Updated: 09 March 2011

I’ll add to this as necessary. And I’m not starting with birth. This walk is about my deep relationship with God. More than Sunday morning, as they say. Books I’ve read, experiences I’ve had, all of which are part of the journey but may seem highly insignificant.

1999
March-April. I hike three weeks on the Appalachian Trail. God kicks my butt. I bail out at Clingman’s Dome, hitch-hiking my way down to Gatlinburg with a couple from Michigan. I meet several amazing people, including a young man who was hiking the trail before he lost his ability to walk due to a degenerative disease attacking his legs.

2000
November. God speaks clearer than ever, strong but tender. Read the story here.

2001
June. I co-lead a hike for teens on the Appalachian Trail. It rains three inches on our second day.

September 11. Everyone was rocked on this day. Seems we have forgotten a lot since then.

October 15. I have back surgery, my first time in a hospital since birth. God provides one of the most gifted doctors I have ever met – Dr. Bill Davis – at Centennial Medical Center. I go in unable to walk, nearly paralyzed. I leave two days later, walking out of the hospital with no help.

December 26. Noah is born. The doctor promised me in October that I would be able to hold him. Promise kept. Kristi’s retinas separate due to high blood pressure and fluid in her eyes. She is nearly blind. Chance of regaining sight is 50/50. Six weeks later she can see again.

2002
June. I co-lead another hike for teens on the Appalachian Trail. We go back to the same section as the previous year’s rain out. It was a great hike. Fight for joy. Fight hard.

2003
I read Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. Kristi’s Mom bought this for me for, I think, Christmas 2001. I didn’t read it until January 2003. It sat on my shelf. I was happy to get it, but I don’t read a lot and honestly forgot about it. Then I met my now-good-friend Rob Touchstone. He asked, “Have you read Wild at Heart?” “It’s sitting on my shelf at home, I think,” was my reply. With his encouragement, I picked it up.

2004
August. I co-lead a hike for junior high teens.

October. I fly to Colorado for the Wild at Heart Boot Camp. Both this trip and reading the book should be required for all men.

2005
Early 2005. God speaks the second time about children.

July. I make my first trip oversees as a chaperon for the Tusculum Youth Ministry. We work and worship in Morant Bay, Jamaica for one week.

October 3. Elijah is born at 31 weeks. Kristi spends 5 days in the hospital again. Elijah stays for 1 month.

November 1. We take Elijah home from the hospital. He remains on oxygen for a few weeks. We freak every time his apnia monitor alarm sounds. We turn it off so we can all sleep.

2006
June. I take four teen boys hiking on the Appalachian Trail. We complete 30 miles.

August. I take a job at a church at the height of my discontent for organized religion, as it’s called. It was more than obvious that I was supposed to take this job. The work is the most rewarding I’ve ever done. It is also the most stressful and frustrating.

October. I read No More Christian Nice Guy by Paul Coughlin.

November. I read Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow.

2007
August 1-4. I hike in the Smokies with two friends. We see a mother bear and cub. I also walk within 3 feet of a doe.

October. Kristi and I take our first family planning & prayer retreat. We stayed at the bed and breakfast of Paulette Pettingell – a great hostess. I’ll never forget her saying with excitement, “You’re an artist!” She was the first person I can remember calling me that. Her husband was an artist and his paintings were all over the home. Our prayer retreat was the start of some serious planning and hopes for our family – daily prayer, daily Bible reading, yearly vacations, and an intentional fight for joy.

2008
January. We decide to adopt and foster children. The process begins.

January. David Skidmore gives me the Daily Bible. I finally start reading EVERY day, enjoy it, and see drastic changes in my life. I love how God uses people, and will always remember the day David walked in my office with two Bibles in his hand.

April-June. I read Walking With God by John Eldredge. I cannot recommend this enough.

June 10-13. I attend the Arts Conference at Willow Creek. I hear Lauralee Farrer speak, but it was really God. I am no longer wanting to quit my calling or my job.

June 14. We adopt two girls through Compassion International.

June. I finish reading Too Small To Ignore by Wess Stafford, President of Compassion. I highly recommend reading his story. 100% of author royalties, by the way, go to Compassion.

July. I finish reading Pop Goes the Church by Tim Stevens. More and more I am thinking that standard church is highly irrelevant (meaning, the way we “do church”). Are we really reaching people?

August 1. Our 10th anniversary, and the end of the best ten years of my life. Just think how amazing the next ten years will be.

August 10. I finish reading unChristian by David Kinneman and Gabe Lyons. I’m left pondering many aspects of my life, my job and my faith. That’s a good thing. The book was one of the most challenging I’ve ever read.

August 23. We recently planned our first family vacation (for November).

September. I read through Job and then listened to Jars of Clay’s version of What Wondrous Love. Inspiration from the Spirit.

September-October. I became overwhelmed at work (again). There has to be a better way. Jesus said “I have come so that you may have life” but I find it more outside of church than inside.

October 26. Our congregation has WATS day (We Are The Sermon). We go into the community on a Sunday and serve all day. I think we got a glimpse of what Jesus meant by becoming less. But only a glimpse. We’re getting there.

November 1-8. Our first family vacation. We got an inexpensive condo/apartment in Panama City Beach. Our 5th floor balcony overlooked the Gulf. We purposefully spent time doing nothing. It was restoration and rest and exactly what we needed.

November. I have recently listened to several Ransomed Heart audio resources and they’ve changed my perspective on prayer and holiness. I hope my perspective is continually changed and guided by the Spirit because I think we’re missing a lot.

November 13. I finished The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. Amazing.

November 14-15. Rob and I led the men’s retreat at North Boulevard. We really stretched ourselves and went with the mindset that this would not by a typical men’s retreat. I witnessed restoration and hope and men who had never heard from God actually hearing his voice. I’d say that’s not your typical men’s retreat.

2009
January 14. I finish re-reading Walking with God by John Eldredge while also going through the Personal Guide. It was a great blessing to do both.

January 17. We do our first day of independent filming for Innate Productions. So many people showed up to help – from makeup to wardrobe to breakfast and lunch to simply building a fire or moving cable or acting or bringing in horses. All of it was volunteer driven. Prayer was central to this day. I was overwhelmed by God’s generosity and humbled by the holy attitudes of my friends who came to help.

January 19. I finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I know these books come at me at appropriate times. Talk about convicting. It’s time, I think.

January 31. I finish reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. My wife is in love with this love story. I figured that if I want to be more in love with my wife, I can find out a lot about her by reading this book. It works.

March. I take in more of Ray Vander Laan‘s teaching and realize again that there is always more with God. Always. So much I have been missing in the Great Story. Thanks to God for RVL!

April 1. I’m finishing up preparations for a course Rob and I will lead together. Talmidim begins tomorrow night. It’s given me so much opportunity to be overwhelmed by God. Such a blessing.

May 3. The Talmidim course wrapped up Thursday. It was a blessing and I’m ready to hone it into something more. God’s really pushing the Holaways right now. Hopefully we will not push back too much.

May 31. I leave my job at North Boulevard Church to work on independent projects. This took over a year of prayer to know when it was best to leave. All is well and I’m looking forward to God blessing many ideas and ventures.

May. Jars of Clay releases another album with the song Two Hands. I am blown away once again by God’s voice and Jars’ music.

May. I hurt my back for the first time in over 7 years. The two screws at the bottom felt like they gave way completely. Luckily some visits to the chiropractor helped, but I think there is more behind this. Too much coincidence involved with an otherwise healthy body. Time to pray.

June 15. I’ve been resting for two weeks now. I was more burned out than I thought and I feel like I’ve been given a real blessing of time for restoration and thought. I’ve not utilized it as well as I should have, but God is gracious, as always.

July 7. We just got back from a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit National Community Church. More specifically we went to visit Ebenezer’s Coffee House which is run by NCC. I was blessed to meet Mark Batterson, attend the Saturday evening service, and meet a very knowledgeable intern (Erin) who answered all my questions for nearly two hours.

July. Finished reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge as Kristi prepares to go to the conference.

July 22. Finished reading To Be Told by Dan Allender. Wow.

August 1. Our 11th anniversary!

August 2. Finished reading How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill. Inspiring, to say the least, how a group of supposed barbarians essentially kept us all enlightened and saved.

August 8. Finished reading Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. Very encouraging given what I’m trying to do right now.

August ?. Finished reading Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller. Crazy good.

September 29. Finished reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. Also crazy good. Really opened up my eyes. Can’t say enough about the teaching of God through Rob Bell.

October. Finished Fasting by Jentezen Franklin. Completed my first multi-day fast, combining a complete fast with a “Daniel fast” for 7 days. Things needed to be sorted out.

October 26. Finished reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller (I started it yesterday). Many books are good. Few books change you, offering a completely different perspective while encouraging you in the peace that Jesus offers to write better stories in your life. This is one that does. A simply amazing read.

November 11. Finished reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Now it’s time to get to work.

December. Read Donald Miller’s To Own a Dragon. Also began teaching a group of college students at church. It’s been interesting so far. I’m reminded of just how much I didn’t care when I was in college.

December 21. Finished reading Primal by Mark Batterson. Another homerun.

2010

January. Mom & Dad are moved and settled in Nashville. Glad to have them near us again after 15 years.

April 12. Our first short film [mis]fortune premiered tonight to a crowd of friends and family. Our non-profit, Punctum Media, is also in the works.

May 21. Dad died today. It is a sadness I cannot put into words. But I have no bad memories, something not many men can say about their fathers.

December 1. After an amazing gift in the form of a free vacation to Florida (much needed restoration in ways I cannot explain), we closed and moved into a new house. I do miss our old house of 11 years, but this move was necessary on many levels.

~ more as it happens and as i remember it ~