Have you ever had someone give you directions that left you more confused than when you first asked? I am a landmark guy. I need directions like, “Turn left at the McDonald’s, go until you see the Dollar General, then take a right.” That works for me. But don’t tell me, “Go to the old Johnson place and take a left…” I don’t know where the old Johnson place is. At the same time, don’t give me road names or route numbers. I was listening to someone in our church recently explai

One of my favorite movies is Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory . I even call one of the kids at church “Charlie Buckets.” One of Willy Wonka’s classic lines is, “Strike that. Reverse it.” He says it while talking about how much time they have in the factory. He tells the Golden Ticket winners, “So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.” Honestly, that line feels a little too real. When There’s Too Much to Do and Not Enough Time Because most d

A little over a year ago, my wife and I started CrossFit . After more than a decade of not doing anything consistently, I plunged into this new fitness journey. There has been a lot to learn, and there still is. Some things feel completely new. But there are also things that have come back surprisingly quickly. Many of the lifts and movements we do now are things I first learned when I was 13 years old. Different form. Different equipment. A very different body that had not

What is that thing that just bugs you? We all have at least one. If we’re honest, most of us have a few things that can drive us crazy. One of mine? People talking on speakerphone in public. Recently, I was sitting in a restaurant when a grandmother , mother, and little girl came in for breakfast. It was a sweet scene, three generations sharing a meal. Everything was calm and enjoyable… until the grandmother had to leave for work. A few minutes later, the little girl, no olde

Here in Central Virginia, we’ve had some crazy weather lately: ice, snow, bitter cold, and then rain on top of it all. While that may not be unusual in general, it’s unusual for us. Having to break through snow and ice just to get out of our driveways isn’t something we’re accustomed to in this part of Virginia. All of it got me thinking about a scene from the movie Frozen where Olaf the snowman talks about how much he wants to experience summer. Of course, the joke is that

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

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

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

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