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5 Worst of 2008

December 31, 2008 in Featured, Year in Review with 0 Comments

Here’s my lists of the 5 worst things of 2008

Worst 5 moments:

  1. The flooded car. We got to go to Chicago and be a part of Bobby Moss’ last night at Hope. It was great. When we got back, our car wasn’t where we parked it. After some searching, we found where it had been moved after it had been flooded.
  2. Sick family members. This year we have had several family members spend time in the hospital. This summer my brother went through surgery for cancer again. After Thanksgiving, Jill’s aunt went into the hospital with liver failure. It has been up and down since. This past week, my grandmother went in. It stinks not being able to do anything.
  3. My stupidity exposed. If anyone ever thinks that youth ministry is all games and fun, they have never had to meet with angry parents. This summer I got to meet with some parents that were upset with me (and the ministry). It was painful to hear how I had hurt them without even knowing it. Ugh!
  4. Friend’s pain. One night I couldn’t sleep, so I was facebooking it up. One of my good friends was up and we began to chat. Turns out, his marriage had been falling apart, and I was oblivious. Another conversation revealed the deep pain they were going through. Why wasn’t I a better friend.
  5. 22 hours on a bus… twice. Challenge was great, and I truly appreciate the help that my friends at First Free in Ames were, but all that time on a bus was brutal, and then having to do it a week later, I was ready to get home!

5 Best of 2008

December 30, 2008 in Featured, Year in Review with 0 Comments

I don’t think I will do an entire recap of 2008 because of time. I might, but I wanted to do a “5 best” post anyways.

5 Best items I accrued:

  1. iPhone! I know that I could survive with any phone, or no phone, but my iPhone has been awesome to have. I love having MobileMe so that all my calendars and contacts are synced automatically!
  2. 2004 Camry. Our wonderful 1997 Camry was holding up until it was flooded this summer. Thanks to some guidance by friends and our awesome insurance agent, we were able to get into a new car quickly.
  3. North Face Jemma backpack. I got this backpack for my laptop because it could hold my Macbook and a few books and more, and it isn’t HUGE. I have really enjoyed it!
  4. 24″ iMac. Okay, this is actually for work. The church paid for it, but I get to use it and it has been nice to be able to edit video and do graphic work and not worry about frying my laptop. Plus, a 24″ screen is awesome!
  5. Xbox 360. I know that I just got it, but I am already in love with it, and I am wondering why it took me so long to get one!

Best 5 moments:

  1. Challenge! Watching my teenagers worship God and share their faith with strangers was amazing. Seeing teenage boys give up free time to read The Bible and pray together was amazing. The spark that this event provided for our group was amazing!
  2. Foot washing. We had a night where we actually washed feet with the high school group. Watching an older brother wash the feet of his younger brother made me cry.
  3. Elevate. This event has really challenged those teenagers who went to reach out to others in the group and to go outside of their comfort zones. They have really embraced this and our group has been better because of it.
  4. 8 years! In August, Jill and I celebrated our 8th anniversary! Sometimes it’s hard to believe it has been that long because it has flown by, but it feels like we have know each other all our lives. I am a blessed man, and I love her so much!
  5. Preaching Sick. This fall I had the chance to preach, and I was excited. On Friday I began to feel sick, and by Saturday I was really sick. Sunday morning I didn’t feel any better until I began to preach. I don’t have any other explanation except God allowed me to feel healthy until it was over.

Best 5 websites (that I discovered):

  1. I Am Second. One morning I woke up super early and while I was surfing around, I found this website. The testimonies on this site were really moving.
  2. Vimeo. I must admit, I just started using this site, but I really like it. A close second would be Blip.tv.
  3. Lifehacker. I know that most everyone has known about Lifehacker for a long time, but I just found it in 2008. I love reading all the “hacks”, and finding things I can use in my life.
  4. Brusheezy. If you use Photoshop, you want to have awesome brushes at your fingertips. This site gives you some awesome brushes and patterns all for free!
  5. Win Every Game. If you play Scrabble (or a similar game) online, like on Facebook, this site will help you out. It may be considered cheating, but you know everyone is using help online!

Tomorrow, the worst 5! Stay tuned!