Wow - I didn't realize it had been this long since I posted anything! Life (or in my case, PS3 and Xbox 360) get in the way, don't they? I'll post new thoughts later; for now, here is my video of the year, which you've probably already seen:

Remember

My birthday is Monday.

I will be 31.

I probably won't do anything of consequence that day.

I just found out that January 11th (my birthday) is also Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

I used to be a title abstractor. That meant that I traveled to courthouses and researched property for companies that were refinancing homes. Usually it was pretty easy, but if I had to research a farm or something difficult, where the title did not get out of family for generations, the search could easily stretch back into the 1800s. I remember that a co-worker once brought a copy of a deed into the office. He had found it in Lowndes County, Georgia while looking at a property. Included in the deed was a "negro woman" with here children. I was shocked. I was holding in my hands a copy of a legal document detailing the sale of human beings just as coldly as the land that was included.

This problem is just as real today.

Please don't be naive or turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the fact that humans are bought and sold every day in this world, and possibly much closer to home than you think. And this slavery often takes the form of sexual slavery, in which human beings (often VERY young girls) are abducted and then sold to brothels.

You can help.

You may have seen or heard about International Justice Mission on tv.

Please visit their website and see how you can help fight this injustice that plagues our world.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday than to fight for other's freedom.

As promised...

A video blog(s) about the remodeling of our new kitchen.

::throws up hands::

I've been trying to upload videos of our kitchen remodeling project, but it's not going well. My internet provider, who shall go nameless (but is the same company that provides the cell service for my iPhone), has not made me very happy lately. It took a week just to get internet after they promised it, and now it doesn't want to let me upload videos. I shall valiantly press forward and find a way anyway.

On a complete side note, it's been a crazy month. I don't know why that surprises me anymore - it's always crazy in December!

Our worship team sang in a couple programs, which is fun but time-consuming and stressful to prepare for. And it didn't help that I've been fighting a cold for a week now.

We weren't sure how big a Christmas we were going to be able to do because of the house purchase, but that all worked out, so now we've been trying to get everything ready for Daniel's birthday and Christmas and an open house I (accidentally) volunteered us for.

The nice part is that it seems like work is actually calming down. I'm training a new employee who is catching on very quick and that will let me focus on some more specific projects. And I'm getting some extra time off because of the holidays, which isn't something I'm really used to, so that will be VERY nice.

This has also been a nice season for me to remember how far we've come in a year.

A year ago this week we were finishing getting ready for Christmas, blissfully unaware of the present we would get. We even went to church that morning, and then out to eat after church, convinced that Kellie was having a "false" labor. That afternoon I was holding my newborn son.

It has been a year of challenges. Kellie has had some postpartum emotions that I don't think either of us anticipated or really knew how to deal with. Daniel had colic, which is an experience that has got to be trying to even the best parents. Daniel burnt his hands a few months ago and it just broke our hearts.

And yet his smile is something I'll never fail to joy in.

His sense of humor gets me every time.

The way he lights up when we clap for him is humbling; it reminds us of the impact and influence we have over these young ones.

There are characteristics of his, though, that I need to watch, and make sure that I focus on the positive side.

His determination is awe-inspiring, but can be frustrating.

He has a constant need to explore (even more so than is normal - he would set out on an Arctic expedition right now), which means we have to watch for danger EVERYWHERE.

His passion is captivating, but can turn to anger very quickly.

This is the best job in the world.

Kellie and I did not want to know the sex of our babies before we had them. It just seemed like a fun surprise to us. Yet for some reason we thought we were having a girl this time. So when I was handed Daniel I just remember breaking out into the biggest smile, because I knew that God had a reason for giving us another son, and I just remember reveling in that moment. It was a great surprise and a great Christmas present!

And so it has been a month of remembering for me. Remembering where I was a year ago, and how much has changed since then.

I interviewed for a job on the other side of the country.

I later changed jobs (but stayed here).

We went from tag-teaming one kid to man coverage with two.

We bought a house(!).

It's been a good year.

P.S. Daniel took his first step on Sunday, and then just took off walking tonight!

P.P.S. We won a really cool contest, and I'll tell you more about that soon! (sing with me: "Just keep swimming...")

Upgrade, upgrade...

I am recording video of our renovations at the new house. I plan on posting them as video blogs of before, during, and after videos of certain projects. I missed the beginning of one project, but I'm doing pretty well with another one. So keep a weather eye out for those...

On a completely different note, a friend on mine just bought me Apple's new Magic Mouse. Needless to say, I'm loving it. I love Apple's products anyway, but anytime they release something that is more intuitive I wonder how I did without it. I just like being able to scroll anywhere on the mouse. As Eddie Izzard (the comedian) would say, "I do not have techno-fear, I have techno-joy!"

Pay the bills

I paid our bills yesterday. Thanks goodness it's not a stressful event the way it used to be. We have been trying to live debt-free for a couple years now and it's wonderful. Now, this year has not been the debt-free success we wanted it to be, but we're not in deep and we're getting out soon.

But there's one bill I just picked up that I don't mind paying at all - as a matter of fact, I look forward to it. And even though we just closed on our first home yesterday, I'm not talking about that bill (especially since we haven't seen it yet - first payment's due in January). We recently started sponsoring a child through Compassion International and I couldn't be happier. Every time I write the check I feel like I will be making a tangible difference in a person's (in this case, a 4-year old boy's) life. We decided to sponsor him because we decided that if we lived near him, DJ and he would be friends. Maybe we'll soon be able to sponsor a child Daniel's age.

I say all of this to say: if you didn't owe money for debts, what bills could you pay that you would love to? Would you set aside money to help needy people you come across or hear about? Would you sponsor children in other countries who are going hungry? Would you pay for Bible translations? Would you dig wells so that others could have clean water?

What would you do?

Now - what are you going to do to free yourself and your finances to the point that they are usable to God?

P.S. I'm not saying I've got this right yet, but it's something I'm working on.

P.P.S. It's just $38 to sponsor a child with Compassion. Check it out.

I cannot describe the joy I get out of watching my sons grow.

I was fascinated by watching DJ learn object permanence: the fact that just because you cannot see something does not mean that is has ceased to exist.

Daniel picked that up so quickly it was almost scary.

I was talking with a co-worker the other day about how when other people look at my kids, they remark on how similar they are. And yet, when I look at them, I marvel at how different they are.

When DJ was a baby, he could take or leave toys. He wanted someone around at all times. He wanted to look at someone's face more than play with a toy. Daniel has wanted to have something in his hands constantly. He is very tactile. Of course the problem with that is he wants to put everything in his mouth!

DJ is very extroverted, but if he gets his feelings hurt, he gets very sad very quickly. Daniel lashes out if his feeling are hurt - he wants you to feel his pain (usually in an auditory way!). DJ gets in your face. Daniel will hit you in the face.

DJ is verbose, especially for his age. He is a talker. Daniel is a doer. And he likes to solve problems. They are both very smart, but they show it in different areas. It was amazing for me to watch DJ teach himself the alphabet at 2 with a toy; and again I watched in amazement as Daniel figured out how a puzzle worked just by looking at it.

I love my sons.

It is also very interesting to me to see human nature in ones so young. Daniel and I took a walk last night, and he was more interested in the loud cars in the distance than the beautiful woods around us. Isn't that just like us? We spend our time, energy, and attention on passing noisemakers instead of the quiet beauty that surrounds us.

How do we teach? What moments do we use to instruct? How do I explain to them that the world will fill up their eyes with bright shiny toys and their ears with loud noises, but none of those will be fulfilling? They are all like pretty cars that speed by on a highway. The true beauty is in the muted colors of the fall forest. The prettiest sounds are softly sung by the birds.

God whispers.

Do we listen?

"Be still, and know that I am God"