Here is my list of the very best of 2011!
My Favorite Moments of 2011
-San Diego Anniversary trip (January 2011) What can I say? We love The SD.
-Burn's Winter Camp (Feb 2011). There was snow and awesomeoness.
-Las Vegas trip to see Phantom of the Opera and Lion King (April 2011). My wife has shared with me her love of musicals. I am grateful!
-Surf Camp (June 2011). We had a blast surfing on some of the biggest waves I've ever seen at Leo Carrillo. Plus, any camping trip is always a good time with our church.
-UCYC Adventure (July 2011) This has become my favorite camp. Incredible. So many memories.
-Ecuador Trip (August 2011). I had an amazing time in Ecuador. It is a beautiful country and the people are incredible.
-Graduation (December 2011) I was happy to complete my MA. Great program and a wonderful experience
-Christmas with my family (December 2011). We had incredible time hosting our first Christmas and spending it with my family. It was such a good week!
-Our new home (September 2011). We are amazed and excited about our new place. We can't wait for the good times that are ahead.
-Marissa's new job. I am so proud of my wife and happy for her. She is an incredible teacher!
The most inspiring and best books I read
-The War of Art. My favorite book of 2011. A must read for any writer, artist or leader.
-Generation IY A great look at this generation. Challenging and thought provoking.
-The Hole in Our Gospel I am so grateful for this book and the conversations it created.
-Forgotten God A great intro look at the Holy Spirit.
-Escaping the Matrix A wonderful look at spiritual warfare and how to create real change in our lives.
-Spiritual Leadership. A classic book on Christian Leadership. Great, applicable points.
The Best Films I saw
-The King's Speech. Inspirational and beautiful.
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow's part 2. No words describe how great this movie is.
-Sherlock Holmes and the Game of Shadows. Brilliant!
-Black Swan. Overly and unnecessarily graphic, but wonderful cinematography and incredible acting.
My Greatest Discoveries
-Evernote. Nuff said, This app has revolutionized the way I take notes and organize my life.
-How I Met Your Mother. My new favorite show.
-Michael Hyatt's blog. A great read every day!
My Awesome Epic Failure Moments
-Accidentally bouncing a random girl off the trampoline at Sky High Sports
-Discovering our bathroom door didn't lock in Ecuador (Thanks for that Raul)
-Forgetting to do the XYZ before preaching one night. Yep. There was lots and lots of laughter.
Most Radical Realizations
-You will never please everyone so stop trying
-The Criticism equation: 1,000 positive comments + 1 negative comment= 1 negative comment in our minds. It's a lie.
-God is redemptive. How amazing it is when we begin to notice the way he redeems our past and current situations for his glory.
