A Beautiful Journey

August 7, 2026

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14

I will admit, that verse from James can sound a bit melancholy, especially for a blog post that is supposed to be hopeful. Stay with me, though, and maybe we will find the hope in these words after all.

It is August, and that means going back to school. For our kids, that means all the new pencils and crayons and other supplies to get the year started right. For our youth, that probably means new clothes and maybe a notebook (do they even still use notebooks in this digital age?). For our college students, it means moving back into dorms or apartments, figuring out which buildings classes are in, and meeting new people. For parents, maybe it’s a mixture of relief, excitement, anxiety, and hope.

For Julie and me, this year marks a turning point. For the first time in 22 years, no one in our family is headed back to school. I can remember taking our girls to school for their first days of kindergarten and how they didn’t want me to leave. I can remember the years for them where walking them into school on the first day was no longer something they wanted. The memories just go on: first days of middle school and high school, first days of senior years, leaving them at college for the first time. It all went by so slowly and so fast.

What, though, does my trip down memory lane have to do with James? These days for our kids go by, and they are beautiful and difficult and joy-filled and frustrating. Yes, it is a nonstop roller coaster; yet each day offers us the unique opportunity to make the most of it, whether we are students or parents or teachers or whoever.

My hope for all those going back to school in whatever capacity is this: Make the most of each day, recognizing the joy to be found there; finding God in each day; and doing all you can to share that joy with the people around you. It is a beautiful journey you are on, and, though other adventures surely await, don’t miss the one you’re on now.

We are all at different points on our journeys, and I think the older we get, the easier it is to see that each step along the way wasn’t a separate journey but instead part of one amazing journey. James is right. We’re only here for a little while, so let’s make the most of it today and every day.

Grace and peace,
Brandon