2022 in Review

Beloved Readers … It is my great joy to inform you that …

I FINALLY graduated with my M.Div.!

I will pause for a moment for you to rejoice with me. Please take your time.

Okay, now that you’re back, I thought I would begin this year by doing a quick retrospective on the year 2022 as it relates to my life and the goings on in life and ministry in our small southern city. While I mentioned probably the most significant happening above, I will approach these in chronological order and attach pictures where applicable.

Alaska

First, and I may have mentioned this in one of my few posts over the previous year, but my wife and I visited one of the most breathtaking locations I’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing – Alaska! In May of 2022 we joined my in-laws on a week long cruise across the Bay of Alaska and through the Inside Passage. There were quite a few things that we enjoyed, but I think the fact that it fell over our wedding anniversary was one of our highlights. A few thoughts before you get to the photos.

1. If you’ve never visited Alaska, a cruise is most definitely the way to see this beautiful state.
2. Oddly enough, I recommend going when there is still plenty of snow on the ground. As you travel further south it will clear up and become comfortably cool. But the snow capped mountains are worth every single flake of “the devils dandruff”
3. Take all the tours you can and take advantage of all of the random stops your ship makes (such as a glacier or a random port with zero “port life”). There’s always something to see. In one port, where we docked late in the day, my wife and I hopped off to just walk the beach and gather a few rocks and pebbles. Worth it.
4. Take a book to read during “down time” on the cruise. This is a good bit of advice for any cruise. But there’s nothing better than a good book, a nice beverage, and watching the ocean go by. Personally, I read “Captains Courageous” and “The Sea Wolf” on this trip. Odd choices for a cruise, I’ll grant you. But … I was in Alaska! To not read Jack London is, frankly, a sin, especially when one is in Alaska. I did a review of “Captains Courageous” on my YouTube channel.

Hobbit Party

We held our 2nd Annual Hobbit Party! What’s a “Hobbit Party” you ask? It’s a party that features Hobbit foods, games, costumes, fun, and at least a showing of ONE of the Lord of the Rings films. It could also include readings from the books as well as other things … but we’re growing the “intensity” every year. This year we added a bonfire and costumes. Sadly, we didn’t take any photos of the party this year. I’ll make an effort to snag a few pics this fall when Hobbit Day rolls around again!

Sabaton

This year was a year of discovering some “new” music for us. One of the discoveries that neither of us were expecting was a love of metal music. But not just any metal music. Our dive down the rabbit hole began with “Fantasy Power Metal” groups like Gloryhammer and DragonForce. But then… Sharon discovered a group that feeds the hearts of history nerds across the globe … SABATON!

Sabaton is a Swedish heavy metal band that sings about military history. Different? Yes! Random? Of Course! One of the coolest things ever? Absolutely!

We saw them live in Nashville this year and it was an absolute blast! To say I have been obsessed since the concert is an understatement. Go check them out on Spotify or YouTube!

Graduation

As mentioned above, I graduated (finally) with my M.Div. This was a 7-year process for me, and while I’m grateful for the experience, I’m also glad it’s over. I do plan on continuing to complete my doctoral degree, but I plan on waiting 6-months to a year before getting started. I have a few projects for the church I plan on getting off the ground first. So stay tuned!

Hospital/Sickness/Holidays

Finally, we ended the year with a sickly December. 2 days after returning from my graduation, I started showing “the symptoms.” It happened again, y’all. COVID part 4 had hit our home. Except this time it was also combined with the Flu. I ended up in the ER and then the hospital for a night due to a heart scare. Praise God, my heart is fine after some extensive testing. There’s currently no explanation for it other than a fluke, but I did take one of the vaccine’s earlier last year so, with all of the “new” studies coming out, who knows. No booster for me though. After contracting the virus 4 times, and having been vaccinated, I have enough antibodies to do me for a lifetime.

To keep from getting political, I’ll close it here. The point is, we ended up sick. Sharon caught it was knocked out for a bit too. It ended up making our Christmas and New Year’s celebrations a little more low key, but we survived and are ready for a better year.

Now that I’ve graduated, hopefully this year will be more fruitful post wise. I have a few updates on the podcast front that I’ll share in a separate post. Until then, Happy New Year!

Nick