I want to welcome Thad Hubbard into the world. My brother and sister in law moved to Nashville a few weeks ago and welcomed a new baby at the same time. Talk about some stress. We are going to see them next weekend and I can not wait. I love the faux hawk that he is sporting in the picture. I can tell you that I am pretty excited and seeing this little guy. It is really kind of hitting me recently that I am a real uncle.  I have got to start studying up on what uncles do. Right now I am reminded of my Uncle Richard. He helped me learn to tie my shoes, mostly by telling me I was doing it wrong and then telling me, “life is hard for a kid who can’t tie his shoes.” My mom said it was hilarious and took me over two hours to learn. Uncle Richard also loves movies and always asks me what I have seen lately.

     Part of me wants to be an uncle similar to Gene Hackman’s grandfather in The Royal Tenebaum’s. He had freaking blast with those boys. I guess time will tell.

     While I am writing this post I am watching Cassandra’s Dream about an Uncle who convinces his nephews to murder a business partner. It is scary how the things you blog about intersect with what you are watching on TV or listening to. LOL

       I have spent the last 4 days in Estes Park, CO in a retreat with some of the coolest guys in the nation. I signed up for a program called Rhythm in Twenty earlier this summer. It is a two year journey into discovering more about calling, passion, and the strength of community.

I had a blast with these guys traveling around the mountains, fly fishing in the streams, watching the elk in rut, relaxing in the evenings, and studying the themes that are running through our lives. I look forward to sharing more about these new friends over the next two years as we celebrate the work of God in our lives. The experience of connecting and worshipping together deeply moved me. During one of our worship experiences this group of men sang loud and with a passion that arose from deep within their hearts and souls. The devotion to the will of God in these men and their love of family, community, and the joy of life astounds me.

What can God reveal to 20 men committed to helping each other grow? I don’t even want to try to label it. I am expectant, yet leaving plenty of room for God to do more than I could ask or imagine. By "plenty of room" I mean I can not even imagine what will happen. I am already being reshaped by my experience. This is a  group of theologians, church planters, pastors, entrepreneurs, poets, warriors, risk-takers, men…

I want to invite you to check out the Rhythm web site and encourage you to join the next group that begins in May. You will not regret it and will grow exponentially during your journey. It may sound weird to say that on the front end of this journey, but my experience this weekend has proved this to be true: the world will not be the same because of our time together.

My lovely wife Sydnie has joined the world of blogging and posted some great pictures today of the work she did in our flower bed.  She worked hard all weekend and the place looks great.  Check her out at http://www.sydniedavidson.blogspot.com/ and give her a blog hug (leave her some comments). 

Who will be the next kid to jump into the blog pool?

      Whitley has been sitting on the couch for about an hour now staring at me.  She is taking it easy and enjoying the evening on the couch.  The birds are chirping outside and the evening is very nice.  What a wonderful life she leads.  Free food, comfortable accommodations, awesome parents, the list goes on and on.  One of my favorite things to do is bother her while she is sleeping.  She starts growling, but doesn’t really move.  Sydnie hates it, but I have a lot of fun with it.  Send me a picture of your dog sleeping and I will add it to this post.  Sorry no cats.  I am allergic and I am pretty sure that sleeping is just about all that cats do anyway.

       I called my mother this afternoon and wished her a happy day and thanked her for creating something as wonderful as ME.  She is looking forward to helping me celebrate my 30th birthday next month.  That’s right folks, I will be 30.  Hard to believe that time has gone by so fast.  Time definitely goes by faster as you get older.  Did you call you mother today? 

My wife and I are getting into the losing spirit.  We have been watching the Biggest Loser on NBC.  I think that Syd has set a weight loss goal for me.  We went shopping last night after our small group.  We came home with lots of vegetables, Crystal Light, and lots of fruit.  I did get some fat free ice cream though. 

I think that I have really big bones.  I weigh as much as some of the contestants on this season’s show, but Syd and I are in agreement that my body doesn’t look anything like these guys on the show.  I think it must be my heart of gold that is weighing me down.  Ha Ha Ha. 

Tonight I had whole-grain bow tie pasta with peas, corn, and onions.  Yummy.  Syd wants me to tell everybody that she made it. 

Do you watch The Biggest Loser?  Do you have any fitness goals?

It has been a great week to watch the films.  Sydnie and I went to the movies last week with some friends and watched "Lars and the Real Girl."  I have rented "The Waitress," "The Kingdom," "The Bourne Ultimatum," and have started watching the first season of "Arrested Development."  My Aunt Kim has invited us to go to the movies tonight to see The Bee Movie.  We usually go to the movies as a family on Christmas Eve.  My brother is making steaks and salad for dinner.  Have a Merry Christmas.

We are enjoying the weekend in Woodward with Sydnie’s parents.  A winter storm has moved in and it is cold.  The wind in blowing down the plains.  We are watching a Ernest Hemingway/Humphrey Bogart film on TV.  I forget which one, but it is good.  I bought two new LED booklights for the four hours drive here.  I reread The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell on my iPod while I did my part of the drive.  How far do you have to drive for the holidays?