t have to go back, right?

What I found was a group of business people who really do seek to cultivate meaningful relationships and help each other grow. It’s not simply lip service. I’ve come to look forward to my Wednesday meeting, knowing I will leave feeling stronger in my faith and in my business. Life is fuller and richer when I step out of my comfort zone. I find new friends and new resources for living well.

My friend Edgar always reminds me that “self-sufficiency is a lie”, we need something beyond ourselves to live life well. We need each other. I’m happy to be surrounded and supported by the myriad of people God has brought into my life. What’s your circle?

Business, Community, Conservation, Creation, Donations, Environment, Faith, Fighting Poverty, Food Deserts, Food Insecurity, Gardening, Gifts, Non-Profits, Nutrition, Opal's Farm, Plowing, Preparation, Regeneration, Relationships, Service Organizations, Service to Others, Spirituality, Stories, Tractors, Unity Unlimited, Inc., Urban Farming, Work, Writing

Building the Beds!

February 28, 2019 gregoryjoel

I’m not sure what the temperature was outside this morning, but the house was cold enough to keep me hitting the snooze alarm repeatedly and jumping back under the covers. It took a bit to brave the chill and get up and hurriedly get jeans and a hoodie on. A couple of cups of coffee later and the cold is dispelled. Life is fine again.

Yesterday was another momentous occasion at Opal’s Farm. We received delivery of a BCS Tractor and the container to lock it up in. If one has never worked the North Texas soil, they might not appreciate why these deliveries were such a big deal. If they witnessed the demonstration and training yesterday, they might begin to get a clue. The time saved and the ease by which a bed is prepared for planting is amazing, especially with the amount of clay it pulverizes. I’m headed out in a bit to go play in the dirt!

I’d like to offer a very special thank you to Linda Fulmer and Healthy Tarrant County Collaboration for providing the tractor, tiller, and rotary plow for us. Healthy Tarrant County Collaboration brings together hospitals, public health, universities, and other community partners to work together to improve the health of our community. They are also the umbrella organization for Grow Southeast, our group of urban farmers seeking to address food access and scarcity in Southeast Fort Worth. The BCS tractor they provided will be shared among the growers in Grow Southeast. You can learn more about HTCC at http://healthytarrant.org/ .

Our container is leveled and ready for use!

Now that we have a tractor, we need something to store it in, right? Paula Pacanins, the President of Container King contributed an 8’x40’ container to store our tools, equipment, and desk in. We can’t thank Paula and Container King enough. She even had them place hooks for our banners on both sides so that everyone can see Opal’s Farm! Paula’s website is at http://containerking.com and they can meet more than simply your storage needs.

We wouldn’t be where we are nor could we do what we do without our partners. We’d love to partner with you as well. Click on the contact us or donate buttons for your safe, secure donation to Opal’s Farm or go to www.unityunlimted.org

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Just a Reminder

February 5, 2019 gregoryjoel

I know you’re going to get tired of hearing this – Opal’s Farm is having a ribbon cutting on February 15th! I just can’t help myself. I’m compelled to shout it from the rooftops!

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The Big Day

February 2, 2019 gregoryjoel

To say I’m excited would be an understatement! Several years ago, Ms. Opal Lee had a vision for an urban farm. The Tarrant Regional Water District offered Unity Unlimited, Inc. (our non-profit!) land near downtown. All it was waiting for to make it a reality for was the right time. That time has come!

Opal’s Farm is ready to start planting our first crop!

In honor of the big day, Opal’s Farm is having a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, February 15^th, 2019 at 11:00AM.

Opal’s Farm is an agricultural intervention to bring fresh produce to area food deserts and revitalize Fort Worth communities. Our mission is to improve the overall health and welfare of local communities through food access, jobs, job training, education, and self-sufficiency – in keeping with old saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish (or farm, in this case), and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Come be apart of the journey beginning with our ribbon cutting on February 15^th.

I’ve attached an invitation. Please park in the vacant lot in front of the entrance to Opal’s Farm and join us for the big day!

Autumn, Business, Children, Choices, Community, Consequences, Courage, Dallas Cowboys, Emotional Health, Family, Football, Generations, Grandchildren, Growing Up, Health, Heroes, Persistence, Practice, Role Lodels, Seasons, Spirituality, Sportsmanship, Television, Texas, Thoughts From the Porch, Writing

Super Sunday… not

January 31, 2019 gregoryjoel

Thoughts from the Porch: It’s the last day of January. It felt like it on the porch. Still, I can enjoy my porch time unlike our neighbors to the north. The record low temperatures remind me how lucky I am to be a Texan where we complain about the cold when the high is in the forties, not forty below. Prayers of warmth are being sent up for the folks in the Midwest. Hang in there, guys…

Being from Texas, I’m genetically predisposed to be a football fan. Football is most certainly a religion here. Our football fervor has inspired countless books, several movies and even a television series, “Friday Night Lights”. Visit any small town on Friday nights in the Fall and you’ll see what I mean. In the big cities there are multi-million dollars high school stadiums filled with frenzied fans. Winning coaches and star players are often held in the same worshipful regard as Davy Crockett and the heroes of the Alamo. Fans know the stats of every player on the home team. For a few months of the year, football is king.

When I moved to Colorado in my early teen years, I was baffled that high school football seemed to take a back seat to basketball. My dad informed me that football wasn’t revered by the heathens north of the Red River. Though that might have been true about high school, it didn’t seem to apply to pro ball. Denver Bronco fans were intense! Colorado had some redeeming qualities after all!

For many years, my Sunday afternoons were spent at either the stadium or in front of the television. I was happy to play Monday morning quarterback with coworkers and friends. God forbid that I ever miss a Super Bowl, regardless of whether my teams were playing. I was a football fan!

This coming Sunday is Super Bowl LIII. It’s unlikely I’ll be tuning in except to see the new crop of Super Bowl commercials for the year. They’re far more entertaining even if they are about rampant consumerism. Things have changed over the years. I may see part of one or two games per season, if I think about it. Watching for a few minutes seems to be a waste of time. It’s just not the same.

I still make high school games. I love the school spirit, the energy, and the love of the game. High school players still play ball because they enjoy it; for the most part anyway. People still fill the stadium because that’s what we do: support our kids, yell at the opponents, and then go out for dinner with them after the game. There’s a certain purity to that.

I don’t follow professional football much. Not only are the Dallas Cowboys (my favorite team) absent from the playoffs most years, watching a bunch of prima donnas do put on end zone theatrics, kind of turns my stomach. It’s far more about money and celebrity than it is love of the game. Real players and role models are few and far between.

I have mixed emotions about the sport today. The medical community has begun to understand the long-term consequences of the game. It’s not just bad knees and back problems anymore. There’s traumatic brain injury and early onset dementia to think about. I sometimes wonder if allowing my son to play was in his best interests. His college scholarship hopes were cut short by an injury during his senior year.

Despite his injuries, I still believe in high school football and the purity of the game. He learned a lot about teamwork, sportsmanship, and perseverance playing ball. Watching most (not all, mind you) pro players today those things seem to be absent. I have no desire to give my time or my dollars to such foolishness.

So, this Sunday will find me working around the house, catching a movie on Netflix, or sleeping in my recliner. You won’t find me watching the “Big Game” but, if it’s a Friday night in November, you might just see me under the Friday night lights.