Elbow Tree

  • Home
  • Our Team
  • Our Story
    • Our Story
    • Our Endorsements
    • Our Locations
    • Our Offices
    • Third Spaces
    • Our Collection
  • Our Approach
    • Christian Counseling
    • EMDR
    • Our Offerings
    • FAQ
  • Our Voice
  • Nuts & Bolts
    • Our Pricing
    • Our Communication Security
    • Contact Us
    • Counselor Login
  • Home
  • Our Team
  • Our Story
    • Our Story
    • Our Endorsements
    • Our Locations
    • Our Offices
    • Third Spaces
    • Our Collection
  • Our Approach
    • Christian Counseling
    • EMDR
    • Our Offerings
    • FAQ
  • Our Voice
  • Nuts & Bolts
    • Our Pricing
    • Our Communication Security
    • Contact Us
    • Counselor Login

BLOG

Reflections for the inner life.

Beauty Out of Brokenness

3/18/2018

0 Comments

 

Thank you for taking the time to watch this important short film featuring a friend of mine, John Marsh. 

John is from Opelika, Alabama. So is my dear friend, pastor and mentor, Dr. Bill Dudley. Bill was my wife's childhood pastor. He later married my wife and I, baptized all three of our children and I was blessed to serve in ministry with him during a special season of our life at Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church.  Bill Dudley was the first person I'd ever known from Opelika and he spoke of his hometown with a fondness and special appreciation I envied. 

John and I first met a couple years ago in Nashville at an artist retreat. Over the course of several days together, we were often seated together at a couple meals or on a bus traveling between historic homes and event venues around the Nashville area. 

Conversation was natural and easy. I attribute much of that to John's own transparency. The time with him marked me for sure and I've continued to savor the connection. 

Meeting John Marsh and getting to spend some impromptu time together was a real treasure. His kindness and his vision remind me of my great friend Bill, who invited me into a sweet friendship that fostered an enduring trust and vulnerability.

I can safely say that Bill Dudley has been someone who invited me to bring my weary heart to the front porch of our friendship, and together we would trust Jesus to bring healing and wholeness into the lonely places. He saw beauty where I only saw brokenness.  

These two men from Opelika have very different stories but the aim of their life's work has been dedicated to restoring broken places.  The integrity of their mission begins in the seat of their own lives. Their kindness and accessibility are incredibly disarming. Both would not take credit for work only God could accomplish.  

Earlier today, John sent me a link to this new film that features a taste of he and his wife's story. I was in tears as I watched. What a gift to individuals or couples in difficult seasons of life who are hanging on by a thread. 


"Their story as a couple mirrors the story of a city once neglected and now reclaimed. Through a vulnerable recount of their past tumult, the Marshes share how healing in their broken lives became their inspiration to bring hope to others.  

John and Ashley Marsh are the proprietors of The Marsh Collective, a conglomerate of business ventures dedicated to resurrecting the city of Opelika, Alabama." 


If you are inclined, please pass this along to a friend who you think might appreciate watching this. Trust me, John and his wife are the real deal. They are living proof that we are loved beyond any measure of performance or attempt at perfection. 

May you also sense the kindness of God through the kindness and tenderness of my friend John. 

Thank you John and Ashley for sharing your story. And for your vision to bring healing and wholeness to communities and cities!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    ELBOW TREE

    Archives

    February 2022
    December 2021
    February 2021
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017

    Categories

    All
    Appointment
    Attachment
    Being Known
    Character
    Community
    Connection
    Couples
    Emotion
    Empathy
    Endurance
    Failure
    Formation
    Heart
    Hope
    Loneliness
    Marriage
    Men
    Pain
    Perseverence
    Rapport
    Recovery
    Referral
    Resilience
    Schedule
    Therapists
    Therapy
    Trust
    Warmth

    RSS Feed

Picture
St. Augustine Office
Picture

ST. AUGUSTINE OFFICE
​
 
38 South Dixie Highway
Saint Augustine, FL 32084​


JACKSONVILLE BEACH OFFICE
​
 
408 4th Street North
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250


MANDARIN OFFICE
​
 12724 Gran Bay Parkway West
Suite 410
​Jacksonville, FL 32258


Office | 904.559.1944     
Email | turnhere@elbowtreeflorida.com

Picture
Jacksonville Beach Office
Picture
Mandarin Office - Beginning February 2023
*Elbow Tree Christian Counseling, LLC in Saint Augustine & Jacksonville Beach is independently owned and operated. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture