It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to sit down and write something here. Life has been busy… but busy in a good way.
As many of you know, last summer I accepted the call to serve as Senior Pastor at a church here in the thumb of Michigan., and we made to move from North Caroline to Michigan. Since then, it’s been a season of learning, growing, building relationships, and asking God to help me lead well—not just for where the church has been, but for where He’s taking it next.
And I’ll be honest with you… not every moment has been easy.
If you’re in ministry—especially if you’re a pastor—you probably know what I’m about to say.
There are moments where discouragement hits hard.
Early on, I had a handful of people come up and encourage me after sermons. Kind words. Thank-yous. The kind of stuff that reminds you, “Okay… God’s working.”
But then there was a meeting.
In that meeting, I was told there were “a lot of complaints.” You know the phrase—“people are saying…” And the hard part? I had never actually heard any of it directly.
That moment stuck with me more than I’d like to admit. It got in my head. It made me question things.
Am I missing something?
Am I doing this wrong?
Why would God bring me here if I’m just dropping the ball?
I even had a moment where I thought, “I’m done.” . . . Yeah… it got that real.
As we approached Thanksgiving, I remember praying something very simple—but very honest:
“God, if I’m off… show me.
If I’m missing something… correct me.
If I’m getting in the way of what You want to do… move me out of the way.”
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about me. It’s about Him.
And then something started happening.
Week after week…
Message after message…
People started speaking up.
Encouragement.
Emails.
Texts.
Cards in the mail.
People sharing how God was moving in their lives. Families reconnecting with church. Kids coming back. People tuning in online every week.
And I realized something important: The loudest voices aren’t always the most accurate ones.
That stretch of time taught me a few things:
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We’re all human.
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You can’t please everybody.
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And a lot of the people who are being impacted the most… aren’t always the loudest in the room.
Sometimes the noise that discourages you isn’t even rooted in truth—it’s just loud enough to distract you.
Fast forward to now—we’re heading into Palm Sunday and Easter. If you’ve ever been in ministry, you know this week is full. Planning, prepping, final details… all of it matters. A pastor friend of mine once called it “Holy Moly Week,” and honestly… I get it now more than ever.
It’s full. It’s exhausting. It’s meaningful.
This week has been a little different for me. My wife took the kids up north to visit family, so for about a week, it’s just me and the dog at home. And I’ll tell you what…It’s quiet. Too quiet.
No footsteps running through the house.
No laughter.
No random chaos.
No “Dad, watch this!” moments.
And here’s the ironic part…When the kids are with me—especially at the church—they’re loud. They’re active. They’re chaotic. And if I’m being honest, sometimes it’s overwhelming. I’m trying to work, make sure they’re not breaking anything, keep them quiet if someone’s meeting… it can be a lot.
But now? I miss it. I miss the noise. And that got me thinking. There are two kinds of noise in life.
One kind tears you down. It’s filled with opinions, negativity, and discouragement.
The other kind? It’s loud too—but it’s filled with life. Joy. Laughter. Innocence. Growth.
Both can feel overwhelming. Both can demand your attention. But only one is worth holding onto. There’s a verse that came to mind in all of this: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” — Romans 12:21
Not all noise deserves your attention.
Some voices will try to pull you off course.
Others will remind you why you started in the first place.
And part of growing in our faith is learning the difference.
Learning to filter out what doesn’t come from God…And holding onto what does.
There will always be noise.
The question is—which noise are you listening to?
Because one will drain you, distract you, and discourage you.
And the other?
It’ll remind you of what really matters.
I’ll take the loud house, the running feet, and the chaos any day. Because that kind of noise? That’s life.
