We are all friends of "this guy". He's the friend or family member that is always stirring up controversy. You know what, many times "this guy" is you and me.

Imagine your inner attitude - what is your daily goal? How do you explain your views? Are you doing it out of a spirit of anger and frustration, or out of a spirit of love?

The Bible has a lot to say about our motives, our words, and our hearts:

Proverbs 12: 15-16 - The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

Examine your heart and your life - I will examine mine as well...

James 3:5-6 - Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

What things have I said recently that could have been avoided? Said differently...

Proverbs 16: 21-25 - The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools. A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Our attitude is what is important because the attitude is reflected in what we say. I know that I have been guilty of a poor attitude when communicating with someone, so I'm sure we all have work to do in this area.

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Keep your intentions and attitude in check. This is good advice, and it's advice that I am trying to take to heart more and more each day. Be careful not to apply unnecessary labels to others when you and someone else don't agree on something.

Lastly, don't take my example as something to live by. I am still on a journey to make myself a better person, and much of that will never be accomplished before I am dead. I cannot be perfect, but that doesn't mean that my God isn't. If you need help with your attitude and your tongue, consider asking God for his help.

Psalm 57:10 - For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

God is faithful to answer when we ask for help. Just try Him...

Change can sometimes be painful. Think about a time in your life when you experienced change and suffered because of it...

Now, think about how it feels when someone you love is going through a painful change: does it feel any better? Some would say yes, but there are certain cases when your empathy can inspire more intense pain.

My first instinct is to jump in with some sort of rescue attempt, but I am not Superman, and neither are you. So what is our role when loved-ones suffer? Forget our role, what CAN we do?

We are prone to anxiety. It's a fact that when we experience stress we get anxious, nervous, and even scared. Much of that feeling comes from a realization of exactly how powerless we are to stop it from happening.

The Bible speaks about anxiety and it's relationship with prayer. As a support structure for your friends, prayer is your key weapon - just look:

Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB) - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

the HOLY hero: I believe that we are empowered with the Holy Spirit to beseech the one true God and ask Him to intercede in the lives of our loved ones. I also believe that He is faithful to answer prayer, although it might not be the answer we want to hear. However, the HOLY hero is one that asks God to intercede in a spiritual, physical, or supernatural way for his/her loved ones.

the FIX - the message in Philippians doesn't cease at verse 7. This is something that's paramount in the context - we aren't just to pray and hope, but we are to focus, to focus!

The Wiktionary Definition:
Focus - To concentrate one's attention.
Dwell - To live; to reside.

Philippians 4:8-9 - Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

I have been silent on the blog for a while. Much has gone on since I last digitized my life for you, so let me catch you up on what you missed.

Nathan's 1st Birthday - 12/04/2009

Nathan turned 1 on December 4th, and we couldn't be more proud and thankful for him. God has truly blessed us with a beautful son, and he had a great time opening presents, playing in the fake snow we bought for his birthday, and sharing time with everyone that loves him so much here in Arizona. There were lot's of guests also, and we are thankful for their presence.

Nathan misses his Papa J, Tutu, and Auntie Sarah and Uncle Wes. He told me personally that it wasn't the same without them there. :)

Prior to his little party, we were blessed to have Jim Durham (who orignally took our family pictures in Feb last year) take his one-year photos for us, and Jim, if you're reading this, we still owe you money! Below are some digital memories from the party and a couple of his 1st B-day pics.

This picture is really cool. Jim plays around with Photoshop a lot, and has a great passion for photography. There were a lot of great pics, but I thought you might enjoy this one a lot.

Next on the agenda - Merry CHRISTmas, 2009

Because our budget was $0.00 for Christmas cards this year, I took the picture and we found a deal online for free photo Christmas cards. We were limited to 100, so for those of you that didn't get a card...I'm sorry we're broke :)

Our Christmas was filled with family and friends. Scott Richard (My Bro-In-Law) came out from Ohio and visited, and we had a great time eating and talking. My San Diego Chargers won, and overall it was a great day, but most of all, it was a time to reflect on the birth of God's son Jesus, and how his birth was the start of a miracle of mediation and eternal fellowship with God.

I remembered many things about Christmas growing up, but along with our tree came the Nativity Scene, carved in wood and memories. It always reminded my materialistic heart that there was more than just tinsle and fatty-clause. lol

I miss my family. I am lost without their connection, and while the year has gone by and Skype has made communication possible, I have still felt distant and lonely. I cling to the hope of a coming visit, and pray that they know how much I love and need them in my life. I am a lucky man.

Merry Christmas from Chris, Stephanie, and Nathan Corbaley. May the wonder of His son's birth bring new hope and a brighter tomorrow to you and yours.

Most recently - HAPPY NEW YEAR! WE WELCOME 2010 WITH HEARTS AND MINDS OPEN

So what could have been better after an amazing holiday season? What could have made the new year's eve night worth just a little bit more? Here's my story:

I got home from working at Costco and started to get sleepy. Around 10:30pm I decided that I was too old to care anymore about staying up till 12, and really I needed to take my stretched-paper-thin self to bed. BUT, my quest for rest came to an abrupt end when Stephanie wouldn't let me fall asleep.

A playfull argument ensued with her winning by beating me senseless with a pillow until I got up. Amidst a tired night I took out the trash and tried to keep busy with tasks until 12 rolled around.

You need more background than this though to fully understand the story. We were house-sitting Joe and Jenn's (Stephanie's brother and his wife's house) on that night, and Jenn has a younger brother named Chris. His truck was parked outside in the driveway, so I assumed he might be by sometime that night. ALSO, I was still half asleep...

Back to the story, I took out the trash. When I stepped out the front door I saw a car drive by and heard someone say "there's Chris". So I immediately thought it was some of Chris' friends coming by to pick him up, or say hello. So I looked up casually, and saw a bearded man running wildly up at me. As shocked as I was to see this, I was more interested in telling him that I wasn't who he thought I was, but then I noticed a familiar smile behind the dark beard, and a build of a man whom I had become dear friends with.

James and Cindy Roy, friends of ours since we were married, drove out that night, over 9 hours, to surprise me and Steph (Stephanie was in on it BTW). My first reaction? "What are you doing here!" I felt so grateful for their drive and desire to spend the evening with us, and we were blessed to have them out for 2 nights here at our humble apartment. We spent the following day going through old traditions of breakfast, adventures, and gellato...so delicious! To date they are the only friends who have visited us here in Tucson, but maybe this year will hold more surprises for us, and we are coming out to Cali in June, so hopefully we will see you all then.

So what else do you want to know? Here's a short list of upcoming events to look out for more blogs:

1. I have started seminary as of today. I still don't have my books in the mail, so let's see what happens.
2. We are taking a family vacation to Hawaii in from February 3rd to the 15th to visit and meet my neice Ruby Jude Childers for the first time. Oh yes, I'm very excited, thanks for asking!
3. The San Diego Chargers finished the regular season with 11 straight wins and are poised to make a run at the Superbowl. Let's just wait and see what happens.

If you are reading this, you are loved and missed by us!