Image by E1St0rm from Pixabay Last week, I rewatched one of my favorite movie trilogies:  The Lord of the Rings . I admit, I’ve never read the books, but I’ve seen the movies several times. Ironically, I was a late adopter. My aunt got me  The Fellowship of the Ring  on VHS when it first came out in 1999. At the time, I thought it was stupid. I didn’t even watch it. But one day, having “nothing else to do,” I finally popped it in. And I’ve been hooked ever since. I even have

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

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,

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

We live in a time in American history when people seem more divided than ever, even while loudly proclaiming messages of diversity and inclusion. This division is especially evident in our political scene. Whether you like him or not, Donald Trump, the current president of the United States, is deeply loved by many and just as deeply despised by others. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, or whether you even knew this was a thing, I recently came across a headline

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

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

Merry Christmas, everyone! Many of you have probably already busted down the stairs (if you have them) and dove headfirst into the pile of presents and stocking stuffers. As I’m sure many of you received gifts you needed and wanted, there is also real joy in watching the faces of those you give to. Sometimes the best part of Christmas morning isn’t what we open — it’s who we’re watching. This Christmas, after everything was opened, I mentioned that only one thing came off he

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

Years ago, I came across a blog post on studentministry.org titled “ 100 blog topics I hope YOU write. ” Surprisingly, to me, the 100th topic “How to Get Students Involved in the Rest of the Church Body,” remained untouched. In this article, we explore some practical ways to involve students in the broader church community - all of which I have implemented over the past 15 years of youth ministry. NOT AS HARD AS YOU THINK Most people (including youth leaders in various contex

There are many different ways to study a passage of Scripture, none being more “correct” than another. However, I recommend the Summary, Meaning, Application method. My mother taught me this model many years ago. I am sure she got it from one of her many Bible Study groups she participated in and led over the years. It is pretty simple to understand, but lengthy to explain in written form. Check out this podcast (starting at 2:30 mark) where I explain it for our high school

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