Gratefulness: Favorite Things From 2017

Favorite Books I Read This Year

• Artist of Life by Bruce Lee: A classic book on martial arts, philosophy, simplicity, and self-expression.
• Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
• Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity. (Bruce Lee)

 

Favorite Movies

• Lady Bird:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNi_HC839Wo
• The Disaster Artist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMKX2tE5Luk

 

Favorite Photo I Think I Took:
We have many skilled photographers in our family. I’m not one of them. So if I have a good photo on my phone, I always entertain the possibility someone borrowed it to take the picture. But, I think I actually took this photo:

Best Spiritual Lesson Re-learned
90% of our spiritual life is recognizing God delights in us (i.e. he loves us, likes us, and enjoys us) and he presents us with unlimited possibilities. This is summarized in Psalm 18: “He brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.”

Attached is a blog post I wrote about this idea in more detail. It combines one of my childhood memories about Christmas, an old Christmas Hymn, and an early experience with God.

https://teresaofavilaturns500.wordpress.com/2017/12/25/in-the-bleak-mid-winter/

 

Favorite Busking Video in the New York City Subway
I love New York. I also love busking in the subway (I don’t actually do the busking, I’m only a spectator.) For some subway riders, paying attention to these musicians can result in quite the surprise:

Favorite Album
Semper Femina by Laura Marling

Here is a cut from her album.

Favorite Surprise of the Year
Scott and I went to school together since the first grade. When we hit seventh grade, we had developed a great friendship and spent a lot of time together! Some of my greatest memories were those times. Scott and his amazing family made a significant difference in my life 45 years ago (a difference lasting an entire lifetime!).

Scott moved to Alaska after high school and we lost touch. I hadn’t seen him in 30 years – and only once in 40. About a month ago I received a surprise call inviting me to dinner and Scott was going to join us.

Out of that dinner came another story. The people that bought Scott’s childhood home were doing some remodeling. They found a piece of paper in the wall that had been there over 50 years and called his mom. Of all things, it was one of Scott’s first grade writing assignments in which he had to write about a classmate. Guess Who?

 

Favorite Place to Visit
“Favorite” was too complicated to narrow down, but here was one great place: The Jostedalsbreen Glacier. (Note the blue glacial ice)

 

Favorite Thing I Wrote This Year
We were “abandoned” on an island in the Norwegian Sea. (Spoiler Alert – We made it back.)

Day Twelve – Alesund: Runde Bird Island

Favorite People
I have amazing family, friends, and co-workers. My appreciation and gratefulness for high quality relationships grew more than ever in 2017. I’ve also had the good fortune this year to make new friends and reconnect with many family and friends I haven’t see in a long time.

Thanks, to each of you for being such a meaningful part of my life. I wish you all a fabulous 2018.

But before I go, I have to award my final item: My Favorite Person of the Year.

This goes to Janet for a record 39 years in a row.

 

About Dave Small

Jesus Follower, Blogger, Public Speaker. Teresaofavilaturns500.wordpress.com

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