Every year, my wife and I sit down to put together a list of the top 10 things that have happened in the last 365 days.  LEGAL DISCLAIMER:  my wife, Kelley would like for me to emphasize that she does not endorse and, in fact, rejects several of the comments made herein.  That being said, here you go in no particular order (did I mention that these are in NO particular order):

1.  I finally joined the revolution, started a Facebook account, and learned the heartbreak of a friend (who I’ve been stalking) silently turning down my friend request.  I also learned that people who play Farmville (and by “Farmville” I am including Car Town) are just weird.

2.  We, and by “we,” I mean my wife, bought a swagger wagon.  Honestly though, I’ve never been cooler.

3.  Jackson started kindergarten at a school run by hippies.  Seriously, their mascot is the “dove,” and they have a “peace totem pole” in the middle of the school.  If Jackson ever decides to become a French citizen, I know where to place the blame.

4.  The wife and I went to an incredible bed and breakfast in the land time forgot, reconnected, and climbed a mountain together, the top of which held a steaming pile of dog crap, that I promptly sat in.  In related news, Kelley nearly fell off the top of said mountain during a fit of laughter.

5.  Renaissance Road, my rockin’ church, expanded twice.  Now, we’ve got an auditorium that will seat over 200 people, so we can have one church service again!  My voice and our kids’ staff are VERY happy.

6.  We took a one-week vacation during which I left my cell phone at home.  Somehow, and this was a shocking realization for me, the world kept turning without me.

7.  Selah, my two-year-old, finally decided to grow hair.  Granted, it is the most electro-static hair ever worn by a toddler, but nonetheless, it IS hair. 

8.  I finally got a home basketball goal.  After years of whining about not having a home hoop, a miracle happened.  I was such a happy boy … until a freak windstorm came through my neighborhood blew the goal down, and shattered the backboard … which reminds me, I really hate the devil.

9.  The greatest 9-year-anniversary celebration ever:  no kids, Emerald Point, no kids, dinner at a fab Thai restaurant, chased down by the best movie of the year, Inception (I say the top kept spinning, by the way).  Did I mention that we were kids-free for the WHOLE day?

10.  The family went Apple.  After years of slamming them, I joined them.  MacBook Pro, IPad, and IPhone are all part of the family now with their own college savings accounts.  Months of not having to CTRL+ALT+delete my computer has left me wondering:  what took us so long?

*Truly, it has been a tough, trying year, but looking back, I can see that the hand of God has kept us standing.

-Still Standing, Pastor Jason Goins