As I turn 50, the overwhelming emotion I feel is GRATITUDE...and I just began to write the first 50 people and places and experiences and things that have caused me to thank and bless and rejoice after a half century of life with my Lord...here's my list:
50
Things I’m Grateful for After a Half Century of Life
1.
Ingrid—my best friend and the one who most believes in me and calls me to be my
best…cannot imagine life without her beside me on our journey together…
2.
Olivia—my daughter with a similar passion to engage the issues and needs of the
world in new and purposeful ways…she’s definitely one of my favorite and most
thoughtful people to talk with about almost anything…
3.
Trey—my son who is my sports loving companion as we attend and watch athletic
contests all over the world…love doing so much together and watching him
already choose to live intentionally and purposefully as a student…
4.
Scriptures—The foundation of faith and the vision for how to live the best
life…truly been the bedrock of life and an incredible source of vision for how
to live through the incredible narrative and wisdom of God-breathed words…
5.
Books—I love learning and the power of words…and never get tired of reading stories
and great ideas and insights…
6.
ESPN—pure bliss for a young sports nut…and I still love tuning in daily as a
not so young anymore sports guy...
7.
WA Teachers & Staff—the team of folks who I grew up with professionally and
built life-long friendships with as we built a dynamic school culture and leaned
deeply into the living curriculum life…
8.
CU Younger Staff Members—challenged me, gave me people to invest deeply into,
and loved chasing vision and serving this generation of students alongside
them…
9.
CU Men’s Soccer Program, Coaches, Players—people who accepted me first at CU
and it’s been a joy to watch them play, travel overseas together, and help tens
of thousands of families receive a life-saving bed net…
10.
WA Boys Soccer Teams, Players & Coaches—so many memorable victories, tons
of great players, global impact, the staff that laughed the most...what sports
could and should be in many ways from my perspective…
11.
World Vision US & Zambia Staff—cheered me on to pursue Kingdom work…and
created beautiful relationships and transformational development work
12.
Temfwe Family—our like-minded friends doing remarkable ministry empowering
churches in Zambia who make it our second home in this world…and have filled my
life with laughter and dance and beautiful African faith…
13.
Jubilee Centre—bringing life and hope and a future through the power of Jesus’
name in Africa as a model of ministry and holistic mission has made for a
ministry partnership I could have only hoped for…
14.
Zambia—the landscapes, the people, the culture, the Kingdom work that draws me
back over and over again to a place that is hard to get to but so worth the
long flights…truly has become a second home across the world…
15.
Noah’s Ark Staff—so many young leaders and lifetime friends who have taught me
and blessed me through mountain and river adventures time and time again…
16.
Colorado—my place to reconnect with my Creator, contemplate life direction and decisions,
and enjoy immense beauty, incredible weather, amazing people, and life away
from the flatlands in this life…
17.
Golf—a game I love playing outdoors with people I love…and it’s new and
challenging every day…playing with Trey and my dad and so many friends has made
the golf course I place of great memories and conversations…
18.
The Beautiful Game—the world loves FUTBAL and so do I…it’s been a joy to play
and watch and been THE connector to so many people and places all over the
planet
19.
MLB & NBA Games in Person—love watching the best athletes compete in the
games I love and often have had meaningful conversations with people next to
me…
20.
CU Athletics Contests—love seeing our community and our family watch the
student athletes we know and love represent our school with joy and grace and
excellence
21.
Mom & Dad—my greatest cheerleaders who provided everything I needed to
thrive in life…and who continues to be a source of wisdom and unshakeable
belief as I age…
22.
Mindi & Rand—siblings who I love being with and who have always supported
me in every area of my life…and been great friends with whom I’ve shared many
experiences together over the whole span of our lives…
23.
Ingrid’s Family Members—joining a family with deep biblical values and one that
cares so deeply for our family…and provides the best vacations in MN & FL…
24.
Grace Church Students & Families--the people who helped me discover my love
for students, teaching, and the local church in a phenomenal relational
ministry context
25.
BETHEL UNIVERSITY—a place that shaped me for the rest of my life…an incredible
Christian higher education community and experience that truly was one of the
very best and most impactful seasons of my life…
26.
College Teammates & Friends—the most incredible group of people I could
have ever hoped for on a soccer team that would become my support team for a lifetime…
27.
Global Leadership Summit—decades of leadership truths and ideas that have
propelled me forward to the pursuit of a truly grander vision and a life of
authentic leadership…
28.
Student Leadership Trips—watching and empowering the next generation of people
via experiential learning and incredible curriculum who will do far more than
our generation to make the world bring forth beauty and good…
29.
Project LEAD Members—where I learned the power of students to change the
world…and the power of a team of folks that loved one another and chased a
common goal bigger than themselves…
30.
Twin Cities, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Detroit—places that became HOME…and are
filled with memories that make me smile every day…and every time I return…
31.
Podcasts—learning and laughing on daily walks and runs and travel that draws me
away from the pressure and stresses of the immediate and urgent that threatens
to rule my thoughts and emotions…
32.
SCS Friends & Teachers & Experiences—an incredible place to go to HS
filled with so much good…relationships that fill me and impact me over 3
decades later…
33.
Cross-Cultural Trips & Experiences—my life and faith are so much richer for
time spent away from the suburbs and our American way of life…
34.
CU Students—they give me energy and life as they seek to know Jesus and discover
His vision for their lives all ahead of them…and I simply have loved all the
conversations and experiences with them as students and then alums over the
last decade…
35.
Internet—I’ve loved the access to incredible information and the opportunity to
be connected to friends and connections all over the world is such a huge gift…
36.
Writing—being able to put ideas and thoughts and reflections down on paper is
something cathartic and enjoyable for me…finishing the ZAMBIA PROJECT was one
of the joys of my life and I’m grateful for the words that have come from my
heart and experiences and life…
37.
The Church—the body of Christ truly is the hope of the world…and has been a
place to use my gifts, grow deep in my faith, be consumed with authentic
worship, train a future generation of leaders, and serve to bring the Kingdom
in all of its fullness…
38.
University of Michigan Athletics—must see TV and the most special games to
attend involve my beloved Wolverines on the football gridiron and the
basketball court…
39.
Health—I’ve seen the impact of global pandemics and daily thank my Creator for
the chance to be healthy, to walk and run, and have health care accessible…and
for the chance to seek to care for the body God made…
40.
Grace—the undeserved blessings and mercy of God has provided a life and people
and future that I feel is truly more than I could expect or ask for…and
41.
Global Community of Believers—my faith is broader & deeper & reflects
more of Jesus as I have served & worshipped & mentored & discipled
& exhorted & prayed for by believers & leaders in many nations
& communities…
42.
Tony, Cory, Ryan, Ben—a few of the kind of friends who I never get tired of
catching up with…and I am way beyond the curve in terms of being a male who has
the kind of friends and conversations that fill my soul and allow me to be
known and know them at authentic and deep levels…
43.
Small Group Studies—so often the things I’ve studied and discovered and talked
about with trusted friends and fellow followers of Jesus have reshaped the way
I see the world, how I engage the Scriptures, and the way I live…
44.
Fall in the Midwest—nothing better than the weather as the leaves change color
and the energy of school and campus events explodes…and so many amazing sports
events to watch and attend and coach fill up the calendar…
45.
Our Sponsored Kids in Zambia—getting to know them, meet them, pray for and with
them, and to watch a small investment bring new life and opportunity to their
futures and families has given us great joy as we see them grow and change and
dream over so many years thru letters and visits and the connection God has
made for both of us…
46.
Christian High Schools & Colleges—to be part of shaping student lives and
minds and hearts in passionate and vibrant Christian communities has been
nothing less than one of the best vocations and callings to pursue anywhere…
47.
Zambia Project—The mobilization of students to focus on the OTHER in the midst
of their suburban American world altered my life and faith and vision in ways
that will never leave me and thousands of others…and the connection between WA
and KAKOLO VILLAGE was a preview of the global community we will experience in
heaven one day…
48.
The Joy of the Lord—my positivity and my excitement for life and the energy to
passionately pursue vision comes from the Holy Spirit and the surprising and
remarkable joy found in the God who is the source of real joy that springs from
the heart of God outside of circumstances…
49.
Night of Nets—harnessing the power of sport and the passion of this generation of
students to provide tens of thousands of life-saving bed nets to help end
malaria in Africa has been an incredible movement of God and helped transform
athletics into something bigger and better…
50.
SO, SO MUCH in these remarkable blessings:
Financial
Resources & Business Opportunities, Education, Health Care, Bed Nets, Clean
Water, Food Security, Housing, Transportation, Churches, Soccer Balls &
Pitches, Bibles, Clothing, The Power of Community & Story
PHILIPPIANS 1:3-11
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever
I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my
partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard
it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within
you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ
Jesus returns. So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for
you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of
God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the
Good News. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender
compassion of Christ Jesus. I pray that your love will overflow more and more,
and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I
want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and
blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled
with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life
by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
