Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash; Edited in Canva School wrapped up here this week, and I had the opportunity to be part of our Christian School’s first 8th grade graduation by giving the benediction prayer. This first graduation was special not just because it was our first one, but because of the young lady who graduated. I have known her for her entire educational career. I came to this church in May 2018, which happened to coincide with the Christian School’s first year bein

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

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

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

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