So last week I started telling you about some changes that I have been planning on for a while.  For those of you that may have missed it, there has been some things that I have had on my heart for a long time.  I have been chewing on it for a long time but just always put it off as something to maybe do later.  Well, I finally decided that it was time to go for it and I am hoping that God will bless it and use it.

The other side of it was that the domain that I had decided on and was centering everything around was taken.  Someone in New York had taken one of the two best options and someone in Florida had the other.  Huge bummer!  Well, now for the update!  I have emailed back and forth with the guy in Florida and he has decided to let us have the domain!  That is huge!  I don’t have to come up with a whole new idea!

So now I wanna ask a favor from you all.  I know I haven’t told you much about what is to come, but I am really excited about it.  I know you don’t have details and I know that we don’t know this guy with the domain, but I wanna ask all of you to join in with me in praying for what is to come and that God will use it in ways that make my dreams for it look weak!  Also, pray that the guy in Florida would be blessed for being so gracious and willing!  Thank you all so much!  I can’t wait to unveil the thoughts and ideas for it all!

Plans are in the works for a major renovation here at brookjames.com.  I have been thinking and praying about this for a while now and I’m tired of just not doing it.  So over the next couple months (hopefully not longer than that) I will be working on a brand new look to this site.  I hope and pray that it will be something that God will use in all kinds of ways.  I don’t know what the finished product is yet, but I have some pretty good ideas of what I’m shooting for and I am very excited about it all!

So, here is where you come in.  I have come up with some plans and concepts, but the domain name that I want to get to add to it has been taken.  It was claimed back in 2008 and has not been used.  Unfortunately the owner has it until 2012.  Boo.  While there are other options, this one is my absolute favorite so far.  So if you would join in with me in praying that this lady in New York doesn’t ignore my emails, has a heart, no plans for it, and is willing to pass it on to me I would really appreciate it!  It won’t stop the plans from moving forward if she says no or ignores me, but it definitely will be a big bummer!

Thank you all for your support, prayers and love.  I seriously can’t thank you all enough!  Stay tuned for some awesome new stuff coming soon!

It’s amazing the changes in your life following your first child.  Of course many of them are expected or feared, but some are pretty powerful.  The one that has hit me the most and really affects the majority of my life is the area of priorities.

I now have a daughter who is dependent on me and KK and will be for a good 20 years (if not more).  Things are not the same as they were several months ago.  Before Jessi, life was pretty simple and I didn’t think about my priorities as much.  Of course I would put my wife above the rest, but not always.  There were games to be played on the iPhone.  There was basketball to be played.  Surf to be conquered.  Beach to be walked.  TV shows to watched at their regularly scheduled times.  Money to be spent on whatever.  But now things are different.

When your child arrives you are forced to reevaluate your to do list.  Does that game really need to be played?  Should a nap happen instead?  Should I honor my wife and empty the dishwasher?  Is that money going to something worth spending it on in light of the new changes?  Somethings I had to learn to say no to.  Others I had to begin to say yes to more than I did before.  Now the random games don’t get played as much.  The chores need to be done to help out a wife dealing with all kinds of new things.  The Jeep doesn’t need to have the pipes and lift (at least that’s what my good side is trying to convince me of).  The savings account for the baby needs to be built.  The blog doesn’t need a facelift.  The wife does need attention.

Learning to get priorities in line is a big deal.  When you get married you only start to learn that.  But then when a baby comes along, what you started learning gets pushed into high gear.  The earlier you figure out that family comes first and there are others that need to be cared for before your own wants, the better off you are.  You will be in a much better place when these major changes in you life happen.  Learn to prioritize now and you might not be quite so worn out when you get to this point…well, you will probably still be pretty tired, but at least your family will be properly loved and cared for!