Everyone is talking about their top ten of this past year. Top 10 films of 2009. Top 10 songs of 2009. I'm going to one up them and try to give the top 10 things of the past decade. It is hard to know what all should be on a list like this. Perhaps it is the most significant things that changed me. Perhaps it is the most enjoyable things I accomplished. Regardless, they were hard to rank exactly. Here they are in all their glory:
10. Won Fantasy Sports Championships. I love competition. I played sports and games growing up. I just love the actual play/game of it. Thanks to some buddies in college I got into fantasy sports. Baseball and Football mostly. But I enjoy the hobby. The draft is the most fun. Then the trade talks. Then the wins. It might not be on anyone else's top 10 list of the past decade, but I have had a lot of fun with this hobby. It's better than other things on the Internet.... that's for sure. Regardless, it has been a good time. I should make money at it instead... or take up playing the stock market.
9. Moved the remaining items of mine out of my parents house. I left home in January 1999 to go to school in Dubuque, IA. I've spent 11 years away from Baltimore... although there were at least 2 summers of work there. It is funny to see that when Jacob left home all he had was the clothes he wore. Then he returned home after 14 years with 4 women and a dozen sons and a load of livestock and servants. There's this scene in the movie Garden State where the two main characters discuss this event in life while in a swimming pool. It's pretty good at describing this event in a young man's life... at least for the ones who leave home:
Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff's character): You know that point in your life when you realize the house you grew up in... isn't really your home anymore. All of a sudden, even though you have some place where you put your [stuff]... that
idea of home is gone.
Sam (Natlie Portman's character): I still feel at home in my
house.
Andrew Largeman: You'll see one day when you move out. Just sorta happens one day, and it's gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It's like you feel homesick for a place that doesn't even exist. Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know? You won't ever have that feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself. You know, for... For your kids. For the family you start. It's like a cycle or something. I don't know. But I miss the idea of it, you know? Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place.
Sam: Maybe.
8. Travelled further West. Growing up in Baltimore, MD we regularly headed to Sturgis, MI, our birthplace to see family and friends. Not too far west. But west. We went north for camp into western NY. I even got to Toronto, Canada, crossing at Niagra Falls, and having seen the Falls a couple of times previously. We got to see the eastern part of the US. Sometimes hitting Western Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. I even went to Virginia a couple of times. Schooling in Dubuque, IA gave me a better sense of the Midwest. I hit Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, and for one special wedding, crept through Mississippi to get to Louisiana. Nothing like going on a swamp tour to see gators the morning before the wedding. Even went south into Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, one spring break. But then I moved to Texas. Swore I'd never drive through Arkansas again, but I have. I've driven into Oklahoma and Kansas, but it still isn't that far west is it. Well, some of our summer vacations being married the past few years has taken me farther west past the continental divide (the "Great Divide" according to Johnny Cash). I really welcomed Colorado. I've been through portions of New Mexico, and this past May hit Arizona. I really have enjoyed the past decade heading further west in travels. By the way, when we got to the Grand Canyon it was totally foggy. It cleared later int he day, thankfully, but if you ever go, the local Grand Canyon tour bus guy said the best time of year to visit the Grand Canyon is early October. less crowds and better weather and better tree colors. I have also traveled east. I made it to London, flew over France and landed and spent an enjoyable honeymoon in Spain.
7. Graduated from Emmaus Bible College (2001). I really enjoyed my time in the classroom at Emmaus. The profs were great. I learned a ton. I began to read a lot more than I ever had before. My books will tell you the same. I enjoyed my first crack at being away from the parental pad. I stayed busy. I didn't watch much TV during this time... and I didn't miss it. Maybe it is not just the graduation event (even with honors) that makes the top 10, but I am the first in my immediate family to have gotten a higher education degree. I just loved the learning. I constantly talked about what was taught in class, either in class, or with friends outside of class. It was great! I was rarely bored. Even had a good job... Campus Security.
6. Wrote a Thesis (2008). Don't ask me why, but it was the only thing I ever wanted to do once I decided to go to grad school. I had to wait a while to do it, and it was stressful to do, but that was the only thing I really looked forward to accomplishing. My thesis, "What Do The Patriarchs Have To Do With The Resurrection? Jesus' Use of Covenant Language In His Debate With The Sadducees" is now in three libraries... at least. Dallas Theological Seminary, Emmaus Bible College, and Community Bible Chapel's library. It was a 3 credit thesis, as opposed to the normative 2 credit thesis. Matt 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27, and Luke 20:27-40 all describe Jesus' debate about the future resurrection of the righteous. However, the Sadducees were strict constitutionalists and would only be persuaded by evidence from the Pentateuch. Jesus easily quotes Exodus 3:6 in support. However, interpreters have had a very difficult time understanding the way it supports the doctrine of the resurrection. My thesis details the history or research on the matter and proposes an update to the best solution that had previously been offered. Lots more could be said.
5. Graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (2008). You know there are always these made up johnny-on-the spot rules that you can take a mulligan in some game/sport you are playing with friends. This is one I'd take a mulligan on and have a re-do. The ThM in Academic Ministries (NT Emphasis) was very good in a number of ways. I enjoyed the study of the original languages and the OT and NT departments are filled with very good professors and scholars in their fields. I loved it. I love to learn. The ThM is, however, the longest master's degree offered in the world (120 credits including an internship). I already had a B.S. in Biblical Studies. So a number of classes were repeats. Ughh.... I should have done an MA in OT and NT or in Archaeology at Wheaton and have done what took 5 years to do in much less time. In the medical field I could be an MD by now! In some great ways I needed to be in Dallas. In other ways it was too long to accomplish this task. It wore me out from wanting to go further just yet. So many things I would have changed on that front. At least it didn't take me into debt. Maybe this should be lower on the list... like a 6 or a 7? 5-8 are interchangeable in their order probably.
4. Changed as a person. I'm 30 years old. Sure my physical body changed. I am stronger in some areas but weaker in others. The 20's were the peak years probably. I spent them in classrooms. Not the best way to utilize those years physically. Could use another mulligan maybe. Regardless, I've changed a lot as a person too. I went from being a bit more dogmatic to a more gracious holder of truth, at least I hope I have. At Community Bible Chapel we took a couple of years to go through the Gospel According to Matthew. Man it was great. I've never been changed so much as a person in church as I did going through that series. I can't imagine a better way to shape your ideals in your 20's. The young adult's class and friends and roommates really helped me understand the kingdom life I should be living as Jesus taught. It was such an intense time of change for me. I hope it sticks for the better.
3. Made more friends. Everywhere you go people are people. I once read (in Chris Matthews's book Life's a Campaign: What Politics Has Taught Me about Friendship, Rivalry, Reputation, and Success) that people can be thought of in 3 categories. (a) About a third of the people you meet in life you make friends instantly. (b) Another third of the people you meet in life you just don't like or they just don't like you. Not a whole lot of reason about it other than personality differences. (c) Then the last third of people in life you meet you have to put effort in to make the friendship work. For some reason I feel like I've met a lot of people who I made friends with instantly (a). Over the years they have moved away or I have moved away from the common living region. In either of those scenarios, when I see them again, we just pick right back up where we left off. I also learned that if you do not make the effort to keep up communication in the friendship then there's more to catch up on the next time your paths meet... and that often means some trials are missed all together. I've even become friends of a few New York Yankees fans and a few Dallas Cowboy fans and lone Pittsburgh Steelers fan married my wife and I. It's possible. By the way, watching the New York Yankees lose to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series was just the best roller coaster of entertainment ever in sports watching. Awesome World Series. If I could get each complete game on a DVD set from that World Series it would make for an awesome birthday gift or Christmas gift... if you're in to the whole gifting thing.
2. Became a father (2009). My friend Adam just posted how he feels about the possibility of becoming a dad this year. He has "thoughts [that] range from excitement to apprehension." I don't know if I felt that way during Victoria's pregnancy with Charlotte. All men are different. Maybe I was too busy, or maybe I have had so much experience around kids in church be it at camps or in the Lambs at CBC (the 2-4 year olds), but becoming a father just came as naturally to me as riding a bike does. It is not an uncommon thing to be a dad, by any means. It's fun. It's work. It's tiring at times. The first months were hardest with all the things to be done along with caring for a newborn. But man, now that we are in a good routine it's darn good fun! The coo's the smiles, the expressions. Charlotte has just melted my heart. She's fun to interact with. I used to think that manly men had boys. But now I'm changing to think that manly men are men with enough testosterone to outweigh the influx of estrogen in a family where the females outnumber the males! Whatever the case may be in determining manhood, I do know diapers were easy from her first one untill now. It really came quite natural for me... this far. I don't know what kind of things girls like to do in their play. I only know Legos, GI Joes, wrestling, and sports. Wish me luck... or email me a tip or two.
1. Met and Married Victoria (2006). If you do not know the story behind Matt 23:37 have us over for dinner or invite yourself over to our place and we'll tell you. It's a good one. I love my bride. She is still an amazingly attractive woman. Thank you Lord.
Some people make New Year's resolution. I want to make some New Decade resolutions for the 2010's. The 2000's are gone. Just imagine what someone could accomplish in the next 10 years if planned well and executed. Here's my list:
Travel overseas. I've always wanted to spend time in the Middle East. Don't ask me why, but seeing the land of the empires of old and written about in the studies I have immersed myself in just makes me want to travel there and see it for myself. More museums too. I just love to learn.
Gray Hair. Just this morning my wife said I have some gray hair that I did not know about. It's a sign of wisdom. So I'll take it.
Be more evangelistic. The more people I get to meet the more I want them to have the great hope I have too.... the hope of eternal (resurrection) life. This year was an interesting one. I know of two people who have died at our local church here in 2009. One died on my birthday and one died on my wife's birthday. "The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 6:23 cf. John 3:16-21).
Have more kids. There is a post on this blog that I am working on that is currently unpublished but it will explain this a bit more. Look for it.
Start a career. Relationships are more important to women. Careers are more significant to men. We're different. I recently read an article that had the joy of men and women on a graph over their lifetimes. The joy of women from left to right went steadily downward over the course of time. The joy of men went steadily upward. They crossed in their mid 30's. The reason? Men were finally entering the careers they enjoyed. Not sure why women, in general, trended downward.
Get published. Be it an academic journal article or two, or write a book, I'd like to publish some good research. I'd even enjoy writing a not so academic piece or two. Just got to sit down and do it. I have the ideas in my head already.
I'd love to build a home.
I'd love to own a boat/watercraft... meaning living near water.
These all might be fine and good, but the best resolutions ever written are by America's Greatest Theologian, Jonathan Edwards. His list of Resolutions (scroll down) were read once every week by Edwards in order to keep his mind on his duty before God. Read all 70 or scan a few random ones for yourself to see what I mean. They'll challenge any resolution you ever think to make... and make them better resolutions. Are you resolved enough to read them all for yourself? I hope so.
Bring on the 2010's! I'm as ready as I'll ever get.
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