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

Nane and Me (Armenia, July 30, 2025) A few weeks ago, I returned from my third mission trip to Armenia , and it was nothing short of amazing! I’ve really grown to love this place and its people. Last year, I met a little girl named Nane. Some of you may have heard me talk about her before. This year, I hadn’t even been there a few hours before I reunited with her! When she came up the stairs of the church, we immediately recognized each other and ran into a big embrace . Even

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

This past Saturday, I ran in the Monument 10K . I’ve done this race once before, and let me be clear—I’m not trying to win the thing. But I did want to finish it… ideally without stopping. It’s always amazing to see the crowd at this event—over 18,000 participants. The range of people is incredible: little kids, elderly walkers, Division I athletes, cancer survivors, hardcore runners, and even individuals pushing someone else in a wheelchair. One of my buddies was checking t

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

This week, I had to have several difficult conversations in my ministry side gig. About two years ago, I became Co-Director of RuraLove , a ministry of the Goshen Baptist Association . When I was first asked to step up from volunteer to Co-Director, I was excited — excited to serve in a practical way and to have the freedom and encouragement to share Jesus with people. But over time, frustration crept in. Resentment followed. Two major challenges stood out: volunteer chemist

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

"The first 100 days" is a well-known benchmark, often used to evaluate a U.S. president’s early performance in office. These first months can set the tone for an entire term, filled with executive appointments, executive orders, and legislative priorities. A pastor’s first 100 days can feel just as pivotal. While many church leadership experts suggest avoiding major changes during the first six months, those early days are still packed with activity. At the time of writing,

As a regular at our local Mexican restaurant , I’ve witnessed plenty of amusing moments. But on a recent visit, one particular scene caught my attention. A little girl, no older than five, burst from the back dining area and hurried toward the bathroom. Judging by her pace, you’d think it was an emergency—but I wasn’t convinced. Her mother followed shortly after to check on her. As she knocked on the door, the entire restaurant overheard the child’s enthusiastic response : “I

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

*This is not the actual desk. Recently, I was asked to substitute teach nearly every day at our local school. I had to decline several times, but finally, I caved on Friday. The lady who manages substitutes at the middle school asked me about Friday, and when I checked, there were only two spots left. I procrastinated as long as I could because, to be honest, I wasn’t excited about subbing for either class. Later, I checked again—and wouldn’t you know it, another absence pop

Basketball season is winding down for me as an official , and one of my recent games happened to coincide with a school's senior night. Before the game, there was the usual ceremony recognizing the athletes and celebrating their high school careers. I couldn't help but notice, when they got to the two basketball players, that one of their teammates was visibly emotional, with tears in her eyes. What struck me most was how one of the girls being recognized seemed genuinely s

Recently, I was officiating a high school basketball game that wasn't very competitive, but on the final play of the first half, a player for the home team drove hard to the basket and went up for a shot. With only a few seconds left on the clock, my partners and I were watching closely to ensure the shot got off before the buzzer and to confirm whether it went in. The shot was clearly released before the buzzer, and we were ready to count the basket. But just before the bal