This morning I was challenged by the writings of a good friend to think about what makes me happy. I will combine this list with things that I am thankful for, because the two are closely related, really.

1. That God, through a thousand instances, has revealed his reality to me. And not only that, he has granted me a soul that he claims as his own, and therefore loves and cherishes as a child. It is amazing to me that God has chosen to the the kind of God he has been.


2. Good friends. My life, no matter where I have been, has been full of amazing people who teach, guide, and care for me in the most amazing ways. This always challenges me to be a better friend myself.


3. My parents. The realities of life have opened my eyes to what incredible parents I have. These are people who will, and have, gone to the ends of the earth for me and ask nothing in return. Their sacrifice has been tremendous.


4. Seeing a life transformed. I am blown away when God sends his spirit into someone's life and they begin the process of spiritual transformation. I am especially amazed to watch this happen in college students. There is nothing like going over to someone's dorm room at 2:00am to pray with them on their floor because they are so convicted about the change that God is bringing about in them.


5. My bicycle. This Schwinn 21 speed mountain bike has been through some rough times - being stolen and abused, dozens of tire punctures, crashes on crazy Alabama trails, broken seats... but it has remained faithful and has allowed me to have some of the best alone time I've had. It has taken me through some scary inner-city areas as well as around the outlying lakes of west Texas, and inspired a new group of bike-riders among my friends.


6. Crepuscular rays. A good friend of mine taught me to appreciate these years ago and I have marveled at them since.


7. The abandoned grain tower next to the river in Northport, AL. This created some of my happiest memories of Alabama. From the first ventures in the dark, to camping overnight at the top and waking up a dawn, to watching fireworks, to dropping televisions, to photographing the sunset, this place was an amazing escape from some hard stresses.


8. Having the opportunity to pursue a dream. God grew a passion for ministry to college students in me that has driven my entire life's direction for several years now. Not only that, he has provided for me to pursue that direction as a full-time career. Amazing! He not only allowed for me to work in that kind of calling while at OU, but took me to Alabama to grow even more in experience, and has now brought me to Abilene for some important education to help me be even more effective in his work. What will happen next? Who knows, but God has something up his sleeve.


9. Iced tea. There's something that hits the spot about a big glass of really cold UNSWEETENED iced tea. My Iced Tea Pot by Mr. Coffee gets a workout. (Call me a commie all you want, Alabamians, but adding sugar to it kills the refreshingness.)


10. Used book stores. Are addictive like crack.


11. Being good enough friends with someone that you can find a spot on the floor in the corner of Barnes & Noble and talk for hours without ever running out of things to say.
    
12. The storytelling of Garrison Keillor. One of my most tranquil memories of growing up is laying on my bed on Sunday afternoons listening to the latest News from Lake Wobegon. One of my proud moments was seeing him live at OU.


13. Walking across campus and running into tons of people I know. One of the benefits of getting involved with the life of a (relatively) small university is that you're pretty much assured of always seeing people that you know. There's a small pleasure in not even being able to walk from the student center to the Bible building without being called out by ten people.

That's it for now. I'll probably add more to this list as I think of things.