God has been doing so much in my life over the past several years. I have been thinking a lot about what is to come. I know for sure that God has been preparing me for.... Transition----transition is so difficult..that’s why it’s transition. You are going from something that is typically known to what is unknown. For me, there is peace in knowing that God is leading me right now and has prepared a path for me to walk. Our faith is challenged in transition because we don’t know the path but still have to walk in Christ and with Christ on a daily basis.
This year is going to be full of transitions for me. To say that it isn’t or to say that life and the pace of life will “slow down” is only foolish. When we try to live our life without transitions, without the “uncontrolled” moments, we typically have a more difficult time than when we simply embrace “life happening.” Because God has been preparing me, I have the ability to hit life’s transitions head on and allow God to turn the outcomes into evidences of His glory. I am thankful for life, I am thankful for the life that God has blessed me with. I am thankful for my past, my present and my future. I feel a passion right now that I have not felt in a long time. What I feel inside right now reminds me that living and living well means to follow the convictions and passion of your heart. I am walking through a door. There is nothing about this door that makes sense. This is not the logical door but I have no doubt that this door is the door that God has ordained. I have been staring at the door for far too long. It is time, I am done staring and ready to walk through it.

As you enter the New Year let your joy, love, peace, and hope, which comes from your growing love for the Lord, permeate the very essence of who you are and where you dwell…by and in God’s grace!

For my struggling friend. If you really want your feet to dance to the same beat as heaven, stop writing and pick up your guitar.
In Isaiah and in Matthew, Jesus is called “Emmanuel.”

“Em” = with.

“Nu” = us.

“El” = God.

He’s the “with us God.” He wanted to give Himself. "God with us." Each word is so vital.
"El"
God with us. What if it said “man with us” or “girl with us” or “boss with us” or even “friend with us”? As nice as that might be, it’s not that great. No, it’s “God with us.” The most awesome, most powerful, most infinite, most amazing, most holy, most loving, most righteous Creator God who’s never surprised, never worried, never frustrated, never thwarted is with us.
"Em"
God with us. What if it said “God against us” or “God without us”? How safe would you feel then? No. It’s God with us. We don’t have to go through life alone. Jesus didn’t come to take us out of this world. He came to be with us in this world.
"Nu"
God with us. What if it said “God with you”? That would mean He doesn’t care about me. What if it said “God with me”? That would mean that He doesn’t care about you. What if it said “God with them”? That would mean that He plays favorites. No, it’s God with us.
Emmanuel=“with us God”? Hold on to this ---it is something to be merry about this Christmas.

OK, so I am a proud dad. Kylie danced in the Moscow ballet this last weekend. I knew it was a big deal----but I didn't know how big the deal really was. She danced with professional dancers in front of over 1000 people at the Cannon Center. It was a great experience for her. Clayton was a champ and endured the production. I feel bad saying this--- but, I am really glad that he doesn't like ballet. Clayton stayed occupied with the fact he was missing the Cowboy's game. I could not take pictures during the ballet but here is a write up about the ballet and pictures that I could take

Great Russian Nutcracker
"""Featuring spectacular sets and beautifully costumed Russian dancers, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is an annual treat for the whole family. Whimsical and imaginative storytelling blends with the richness of Russian classical dance to make the Great Russian Nutcracker a unique performance not to be missed! Choreographer Emelianov and Valentin Fedorov's spectacular scenic design, with larger-than-life puppets and the backdrop of unicorns, exotic birds and animals, the Great Russian Nutcracker is a visual delight."""

I am not sure about the about the "visual delight" part..... but it was a great experience for Kylie.

I was on an airplane once that was circling the city I was suppose to land in. The pilot then gets on the PA system to speak the obvious "we are in a holding pattern." I really didn't want to hear "what" we were doing I wanted to know "why" and better yet "when" we would be out of the holding pattern and on the ground. I am really bad at playing the waiting game. I know that patience is a virtue. I know that God does some great things in us while we wait on Him. It just seems to me that God wired me to run at full speed. I move fast and I want things around me to run as fast as I do. There are lots of people in the bible that I have studied and thought "wow, that is not me at all." A person that I would consider myself to be bipolar opposite of is Zacchaeus. In Luke 19 Zacchaeus climbed a tree to wait for Jesus to pass by him. I would have never climbed a tree to wait. I don't know how to wait for things. I go crazy waiting for things. There is a good chance if I thought I was going to wait to long, I would climb a tree just to jump out head first--that is hyperbole---But you get the point. I would have pursued Jesus on the road He was walking down. I would have fought my way to the front of the line to see Him. The last thing I would have done is just sit and wait. It's not that my valor would be greater than his it is that my willingness to wait on things is just really bad. Well, as it stands today I am in the waiting game right now. I am in a holding pattern and everything seems to be moving so slow. I don't want to know "why" I just want to know "when" the plane will land. I am so ready to be unleashed---I am ready to get out of the tree.