The school year is rapidly coming to an end with many high school graduations just a few weeks away. As summer approaches, a million things are happening all at once. And this is no different for churches. This past Wednesday night, I decided to do something special with our youth ministry . Instead of our normal Youth Group with games, Bible Study, and small groups, we went to the local Mexican restaurant across the street. As a group. So there we were, 19 of us, taking up t

Back in December 2023, I sprained my left thumb playing pick-up basketball at an Open Gym sponsored by a local church in our area. While defending a fellow Randolph-Macon College (RMC) alum, he rifled a pass across the court, and my left hand got in the way. I immediately felt the pain but figured my thumb was just jammed. Despite the pain, I continued playing, attempting to shake off the pain, literally. Whoever coined the phrase, “It’s all right, just shake it off,” clearl

In the final week before Christmas , people are out and about looking for that perfect gift for their loved ones. For some people, the final days before Christmas are the beginning of their shopping journey. For others, it is only for that “last minute” stocking stuffer or gift or maybe even a Christmas Eve service outfit. My wife and I were out and about in our local mall recently. While she was in a store, I stood outside watching the people. There were parents alone, grand

Lately, I have realized that I enjoy words. I enjoy a good pun, a good riddle, and even just playing around with different words to decipher meanings and connections. Many of my students in youth ministry (and now in substitute teaching as well) roll their eyes and take a deep breath when I get going. SIDEBAR : One of my favorites is “when was the first time medicine was mentioned in the Bible?” You’ll have to read all the way to the end to find out. This week our local middl

I don't know if you have ever worked the polls during an election , but I can tell you that there is a lot that happens on an election day – not to mention leading up to one. One of the best things about working the polls where I currently live is the spread. The food spread! A couple of weeks ago we had an election here, and I worked the polls again. And when you walked into the kitchen... WOW, the smell was incredible! There was barbecue, meatballs, green beans and potatoes

Many things are caught more than taught. You've probably heard that phrase before. Over the past couple of weeks, this idea has surfaced in shows, podcasts, and even songs. The predominant example describes children catching mannerisms and sayings from their parents. In one show, one of the characters even said, “Oh no, I am beginning to sound like my father!” The question leaps off the page, “Why?” Why does this happen to us? How after all the years of denial and rebellion

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! While many people look at this holiday weekend as family barbecues, the beginning of summer, great shopping deals, and the like, we must remember what it really represents: the commemoration of all those who have died defending our freedom in this country. Since these men and women are not here to thank directly, I would like to say “Thank you, and I appreciate your sacrifice” to them by thanking and recognizing their families who survive them. **

Guest Post by Powell Smith As you read this, I want you to think of the latest “buzz word”. What do you mean “buzz word”? There is a word or phrase that seems to fly out of everybody’s mouth within seconds of speaking with them. If you need some inspiration, turn the news on for 10 minutes. Keep a tally of the most commonly used words. Are you serious? Yeah, try it. Pause reading this and turn the news on for 10 minutes. Did you do it? What does your list look like? I will go

About a week and a half ago, we celebrated Easter. Many people celebrated it by decorating Easter Eggs and looking forward to the gift of Easter Baskets filled with toys and candy. Christians, while maybe doing the same thing, celebrated the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus is simply amazing. From all standpoints, especially the idea that He would die for me and then come back to life. However, there is another amazing point. He is absolutely the most important figure in all o

Guest Post by Paula Morgan If you told me five years ago that I would be a pre-med student in college who loved science and planned to study health and medicine for the rest of her life, I would have looked at you doubtfully and told you that you must be mistaken. Too often in public school, I was taught the sciences not only in a secular manner, but sometimes in an atheistic manner that was hostile toward God… and I hated it. I avoided science when I could because I was afr

This week I was having a conversation with a couple of classmates in a coaching class I am taking. It was a demo where I was being coached while one of my classmates was the coach. The intention is to help us get more comfortable coaching and to apply what we have learned. When we had finished our trial run, the three of us were debriefing how it went. One big realization was that giving voice to an idea to someone outside your spouse gives it more validity. When it is just s

During this pandemic season , I have watched my share of movies and television shows. Last week, I pulled out a movie I had not watched in a long time, Facing the Giants. The second movie made by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, tells the tale of a young, high school football coach, Grant Taylor, who faces all kinds of adversity at home, at school, and on the football field. One such challenge was when some of the boosters were working to get him fired after six losing seasons. Man

Recently, I have found myself thinking a lot about all the different causes there are to get involved with these days. There are probably millions of causes out there. Causes to help with medical research. Causes that help poor people. Causes that speak to affinities . Causes that advance political and ideological positions. And these causes ask us for our time, our money, and our devotion. They ask us to volunteer our time to knock on doors, talk to our friends, make phone c

Guest Post by Gabe Jones One of my favorite parts of being a parent is having an excuse to watch some of the older shows (cartoons) I used to watch as a kid, but now with my son. As kids grow older their interest in shows/movies change. Right now, my son’s favorite movie franchise is Pixar’s Toy Story. Admittedly, I had previously never seen any of the Toy Story movies until my son chose to watch the first one. The movies follow Woody, a Sheriff, and a rag tag group of toys

Tomorrow would have been my dad’s 64th birthday. However, in 2015 he went home to be with the Lord. In honor of his would-be birthday, this week’s article will be an “I Was Just Thinking…” Throwback. Titled “Visually Changed”, this article describes what our lives should be like as Christ-followers. This article originally appeared in “I Was Just Thinking… 2007 edition” – a book of my dad’s original articles from 2007. Note : I have made formatting and spelling edits as well

This is part eight, the final blog post, of my Panama reflection series . A little over five months ago, I was in Panama on a mission trip with a group of pastors from Virginia. This series of articles is my effort to share some of my experiences while also debriefing from my trip. Enjoy. This COVID-19 outbreak has appeared to wreak havoc on our lives as we knew it. Every parent is now a home-school teacher. Working from home is no longer a rarity. Many restaurants have adde

This is part seven of my Panama reflection series . A little over five months ago, I was in Panama on a mission trip with a group of pastors from Virginia. This series of articles is my effort to share some of my experiences while also debriefing from my trip. Enjoy. Crazy times we live in. We will not forget this – the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been warned to stay at home, social distance, and wash our hands all the time. Sports seasons have been cancelled or postponed. Air

This is part six of my Panama reflection series . A little over three months ago, I was in Panama on a mission trip with a group of pastors from Virginia. This series of articles is my effort to share some of my experiences while also debriefing from my trip. Enjoy. These days, my church could better be described as the arm sling capital of Virginia. We have so many members who have had shoulder surgery and are in the big, immobilizing arm slings. Those injured cross many dif

This is part five of my Panama reflection series . A little over two months ago, I was in Panama on a mission trip with a group of pastors from Virginia. This series of articles is my effort to share some of my experiences while also debriefing from my trip. Enjoy. At my church right now, we are winding down the Upward Basketball and Cheer season, and I am having a better season than I had last year as a coach. Recently though, one of my better players, arguably my best play

This is part four of my Panama reflection series . Two months ago, I was in Panama on a mission trip with a group of pastors from Virginia. This series of articles is my effort to share some of my experiences while also debriefing from my trip. Enjoy. This past Saturday was a rough day for me at our church’s Upward Sports Basketball games. On three different occasions, I was upset by the lack of respect of some of the kids participating in our program. These children were ta