I don’t know how people cooked in ovens without timers back in the day. When I watch shows set in earlier eras, I’m amazed that someone could put bread or a roast in the oven and just… know. No digital countdown. No pre-set alert. Just a clock on the wall and a sense of when it was time to pull it out before it burned. Modern cooking relies heavily on built-in timers. It’s rare to see someone sprinting to the oven, waving smoke out of the air because they lost track of time.

One the common shows in my house is the classic I Love Lucy . Over the years, I have become pretty well versed on the show and even many behind the scenes nuggets. Recently, I used an illustration from one episode in a sermon. The story takes place while the main characters are in Hollywood for Ricky to film a movie. When the film is suddenly shelved, Lucy springs into action to make sure Ricky isn’t fired. She devises a plan to hire a random man to pose as a big-time produce

We live in a time in American history when people seem more divided than ever, even while loudly proclaiming messages of diversity and inclusion. This division is especially evident in our political scene. Whether you like him or not, Donald Trump, the current president of the United States, is deeply loved by many and just as deeply despised by others. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, or whether you even knew this was a thing, I recently came across a headline

As I am writing this, we are all bracing here in central Virginia for a big snow and ice storm. By the time some of you read this, it may already be behind us. Right now, though, everyone is making last-minute preparations and hunkering down. It is crazy how storms refocus us on basic things like food, clothing, shelter, and warmth. All week we have been thinking about what we need to get through it. Some people were prepared . Others waited and then discovered heaters and n

I was rushing to a school to officiate a basketball game, frustrated that I might arrive late. Not late for the game itself (almost though), but late for when officials are expected to be there. As I drove, my wife had just asked how I was doing, and I realized my answer was more edge than honesty. The problem was simple. I left the church later than I should have. That moment stuck with me. People often tell me I am “ so busy ,” and for a long time I have pushed back on tha

Happy New Year (2026)! When I was growing up, I had a shirt that I wore all the time. It was a USA Basketball t-shirt that simply said, “Respect the past. Represent the future.” As a kid who grew up in the 1990s, I vividly remember watching many of the players who made up the original Dream Team, the first group of professional basketball players to represent the United States in Olympic competition. Those players were legends. They changed the game and left an undeniable m

Merry Christmas, everyone! Many of you have probably already busted down the stairs (if you have them) and dove headfirst into the pile of presents and stocking stuffers. As I’m sure many of you received gifts you needed and wanted, there is also real joy in watching the faces of those you give to. Sometimes the best part of Christmas morning isn’t what we open — it’s who we’re watching. This Christmas, after everything was opened, I mentioned that only one thing came off he

Have you ever made plans only to watch them fall apart? That was my experience this past weekend, and it was felt most clearly while trying to sell my truck. For the record, my wife suggested that I call ahead to make sure I had everything I needed to complete the sale. I didn’t call. I was certain I had everything covered. So we made our arrangements and drove into town. After waiting for someone to help me, I presented the offer sheet I had received the week before. The sal

The other day, I got some bad news. My truck has some issues, and the long and short of it is that the repair costs almost as much as the truck is worth. I decided to shop it around and see what I could get for it. All day Saturday, I drove around to multiple places seeking appraisals, and while at one of them, I was struck by a conversation with the sales person helping me. He led with, “I want to help you,” and that he didn’t want to put me in a vehicle I didn’t really want

As we head into the Advent Season , I wanted to share another “I Was Just Thinking…” Throwback - one of my dad's original posts that I'm resharing because it still resonates. He taught me to notice God in everyday moments, and I'm honored to carry on his tradition This piece comes from October 22, 2013 . While it originally appeared without a title, I have given it the title "Warning: Don't Miss the Moments Jesus Is Sending You Into the World". The message is clear: a simple

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving , and lately I’ve been struck by the image of preparation . Two scenes in particular keep coming to mind: 1) A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Poor Charlie Brown never meant to host a Thanksgiving meal, but once his friends invited themselves over, he did his best. He, Snoopy and Linus whipped up toast with butter, pretzels, jellybeans, and popcorn while the iconic Peanuts theme played in the background. But when the guests arrived, they scolded him for

For the past several weeks, I’ve been going to physical therapy. This is new for me. In all the years I’ve played sports, I’ve never been seriously injured until now. Sure, I’ve had my share of scrapes: years ago I sprained my thumb badly enough to wear a brace from wrist to elbow; last Fall I broke a finger playing flag football with some teenagers. But this summer, I sprained my sternoclavicular joint and strained my scalene and trapezius muscles doing hang cleans at Cros

Photo by Aidan Bartos on Unsplash Yesterday marked the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. This was a defining event in my life. Every generation has that moment when they remember exactly where they were: JFK’s assassination, MLK Jr.’s assassination, the moon landing (if you believe it actually happened). For my generation, 9/11 was that moment. I was in 9th grade in Mr. Jackson’s Earth and Environmental Science class at South Brunswick High School i

Nane and Me (Armenia, July 30, 2025) A few weeks ago, I returned from my third mission trip to Armenia , and it was nothing short of amazing! I’ve really grown to love this place and its people. Last year, I met a little girl named Nane. Some of you may have heard me talk about her before. This year, I hadn’t even been there a few hours before I reunited with her! When she came up the stairs of the church, we immediately recognized each other and ran into a big embrace . Even

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash Have you ever heard the phrase, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it”? It’s often said by people who are unhappy with their lives and long for something different, only to discover that what they wanted didn’t actually satisfy them. Many people treat prayer the same way. Some think of prayer like a genie-in-a-bottle experience as if God is standing by to say “poof,” what do you need? Others adopt a name-it-and-claim-it mentali

Scarlett and Kendall (May 4, 2025) May is a busy month for my wife and me, full of family celebrations: two nieces' birthdays, her stepdad’s and stepmom’s birthdays, my brother’s birthday, her sister’s wedding anniversary, and, of course, Mother’s Day. Whew!I think that’s all of them! Maybe you’ve got even more on your calendar, but I bet many of you can relate to this kind of celebration marathon. Recently, we took a quick trip down to North Carolina to celebrate two of tho

Photo by Antony Freitas on Unsplash Have you ever gotten lost before? I suspect all of us have at some point—whether in a store, in the woods , or out on the road. These days, most drivers set out with confidence, especially with GPS at our fingertips. But even GPS can lead us astray. That happened to me recently. Last week was our Spring meeting for our local Baptist Association , held at a church I’d never visited before. I had been to the neighborhood, but never the chu

Photo by Sarah Donaghy on Unsplash Earlier this month (April 6) marked the 10-year mark of my father's passing . It is hard to believe it has been that long. Interestingly he passed the Monday after Easter, and seeing as we just celebrated Easter , I thought it would be appropriate to post an “I Was Just Thinking…” Throwback. Titled “Feeling Alone? It's Your Fault”, this article shows that even in our loneliest moments, God stays by our side and gives us strength. We are n

Photo by Morrow Solutions on Unsplash He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Easter Sunday is here, and while many people are focused on baskets and bunnies, we remember what Easter is truly about—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This past week at CrossFit , we had an optional finisher workout called The Carry . It was created in partnership with a national CrossFit brand and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). The Carry involves taking a weighted bar

This past Saturday, I ran in the Monument 10K . I’ve done this race once before, and let me be clear—I’m not trying to win the thing. But I did want to finish it… ideally without stopping. It’s always amazing to see the crowd at this event—over 18,000 participants. The range of people is incredible: little kids, elderly walkers, Division I athletes, cancer survivors, hardcore runners, and even individuals pushing someone else in a wheelchair. One of my buddies was checking t