1 For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
    A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4–5, NLT)

This past year has been a wild ride. More transitions, another move, and four major losses that brought four significant chapters of my life to a close. Honestly, it’s been unexpectedly difficult and I’m looking forward to putting 2025 behind me.

The first major loss consumed our March through July. We moved again. By the end of 2024, we saw this move in our near future, it was just a matter of when. Some things happened at Megan’s workplace making it clear that she needed to transition to a more amiable situation. Our move was only an hour away and within the state, which made it more manageable than previous moves. We moved ourselves (with a great deal of help from family and friends!), which brought its own stress and challenges. Thankfully, we’re now settling into a house and neighborhood that seem to fit our family well. And Megan’s workplace here is a much more positive situation. This brought our two-year chapter of residence in Emporia, KS, to an end.

The second major loss consumed our January through August. I finished the Master of Divinity program at Southern California Seminary. Completing the program has been within our sights since returning to Kansas in the summer of 2023. I started in the fall of 2013 after we moved to California the first time. My schooling spanned Megan’s entire 10-year Navy career plus two years, including the births of our daughters. The work was satisfying, but just a few years in, when Gabriela was born, it became quite a burden on our household. I cherish the friends I made and the work I did. Southern California Seminary is a great school with a rigorous School of Theology. But now, twelve years after I began, it’s time to turn the page on that chapter of my life.

The third major loss came unexpectedly in October. My time on staff with First Southern Baptist Church Lawrence came to an end. There were several factors in making this difficult decision. It was truly a dream come true to work in vocational ministry as a worship leader. But several changes at the church from May through October made it clear that the church desired a staff worship leader with quite a lot more availability and flexibility than the Lord has given me and my family. So, I made the decision to step down from my staff position to allow the church to find the vocational ministers they need. This brought my fifteen-month chapter of serving as staff worship leader at FSBC Lawrence to an end.

The fourth major loss was our dog, Paco. Megan and I rescued Paco from an animal shelter during our first year of marriage. He was a Chihuahua mix and was two-years old when we rescued him. He was our second dog and the only member of our family (besides Megan and I) who lived through every move with us. His last few years were difficult, as he lost his eyesight and struggled with back and joint issues as well as incontinence and dietary issues. He was only a dog, but as any dog owner knows, he was a deeply loved member of our family and his loss has been difficult for all of us. His loss brought his nearly fifteen-year chapter of life with our family to an end.

Looking back on my goals for 2025, I must admit that I did not complete any of them. My summer seminary coursework was so demanding that to finish seminary I had to abandon the life rhythms I wanted to cultivate. That said, by the end of the year, I did make some progress in certain areas. Since finishing my coursework, I have reestablished my devotional and exercise habits, which, for me, are essential to living healthfully in all other areas of my life. Megan and I have made great strides toward financial freedom, with only one car remaining to pay off. And the silver lining of the abrupt change in my vocational aspirations is I now seem to have just a little more time to pursue other forms of music ministry.

Still, 2025 was not all bad. There are two specific highlights that stick out in my mind. The first is my oldest daughter, Gabriela, made the decision to be baptized. She has been asking about baptism for a couple years and decided over the summer that it was time. She asked me to baptize her, and our church graciously allowed me to. This was a precious moment that I will cherish the rest of my life.

The second highlight is my graduation ceremony from seminary. My family, including my dad and aunt, flew out with us to California to watch me participate in the ceremony. Some of our dear friends from Arizona were able to join us as well. It was wonderful to reconnect with them.

2025–you were hard on me and my family. You brought us four major losses that discouraged and destabilized us. I will not miss you. But you were not all bad. You did give my family and I moments that brought us closer to Jesus, to each other, and reconnected us with dear friends. Thank you for those moments. And thank you, Jesus, for another year of life with you, my family, and my friends.