Goodbye 2010

All this week I have been dwelling on the good of 2010.  What this seems to imply is an ignorance of the bad, but that is not the case.  There is this ancient story about a group of brothers who sell their brother into slavery and tell their father he is dead.  While captive in a far off land, this enslaved brother rises to become one of the most important leaders in the Kingdom, saving the people from famine.  Unknowing he was even still alive, his family comes to his land in search of food.  The brother seeks out his brothers and is eventually able to forgive them.  He sums up the years in between their betrayal and their reconciliation in these words: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..."  Ours is a redemptive God able to take our broken lives and not just fix them but use that very brokenness for good.  So with this in mind I say goodbye to 2010 and pray for the courage to see the bad of this past year as the means to something altogether better.

May the God of Joseph, the God of Jacob, the God of us all grant us the courage to hope for redemption, to hope for something better and to trust that He will take each failure, each pain, and every tear and make something beautiful.  Peace be with you in 2011.

Whatever is Noble

There are those moments that change you; in reality, each moment holds that potential but there are a few times every year when you feel outside of yourself in some way.  These moments redefine our narratives and help us to realize a better story. Here are my favorite moments of 2010:

Mary Grace's 1st step, Aug. 3

This step changed everything.  My daughter went from being this thing that wiggled on the ground to a little person whose primary goal in life is to get into everything she should not. To watch her transform before my eyes gives me hope for the inner transformation I yearn for.

South Carolina's sport success

This year saw the gamecocks win a national championship in baseball and a division championship in football.  For a program that is known for its futility (the tradition of losing is often attributed to the "chicken curse") to finally win meaningful championships was actually very hopeful for me.  I have often identifed myself as a loser, and this year I now have hope to be victorious.  It may sound silly but it is true. And it was a lot of fun.

Moving into our new home, July 15th

We have really loved our new home, it is a lot closer to work and has a lot of space.  We have put this size to good use hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, an amazing ugly-sweater Christmas party, and numerous other get-togethers.  Life is meant to be lived together and our home has given us a great opportunity to live.

Cliff's arrival in our lives, Oct 2nd

We are able to afford our larger home because my dear friend Cliff moved in upstairs.  He has added much to our lives: dreams of BBQ, music lessons, a new uncle for Mary-Grace, humor, mounted deer, Fat Tire posters, and so much more.  I am excited to see what another year brings.

What moments redefined your story in 2010?

Think About Such Things

All this week I am taking a moment to dwell upon the good of 2010. On Christmas night I looked back a few books that impacted me and tonight I want to examine another art form that is rather inspiring, music. Here are a handful of albums, artists and songs that made an impact on me in 2010.

All Day by Girl Talk
More than anything this album reminded how much fun it is to dance. Cliff and I listened to the whole album on a trip back from Colorado Springs and I lost my mind about Monument and never got it back. Speaking of Cliff...

Clifford Hutchison
My dear friend has always spoken to my heart through his music but his latest writing and live performances in my living room have been like medicine for my soul. He is a joyful sound.

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" by Sufjan Stevens
Stevens' entire Christmas album was a wonderful soundtrack to this Advent season, but his reworking of this classic hymn most resonated with my longing to rejoice at Emmanuel's coming.

Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet
I feel inept trying to capture what it is about these songs that open up my spirit and make it howl. Words just seem so inadequate when trying to describe a melody. Do yourself a favor and simply listen.

JJ Heller
A wonderful artist that has ministered to my whole family through both haunting and hopeful lyrics. Michala still sings "Keep You Safe" to Mary Grace when shes having a tough night, I think it means more to me than anyone. (The whole album is great but skip ahead to track 10 for Keep You Safe).

Whatever is Lovely

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Well now that the Christmas wrapping carnage has been cleared away and the vertigo has begun to subside I wonder about tomorrow, the day after.  December 26th is a lot like a hangover as we feel the pain inflicted upon ourselves by over-indulging.  I get a little depressed after "Joy to the World" as I begin to think of getting back to normal.  One of the ways I cope is to reflect upon the good this year has brought.  While it had definitely brought its share of bad, 2010 also gave me moments that offered me a bit of hope for the next year.  I wonder what fed you this year? What piece of art or literature moved you to look outside of yourself? What relationship changed the way you felt about life? How did you live a better story in 2010?  I hope that in this last week of 2010 we can, as Paul says in the scripture above, dwell on the good and, in so doing, ignite a passion to reach for the lovely this next year.

Being a bibliophile (look it up) one area I love to dwell on is what I read this past year.  Here are some of the  books I read that made an impact on me in 2010:

Patched Together by Brennen Manning
A fictional rendition of Manning's story, this simple read exposed my doubts and wickedness and also yet awoken a greater sense of gratitude for such a wonderful Savior.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
I reviewed this book in detail here.  In trying to turn his life into a movie, Miller is faced with reality that his is not a good story.  This memoir challenged me tho view my life as a story and to know the author and to live a better story.

The Practice of the Prescence of God by Brother Lawrence
This medieval devotional classic pressed me to know God in a very intimate and immediate way.  I perhaps will always wrestle with this book and with my God but I thank them both for drawing me into the match.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
This one was hard for me.  This fictional account of a failed Jesuit mission to an alien planet was haunting and disturbing.  Yet, it made me ask some hard questions about my faith, like if we thank God for good things should we not blame Him for the bad.  I was forced to evaluate what I thought about Providence and mercy and came out the other side knowing my God all the more closer.

What did you read this year?

These next few days I will talk about other areas that inspired me in 2010 like music and relationships.