100 Things That Made My Life
/I am a man of lists, and I’m proud to say it. I love making lists, whether shopping lists, to-do lists, books I read lists, books I want to read lists, miles I’ve run or biked lists, summits I’ve hiked, blood pressure and heartrate measurements, body weight, passwords, calendars, goals and dreams lists, and, as you can see, lists of lists.
For me, having a list is relaxing, because once something is on my list I don’t have to fret about remembering it. I can let my mind wander off into something fun and creative knowing the list will do all the heavy lifting.
This is my fourth year to make a list of things that made my year. It is a practice I learned from Austin Kleon. I don’t do it to brag about life, but to remind myself of the best that happens.
The world we live in is scary enough; we don’t need to be reminded. It’s easy to remember the worst that happens because we had to deal with it, survive it, expend energy and money because of it, to overcome it.
But we do need to remind ourselves of the good things that happen, the grace-filled things, the influential things, and the things that make us human. Not just because we’re lazy or forgetful, but because the Enemy steals them from our memory.
Living with gratitude is the secret to a meaningful life, and this exercise of listing people, events, and things that made the year better is a powerful move toward having a habitually thankful heart.
For me, the best things that happen are often small and subtle – an insightful quote, a new practice, a particular slant of light at just the right time. I want to remember all of those. I want them to continue influencing me. So I make this list.
I encourage you to put together your own list, and don’t stop until you can identify at least 100 things. You may have to find help in order to remember the best, so dig out your journals, comb through your calendars, review your reading lists and music purchases, and ask those who are close to you. It won’t be easy, but it’s worth the effort.
And when you do, I hope you share. A big part of embedding gratitude in your life is making it known.
(By the way, this list has been randomly sorted using the mathematical magic of Excel. Trying to decide which item is more important than the others is paralyzing.)
1. Holding hands with Cyndi
2. James Corden’s interview with Paul McCartney
3. Rabon Bewley’s talk at Iron Men FORGE retreat: Practicing Faith
4. Cyndi playing the congas
5. Reading and writing on our small private dock near the early-morning glass-smooth water at Lake Granbury
6. Goal: “I want to age like Billy Graham aged. With every passing year he got better, more forgiving, more loving, more global, more grand.” - Leonard Sweet
7. The Christmas parade in Granbury
8. Warning: “I am convinced that every time a worship leader deletes “Ebenezer” from “Come Thou Fount,” an archangel sharpens his sword.” - Russell Moore
9. Quote: “Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul.” (Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation)
10. Book: The Art of Practicing, Madeline Bruser
11. Backpacking with Cyndi
12. Movie: The Martian ("If we are going to have a secret project called "Elrond", then I want my code name to be "Glorfindel".")
13. Movie: Joyeux Noel
14. Bill Britt with Integrity Massage – he keeps me straight
15. Base Camp Gathering in Colorado
16. Kissing Cyndi “Happy New Year” under the fireworks in Guatemala City
17. Iron Men FORGE retreat in Junction
18. John-Mark Echols and The Field’s Edge ministry with chronically homeless in Midland
19. Watching the movie Muppet Christmas Carol November 1st
21. Cyndi Simpson in yoga pants
22. Dinners with Britt and Patti Pyeatt
23. Book: The Old Ways, by Robert McFarlane (“Caminar es atesirar – to walk is to gather treasure”)
24. Book: Will: Parenting at the Crossroads of Disability and Joy, by Clark Moreland
25. Playing in the FBC orchestra with Cyndi
26. Grandkids in the pedal boat on Lake Granbury
27. Regular phone calls from my brother, Carroll
28. Two days talking mountains and ministry with Dan Ainsworth
29. Walking the pond across from our house. (Wallace Stevens wrote, “Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around a lake.” (we need this on a plaque near our front door))
30. Book: Deep Survival, Laurence Gonzales
31. Playing Words With Friends with Cyndi, Byron, and Joe
32. Book: Ghosts of the Firegrounds, Peter Leschak
33. Cycling mountain highways near Durango Colorado
34. Salvation Army bell ringers
35. Playing with MC Jazz band
36. My life verse: “For what I have received I passed on to you as of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3)
37. Storyteller Willy Claflin’s description of his dream career, for his high school yearbook: Serendipidist
38. Ouch: "Religion is like a swimming pool---all the noise is at the shallow end." - theologian William H. Vanstone (1923-1999)
39. Shopping for adventure books at Whole Earth Provisions on Mockingbird in Dallas
40. Using my new iPad Pro with ForScore and AirTurn pedal to read band and orchestra music
41. Chile rellenos at Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen in Santa Fe
42. Family ski trip in Utah
43. Bear Trap Ranch
44. Quote: "I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns."- Ella Fitzgerald
45. Quote: “There is a God; He’s up to something good; it will take some time.” – Larry Crabb (via Gary Barkalow)
46. Book: The Rider, Tim Krabbe
47. The peace that comes from not watching 24-hour TV news stations
48. My Panama hat
49. Books: The Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien
50. Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, my summertime reward for each bike ride greater than ten miles and 95*
51. FBC Men’s ski trip – combining two of my favorite things, skiing and teaching
52. Celebrated 40 years of running
53. Doobie Brothers in Midland
54. Bob Hartig playing Be Thou My Vision into the Colorado Rocky Mountains
55. “Mountain pilgrimages on sacred peaks is the best of practices.” - eighth century Buddhist text
56. Hiking McKittrick Canyon with David Hurta
57. My new backpack, an Osprey Atmos 65 AG
58. The sign inside the Santuario de Chimayo said, “Turn off your cell phone and connect with God” (Apaga to movil y conectate a Dios)
60. Writing at riverside in Durango, Colorado
61. Midland Storytelling Festival
62. Watching our son Byron patiently teaching his nieces how to fish
63. Verse: “Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. (Colossians 3:15 MSG) (this should be the prayer of all marching bands)
64. Granddaughter Madden Noss making her first solo airline flight
65. Sharing my cartoon collection on Facebook
66. Cyndi flirting with me.
68. Remembering Ed Todd
69. Book: My Best Friend's Funeral, Roger Thompson
70. Reading in my rocking chair outside on our piazza when it’s raining
71. Daily writing practice (“Writing by hand on paper is becoming a revolutionary act.” - Lynda Barry)
72. Book: Subversive Kingdom, Ed Stetzer
73. “I don’t want to carry gratitude in seasons. I want to carry it in my bones, I want it to rest on my tongue like it is a language that I never stop speaking.” – Arielle Estoria
74. Movie: Arrival
75. Wrangler Relaxed-Fit jeans
76. Green Chile Stew at Bumblebee Grill in Santa Fe
77. My Whataburger Yeti mug
78. Theme: “God loves you. God is on your side. He is coming after you. He is relentless.” – Leif Peterson, describing the life-message of his father, Eugene Peterson
79. My new trombone mouthpiece (first change my gear since 1976)
80. Andre Moubarek in Midland
81. Summited Guadalupe Peak for the 19th time … 3rd time with my new knees
82. Hiking to Music Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with Dan Ainsworth
83. Book: Spaceman, Mike Massimino
84. Talking about engineering, music, theology, and family, every day with Bob Liem
85. Cyndi’s homemade apple pie at Thanksgiving
86. Hiking Wheeler Peak, highest summit in New Mexico
87. Cyclefest
88. Quote: “A disciple of Jesus is a lifelong learner. A disciple’s hunger for truth is never satisfied. A pilgrim never quits the pilgrimage.” - Leonard Sweet
89. Book: North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail, Scott Jurek
90. “Remove from us everything that hinders love.” - Mike Bickle, International House of Prayer (via Robert Kirk)
92. Verse: “On your feet now—applaud GOD! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.” (Psalm 100:1-2 MSG)
93. Joining Daryl Jensen on top of Guadalupe Peak
94. Cycling North Texas hills near Glen Rose
95. Tributes to Eugene Peterson and George W Bush, men I want to be like when I grow up
96. Playing trombone with Denver and the Mile High Orchestra
97. Attending a Natalie Goldberg writing workshop in Santa Fe
98. Booths at Whataburger for writing and reading
99. Energel Liquid Gel Ink Metal Tip 0.7mm ball pens
100. The Kindle app on my phone that has revolutionized all my waits
“I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32
