Light In The Valley

Like many pastors across our convention, I don’t get the opportunity to attend the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in person. Being bi-vocational, serving our local church, running a business, and raising four children means I have to be intentional about how I spend my time. While I may not be in the room, I do try to keep my ear to the pulse of what is happening because Rocky Valley Baptist Church is an SBC-affiliated church, and these discussions matter. The iss

The polarization surrounding the Karmelo Anthony trial has been one of the saddest parts of an already heartbreaking situation. A young man lost his life. Another young man now faces the reality of a murder conviction. Families have been forever changed. Parents, siblings, friends, classmates, and entire communities will carry the weight of these events for years to come. There are no winners here. There is only loss. Yet as I have watched many of the conversations unfold, I

As I walked through the church this week during VBS, I passed a small picture sitting on a table near the exit where the kids head outside for recreation. To most people, it may have just looked like another photograph. To me, it stopped me in my tracks. Last year, I lost someone who had become one of my very best friends to a sudden heart attack. This week felt especially different because VBS fell immediately after the annual golf trip he had organized for so many years—a t

Over the last week, I’ve walked through the halls of Rocky Valley and watched classrooms transformed, decorations hung, stages built, props painted, even a life sized igloo from milk jugs, and volunteers pouring their hearts into every detail for Bible School. And every time I see it, my heart rejoices. Not because of the decorations themselves… but because of what they represent. They represent the Bride of Christ joyfully serving for the glory of her King- there is somethin

There’s something powerful about this season of graduation. Caps and gowns. Senior walks. Final games. Graduation parties. College apartments. Job applications. Trade schools. Big decisions. Bigger questions. And somewhere in the middle of all of it is a quiet fear many graduates carry: “What if I fail?” What if the plan changes? What if I choose wrong? What if I’m not good enough? What if I fall short of everyone’s expectations? But here’s the truth I would want every gradua

Last night I sat and watched a group of seniors play what would be the final baseball game of their high school careers. As I watched them walk on and off the field, talk in the dugout, compete pitch by pitch, and soak in every moment, there was a weight to it all that you could almost feel in the air. For my freshman son, it was the end of his first season. For those seniors, it was the end of the journey. And somewhere in between those two realities was a reminder that hit

There are seasons in life where everything seems to happen at once. This season has felt a little like that for our family. Our oldest son is graduating high school and signing the lease on his college apartment. One chapter is closing while another begins. Our other son is in the middle of baseball season, which means 3–5 nights a week at the ball field cheering him on and soaking in moments that we know won’t last forever. Our girls are wrapping up another school year, grow

Lately, I was part of a business conversation about growth, expansion, and how some companies are always adding the next service, the next product, or the next offer. There’s nothing inherently wrong with growth. Sometimes expansion is wise. Sometimes it’s needed. But in our plumbing business, we’ve made a different decision. We’ve chosen not to chase everything. Instead of trying to be everything to everybody, we’ve aimed to be excellent at the things we know we’re called an

For many years now, our political conversations have often sounded less like choosing the best path forward and more like debating which candidate is simply the least problematic. Many have even used the phrase, “the lesser of two evils.” That reality should concern us. It speaks not only to frustration with individual candidates, but to a deeper degradation of politics and public discourse in general. At the same time, we live in an age where more information is available at

As news circulates about a ceasefire in the Iran conflict, the conversations have already begun. Some are asking, “Did America win?” Others are just as passionately arguing the opposite. And depending on which side of the political aisle someone stands on, you can find strong opinions in both directions. But maybe the deeper question is this: When war leaves behind loss, grief, and broken families… does anyone truly win? Scripture reminds us of the reality of the world we li

Over the past week here in Lebanon, we’ve seen people gather, voices raised, signs lifted, convictions expressed. From “No Kings” to local political demonstrations, it’s a reminder that people care deeply about the direction of our communities, our nation, and our future. And it’s worth saying clearly—there is a right to peacefully protest. Scripture even shows us moments where voices were raised publicly, where people stood in conviction, where truth was declared in the stre

Last Sunday was one of those mountaintop days. God was moving in our service—people surrendering, responding, stepping into obedience. You could feel it. After weeks of long hours, everything was lined up for a perfect afternoon. The weather was just right. The ball pit was ready. The side-by-side was fueled up. The plan was simple—let the kids play, rest a little, and just enjoy the blessing of the moment. And then… everything changed. My youngest came running in—panic in he

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what we are really teaching our kids. In so many ways, our modern education system—though filled with good, hardworking teachers and administrators—can feel like it’s training children to measure their worth by a number. A test score. A benchmark. A percentile. And while assessment has its place, somewhere along the way it can subtly whisper to a child: “You are what you produce.” But Scripture tells a very different story. “So God create

Life has a funny way of reminding us that seasons never stand still. For years my wife and I dreamed about building a home. It was one of those quiet dreams you carry while life is busy—raising kids, working long days, serving the church, paying bills, and putting a little away when you can. Slowly, year after year, that dream began to move from “maybe someday” to “it might actually happen.” And now, by God’s grace, we’re getting to build it. It’s something we’re incredibly t

Over the last few days our news feeds have filled with updates about the war involving Iran. Every network, every commentator, and every social media post seems to have an opinion about who is right, who is wrong, and what should happen next. But in the middle of all the noise, it is worth remembering something important. This is not just a political debate. These are real lives. Real families. Real soldiers. Real civilians. Behind every headline is a young service member sta

No matter where you stood while watching the State of the Union-whether you clapped, cringed, cheered, or changed the channel, the true state of our union is not ultimately determined by a president, a party, or a podium. It is determined by the people of God. Scripture is clear: “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” — 2

Over the last several days, Wilson County—and honestly much of our wider community—has been buzzing with outrage, fear, anger, and division over reports of a proposed ICE detention center. Social media lit up. Lines were drawn. Accusations were made. Passions ran hot. And then… it appears much of what fueled the outrage wasn’t even true. Fake news has a way of doing that. It spreads faster than facts, ignites emotions quicker than truth, and divides people long before clarity

Every year, it seems like the same conversation resurfaces. “Did you watch it?” “I can’t believe you watched that.” “Real Christians wouldn’t…” Suddenly, a halftime show—something that lasts a few minutes and disappears into the noise of the internet—becomes a spiritual measuring stick. Lines are drawn. Motives are assumed. And brothers and sisters in Christ find themselves divided over something that carries no weight in the Kingdom of God. Scripture reminds us just how smal

I passed a road sign the other day with a single verse of Scripture on it. No context. No surrounding truth. Just one isolated line used to make a bold statement about sin. And instead of feeling convicted, encouraged, or drawn closer to Jesus…I felt grieved. Not because Scripture was present. I love seeing God’s Word in public spaces. But because Scripture, when pulled out of its God-given context, can be used in ways God never intended. The Bible is not a collection of st

The news coming out of Minneapolis is heavy. Anger. Grief. Confusion. Fear. Strong opinions flying in every direction. Voices shouting past one another instead of listening. Moments like this remind us how fragile our world really is—and how quickly unrest rises when trust, justice, and peace feel broken. As followers of Jesus, we should never be indifferent to turmoil. Scripture consistently calls us to care about suffering, injustice, and the brokenness of our world. But it