Wow! What a year.

My wife often accuses me this time of the year of getting philosophical and reflective… and maybe I do (after all its the end of the year and I get one year older). As I was looking back on 2008 I was struck by God’s incredible faithfulness and blessings on our life. Some highlights from 08:

• An incredible week of prayer and fasting in January and so many promises both personally and corporately to our church
• 10 days in Ireland in February with my family.
• An awesome trip to Kansas to serve a church there.
• The opportunity to visit many wonderful friends and family in Portland.
• A great staff retreat in June… I work on one incredible team.
• A first ever visit and game in the right field bleachers of Yankee Stadium.
• Doing dinner with Craig Groeschel and Steven Furtick.
• Steak & Rake 08.
• Brett Favre’s retirement and un-retirement
• Shea Stadium and a day in NYC with my son.
• One unbelievable week in Disney winning an evening in the castle. Can’t tell you how much we felt God love and pleasure as a family.
• Riding Big Thunder Mountain with Aidan, Sophie and Madeline (Mads was just crazy funny).
• The opportunity to meet Mark Batterson (his book is part of the reason we ended up here in Albany).
• The opportunity to spend a couple of days with my wife in Montreal to celebrate our 13th anniversary. I can’t tell you how much I couldn’t do life without her.
• Having the opportunity to go to the Catalyst Conference (a dream came true).
• 50 Thanksgiving food boxes to families in our community
• The opportunity to go to Soldier Field and watch the Packers play the Bears in the coldest game ever played there (-12).
• Blogging, facebook and twitter.
• New friendships with this guy and this guy.
• The iPhone 3G.
• An incredible Christmas season… in a little over two weeks across all three campuses we gave over $60,000 to local and global charities. Incredible generosity!

I’m filled with gratitude when I look back at 2008. This year has not been without its disappointments and failures, but I can’t tell you how blessed I feel. God is good all the time. I don’t know what 2009 has in store my I know that I’m going after God with everything I’ve got.

Two life transforming days

Catalyst is done and tomorrow I rise early to head back to Albany. My faith has been challenged and renewed. Andy Stanley closed this afternoon by challenging us to never stop wrestling with the issue of ministry and how to better serve the church. My tool belt is full and now the hard work of executing the things that God has birthed and confirmed in my heart begins… I strongly encourage you to make your way to catalyst next year… if your a west coaster look for Catalyst West April 22-24 in Orange County.

Beach balls

Stick a bunch of beach balls in an arena with grown adults and we all immediately act like kids. Someone beside me just said “oh, that a good one!” in reference to a killer spike.

Great things are yet to come, yet to be done.

It’s the end of day one at the Catalyst Conference and I can’t begin to tell you the things that have worked in my heart over the past 12 hours. Largeness of vision, clarity of focus and the challenge not to lose sight of the promise as we journey through the process to the payoff. Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, Seth Godin, Steven Furtick, Craig Groeschel, Brenda McNeill incredible worship, the opportunity to connect with God and to top off the day a hang out with Larry, Kelly, John and Pastor Steven a wee bit. Can tell you how much this church and their staff have helped me personally and encouraged me through their example.

One of the quotes that really stuck with me from today was from William Paul Young (author of the Shack) “God has a passionate affection that is relentless in our direction.” I’ve so felt that today. Thank you Jesus! You are amazing and I owe you my life. Greater things are yet to come, yet to be done.

You can read more about what the various speakers had to say here.

Cried through the first two songs

Not sure if it was “I belong to Jesus” or being an environment where largeness of vision, unity and purity of heart lifted my soul out ofthe normal. But I feel revitalized, alive and free.

Catalyst morning 1

Just arrived… The anticipation is building. Europe disco music, beach balls. How about this being a vision of what church might be.

If you want to follow Catalyst online