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

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...

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...

Scarlett and Kendall (May 4, 2025) May is a busy month for my wife and me, full of family celebrations: two nieces' birthdays, her...

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...

Photo by Morrow Solutions  on Unsplash He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Easter Sunday is here, and while many people are focused on...

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...

The weather is finally starting to turn more favorable. But here in central Virginia, it's toying with our emotions—30 degrees one day,...

This time of year is beloved by many because of the budding trees, blossoming flowers, changing weather, and college basketball...

This week, I had to have several difficult conversations in my ministry side gig. About two years ago, I became Co-Director of RuraLove...

Joel, Steve, Powell, Me, JT (aka Hairy Feet,...

"The first 100 days" is a well-known benchmark, often used to evaluate a U.S. president’s early performance in office. These first...

As a regular at our local Mexican restaurant , I’ve witnessed plenty of amusing moments. But on a recent visit, one particular scene...