[from February Unigram]

Now begins Phase 2 of the sabbatical.  I will be traveling for short visits to Truckee, Tucson, Phoenix, a retreat center near Occidental, a lake house near Tulsa, and maybe to Asia if I can pull together the frequent flier miles or the money to do so.  I’ll keep working on Susan Frederick-Gray’s campaign to be our next UUA President and helping out on the Sacramento YMCA’s annual support campaign to help kids attend camp and low-income families have access to the Y’s programs.

In addition, I plan on lots of reading and a spiritual retreat.  I’ll tell you all about it in a few months.  I will miss the annual Spring Fling–our Dinner, Auction and Raffle event.  Before leaving I did provide a few services for the auction.  What will YOU offer?  Please mark your calendar for this, the biggest and funnest fundraiser of the year: Saturday, April 29, 5:00 PM, at UUSS.  Click here to add your service auction items and have a sneak-peak.

In February I will miss marking my 56th birthday with you.  Save me some cake!  Yes, the aging process does not slow down when I go off duty!  I’m now 4 years younger than my father was when he died suddenly.  I am blessed with better health.  I didn’t have to go to a war zone as a young adult, as he did.  And I take better care of myself, so I expect to live longer than he did.

Thoughts of my mortality make me think of how I can make sure my assets will help those who need support.  I want to put my resources to work to extend our Unitarian Universalist values.  I have taken some time to decide what organizations and people to list as beneficiaries for my retirement investments and life insurance.

Unitarian Universalist institutions are at the top of my list of heirs and beneficiaries, and this includes UUSS.  At a time like this in history, I realize how important it is to sustain the institutions that embody our values.

I have been given so much by our congregations, our denominations, my hardworking ministerial colleagues, UU church members, and my UU seminary.  I want to pass along some of these benefits for a strong Unitarian Universalism in the years to come.

I’ve thought about my house, car, and other assets, and how to plan my estate so my resources will “pay it forward.”  Please see our Legacy Giving page on the website, or talk to Rev. Lucy or to one of our Trustees if you have questions or wish to share your good news with them.

I hope you can take some time to think about extending your influence after your death.  Meanwhile, I hope you all take care of one another.

See you in just a few months.  I will miss you!

Yours with thanks,

Roger