The Ten Not Worst

I hope that, as your beginning to read this post, you have your confetti and noisemakers in hand, because this is a very special post. It was on this day three years ago that I started writing this blog! (This is the part where you throw the confetti.) And oh, what a three years it has been. There have been some laughs. There have been some tears. Maybe even a little weeping. And I'm consider myself privileged to have gone through all of it with you, my faithful reader. Even you...the one in the red shirt. Yeah, I'm talking to you. Thanks for being here.

When I first started this blog, I had about three readers. Today, I have at least five or six. As I was thinking about that, I realized that there are some people who haven't read any of the older posts. So today, I want to do something that feels very vain and self-glorifying. But I figure, "Hey, it's my blogiversary. I can do whatever the heck I want, and people still have to tell me how nice I look in my turtleneck sweater, and I get to pick out which piece of the cake I want first. Now, do I go with the biggest one, or the one with the most frosting?" 

Anyways, today I am presenting to you links to the top ten posts I have written thus far. Over the last couple weeks, I have gone back over everything I have written in the past three years, desperately searching for ten posts that didn't suck quite as much as the others. Some of these are the ones about which I received the most positive feedback from readers, and others are just ones that I especially like. And so, without further stalling or silliness, I am pleased to present in chronological order:

The Top Ten 'Chicken in a Cage' Posts of the First Three Years (there's got to be a more concise title for this).

Bystander Effect (Nov. 2008): How psychological theory has a very real and very depressing impact on my own life. This post probably doubled the readership of the blog at the time, and it has unfortunately continued to define my life ever since.

In the Dust (Dec. 2008): How the book of Lamentations shows us that grief and sadness are legitimate experiences that can even push us closer to God.

C'est La Vie (March 2009): One of several posts that arose from me being pretty hacked off at the world. How God-given contentment helps us roll with the punches that life throws at us.

Van Ride (April 2009): Using a 15-passenger van as a metaphor for the fluidity of our social circles. This caused several people to somewhat aggressively ask me, "So David, I bet you're just ready to kick me out your life, aren't you?! Well, I hate you too!" I guess good blog posts come with a cost.

In Search of Swagger (Nov. 2009): A semi-sarcastic post about why I don't have much luck with the ladies, mixed in with a few other random thoughts that I found humorous at the time.

Before Garmin (Dec. 2009): How God leads us through life a little bit at a time and usually doesn't show us the whole picture at once, as well as why I need to be in more jewelry commercials.

This Isn't the Church (Jan. 2010): Why the internet and online communities (even this blog, regardless of how good it might be!) are inadequate substitutes for the flesh and blood church. This post is notable because I quoted a guy from a book, and he commented on my post. Which means I have to be way more mindful of libel these days.

My Friend (May 2010): An ode to my best friend upon his graduation from college. In the post, I say something about him being single. Now, just over a year later, he's engaged. I like to think that this post was the catalyst that made that happen.

Dancing Is Better Than Poking (Nov. 2010): Why the church should be the remedy to the "classy isolation" that we tend to put ourselves in. (By the way, this might be my favorite post, if you're looking for an "Editor's Pick".)

Ready for Rest (May 2011): A reflection on the tornado that struck Joplin earlier this summer, and why we should all be looking forward to the day when Jesus makes the world as it should be.

Well, that's that. As we celebrate another year, I would like to reaffirm how thankful I am for each of you and for you taking the time to read. If you have been reading my blog for a while and there's a post that you like that didn't get listed, share it in a comment; I'd be curious to know.

Now here's your mission: When you come across the first person you see after reading this, wink at them and say "Go get 'em, Tiger." It's a very encouraging way to greet someone.