Santa was good to me this year. He's actually good to me all year round, so Christmas can be a little anti-climactic some years. And even though we know it's not about the "stuff", it does give us the chance to make someone smile. I suspect even those participating in the Advent Conspiracy gave and received a gift or two.

We did some creative regifting this year. I had bought an iPod Nano a few months ago to use at the gym. Shaniah really wanted one, and she wanted the red edition, only available online. Time and money got away from me, so I got a neat red cover for mine and got her a new set of headphones to go with it. Maddy got Shaniah's Shuffle, which she was thrilled with. I just use my iPhone at the Y now. I'm so deprived.

Our family gift was the Wii. It's been funny. I think I've seen four pictures that our friends took on Christmas morning with their kids holding their Wii box. The kids all have this perma-smile on their faces and a glazed look in their eye. Maddie was so excited she almost had to change her pullups. That's a different kind of "Wii".

I had arranged for a spa treatment for Lynn at the Elmwood Spa in Toronto. They had some really good deals in conjunction with the Delta Chelsea, so the whole family got in on that one.

Lynn got me a nice sweater vest. Not sure when I took a liking to those, but I did. This is a nice brown one. Maddie likes to rub my belly and comment on how soft it is (the vest). I also got an 8-cup french press, coffee grinder, and a pound of Sumatra beans from Starbucks. Enjoying a cup right now ;-).

So it's been a very good Christmas. Enjoyed the programs offered at a few churches (ours and Lynn's parents) and had some good reconnections with family.

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I thought this was awesome! The company I'm partnering with built a website for Ice Culture, and this is what they do. The website is great, and the company is totally chill. (Psssst. If your church needs a cool website like this, drop me a line ;-)

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We shot this video for www.propertyguys.com. Sue shares why she loves being a Private Sale Consultant.

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A video we made for www.propertyguys.com. Do you think she likes her job? We'd like to film more like this for people that are passionate about what they do.

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I find myself in a unique situation. Some might call it frightening. I find it mildly stimulating.

We are in the process of raising support to become full-time missionaries with HCJB Global Canada. As Jesus used his voice (spoken word) and hands (healing and compassion) to make a difference, HCJB seeks to do the same through media and healthcare. We are "supported" through partnership with individuals and churches that share the same vision, and it can take up to a year, sometimes two, for that support to come in.

Obviously I have to provide for Lynn and the girls during this time, which brings me to the point of this post. I've never been unemployed, having pastored for 15 years, and I have done a variety of other things, from detailing cars to serving subpoenas and divorce petitions, to shooting video and building websites. But what do I do now? I'm not looking for a new career per se, as I hope to be full-time with HCJB by this time next year.

I have a few great opportunities. One with REM Web Solutions, offering effective and easy-to-edit websites to churches, and the other with Celebrating Life as a wedding and funeral officiant. Both utilize my life-experience and skills.

If you had a year to do anything, what would you do?

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