Taken from Reddit , edited in Canva (Image may be subject to copyright) One the most memorable television shows in history, and one of my wife’s and my favorites, is I Love Lucy . The shenanigans, the craziness, the humor, and the relational dynamics are top-notch. I’ll admit, occasionally it’s hard to watch because you just know Lucy is about to do something that will mess everything up. Sometimes it even feels unrealistic. You think, “No one would really do that.” And yet,

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

The weather is finally starting to turn more favorable. But here in central Virginia, it's toying with our emotions—30 degrees one day, 80 the next. Back and forth we go. On one particularly nice day, I was driving through town and found myself stuck in a long line of cars, waiting for a train to pass. While I sat there, I noticed four people over at the local playground. That’s not uncommon for this time of year. But what caught my eye wasn’t who was there—it was what they

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

Joel, Steve, Powell, Me, JT (aka Hairy Feet, Captain Unicorn, Bearded Wonder, Clown Lips, and Chuckles) What a great weekend! I don’t know about how yours went, but I had a wonderful time. I went down to Camp Piankatank , where I served for two summers as a counselor and program staff member. Four of my buddies—guys I worked with at camp—joined me. We hadn’t ALL been together since 20

How do you sit when you go to a restaurant? Many families choose their seats without much thought, yet the way we sit can reveal something deeper about relationships and connection. Not long ago, I was dining at one of my favorite local spots when I bumped into a couple I know through Upward Sports. They were grandparents of one of our regular participants. As we chatted about their grandson's experience with wrestling, something caught my attention. They were sitting side b

As I write this article, a lot is going on around me. I’ve just come off two weeks of vacation , Christmas, New Year’s, the start of Upward Basketball & Cheer, officiating basketball games, a special election, family gatherings, a golf outing , and even some snow . However, there’s something bigger staring me dead in the face: tomorrow’s worship service at Mineral Baptist Church (MBC). I know some of the people reading this attend MBC and will be in attendance tomorrow, but

This past week, our church ordained four new deacons , and the occasion was especially meaningful for me. Since arriving in 2018, I’ve worked closely with all of them in various ministries. Some of them have children in our youth ministry , so I also have a close relationship with their children spanning from 6th grade to 11th grade. I’ve attended and participated in several deacon ordination services over the years, but this one stood out because of a unique touch. Our inter

There's something truly special about good friends, isn't there? A friend from our current church once gifted us a decorative block that...

How do you feel about group work ? You remember, in high school or college (or maybe some other setting), you were assigned to work with a group of people on some project, report, or presentation. In my freshman year in college, my best friend at the time and I were assigned to work on a presentation with two other guys. The only problem was that one of the other guys never showed up for our meetings. The presentation was divided into four equal parts, and admittedly my frien

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

Over the past few months, the news has been flooded with stories about racism, police reform, justice, protests, and rioting all over...

This past Sunday morning, I woke up to an early morning FaceTime from my brother. I was pretty sure what he was calling about. As I...

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 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

This is part two of my Panama reflection series . A few weeks 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.  In preparation for my mission trip to Panama last month, my group and I were told we were going to preach revival services in various churches throughout the week. We would each be assigned to work with a particular church for