Looking Back on 2008

December 31 has taken me a bit by suprise. Maybe it's because I'm on call, and I have two kids , AND the temperature (with the wind-chill) will reach zero by the time the year is through, and the ground is full-o-snow. No watchnight service this year, except via online (my wife adopts technology when it suits her, amen). No dinners, party, etc. No illness either. Everyone's healthy.

I started thinking back on the year and what I had spend time doing, what my blessing were, what were my regrets, accomplishments, and so on. Back when I wrote in a journal would be easy, just flip back the pages and voila. Now, my blog isn't a good candidate because the audience isn't just me and it doesn't have the frequency my journals did.

Back when I wrote in a journal, I would compare the current New Year's Eve to those of previous years. It's a very cool exercise, I recommend it. This day ten years ago, I was on a flight from Texas to Costa Rica. I was a great way to ring in the New Year. It was the first time I had every seen fireworks, from above.

So back to 2008. Sure I remembered the highlights. Obama '08, check. New son, check. But the details. Then I got an idea. What if I went into my sent e-mail box and looked at all the subject headings? It was a pretty accurate picture of how I spent my time. I spend most of 2008 in school, half of it inquiring or responding to job opportunities, motorcycling, and the last quarter was chock full of celebrations over our latest addition to the family and Barack Obama's election.

All in all, no regrets. Time well spent. So, what's in your sent e-mail box?

Tidings of Joy

So, Merry Christmas people o' the 'net. It's been quite a year and it is a different type of Christmas. It's the first time we celebrated Christmas at home as a nuclear family (our youngest is two months old today). We'll be spending an abbreviated amount of time with my family, so we can spend some time with some of my wife's closest friends (her immediate family is abroad).

It's a White Christmas, and above freezing, and quite sunny. We are all healthy, have love, grace, and provision. Not everything is perfect, but it's a worry free day (even with me having to go to work tomorrow). I'm also listening to non-traditional Christmas songs on Pandora. I normally
stay off the computer on Christmas and other holidays, but this year I realize that a lot of the people I'd like to wish tidings of joy (and vice-versa) can best (or only) be contacted via e-mail
or text message.

I didn't expect to get a single gift this Christmas; not one you can buy anyway. However, I got quite a large gift from an unexpected source. I ended up passing the gift along to my wife and kids (minus the tithe). They needed and deserved it much more than I did. Besides, I already had and continue to receive gifts that you can't buy. Love, hope, peace, health, passion, and grace.

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Natal, and Joyeux Noel!