This past week, I officiated the funeral for a very close family friend who died last weekend. It was a one of the most difficult services I have done, but it was a tremendous honor for me to be involved in his service. Frank was not just a family friend, but he was one of … More A Salute To Our Veterans

Shortly after I received my calling into ministry, I was visiting with my grandmother in Macon. She handed me a notebook she had kept for many years filled with old church bulletins, newsletters, and newspaper clippings. She had made notes about sermons she had heard preached, scriptures that inspired her, and life moments when she … More Remembering the Saints

A few weeks ago, I heard a comment from one of our members that I believe describes our current situation at Royston First UMC. “We are going to have to stretch ourselves if we ever want to grow as a church.” This comment put into words a feeling I have long held to be true. … More Stretching For Growth

This has been quite the exciting week for Royston First UMC. Last Sunday after worship, we gathered at the Royston Wellness and Community Park for a Blessing of the Animals service. It was a wonderful service with several dogs and a chicken! Our pets are important to us, and it was so much fun getting … More God’s Blessings!

When I was a kid, I was a cub scout and remember learning about hiking and orientation. My den leader took a group of us out into the woods for a hike one day, and each of the boys had to lead the group using a compass and a map and relying on what we … More Finding Our Way Back

Do you remember a time when you found yourself in a new situation? Maybe it was your first day of a new school and you did not know where to sit for lunch. Or maybe it was your first day at a new job and you did not know where your workstation was located. Or … More There’s A Place For You!

I was not ready for the question when I was asked. In a recent conversation with a member of our church, I was asked this question, “What kind of church do you want to be?” I have thought a lot about that question over the last few weeks, and here’s my response: I want to … More What Kind of Church Do You Want To Be?

This past week, I have been at the New Room Conference in Nashville, TN, with over 2,000 other clergy and lay leaders in the global church. It has been an amazing experience as we have sat in the presence of God for three days praying for revival in the church and an awakening across the … More And Let It Begin With Me

I can remember watching The Wizard of Oz with my grandmother when I was young — maybe 5 or 6 years old. She had told me about the movie and assured me that I would enjoy it. As the movie started, I watched in horror as this little girl from Kansas was swept up in … More The Journey Continues!

I love this time of year! The weather begins to turn cooler, football is back, and we begin our season of festivals and pumpkin-themed everything (confession: I’m not a fan of pumpkin spiced flavoring). I also love this time in the church year because there is so much energy in the church and it’s a … More So Much Energy!