Today is the 365th and final day of 2005. The past 12 months have been fast & furious; I honestly can’t believe 2006 is nearly upon us. As I reflect on the year that was, my mind is naturally drawn to all the good things that we experienced. To be sure, ’05 will be remembered by most Americans for her natural disasters, most notably the tornadoes that ravaged the Gulf Coast. But daybreak always follows even the darkest night. Amid such horrific catastrophes, the human spirit continues to endure. Americans rallied together in a dramatic outpouring of compassion to assist our brothers and sisters who lost so much. We gave our money, our time, our homes, our communities — and counted it but pittance compared to what our friends lost. Homes were destroyed, lives were lost and those who survived were displaced, but the proverbial silver lining was always visible to those with eyes to see. Where government officials and programs perhaps failed to meet the immediate needs of Katrina’s victims, believers across denominational lines united for a common cause, a human cause. Those who acknowledge Christ as Lord modeled the kind of Kingdom life He promised. And little by little, people put their lives back together. And hope was restored.

Personally, ’05 will go down as one of my favorites. I use this page to talk often about my experiences as a parent, and this entry is no different. Any year you’re called “Daddy” for the first time is a good one. It’s a wonderful, frightening, frustrating, rewarding, beautiful dance, this whole parenting thing. I suppose I’m most thankful for the things my children continue to teach me about God and His unquenchable love for me, His child. I’m a better child because I’m a parent.

It’s also been a pure joy to watch my wife develop into the most incredible mother I know. She’s always had these latent “mothering” skills, but to watch them blossom, and to watch her complete joy at being the person God created her to be, has been such a blessing. Sunny, this year has been simultaneously good & bad, but we’ve weathered it together, and for another year with you by my side, I’m eternally grateful.

Father God, author of time, thank you for yet another year. Thank you for the opportunities I had in ’05 to behold your glory, to see you at work, to feel your abiding presence. I give you praise and honor for the opportunity that 2006 represents. May you continue to be glorified, may your Kingdom come, may your will be done on earth in 2006. Amen.