Blogs in the Spotlight: John-Robert McFarland

I haven't done a "Blogs in the Spotlight" lately, but today seems like a good day to feature my friend and once campus minister, Rev. John-Robert McFarland.

John-Robert back in May, 1972, shaking hands with my roommate at his going-away gathering.

When I went to Illinois State University in September, 1971, John-Robert was the campus minister at the Wesley Foundation which was the United Methodist presence on campus.  The first weekend we were there, my roommate (see above) and I went to the "Inner Ear" coffee house (it WAS the early '70's after all!) where all the campus religious groups were doing their introductions and giving out information.  Even though John Robert left after my freshman year to go on to get his doctorate, the Wesley Foundation became an important place for me, as well as an employer, for the rest of my years at ISU.  I still have contact with lots of WF friends.

There are lots of reasons why I would feature him here, and I suppose the main reason would be because he is a blogger---but he'd probably relate to being referred to as a writer more than a blogger.  His blogs are his vehicles for disseminating his daily writings.  And he actually has three blogs to his name--two are now the more active ones.  

In Christ in Winter he writes from his location in Upper Michigan (that's the "winter" part) and subtitles it, "Reflections on Faith from a Place of Winter for the Years of Winter…" Just recently he began a blog that I think he would like to call "Just Words," and this was at the request of the publisher, Black Opal Books, of his latest book coming out soon, Vets.  Today's post in this blog explains the situation with Amazon Books and Hachette Books, both Goliaths (as he calls them) in the book biz, and the negative effect both have on authors and all the smaller book sellers.  As an Amazon addict with my iPad loaded with Kindle (Amazon) books, I really need to think about this.  So, support your local little bookstores when possible, and think about the authors who get caught up in the politics of this situation.

John-Robert is also a cancer survivor...big-time cancer survivor!  Back in February, 1990, a seemingly minor issue sent him into the hospital, finding himself in the operating room at midnight, and waking up to learn he had colon cancer and only part of his colon--something he now calls his "semi-colon."  His oncologist then told him he would be dead "in one to two years."  That was 24 years ago.  So much for predictions.  But based on his experiences and his year-long cancer drug trial, he wrote the book, NOW THAT I HAVE CANCER I AM WHOLE: Reflections on Life and Healing for Cancer Patients and Those Who Love Them, which I think I have whole-heartedly recommended here in a previous post to anyone who wants to look at life in a new way, cancer or not.

If you ever have been asked or thought about who those top five significant people might be in your life, John-Robert is one of them for me.  He has done so many interesting things in his life with so many interesting people, which he writes about in another of his books, THE STRANGE CALLING: Stories of Ministry.  And I'm sure I will write more about him in the future!

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Update on our deer - We think Mom and Little One, or LO as I'm calling it, are still here and doing fine.  I did see a fox or coyote coming near to where LO was resting, but no damage done.  And, several crows were attacking a raven which upset Mom very much, so she was chasing the crows around the yard!  Quite the show indeed!