“When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad” – Maria in the Sound of Music
When the dog bites I tell you that is reason #1.5 million why I don’t own a pet. Dogs bite people. That’s why I get nervous every time your dog tries to smell my crotch. I don’t know if he’s hungry.
When the bee stings I am thankful that I’ve never been stung by one.
When I’m feeling sad I mope around like a 13 year old girl.
I may have a different approach than Maria to handling a few situations, but one thing that we both have in common with Oprah is Favorite Things. If I was Oprah I’d give away my favorite things. I’m not. So I’ll just be writing about a few of my Favorite things from this past year.
- Needtobreathe’s newest album, The Reckoning. I love this album!
- People who give me Chipotle gift cards. This year I’ve received almost $100 in Chipotle gift cards. Can you dig it?!
- The Flash ornament. I don’t know why I love this ornament so much but it’s one of my favorites on my tree.
- Big Daddy’s Kettle Corn. This stuff is slap your mamma good!
- This picture…
- Mrs. Pacman Arcade. I have one in my guest bedroom and I still hold to that it’s the greatest Arcade game ever. If you are under the age of 25 you might not have a fat clue what an arcade even was. I’m sorry for your childhood.
The Walking Dead. This show has filled a TV void in my life that has been there the second that Lost went off the air.
The Good Greatsby blog. I have recently discovered this blog and it makes me laugh on a regular basis.
The official preview for the Avengers movie. I can’t wait for this movie!
- Mtn. Dew Whiteout. This beverage is what H20 should taste like. If it did I’d drink gallons of that high quality H20.
Tripp and Tyler videos. Tripp and Tyler consistently make videos that make me laugh. My favorite from this year is still not available but here is one of their newer ones.
- Favorite thing to work into my jokes…
- Favorite RT: from Twitter…”RT @robshep: Dear @jonacuff, why did you make your book so hard to promote?” That one RT by Jon Acuff destroyed my stats. It was the highest traffic my blog has ever seen.
- Favorite death defying experience…
- Favorite book…
So that’s a list of some of my favorite things. What are some of your favorite things that have happened this year?
Trailer looks good. Gonna have to catch up on my superhero watching: Thor, Captain America, watch Iron Man (both) again.
Dr. Pepper 10 is a nice break from Diet Dr. Pepper upon occasion).
Person of Interest has given me another show to watch on TV besides NCIS and Triple D and Chopped (with my wife).
I will take Chipotle gift cards any time, any day. In that you and I are twins.
Watching the Pirates actually play some good baseball for 1/2 the season.
Paying off my Outlander. 🙂
Riding almost 2700 miles so far on my bike. That never gets old.
Stryper’s album The Covering.
Those are a few of my favorite things.
Bill, you come strong with the Stryper. Did you like Petra back in the day? And how about Allies? I loved Allies. It was Bob Carlisle’s (Butterfly Kisses) rock band.
Yes i did like Petra and their newest is pretty good as well. Greg X. is back with them. I liked Allies also. Got to see them in concert. Bob blew it with BK. Mellowed out. 🙂
Should add: I also liked Styx, Journey, Foreigner, Kansas, and the hair bands, both “secular” and Christian (Barren Cross, Holy Soldier, Bloodgood, etc).
Diet Mountain Dew
The Avengers
I have enjoyed Person of Interest, Grimm and Once Upon A Time. None have captured my interest quite like Lost, though.
Larry, I hate that I haven’t been able to watch Person of Interest. We record too many shows on Thursday night so I can’t watch it. I wish they’d move it to Monday. Nothing comes on Monday.
Had twins, celebrated 10 years of marriage with @robshep, switched to working part time, our new friend Stacy Froyen, Sweet Frog, the show Revenge, and the world’s best friends ever. Why the smack am I not on your list? Told you I love you more.
Monica, you are silly. My list didn’t include any people. It was things. I’ll let you win this one today but we both know the truth.
I have never eaten at Chipotle. I’m not sure why I bring this up. I guess it was a random thought. Maybe I am just killing time so that I don’t have to come up with a clever answer to your query. … Now query, this is kind of a funny word …
Daniel, let’s change this. Lunch. You. Me. Chipotle.
Ooooh oooh can I come too?
I’m going to co-sign The Walking Dead. I’ll add Modern Family to that as well. As you might tell, this is the first time I’ve watched semi-consistently TV in about 4 years.
Oh and getting married. That was pretty amazing.
And um…quitting my job for a ministry staff position. That was pretty awesome too.
Tony, we like Modern Family as well. And you’ve had a BIG year! Congrats!
Wife!! My daughter… (Which will be even better when I can talk to her on the other side of Mel’s stomach) Playing music!! College Football (even though it is wildly corrupt). Big Bang Theory (the show of course, not the actual theory). Even though Monday is behind it, Sunday has become my favorite day! Friends that are no longer friends, but non-blood family…
Scott, it’s been great getting to know you again this year. I’m glad that you are at WEC!
My shiny new son!
Sound like someone could use some baby powder.
Tony, that was funny!
Do you think that would help with the bags under my eyes?
Score. Congrats again Ricky! I have a daughter if you want to per-arrange a marriage.
Done and done.
Reception at Chipotle!
Y’all are cracking me up.
My favorite past tv show would be MASH, current NCIS.
One of my favorite activities is going through my AM Blog List and reading all of these crazy thought provoking posts.
The other activity that has to be on the top of my favorite list is spending time with my kids, they are just about grown now (both still in college) and I’m no longer un-cool to hang out with.
Sele, I love reading blogs in the morning as well. I was thinking about this today…when do kids stop getting excited to see their parents. My kids are 8 months and they light up when I walk into the room. It’s going to be hard to adjust to them not getting very excited.
I know what you mean, it broke my heart the first time I realized that my daughter didn’t want to hang out with me. Fortunately for me that didn’t last too long though.
Yeah. I remember when the oldest suddenly decided she wanted to walk a few feet (okay miles) away from us. The youngest, while holding my hand, said, “Dad I will never do that to you.” A few months later she started. 🙂 Now they think I am okay. ‘course they are getting Old-timers disease. They are 36 & 32. 🙂 I well remember those days of “That’s my dad & mom…over there.”
Newest favorite: Gloves with the fingertips cut off, but with a mitten part that you can fold over the exposed fingertips. My students thought it was awesome that my gloves had beanies.
Thanks for getting the “Favorite Things” song stuck in my head! Good thing I love the Sound of Music. =)
Yeah, those are nice. I think they’re intended for hunting, but as a photographer I’ve found them to be very useful.
TJ, My pleasure about the song. It’s not really a Christmas song but for some reason it felt right for this time of the year.
Year End Favorites:
.) Rebecca and I Baptism
.) Jesus Series WEC.
.) For the Honor release Eleveation Worship
.) Human Video Post, RobShep.com
.) Frame of Mind launch
.) MTN. Dew Throw Back discovery
.) Finding out number 3 is on the way.
.) Joining my first Community Group.
.) Currently reading Sun Stand Still, Amazing, had to add it though not finished, it would make it based off what I have read so far anyway.
Joseph, I love your enthusiasm for Jesus and for WEC! Keep it up!
Rob,
Those are all great things to be grateful for!! My list would be as follows (in no particular order): 1) discovering Chipotle, 2) my family, 3) spiritual growth, 3a) joining the Horton CG, 4) being able to spend Thanksgiving in Atlanta with my best friend and his family, 5) another summer of watching Saturday morning sunrises in the Atlantic ocean with my 2 sons, and 6) that my ’95 Acura Legend got me through another year.
Ooooppss, I read your post early this morning and didn’t write the above comment until this afternoon. Apparently somewhere in between I lost focus of your question: “favorite” things this year, not things we are “thankful” for. Oh well, most of mine are still the same…thank you, please drive thru…
Doug, that’s funny. You had me at Chipotle.
Tell the truth–you only like Ms. Pac-man because you think she’s hottt!
Matt, she is pretty hot.
Rob, we continue to be similar, as we knew we both love NeedtoBreathe and Chipotle. Now you have added The Good Greatsby, Tripp and Tyler videos, and I want to sky dive.
Our mutual lists keep growing.
Joe, it’s funny how many of us I keep running into on the internet. You should definitely sky dive. It’s a rush!
I do love Chipotle, but the nearest one is about half an hour away on the other side of Ann Arbor, and I just don’t get into A2 very often anymore. Sadly, I think my town is a bit too small to entice Chipotle to open a location here.
Anyway: favorite things. The title of this blog post made me think of one of my newest favorite things: the Family Force 5 Christmas album. Seriously, if that album doesn’t make you smile, you don’t know how to smile. My three favorites:
Carol of the Bells:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj9UyImE_Vk
T’was the Night Before Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srP7tTfitBs
The Baby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhlMFFB1M9w
(I think I like that one because it sounds like a song Lonely Island would do for an SNL Digital Short.)
Why did the post title remind me of that album? Because it includes Favorite Things:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goQeqFhU2vw
My favorite things from 2012:
– Starting the first second of the year in a lip lock with my girl. 🙂
– Getting engaged to said girl, the lovely Kara Messner. The best friend I had to wait 35 years to find.
– Helping with the production of WEC Hampton’s first weekend and the Easter Service
– Discovering robshep.com – nuff said!
– Becoming a Community Group Facilitator. Investing in people is now more real than ever and I am humbled by the opportunity
– Volunteering in Kid Kraze. This past Sunday was off the hook fun and I will remember it for the rest of my life.
Geoff, you were so good in Kid Kraze! You were awesome with the kids.
Thanks Rob, dont have a lot of experience around Kids, but I just tried to have fun.
Fun stuff! How was skydiving? I don’t know if I could summon up enough guts to do it. I keep hearing about Sun Stand Still – I guess that means I need to read it. 🙂
Kim, skydiving was awesome! I’d do it again in a heart beat. So much fun. You should def do it if you are interested.
– My wife passed her certification exam and started her new career
as a massage therapist
– We celebrated 19 years of marriage
– Terra Nova. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but Spielberg AND
Dinosaurs…I’m so there!
– I was baptized at WEC…by Rob Shepherd 🙂
– Great year of Superhero movies with more (Avengers) to come soon!
Lot of people singing the praises of Chipotle today. Might have to give them a try, feel like maybe I’m missing out.
I love the Carnita burrito bowl (braces don’t do well with tortillas). Plus you get more. Now that is worth it!!
Word! I love the bowl too. But that tortilla is amazing!
Randal, you def need to check out Chipotle. When you do let me know what you think.
My favorite things from 2011
– finding out that I DON’T have Leukemia (or any other blood cancers)
– finding WEC
– my daughters wedding
– watching my youngest son play baseball
– any time I get with my middle son who is in school in Radford
– reading your blog!
Gayle, ahh thanks! That means a lot.
Things from this year, lets see:
[1]Black Ops – mainly for the zombies portion, but also for the general “shoot-em-up- blow-em-up” feel (me- likey zombies)[2]So many people are talkin about “Walking dead so I’m gonna have to find it and record. (I welcome the show, but not that time that it shall consume)[3]Robshep.com – I only started a few days ago, but my dad has read me some previous blogs and I’ve loved how thought provoking and funny they can be [4]Extended marching band season/Perfect marching band season: 4 grand champions GO GRAFTON! [5]Tim Tebow [6]The honey badger [7]My family’s new Christmas tree [8]Getting to experience jumping out of a moving vehicle (painful, but worth it)[9] That my grandparents are visiting [10]The ability I’ve recently developed to “not” lie
Sean, I forgot about Black Ops. That was a big part of my life this year. Thanks for reading!
Awesome, now I have 3 questions: what’s your gamer name, what system do you play on, and when can we work together to defeat the impending zombie apocalypse?
Vacations to Cape Cod and Quebec
Coffee
Thanksgiving Marathon
Two kids in middle school
15th Anniversary!
Jon, you are the man for running that marathon. Congrats!
yea, friends don’t let dogs bite people.also, is the walking dead really comparable to the great lost? if so, have to check it out. thanks Rob!
Rob, the Walking Dead is up there. It pushes the envelope a little too much some times but it’s got great characters. That’s what I miss about Lost. Most shows don’t do character development. The Walking Dead does!
1- Community Group
2- Concerts
3- Sweet Tea
4- Visiting L.A. – love it there
Kris, I love LA too. Are you going to go there again soon?
Hey Rob.
What is your high score in Mrs. Pac-Man and when can i beat it? Seriously! We use to have that game in our youth room and i spent hours on Weds and Sunday nights beating it
Michael, 105,000 points. I’ve scored over 100,000 a few times. I get to the point in the game where the pellets don’t turn the ghosts blue. That game is impossible, but fun.
Maaaaaaaaaate
I can’t believe a Gen X American knows about the old English TV series The Avengers – your down under friend is very impressed!
John, very funny. Different Avengers. Although I do know about the English Avengers.
I’m with you on lots of those- enjoyed that NTB album, and who can turn down a steak fajita burrito by chipotle? I would add:
1) hulu.com – we just got rid of our tv and fully rely on this website to get our fix from the glass teet (also espn3.com for streaming college football).
2) coldplay – according to the movie “40 Year Old Virgin”, this means I’m attracted to other men, which is not true. I just happen to love everything they put out.
3) Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon – I believe this show is one of the funniest, most creative shows created. The cast has amazing chemistry, and it really shows through that they’re all having a blast doing their jobs.
Stephen, no shame with Coldplay. I don’t have their new album yet but I’ve downloaded from iTunes their singles. Love it!
can’t wait for trailer also!
Recording a record…
helping my wife start her own little business…
oh and of course…DP…love it.
Arny, cool stuff. I’m hoping to see MI-4 in IMAX so I can see the first 8 minutes of the new Batman movie. I can’t wait for that!
Okay so here are a few of my favorite things:
*WEC
*My community group (That would be the Norton community group!)
*And my new #1 favorite thing is knowing that you have a Mrs. Pac- Man arcade game! Dude that rocks….I spent 3/4 of my freshman year in college in front of a machine just like that. But it has to be the one where she moves fast. The slow moving Mrs. Pac-Man sucks!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
Agreed! Chipotle, The Reckoning, and The Walking Dead. Top three!
What a nice lines above.There is saying like that the Cloud of the sadness is not there for more time.These clouds one day got moved away and then the rays of faith will come down to you.
i think you are part of your own group like this you seem to dislike and you dont even know it. while the “spoiled” kids do have what most would think to be a respectable group to call their own and they tend to get away with almost anything since they have money hence the reason they feel so proud. everything is handed to these kids,