“We had hoped...” This phrase is common in our world and culture. It often describes disappointment in a person, plan, or situation . But when you slow it down, it exposes something deeper: not just disappointment, but misalignment. This is a great season for many people. The weather is warming up and spring is here. We’re coming off the most watched stretch of college basketball all year, March Madness . People come from everywhere to predict who the next national champion w

This time of year is beloved by many because of the budding trees, blossoming flowers, changing weather, and college basketball tournaments . Around this time, everyone (well, almost everyone) pulls out brackets to predict who will win the tournament and be crowned National Champion. Churches, workplaces, families, and friends create pools for bragging rights—and sometimes even prizes! The reality is, most of us don’t really know what we’re talking about. We haven’t watched

Basketball season is winding down for me as an official , and one of my recent games happened to coincide with a school's senior night. Before the game, there was the usual ceremony recognizing the athletes and celebrating their high school careers. I couldn't help but notice, when they got to the two basketball players, that one of their teammates was visibly emotional, with tears in her eyes. What struck me most was how one of the girls being recognized seemed genuinely s

Recently, I was officiating a high school basketball game that wasn't very competitive, but on the final play of the first half, a player for the home team drove hard to the basket and went up for a shot. With only a few seconds left on the clock, my partners and I were watching closely to ensure the shot got off before the buzzer and to confirm whether it went in. The shot was clearly released before the buzzer, and we were ready to count the basket. But just before the bal

Ejecting a Spectator: When heckling crosses the line ( Doug Benc/Getty Images ) The recent snowfall here in Central Virginia threw the basketball schedule into chaos. Several high school games had to be rescheduled, creating a busy week of officiating for me. While plenty of officials work more games than I do, I ended up officiating six games this week. And there was one thing they all had in common: whining . Players. Coaches. Fans. Now, before you think I’m jaded or obli

Have you ever found yourself in an unexpected moment where two worlds collided, leaving you with a story you couldn't wait to share? Recently, I was scheduled to officiate a basketball doubleheader. What I did not know was that the visiting opponent was not just another boarding school. The opponent was from Australia. Every year, this school comes to the United States and plays schools up and down the East Coast. Now I can say I have officiated an international basketball

It’s that time of year again, March Madness . A time when almost everyone pays attention to college basketball and acts like they know...

Earlier this week, I attended a basketball game of a girl from our youth ministry who is playing for a local Christian school. It's...

Have you ever felt rushed? You know, those moments when you believe you're right on schedule , everything is falling into place as...

It is finally that time of year! No, not Thanksgiving . Not Christmas . It is basketball season! Basketball is by far my favorite sport....

NOTE : My intention of this post was to talk about how we need to be careful about how we live out our faith and use Scripture because...

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

Middle School basketball is over…Last Thursday, we had our last game, and won – we beat this team for the third time this season. It was...

Last night, the middle school basketball team I am coaching had its first game. It was an exciting time as we began our new season. Unfortunately, we did lose. However, that is not the story here. Our head coach is an eighth grade history teacher and takes academics very seriously. Any of you who have played school sports, or had a child play, knows that there are academic requirements for eligibility. Our school’s policy regarding academic eligibility is pretty low. Therefor