In doing some work under the hood of this little blog, I just realized that next weekend will represent the second blogiversary of this endeavor. My how time flies when you're having fun.

Another oddity that struck me was that it seems we had some knowledge of the Christmas event at Lakewood around this time last year. I've not seen anything posted yet for this year. I do know that we're in the planning stages for Koinonia's holiday festivities ... and yes, I'm lobbying extensively to get Stryper booked for either gig. Wish me luck. My odds aren't all that great, but fortunately there's a lot of in-house talent for us to showcase.

As for any pithy thoughts to note at the onset of another year turning over for the blog, it's worth pointing out that it was pretty close to this time last year that I started using a bit more video on the site - first with the YouTube Tuesdays and then with the Monday Videos. The purpose of all that, oddly enough, was to instill a bit more discipline into my own posting and writing. For one, I'd have to do a little work to either locate a good YouTube clip and to edit a good Monday clip. Secondly, if I simply let the site devolve to a visual spectacular with nothing original to add of my own, I'd be pretty embarrassed ... so the routine had an odd way of forcing me to write, and write, and write some more. And, of course, there's the more worthwhile goal of simply shedding an additional ray of spotlight onto whatever catches my interest from within Lakewood or beyond.

Over the past year I've also been pleasantly surprised to learn about the site catching on with folks I rarely crossed paths with at Lakewood. Namely, some of the very folks who inspire and encourage me most in my own journey with their music and singing talents. In addition to that, the video site is approaching it's 50th person to register. Not a huge number, but since there's nothing really requiring registration and almost all of the videos are slapped onto the site, it just amazes me that the number isn't stuck on #1 - that being me. Based on the users there, some of the emails I get every now and then, plus other forms of feedback, it's safe to say this little corner of the internet has a truly international reach.

Of course, I can't say they're here for the snappy writing or deep, insightful odes penned via my keyboard. Obviously, the guy traveling all over the world with his ministry and broadcasting it helps a great deal. And beyond that, it all just speaks to the desire out there for people to connect with God in whatever way fills your own soul. Whatever contribution I add has to be viewed as microscopic compared to that.

If there's one thing I've come to learn more fully in the last year, it's been this: in order to be the most effective messenger you can for God's word into the world, simply find a bunch of other people who are sorta like yourself. A scary thought for some of us. But find the people you can relate to - or that can relate to you despite any discernible reason why you might want to relate to them. And then grow the Kingdom from there. I'm sure there are loads of other ways to do this, but that seems to work for me.

At it's simplest, that's all this blog does. It just sits here in pixelated form - and whoever shares an interest in my own weird reading habits; appreciation of 80s heavy metal music; punk rock music; and the significantly softer stylings of Cindy, Da'Dra, Carrie, Aimee, Jemine and others- well, they land here. And it's each of you who participate in one form or another that add an additional element to this site. I can only be in one place at one time, with my eyes in front of no more than three monitors, one television, and if need be, a radio. Where my talents end, you guys have done a great job in contributing in your own way. And for that, I offer a hearty thanks.