By Ryan Kelly –

Making big decisions in life can be tough. All of us have to make small decisions on a daily basis and all of them require the Lord’s guidance. But the big decisions need a particular amount of wisdom and direction from the Lord so that our paths will be guided around the pitfalls and problems that always surround us. These are the moments when we must pause, seek Him earnestly, and lean not on our own understanding.

James 1:5 reminds us that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” What an incredible promise this is! God does not withhold His wisdom, nor does He scold us for asking repeatedly. Instead, He pours out guidance freely when we humble ourselves in prayer and trust that His ways are higher than ours.

At the same time, God often works through wise counsel. Proverbs 15:22 teaches, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” Sometimes His direction comes through trusted friends, mentors, or spiritual leaders who can see things we may have missed. Seeking godly advice isn’t a sign of weakness but of strength—an acknowledgment that we are part of the body of Christ and need each other’s discernment.

Finally, Proverbs 16:9 reminds us of the ultimate truth: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” We can make plans, set goals, and weigh options, but at the end of the day, it is the Lord who determines our path. This truth gives us peace. We are not left to wander aimlessly or fear making the wrong move. When we seek God’s wisdom, listen to wise counsel, and trust His hand, we can move forward confidently, knowing He will steady our steps.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

The little village of Lennon, Michigan is a quaint picturesque place with very few businesses but lots of beautiful farmland.  Much like where we have grown up and lived most of our lives in the deep south, there are acres and acres of farmland for as far as the eye can see.

We visited with friends and worshiped with them one Sunday.  Directly across the road from their home and church was the large corn field you see here.  Several acres in each direction there stood rows and rows of dried corn stalks.  The rustling of the dried husks in the wind wasn’t the only noise coming from that place.  If you listened closely enough, you could hear tales of how much good produce came from those rows of corn stalks.  You could hear how ear upon ear of corn had fed many a hungry person or animal after the harvest.  You could hear the laughter and fond memories being shared as little ones gathered around the grownups to shuck each and every ear.  And you could hear about the blessings of God along the way.

But that’s not all.  With voices just as loud as those telling about what had already come, you could hear others telling about what was next.  Those rows and rows of dried corn stalks would be cut up and used to feed animals throughout the winter time to come.  And by plowing up the land and keeping it worked correctly, one might also hear tales of the not-too-distant excitement of the spring planting time.  Those old corn stalks, most of which stood much higher than a grown man, had plenty to say – all without uttering a word.

As you face your week ahead, perhaps the Lord will give you plenty of opportunities to speak up for Him, to vocalize His goodness and His grace.  But, even if those particular opportunities don’t come your way, you have the chance to stand tall and testify even without words.  Let those around you see how you’ve stood strong through the wind, the rain, and the blazing heat of the sun to continue doing what God planted you there for.  Let them also see how you seem to face whatever is coming next – with the excitement that He has it all in His control.

It is a dried up old corn field.  But, it has a story to tell.  Don’t forget that you do too!

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

The middle of the week can often feel like one of the toughest times. You’re no longer as fresh as you were on Monday, yet the weekend still seems far away. In moments like these, it’s important to find joy in the small blessings God provides to help you through. Maybe it’s a warm latte to revive you on a slow afternoon, a funny video that makes you laugh, or a meaningful conversation with a friend or colleague. When we pause and allow the Lord to refresh us in these little ways, we discover just how much value there is in them.

Proverbs 16:3 reminds us, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” This isn’t just about working hard for His glory, it’s also about taking time to rest and refresh your mind, body, and soul. God desires that we enjoy Him and the world He has created, but often it’s up to us to make space for that joy.

So today, look for small ways to pause and enjoy the blessings around you. Take a longer lunch, scroll through your favorite social media feed, share a laugh with a friend, or best of all, spend a few quiet moments in prayer. Whatever you choose, embrace the day the Lord has given you, and take your best step forward in committing your work to Him.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Recently I sat down with a large three-ring binder my mother had shelved in her kitchen along with many cookbooks.  In this particular binder and another similar one, she had placed recipe after recipe, each one hand-written by her own mother, my grandmother, who passed away more than a quarter century ago.

Some of those recipes, such as the ones for Coca-Cola cake or bachelor button cookies were recipes that I specifically remember my grandmother making many times for us fourteen grandchildren and all our parents.  And then there were some she had written down from magazine articles or things she heard mentioned on a television commercial while watching her “stories.”  One recipe I ran across was this little one you see here.  I don’t remember eating this pie at her house, and I don’t even remember her making it.

Here, on this little scrap of paper, she wrote, “pie.  cream cheese, sweet chocolate, cool whip.  Mix and chill in pie shell.”  That has to be one of the simplest recipes I’ve ever seen.  Yet, it sounds like a delicious chocolate pie, very easy to make with simple ingredients, and potentially leading to a delicious dessert.

It’s the simple things in life that mean the most sometimes.  We make too many things out to be so difficult.  We look ahead and plan, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  But we go ballistic when our plans are thwarted and things don’t go as we hoped.  Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we expected the difficult to happen?  “Life can’t be this easy, so I must have missed the hard parts.”

Mix and chill.  The measurements aren’t even important in that little recipe.  Take what you have.  Put it together.  And then trust that it will turn out deliciously!  Our pantries and cupboards are not all the same.  We each have different talents and abilities.  We look at what life throws our way and think we don’t have the means to make it.  But if we would just trust the Recipe Writer Himself, take what we have been given, use it to our very best, and trust Him to make something delicious from it, then oh what a treat we would have in return.

I believe I’ll stir up one of these pies.  No doubt, it will be good, because I’ve known the one who wrote it and made so many other delicious things I’ve enjoyed.  I believe I’ll also trust the Lord this week as He uses all I have to somehow make something worth sharing.  How about you?

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

You’re now a high school or college senior, or maybe you’re the parent of one.  You’ve known this day was coming sooner or later, but you’ve secretly dreaded it.  Life seems to be going by entirely too quickly for you and those whom you love.  The toughest part may be, as it was for my mom many years ago, watching me walk into my college dorm building as she and my dad drove off that first time.

Maybe you’re one of those folks with a lot on your plate.  You’ve juggled deadlines and meetings and assignments and problems until you’ve reached your limit.  The light at the end of the tunnel seems so very dim and so far away.  You’re overwhelmed by the weight of it all.

Maybe you’re not experiencing either of those things, and maybe you’re not really dealing with any great difficulty right now.  But, for whatever reason, you find yourself farther away from the Lord than you once were.  Your time with Him is not currently a priority.  You’ve gotten out of the habit of going to church and worshiping with other believers.  You feel alone and distant.

Yesterday evening, I rolled our large garbage trolley down to the end of our road/driveway so that it would be there for the garbage truck this morning.  We were home alone, the neighbors were gone, and there was no traffic.  The neighbors’ dogs even ignored my trek, and the only sound I heard was the scratching of the trolley’s big plastic wheels on the gravel.  For a brief moment in my day, it was just me and God.  There was no great spiritual moment; I hadn’t heard Him giving me specific direction.  I was taking out the garbage.

I left the can near the road and turned to make my way back toward the house.  That’s when I saw what you see here.  For just a moment, there was no house, there were no distractions, there wasn’t even any garbage any more.  It was the Lord’s handiwork on display in another beautiful sunset – directly ahead of me.  To get back home, I had to walk in that direction.  To be back where I needed to be, I needed to walk directly toward the Lord’s work – leaving my garbage behind.

If we are to make a difference in today’s world, we will only do so if we get rid of the trash and walk directly to Him.  Maybe we’ve not been “home” in a while.  Now’s the chance.  Let go of the garbage, head back to the House, and keep your focus on His handiwork in your week ahead.  He’s right in front of you, if only you’ll pay attention!

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

Over the past six months, we’ve witnessed a powerful return to conservative values and a Christ-centered culture. In the midst of this revival, it’s crucial that we remain vigilant, recognizing that sin can often disguise itself within things that appear wholesome or genuine. Music doesn’t need explicit lyrics to promote lust or drunkenness. A show or message doesn’t need graphic content to stir inappropriate emotions or suggest immoral themes. And it doesn’t take a riot to incite division or cause harm. These may be general statements, but we can all recall examples from pop culture and social media that reflect these subtle influences.

Let your focus remain on personal purity. Dress modestly, guard your words, be mindful of what you watch and listen to, and live in a way that honors our Father in Heaven. This isn’t always easy, but the Lord walks beside us, ready to guide us when we seek His direction. Be the culture. Shape the culture. This is how we carry forward the revival I believe is already unfolding in our nation and around the world. Together, let’s transform this world for Jesus.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Something I don’t have to tell any of you is the fact that we are currently living in a very weird world.  In a weird world, there are weird people with weird titles doing weird things in their own weird ways and expecting the rest of us weirdos to label them as perfectly healthy and normal.

One day recently, I was roaming the aisles of one of those “dollar” stores that pop up seemingly overnight in any small community that turns its back too quickly to notice.  I was looking for canned dog food, the thick kind with the gravy that my parents’ dog had specifically requested for her daily meals.  I wasn’t familiar with this specific store, so it took me a few minutes to locate the correct aisle and then search for the correct products.  Here, I used that word “correct” very loosely.  

What I hope you can see from my picture is the labeling of the shelf underneath these cans.  I didn’t stage this.  These weren’t just two random cans that some kid had stuck there on his way to the toy section.  An entire case of Campbell’s Chunky soups was very neatly arranged in between several different dog food brands, and the shelf label read “Wet Dog Food.”  An entire case – put here on purpose by someone who obviously wasn’t paying attention.

In this weird world full of us weird folks, we must pay attention.  We must pay attention to those around us.  They are hurting, they are lost, and they need Jesus.  Some are wearing labels that are different from us.  Many of those labels are self-imposed, but many of those labels are ones we have attached because we assume their owners are just another one of those same old same old.  

Someone mistakenly assumed this soup was just some more of the same old dog food that the person was already so disinterested in stocking, that they never paid any attention to the face of the cans.

Don’t make the same mistakes this week.  Pay attention to the faces of those “weirdos” around you.  Remember you are perhaps a “weirdo” to them.  Regardless, we all deserve to be seen.  No one wants to be stacked where they don’t belong simply because we don’t care enough to pay attention to their needs.  “Love your neighbor as yourself” means, in part, that we are to love one another, regardless of their labels and regardless of how those labels came to be.  We must first see the label before we can help move them to the correct place that God has designed for them.  Weird world or not, weird labels or not, none of us is a mistake.  We do, however, make mistakes and then say God made us this way.  That’s a dangerous shelf to live on.  God made you to serve Him.  Do so with the label of one who knows we sometimes sit in the wrong place, but inside we are still the same person God made us to be.

Sitting on that shelf no more made that soup into dog food than the dog food would have been on a soup shelf.  Don’t worry about the labels the world throws upon you.  What matters is what God knows you really are on the inside.

(Perhaps I should make a disclaimer here.  I don’t want some disgruntled Campbell’s Soup employee suing me for this portrayal of their product as dog food.  Not only was I not responsible for the incorrect placement of the product or the shelf label, I am, after all, a proud Campbell myself.  And like my parents’ dog, Lady, I too love my gravy.  LOL.)

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

There is no greater investment we can make than the one we make in our children. Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This powerful verse reminds us that the seeds we plant today in the hearts of our children will bear fruit for generations. When we take time to play with our children, to enter their world with joy and imagination, we show them that they are seen, valued, and loved. Play isn’t just fun, it is a foundation for trust, creativity, and connection. It opens the door for deeper conversations and paves the way for meaningful lessons to take root.

Teaching our children is more than homework help or correcting mistakes; it is the sacred act of shaping character. Whether we’re reading stories of faith, solving math problems, or encouraging physical activity, every lesson is an opportunity to point our children toward wisdom, strength, and perseverance. As they grow, they learn not just facts and figures, but how to carry themselves with integrity, kindness, and faith. And just as Jesus taught through stories and moments of shared life, we too are called to walk alongside our children, teaching not only with words, but with love, patience, and presence.

Most importantly, we lead by example. Children learn what they live, and when they see us pray, worship, forgive, and grow in our own walk with God, they begin to mirror those same steps. By prioritizing spiritual growth, healthy habits, and lifelong learning, we give our children a model worth following. Our daily choices, even the small ones, speak volumes. So let us be intentional in our time with the next generation, because when we train them in the way they should go, with hearts rooted in Christ, we equip them to stand strong in every season of life.