Turning 40

This is my 40th post to Life-In-Tents - hooray! To celebrate this monumental occasion, I will celebrate by highlighting my previous work over the last 40 or so weeks of writing. I do this as a way of re-capping all of the ups and downs, experiences and epiphanies, and of course the downright awful and joyous moments of my life since creating this blog. I'm also doing this because I have very little new material to draw from... Enjoy!

Life-in-Tents Post that elicited the most comments and reactions: "Excuses, Excuses..." September 17, 2007.

Excerpt: Needless to say, I took a day off from work to go get checked out. The diagnosis? Chiggers and Seaticks. That's right, you read that correctly: SEA TICKS. The doc said that the ankles and legs were no doubt the result of the chiggers and the testicles, well, they were chigger magnets too, but, in this case, sea ticks. A cortisone shot, antibiotics and clear nail polish took care of the rest.

Life-in-Tents Post that hit us all where we needed it: "When I Grow Up" October 10, 2007.

Excerpt: Being a coordinator doesn't exactly equal the excitement of the hi-tech nuclear powered bikes and football playing days that I had envisioned when I was 10. Now, it doesn't mean that my work is not meaningful or that I actually long for those previous things, but I definitely still yearn for the spirit and dreamer mentality that surrounded those earlier years. To quote a favorite "Switchfoot" song: "We were meant to live for so much more...have we lost ourselves?"

Life-in-Tents Post that hurt a lot...and still does: "I'm With Stupid" October 25, 2007

Excerpt: It had dropped unknowingly through the hole in my pocket during those 50 steps through the Commons and into the lap of a thief who selfishly pocketed it and didn't think twice. Gone. Two minutes had elapsed, I made one awful decision and it's all gone. Never to return. I still am not over this. I feel so miserable for losing that thing - everything on there is irreplaceable - it was like someone reached into me and stole a part of my soul. Well, maybe that is a tad exaggerated, but you get the idea. That little device carried the mind and heart of me if even in a small way through my writing, my pictures etc, and I only hope that I had a majority of it saved and backed up somewhere else. Lesson learned.

Life-in-Tents Post that made your jaw drop and your eyes do a double-take: "The 7-Eleven Bombshell" July 18, 2007

Excerpt: I really don’t think I could muster anything other than the polite head nodding and “yeahs” that one says when been completely lost for words. And then, “and the way they treated me and my girlfriend…” Whoa – did he just say girlfriend?! I seriously do not think this man to be a shade under 70 years old. And now he’s got a girlfriend. “She came in one night while I was workin’ - needed to use the restroom – she comes out 45 minutes later, blood all over her hands, drippin’ on the floor and a baby in her hands!” Say WHAT?! I don’t think my eyes have ever opened so wide since hearing that. I gasped and shouted, “A baby?!” “yeah – and we didn’t even know she was pregnant!

Life-in-Tents Posts that I will most likely use for future sermons: "Waiting to Soar" July 2, 2007, "Thunderstorms" July 10, 2007, "Facing the Stairs" October 19, 2007, "Sea Sick Sunk" November 9, 2007, "Bring the Blinker Back" January 7, 2008

Life-in-Tents Post that made me laugh and smile the most while writing it: "The (Rest) Room of Requirement" September 28, 2007

Life-in-Tents Post that was most therapeutic for me: "Holding the Helm" March 7, 2008

Over all, it has been an enjoyable and worthwhile time investment contributing to this weekly blog. I plan to continue the practice into the next chapter of my journey, even though I will have to be much more intentional as I embark on the brand new adventures awaiting me at Seminary. Squeezing posts into what surely will be a jam packed academic schedule with extra-curricular craziness will no doubt provide a healthy dose of obstacles, but I have truly found Life-in-Tents to be thoroughly enjoyable and therapeutic for my soul.

Life is about to get a whole lot more intense. Bring it.