the summit

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Every December, Naomi and I set aside two days to reflect on the past year and plan for the one ahead. We call this time “The Summit.” It’s more than a retreat; it’s a chance to pause, realign, and cast vision for our family’s future. During The Summit, we evaluate areas like our finances, marriage, parenting, personal growth, and even the wins and losses from the year. It’s our way of stepping away from the daily grind to focus on the most sacred project of our lives: our family.

We started this tradition in 2021 after Leon, our firstborn, arrived. Parenting felt so monumental that we knew we needed to get on the same page about how we wanted to lead and nurture our family. Since then, The Summit has helped us shape a clear vision, build a family identity, define our values, and set life goals.

How We Prepare for The Summit
Each year requires some preparation to make the most of this time. Here’s what we do:

• Year in Review: Naomi and I each fill out a document reflecting on the past year, noting lessons learned, highlights, and areas for growth.

• Family Scouting Report: We evaluate each family member, highlighting their strengths, needs, and contributions to the family.

• Themed Reading: We read a book together based on an area we want to grow in, like money, boundaries, communication, or health.

• LifeScore Assessment: This tool helps us measure overall life satisfaction across different areas, providing clarity for where we want to improve.

These exercises lead to deep, meaningful conversations about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going as a family.

The 2024 Summit Highlights

This weekend, we wrapped up our fourth annual Summit, and it was nothing short of incredible. This year, we focused on two major goals:

1. Strategic Planning: We wanted to narrow down our yearly goals and break them into actionable weekly, monthly, and quarterly steps.

2. Unearthing Vision for New Orleans: We began clarifying what the Lord is calling us to accomplish as we prepare to return to New Orleans.

We left The Summit feeling clear, focused, and energized for what’s ahead.

One recurring theme at every Summit, and especially this year, is how GOOD God has been to us. Reflecting on 2024, we saw His hand in every area of our lives:

• Meeting the Roberts family and traveling to Boston, where I preached for the first time in 3.5 years.

• Completing day 69 of the 75 Hard fitness challenge.

• Welcoming another baby into our family.

• Finishing a 40-day fast.

• Restoring old relationships, building new ones, and saying yes to God’s call to return to New Orleans.

• Spending quality time with close friends in Tulsa.

• Planting a garden, eating from it, and spending over 100 hours in our local library.

• Being profoundly impacted by books like Letters to the Church (Francis Chan), Paul: A Biography (N.T. Wright), Sacred Fire (Ronald Rolheiser), and Jesus Manifesto (Leonard Sweet & Frank Viola).

We entered The Summit unsure about how intentional or productive our year had been. But after reflecting, we saw clearly that God poured out extraordinary blessings on our family and surrounded us with incredible people and promises. This is the power of stepping into new environments and building rhythms of reflection.

Looking ahead, we’re filled with faith and energy for 2025. We’re leaving The Summit this year with:

• A crystal-clear vision (more to come in January).
• 44 life goals.
• 4 focused yearly goals.
• More alignment as a couple than ever before.

As our mentor and friend Josh Roberts says, “We’re doing the right thing, in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.” We're confident in what God has prepared for us, and we couldn’t be more energized.

If you’re interested in creating a yearly rhythm of reflection for your family, we’d love to help. Here are a few resources to get started:

• Year in Review Document
• Family Scouting Report
• LifeScore Assessment

Let’s step into the new year with clarity, purpose, and faith. Thank you for being part of this journey with us!

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