Emerald Coast Florida

 [[{“value”:” By Sean Dietrich It was a Wednesday. I know this because on Wednesdays the Baptist church had family suppers. And although I wasn’t exactly a faithful Sunday churchgoer, I was a devout mid-week supper-eater. That night, I stood in line behind a girl, holding my plate. She was funny. She had so much personality she hummed like a neon light. Later, I sat beside her during service. That week, there was an out-of-town preacher. The kind with big hair, sweat rags, and nice shoes. He invited people to walk the aisle to get born again. My pal, Craig,—who lost his religion every football season—recommitted for his thirtieth time. He said he felt something in the air that night. I did too. When service let out, the girl wasn’t ready to go home. Neither was I. So, I suggested we drive. She liked the idea—though I’ll never know why. I pointed my vehicle east, we headed for nowhere, traveling as slow as my engine would run. The miles of pines made her more chatty. She propped her feet on my dashboard and let the words roll. She talked about things. About how she saw the world, about her favorite kind of mustard, about religion, and the proper way to eat fried chicken. I gave one-syllable responses because I didn’t want to interrupt. She had a voice that sounded like Escambia County in June. By the time we landed in Port Saint Joe, her one-sided conversation had faded to a stop....

 [[{“value”:” By Kirk McCarley A coaching colleague recently posted about time, making a distinction between the time on our watches, clocks, and calendars (chronos) vs. a more spiritual dimension of the concept (Kairos).  His piece struck me as it paralleled a message I heard at a worship service where the pastor correlated the two. Clock time, chronos, is measurable, where the barometer can be evaluated through timekeeping devices such as an hourglass or calendars.  Comparatively, the latter time, Kairos, is a more abstract notion that goes outside the elements of time movement.  It can include those “time standing still” moments like falling in love, delivering a game-winning hit, or offering valuable wisdom to others going through difficult seasons. Providing Kairos time suggests stepping out of the rush of everyday life to offer focused, spirit-led attention that creates space for divine encounters, deep relational bonding, and impactful divine work, even if it’s just for a sacred moment.  Mary Kay Ash offered that “No matter how busy you are, you must take time to make the other person feel important.” What do you see as your availability for Kairos?  Consider our rapid-paced world where we are commonly overscheduled.  There is appointment after appointment, commitment after commitment, with little reserve built in.  Only so much time exists, and if you have the fortune of being in demand, many people want a piece of yours.  The problem with existing fully on a schedule, a chronos, is that it has limits.  There are only 168 hours in...

 [[{“value”:” Café Thirty-A’s Annual Christmas Charity Ball raised a record-breaking $90,905 for Caring and Sharing of South Walton. The holiday event held on Saturday, December 6, 2025, simultaneously celebrated the restaurant’s 30-year anniversary. Presented by honorary sponsors Coastal Luxury Real Estate, Earl Bacon Agency, Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A., and the Ellis Family, the sold-out event welcomed over 250 guests to the festively decorated restaurant, courtesy of Palms 30A. Attendees were greeted with complimentary valet parking, sponsored by All Access Coach and Leasing, and a glass of champagne, courtesy of Clear Title and Escrow. Inside, event goers enjoyed heavy hors d’oeuvres, a gourmet dinner buffet, cash bar sponsored by All Access Coaching and Leasing, and a variety of desserts courtesy of Haney Holloway, LLC. Sponsors and VIP attendees also received exclusive access to a pre-party event provided by The Watson Group. Throughout the night, guests had the opportunity to view and bid on various pieces of art, jewelry, gift baskets, and luxurious items featured in the extensive silent auction. There was also an Epic Photo Co. photo booth, courtesy of A BOHEME Design, along with music from DJ Casey, sponsored by Maranta Copy Co., who kept the Barlovento Dance Floor going all night long. Santa also made a surprise appearance at this year’s event, courtesy of Barnes Capital Group, and captured photos with guests, sponsored by Corcoran Reverie. New this year, an upstairs lounge, sponsored by Engel & Volkers 30A Beaches, offered guests extra space to relax and mingle. In honor...

 [[{“value”:” By Rev. Pete Hyde   He stands before a large, empty, stark white canvas with paints and brushes at the ready.  It is time to create.  With the skill of a master artist, he begins to paint.  He starts with a pure blue and brushes the top of the canvas.  He smiles as if gaining strength and inspiration from the first few brush strokes.  With a sense of mission, he changes brushes and colors and is now fully immersed in His task.  Hues of reds, yellows, oranges, browns and greens begin to fill the canvas with so much color it would take away the breath of all who would see.  Grays and browns and whites break the rainbow of colors and add contrast and a depth of beauty that only a master could portray. Across the azure blue, he sweeps strands of grey and white.  He steps back for a moment to look upon his creation.  It seems the painting goes on forever and flows off the edges of the canvas and fills his entire field of vision.  But something was missing.  Even though it was brilliant, it was just a lifeless canvas.  Yes, it was pretty and inspiring, but it was a flat picture.  Something else was needed. He raises His hand and speaks life into the canvas.  The grey strands of clouds streak across the pure, blue sky driven by a crisp north wind.  The reds, yellows, oranges, greens and browns come to life as the wind rustles...

 [[{“value”:” How Bud & Alley’s grew from a surf-town dream into Seaside’s enduring gathering place By Zandra Wolfgram At Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant, the ritual is familiar. The sun lowers toward the Gulf, glasses are raised and a bell rings from above, marking another day shared. For 40 years, that simple moment has defined Bud & Alley’s — not just as a restaurant, but as a place where Seaside gathers. Founded by Dave Rauschkolb and Scott Witcoski, two 24-year-old surfing buddies with more enthusiasm than experience, Bud & Alley’s opened at a time when Seaside itself was just beginning to take shape. Few could have predicted that a casual beachfront restaurant in a town with barely a dozen houses would become one of Northwest Florida’s most enduring culinary landmarks. The name itself reflected the founders’ lighthearted approach. Witcoski named the restaurant after his cat, Alley, and Seaside founder Robert Davis’ dachshund, Bud — a playful beginning that hinted at the welcoming spirit to come. From the outset, Bud & Alley’s was designed to feel approachable, unpretentious and deeply rooted in its surroundings. As Seaside grew, Bud & Alley’s grew with it. What began as a simple Gulf-front restaurant evolved thoughtfully over time, helping pioneer the farm- and sea-to-table movement along Scenic Highway 30A while maintaining its relaxed, come-as-you-are feel. Fresh regional seafood, carefully sourced ingredients and consistent quality earned the restaurant a loyal following that now spans generations. 1 of 4 “For me, this milestone is really about gratitude,”...