There’s been a lot going on lately so I thought I’d throw up a quick list of all that’s new:

• My daughter, Savannah celebrated her one-year birthday on July 17. I can’t believe how fast the past year has gone. You can see pictures here.
• We are now 16 weeks pregnant. We will have our next ultrasound at 20 weeks…somewhere around the first of September. That means, in a month we’ll know if it’s a boy or girl. I think it’s a boy.
• Kristy, Savannah and I went on vacation in Pigeon Forge, TN from July 16-22. We had a great time in the mountains. Because I come from the great Northwest, I favor the mountains. For the record, it was nice, but it wasn’t Oregon. I guess I have attachment issues.
• I haven’t posted this here, but if you know me, this isn’t news. Back in April, my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. When you add that to my sisters brain tumor and cancer, that’s a lot of medical stuff happening in my family at one time. Your prayers are coveted. I think I’m still learning how to process this kind of stuff.
• My parents are here currently and will be through Tuesday or Wednesday. It’s just good to have them around. I miss them terribly. Fortunately their move to Oregon will make visiting the family easier since my sister and fam are there too.
• Personally, God is determined to squash my pride: through books, friends, work, teachings and even this blog. When you start assessing how and why you do the things you do, it forces you to question intentions, motivations and purpose. I can’t say that I’m through it by any means…but I’m moving forward, at the least
• We have the opportunity to build a new house again…in some ways we would be stupid not to. However, just because the door is open, doesn’t mean you walk through it. Deliberating this one still.
• I’ve begun working on a project that I can’t openly talk about yet. I’m very excited about it, but I’m definitely in over my head…which is exactly where I like to be. The challenge pushes me beyond my limits and challenges me to reach for things that would ordinarily seem out of reach. More on this later.
• Our church small group is multiplying this month which leaves us on the hunt for another small group home. So, we’ll either: go with one of the two leaders, move to another already existing group or start our own (if that’s an option)?
• My sister had a PET scan on Friday and an MRI tomorrow. My dad has his PET scan this week (we think). Your prayers and thoughts are appreciated. We’re ready for some good news

So my wife is pregnant (thank you…thank you). While this is our second pregnancy, I still laugh out loud when I hear or read a story of a man…simply not thinking.

A fellow Twitterer (@secretlifeofkat) and blog reader friend, Kat, is freakin’ hilarious. If you need a laugh go here and read—now! And if you act now, she’ll throw in these simple words of advice…

If you are a man talking to a pregnant woman. There are two phrases that are safe to say:

1. You’re going to be a great mom.
2. You look great.

Don’t elaborate. Don’t comment. Just leave it there. Otherwise, bring your shovel.

Also, check this out…

• The Grocery Store with Children Challenge

Don’t be a stranger. Post a comment. She’ll hit you back…right Kat!?!

Every morning, I awake, brew a 1/2 pot of coffee, and I partake.

About every night, I pour a glass of wine or a nice cold lager, and I partake.

My wife can’t resist but to point out what is becoming an obvious fact…every morning I drink coffee to stimulate my mind/body, and almost every night I drink an adult beverage to relax it.

Talk about a guile cycle of ups and downs…and yet tomorrow…

…I’ll partake.

Anyone else?

Thanks to Chuck Wilson for this nugget of wisdom today. It resonates today for some reason.

They say, that behind every good man, is an even better woman. For as much as I strive to be the best man I can be, the truth is, I wouldn’t be half of what I am today if I didn’t have Kristy. She is my best friend, confidant, biggest fan, mother of my children and most importantly, my wife.

While today’s culture strives to find strength in the uncommitted lover, nothing will ever replace the wealth and depth of love that comes from someone whose committed to you forever; where a vow isn’t something you say today and let go of tomorrow; where you live in and out of the feelings of forevermore. It’s there that your joy is full, complete, and overflowing.

My wife is the best gift I’ve ever been given.

Her humor brings me delight. Her smile brings me joy. Her beauty draws me closer. Her heart brings inspiration. Her intelligence spurs me on to greater depths. Her perspective changes mine. Her wittiness keeps me on my toes. Her presence brings me peace. Her smell stops me in my tracks. Her touch gives me goose bumps. Her laughter begs me to laugh with her. Her desire to be the best, motivates me to go the extra mile. Her eyes lure me in. Her kiss heightens my senses. Her life is my destiny. For all of these things, any many, many more, I will be her man, her husband, her best friend, the father of her children and her sweet old lover.

I love you baby.

I was going through some recent pictures of Savannah, my 11-month old, tonight and found some gems. Here are a few. You can see the rest here.

8:15pm: I kissed my wife goodbye as she got in the car to go home. My buddy, Jim Cowart, and I were in the middle of an interesting conversation about politics and government. I told Kristy that I’d wrap it up in 10 to 15 minutes. We were no where close to ending the topic of discussion.

9:42pm: Still talking. Jim’s wife calls. He answers—on speaker phone. All I could hear was the tone in Stephanie’s voice. It didn’t matter what she said. What mattered was, he was late getting home. I hung in suspense as I watched Jim wiggle through the call. It was clear that he made a mistake in not contacting his wife…until she said, “Kristy just called me looking for Kyle…” —oh no.

9:44pm: Whip the phone out of my back pocket like a cowboy drawing his six-shooter. I’ve missed two calls and a text message—oh no.

9:45pm: “Hi babe…” That’s all I got to say before I too, got an earful.

What proceeded to come out of my wife’s mouth for the next few minutes was motivated out of pure concern and worry. I had told her I’d be home and I wasn’t. Her frustration and worry was well deserved. However, out of the frustration came a couple of really funny comments.

Kristy: Have you solved the world’s problems yet?
Kyle: We’re about to. I think we’re getting close.
Kristy: Well good, because you’re gonna have some more to deal with when you get home!

A minute later…

Kyle: Do you want me to bring some chocolate home? Would that make you feel better?
Kristy: You better bring something good home!

In 2002, my wife and I relocated to Orlando, FL to be part of the launch team for Relevant Media Group. There, I spent 4.5 years targeting, reaching and retaining the 18-34 demographic. It wasn’t easy, but it was fun and challenging. It was there that I was awakened to one of my primary goals in life; pointing my generation back to Christ.

Barna Group reported in 2003 that an alarming 58% of twentysomethings who were active church-goers as teenagers will no longer be active in a church by their 30th birthday (Barna 2003). This has been and still is, the fuel for the above mentioned goal. It is my desire that if/when Barna does this same study again that number decreases to less than 50%. Consider this one of my “big hairy audacious goals!”

A couple of weeks ago, Motiveight took on a new client that has me turning my focus to the 18-34 demographic again. This opportunity has re-awakened my “BHAG.”

One of the major advantages I have, this time around, is access to a plethora of statistics and research. The project that we are embarking on is for the long haul. Given that, I thought that I would document here what the current pulse of the 18-34 demo is according to recent MRI reports. Here’s what we can expect from this group:

• They are more likely, than the average, to be “very liberal” and less likely to be “very conservative.”
• Only 25% of them vote
• They not very interested in environmental causes
• They like to watch: Adult Swim (#1), BET, Comedy Central, MTV, TBS, TLC and VH-1, to name a few. They are less likely to watch the news and weather
• They are less likely to feel that there is too much sex on TV
• They love to show off (rated ridiculously high on this one—almost 2x more likely than the average American)
• They consider themselves more fashionable than others
• They love concerts, clubs/bars, chess (who would have thought!), billiards, dancing, electronic games, video games (#1), karaoke, comic books and fantasy sports leagues (#2)
• They don’t like: birdwatching (can you blame them), attending classical/opera performances, woodworking, book clubs, or live theater
• Favorite sites: Wikipedia, MTV.com, ticketmaster, Monster.com, Yahoo news, Amazon.com eBay, Facebook (#1), Myspace and YouTube

Regarding Religion:

• They are less likely to believe in creationism, believe the Bible literally, give to religious organizations or to support prayer in schools

It’s safe to say that this information isn’t too surprising. However, if you’re interested in the 18-34 demo like I am, the journey ahead is going to require unparalleled creativity and wisdom. This generation will not give room for copycats. We have no choice but to be fresh, provoking and revolutionaries.

Are you surprised by what you just read?

At the office, we use a lot of software to help manage our processes. One of the primary systems that we use is 37signals.com’s project management software, Basecamp. While I love the ease of use, simplicity and overall functionality, my passion for Basecamp was rivaled to an untouchable level today.

Shortly before lunch, my employee, Shannon and I were talking about Basecamp:

Shannon: If Basecamp were a boy, I’d want to date him. I love it that much!
Me: Wouldn’t you want to marry it since you love it so much?
Shannon: It depends on how many upgrades happened during our relationship.

Today, Dr. James Dobson will air an 18-minute segment on his radio show discussing what he believes to be Obama’s distortion of the Bible to fit his own worldview and how he’s pushing a “fruitcake interpretation” of the Constitution. While this story provides context, I write of another purpose.

I’ve held a theory for the past couple of months based on the following question: Will the conservative right cast their vote for President this general election? I ask in another way. Due to the current candidates liberal positions on the issues that matter most to them, is it possible that they will not cast their vote for President at all?

When reading the story first mentioned in this post, I came across a statement that led me to believe that my above theory may come true:

“Dobson has not backed off his statement that he could not in good conscience vote for McCain because of concerns over the Arizona senator’s conservative credentials. Dobson has said he will vote in November but has suggested he might not vote for president.” [emphasis added]

While not one candidate is perfect, this general election is going to have us all searching for which one is right for each of us. While I understand the conservative’s tension between McCain and Obama, I believe that God has still ordained this election as-is. Given that, it is our duty as American’s and stewards of our individual voice, to explore, question and determine which candidate deserves our vote. To overlook this privilege would be a shame.