When Love Becomes the Norm

The past two months have been a whirlwind of emotions. Not only was it Christmas (you probably already know how I feel about that), but my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. There is rarely any good news with this type of cancer, and so far, my mom has not been the exception.

However, one of the things I have been incredibly thankful for throughout this entire process has been the support of our church, and especially my parents' church in Milton. I’m constantly reminded that people are praying for her, that we are loved, and that there are people here to help us with whatever we need. But my parents have been shown an entirely different level of support. Members of their small group have come and sat with her in the hospital. They’ve waited with my dad during surgery, brought food, ensured my dad went home and showered, and when they heard my sister was flying in, they catered a meal for us all to share.

I am beyond thankful for the love that their church has shown my parents. But the recurring thought I have is that this shouldn’t be surprising; it should be the norm. There are only two ways to get there.

The first is that our small groups need to be a place where people genuinely care for each other. That almost happens naturally just by spending an hour or two together each week, but going out to lunch after church or catching a game together on the weekend goes so much further in building those connections. My parents haven’t bragged about how the senior pastor stopped by (even though he has), but they can’t stop telling others about the laypeople who have taken the time to visit. Both types of visits are important in their own way, but one seems almost more obligatory and therefore not as special. Small groups are where you can truly build community and come together to support one another through the highs and lows of life.

That brings us to the second thing that must happen to get to this point. You must actually be in a small group. I know, it’s a radical idea. But unless you intentionally position yourself to be surrounded by people who will care for you, what hope do you have?

The hard part about small groups is that you don’t join them just so you have a support system or so you can help others. We do them to ultimately grow closer to God. But in the process, we form community, then support others in that community, and when the worst things in life come our way, we find ourselves being supported.

So, while I have appreciated and will always remember the love and support you all have shown me over the past few months, the best way to help at the moment is to make sure that everyone in our church is taken care of the same way. Invest in their lives. Invite them to your small group. Start your own small group. Then take care of each other the way you would want to be taken care of. Jesus may have said something about that at one point.

Messy Christmas

It is no secret that life is messy. Just turn on the news and/or walk out the front door. People are recovering from natural disasters, and some are victims of war and violence. Others are just trying to make ends meet by feeding and housing their families. Sometimes life seems dark. Many people look at our children and youth and talk about how they are our future, the future of our communities, our world, and our churches. I believe they are the communities, the world, and the churches TODAY! This picture is of the gifts my mother received at her assisted living facility this past week. Gulf Breeze Middle and High School students came and sang Christmas Carols with the residents. They then handed out gifts and visited with them. They didn’t just hand them a gift and say, “Merry Christmas”, they took time to sit and visit with each resident. As we quickly approach Christmas Day, we are reminded in John 1:5, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." Thank you to all who encourage our children and youth to be lights that shine!

The Grinch Who Lit Up Christmas

I am taking a break from untangling hundreds of feet of extension cords, testing light bulbs, and all other forms of self loathing to write this blog. Trust me, this is a much more pleasant experience than having to deal with Christmas lights. It’s no secret that I’m not the most festive individual. Many of you find joy in the irony that the grinchiest person on staff is also the person who does the light show every year. 

There are two reasons why I keep putting lights up every year. The first is that no one else has offered to take it over. But the other reason is that it actually brings joy to other people. My youngest son loves going up to the church at night just to watch the show even though he’s seen it a hundred times. We get comments from the community making sure we’re going to do it again or sharing stories of how their family enjoys it.

But there’s a bigger reason why the church itself does a Christmas light show every year. Throughout the course of the month, the Christmas story from the Bible will be shared about 500 times. People will be invited to our Christmas Eve services, breakfast with Santa, and other events throughout the month hundreds of times. It’s all about pointing people towards Jesus, and so I can deal with a bit of Christmas lights for the sake of the Gospel.

What are you willing to put up with for the sake of the gospel? Are you willing to invite a friend or neighbor to go to church with you? Are you willing to give up your morning Starbucks drink so you can focus more on tithing? What about waking up 15 minutes earlier so you can meet people at the church door and say hello? Some of these things may seem like torture (less caffeine… yuck!), but when you consider the difference it could make it suddenly seems less terrible. That $5 Starbucks drink turns into food security for a kid over the weekend. That 15 minutes of lost sleep turns into a family feeling welcomed and accepted before they even step foot into our building. And the awkwardness of inviting our friends to church becomes a larger family who gets to do even more together. And all of that, ALL OF IT, is so that we can be just a little bit better at making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

It’s Up To You

Well, I could get some heat from this. I could have easily said, “but I don’t care.” I do care. I care for my Lord, family, friends, the people of the world and my life. I especially care about people’s feelings. Sometimes so much that I forget about mine.

We have started a new chapter in our country and some folks are not liking it. Division is so huge today that I ask myself, will it ever be fixed? Uhhh, noooo! You know what makes this country so great? Free Will! The bible presents free will as a gift from God that allows people to choose their own destiny and future. Some say that God gave people free will to determine whether they will trust him or go their own way. I have 100% trust in him! Do you? Let’s say you say no. You know what? I still love you. I hope that one day you do and when you do, I will love you just as much. I am not your enemy, nor will I ever be. Because I trust in God! Everything that I have accomplished in my life is because of him and myself. To be able to make choices in my life. Say what I want to say, do what I want to do. To see family and close friend part ways because one won’t follow the others believe or presidential candidate is so ridiculous! The day I graduated high school and the world was given to me, I’ve gone through 6 presidents and not one has stopped me from doing what I have accomplished in my life, without breaking the law. Oh yeah, I have stumbled off the right path a few times, but that was my doing. I take 100% responsibility for it. I didn’t blame my parents for not raising me right (because they did! Thanks Ma and Pa) or the lord for what I have done. All me baby! I am responsible for my actions. You are responsible for your actions.

Whether it was Trump or Harris that won the election, don’t let them stop what you are pursuing in life. Don’t let them be the decision to your life outcome. Don’t hate because someone don’t believe in the same thing you do. Please do not use the scriptures as a weapon towards one another. Use it towards the devil! He is causing this and we need to come together and put him in his place!

So when you sit down and get ready to right something on social media about how the next 4 years are going to be so bad and horrific, do this for me, look around you, look at your stuff, peak out your window and look at your ride outside. If you’re a family man, look at your wife and children… All this was you man! Not one political leader got that stuff for you. You did it all! You made your own choice and followed your heart. “Oh, but the grass is greener on the other side!” you say. Stop it! Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses! Keep up with your own life. The harder you work, the more things you can reward yourself with. FYI, all that stuff stays here you know.

Bottom line, keep working hard and loving our lord. If you have no trust in our lord, I will still love you! I will believe that one day you will and when you do, you’ll feel better. I know, I was a non believer. I made my choice. Now it’s up to you. Love you!

Finding Unity in Faith, No Matter the Election Outcome

For my blog this week I chose to write it early. For me, today is Election Day, and while I’m writing this with the final results still up in the air, I’m aware that by the time you read it, the votes will be counted. Some of us may be celebrating, while others might be feeling a mix of disappointment and frustration. Whichever camp you’re in, here’s a reminder: our work to make this country better doesn’t end with who wins; it starts with us and, even more importantly, our faith.

A healthy faith in Jesus grounds us, bringing hope and peace even when life feels uncertain. If you’re finding it hard to stay calm with all the division we’ve seen, take a step back. Spend time in prayer, or crack open your Bible—try reading passages that focus on peace, strength, and love, like Philippians 4:6-7 or John 16:33. God’s Word can help us find stability, reminding us that Jesus is constant, even when our world feels shaky.

It’s okay to feel disappointment if your candidate didn’t win. But let’s remember that Jesus calls us to trust in Him above all. Use this moment as a chance to lean into your faith. Reach out to others who might be feeling the same way. Talk it through, pray together, and remind each other of God’s bigger plan. Connecting with a church group or close friends can be a powerful way to move through that sense of loss with encouragement and perspective.

Finally, no matter what, let’s strive for unity. Division is a natural part of politics, but as followers of Christ, we’re called to be peacemakers. Let’s work toward a place where we support each other in faith, knowing that our ultimate leader is Christ. We can agree to disagree respectfully, we can care for one another with compassion, and, through it all, we can let our actions reflect the love of Jesus.

Whether today feels like a win or a loss for you, let's remember the goal of unity in the faith. We have the chance to stand together as a church, as a community, and as a country. Try also spending time with the youth. They, after all, are the future of this country. Let’s show them that us “old people” can be a shining example of unity! God Bless America!