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

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

Another Christmas Day has come and gone. I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season. But I wonder—was it everything you planned for? Maybe you didn’t get the gift you really wanted. Maybe a family member couldn’t make it after all. Perhaps the cookies didn’t turn out quite right, or a cherished tradition was dismissed by the rest of the family. For us, this was the second year in a row our extended family was sick . This year hurt a little more because my wi

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

Guest Post by Gabe Jones One of my favorite parts of being a parent is having an excuse to watch some of the older shows (cartoons) I used to watch as a kid, but now with my son. As kids grow older their interest in shows/movies change. Right now, my son’s favorite movie franchise is Pixar’s Toy Story. Admittedly, I had previously never seen any of the Toy Story movies until my son chose to watch the first one. The movies follow Woody, a Sheriff, and a rag tag group of toys

As the craziness of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, our lives have truly changed. While many things have gone away, at least for a time,...

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 six of my Panama reflection series . A little over three 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. These days, my church could better be described as the arm sling capital of Virginia. We have so many members who have had shoulder surgery and are in the big, immobilizing arm slings. Those injured cross many dif

Yesterday would have been my parents’ 34th (maybe 35th) anniversary. This past summer, my mother passed away. Three years ago, my father...

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about a fairly tough, sensitive topic. Death. A few weeks ago my wife’s grandfather passed away. He is a beloved and well respected man in his community, and loved by his family. Funerals are never easy, but like it or not, we will all face this one day. While helping and watching my in-laws prepare for the funeral, I was overwhelmed by the stories, pictures, and love they demonstrated to their husband, father, and grandfather. There were

Many years ago my dad, Billy Hutchinson, a pastor and ministry leader of over two decades, began writing a column for a small-town newspaper, The Brunswick Times-Gazette. His column connected the truth of God’s Word with real life situations, observations, and experiences. His article was known as “I Was Just Thinking…” and reached people throughout the United States and the world. Two years ago my dad passed away. While I know he is with Jesus, his passing has been difficult