October 15 was the fortieth anniversary of my wife’s and my first date. At least I thought it was a date. Deb had asked if I would like to grab a drink after work, and as innocent as that was, I was hoping for more. That “more” turned into forty years of living, laughing, striving, enduring, and loving. In short, it’s been a beautiful ride.

To celebrate this milestone, Deb and I went back to the very same restaurant, on the very same day, and ordered the very same order—two Coronas with lime and a plate of nachos. It was a fun opportunity to reminisce about some favorite memories and think about where God has taken us these last forty years.

This is my annual blogpost of reflections on the past year. I think it’s a good practice to periodically review where you’ve been and see where you’re going, and I’ve been doing a “By The Numbers” post since this blog began in 2009.

Number of Speaking Engagements: 2. After last year’s craziness, I promised my wife I’d minimize my speaking schedule in 2025 (especially no international trips), and take it easy. So I limited myself to the Intersections: Arts & Faith Conference in Sacramento, California, and the Masterpiece Ascend Conference in Ashland, Oregon. Both were extremely well-received affairs, and I’m grateful to continue to be an advocate for artists of faith.

Number of Gigs: <10. There was a time when I was gigging constantly, playing in different bands and solo piano bar sometimes 8-10 times a month in addition to performing at ministry-related functions. Those were the days when we needed additional income (and I had a lot more energy!). Now, I get to perform for the benefit of others. Highlights include: the Heritage Day on the Green, a benefit concert for the Southern California fire victims; the Proclaim Gala, a west coast benefit for Proclaim! International, one of our ministry partners; and a glitzy benefit event for our local Twin Lakes Food Bank. Round that off with a series of fun gigs with my smooth jazz group, Groove Therapy, and regularly leading worship at my home church, and you have a pretty fun year.

Number of New WalkaBout® models: 1! Warning: Shameless commercial plug ahead! The end of this last year, we were really excited to release a new version of our Odyssey model—a beautiful glossy black version we’ve nicknamed the “BlackaBout.” Please hit our WalkaBout Drum website to check it out and use the discount code “worship” if you’d like 20% off.

Number of New Albums: 1! After years of contemplating a worship album, I finally figured it was time to make one. I’ve already blogged on this project, so let’s just say that I’m excited that I get to share the experience with so many dear friends. This album represents the best of dozens of worship songs I’ve written over the past 25 years. Preproduction is complete and studio recording begins in January 2026. Stay tuned!

Taking Care of Busyness. Undoubtedly the busiest thing I did in 2025 was lead a $150K Building Refresh for our church. After 25 years of continuous usage, there were a number of major things that needed updating on our campus—carpet, paint, technology, furniture. The first three months of the year was spent on this endeavor, and it involved over a hundred volunteers and a dozen different subcontractors and suppliers. And it was amazing, seeing so many people work together as a church family for this one purpose. But my favorite memory of the Building Refresh was the floor signing—a moment in time at the end of our services when we invited our people to write Scripture passages and prayers on the concrete pad, before the new carpet went in. Hundreds of people shared their hearts on the concrete in our Main Auditorium that day.

What’s Next? 2026 shows lots of promise. I hope to do at least one international trip next year, perhaps back to the Philippines and perhaps the Balkans. I already mentioned the worship album which I’m quite excited about. I plan to build up my Art & Faith non-profit ministry over the next year, and begin enlisting financial supporters. I’m feeling led to reactivate my originals band, ML3, and start gigging again. And of course, there’s the pastoring, playing, leading, speaking, and grand parenting. As always, I am grateful for the support of all of you.

[Banner Photo: Deb and I on our First Date celebration, my favorite memory of the year. Photo 1: Leading prayer at the National Day of Prayer gathering, William Jessup University. Photo 2: Groove Therapy playing at a jazz club in Sacramento. Photo 3: Presenting the WalkaBout Glossy Black! Photo 4: One of many sentiments shared at the Oak Hills floor signing.]