Sunday, August 12, 2018

50 Things I'm Grateful for After a Half Century of Life


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.

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