We actually wrote a holiday letter this year (our first), but we never got around to taking a picture or, um, sending it out. Here is what we would have sent out had I been more on the ball.

We thought that 2005 was an eventful year for us: after all, we got engaged, got married, bought a house, Renae quit her job and started working from home, all in just eight months. However, 2005 has had nothing on 2007, as far as new things constantly popping up, whirling us around, and sending us off in new directions.

As many of you have heard, we found out in July that Renae is pregnant with our first child, a boy whom we have already named Simon Wesley. Needless to say, this has been the biggest surprise – and joy and challenge – of the year. We’re absolutely thrilled and delighted, and a wee bit scared. We’re entering the third trimester as I (Jason) type this, so just a few more months. If you would be praying for us during this time, we’d greatly appreciate it.

Please pray that Renae would receive strength, health, and encouragement in these last few months. We’re thankful that Simon has been healthy through it all (even if Renae has spent a fair amount of time so far hunched over the toilet). Please pray that he’ll continue to grow and remain healthy and strong – and that his arrival in March would be without complication. And finally, pray for Jason: we begin Lamaze class in January. ‘Nuff said.

In addition to Simon entering our lives, we also celebrated our second anniversary this year. Marriage is still as wonderful – and challenging – as ever, and somehow, God always has something new to show us about this relationship of ours. We traveled to Seattle to celebrate the event and revisited some of the areas that we’d seen on our honeymoon travels.

Jason’s company renamed itself to Firespring in October, and Jason received a promotion. He is now “senior web developer” and is looking forward to the upcoming months as new staff comes on board and they begin tackling new projects. Both of us continue to work as freelancers as well, Renae as an editor and Jason as a web designer. And this year, we made it “official”: we started our very own corporation, Red Bicycle, Inc.

One of the coolest experiences of the year, Simon notwithstanding, took place in June, when we traveled to Bushnell, Illinois, to attend the Cornerstone arts and music festival. Jason made the trek to Bushnell many times in the past as a festivalgoer, but this year he was a speaker. He gave the introductory lecture at Flickerings (Cornerstone’s film festival), speaking on the topic of Japanese pop culture, and also led several film screenings and discussions. It was an absolute blast: we saw some great films, met a lot of a cool people, saw some good bands, etc. The only downside, in Jason’s opinion, was that the festival put us up in a nice hotel; he was always used to “roughing it” on the festival campgrounds.

Earlier in the year, we traveled up to Rochester, Minnesota, to attend the annual L’Abri conference. The conference has a special place in our hearts – it’s where we met – and we always enjoy the wonderful teaching offered by the conference’s many speakers. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to attend the 2008 conference – it’s a little too close for comfort to Simon’s arrival – but we look forward to many future conferences.

We’ve also been very thankful for the community in which God has placed us. We’re surrounded by many good friends who are a constant source of joy and encouragement. Every Tuesday, a group of us gets together for a revolving community dinner, which is always a highlight of the week.

2007 had its share of loss and tragedy as well.

Jason’s Grandpa Morehead passed away in May, and we traveled out to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to attend the funeral. It was the first time that Renae had met much of that side of Jason’s family, and it was good to see the old family farm again.

Then, in June, our church burned down. Sadly, they were unable to save the eighty-year-old building and demolished it a few days later. This was very hard for us: we were married in that church and we had looked forward to our children growing up in it. And it’s still hard for us: every time we look out our back window, we see the empty lot and we remember what was once there.

Our church body spent the next couple of months meeting in other buildings throughout Lincoln. However, as of December, we have purchased a building and have our own facilities once again. Although it was hard, the fire has also been something of a blessing for our church, forcing us to shed what was unnecessary and draw closer to God and one another.

What’s more, a church plant back at the original site is currently in the planning stages, with an initial launch in the spring of 2008. We are very excited about being part of this and seeing what God will do, but we are nervous as well. Suffice to say, there is much prayer going on.

We look forward to 2008, as it promises to be a very exciting year as well. A new baby boy, a new church, some new career opportunities, and more are all on the horizon. We look forward to all that God has in store for us, and we continue to trust in His providence and grace.

We wish all of you love, peace, and joy during this season, and beyond.

God’s blessings…

Jason and Renae (and Simon)

P.S. If you want to keep updated on our lives throughout the year, check out our websites,
http://theonegrand.com/ (Renae) and http://opuszine.com/ (Jason).