Hard as it is to believe, our little girl turns one today. Somehow, a year has passed since that morning where Dawn surprised me in the wee hours of the morning with news that BABY WAS COMING NOW.

In one sense, a year is a long time. A lot can happen in a year. Just look at how much Adriana has grown and how much more she can do now than she could do one year ago today! But in another sense, a year is nothing at all. Will is already four and halfway through preschool. Dawn and I are coming up on our seventh wedding anniversary in April, which is amazing considering that I'm pretty sure that it's impossible that seven years have passed since we got married. It's all a blur.

Many, many things have changed in our lives over the last seven years, but one thing has remained constant: God has been good to us. He has consistently provided for us; not always in ways that we would expect or hope for, but He has always met our needs.

Those of you who know me well know that I'm something of an anxious sort to begin with from time to time, and goodness knows that we're living in very uncertain times economically and socially. I spend a lot of time these days worrying for my kids - what kind of world is going to greet them when they reach adulthood? What kind of country will they live in? Will I be able to instill a lasting faith in their lives? Will they be able to withstand the onslaught of culture that seeks to undermine that faith? And I worry, and fret, and shed a few tears. The good thing about all of this is that it usually ends up driving me to my knees, to the one place that I can go with all of my fears and worries and anxiety about life: before the throne of God. And that always reminds me that no matter how messed up things may be here, no matter how out of control I may feel, no matter how daunting the challenge that faces me, ultimately there is nothing that happens that falls outside the sovereignty of God. There is a plan. And there is a God who is powerful enough to triumph over evil and chaos; who has, in fact, already done so. And He is strong enough to hold my baby and my little boy in His hands, no matter how hard the world tries to snatch them away.

Adriana - may God bless you as you grow. May He give you an enduring faith in Him, and may you always place your hope and your trust in Jesus. I love you so much! Happy birthday, sweet bear!