All the cool kids are doing recaps on how their 2025 went, what they learned, what meant something, and what they want to change moving into 2026. I’m not much of a cool kid, but why not give this a try and see if I can come up with some fun things I did. I guess I could just make a list. Yeah, let’s make a list first.
- Sold my 1991 F150 and bought a 2021 Ranger
- Went to Las Vegas and met some podcast heroes of mine
- Went to Disney World for a week with some of my favorite people on the planet
- Had my 40th birthday and it was spectacular because my wife is incredible
- Went to the mountains in Gatlinburg. It was beautiful
- Got back into serving in my church which was incredibly fulfilling
- Brought my best friend into my small group and it has been wonderful for us all
- Went on the annual small group camping trip and learned we had what it takes to camp in the rain
- Rode horses a few times with my dad
- Remodeled our office. First time putting in vinyl flooring
- Hosted seven panels at Dragon Con
- Launched and completed two seasons of 24 FPS Presents… with Travis
- Got promoted to Principal Software Engineer
- And probably a lot more stuff…
Well that’s quite the 2025 when you put it into a bulleted list. I’m not sure I did everything I ever set out to do or if I met all the expectations that I had for my year, but I’d be willing to say that’s pretty good stuff. I took a lot of trips this year. I had more paid time off than usual because my parents were closer so we didn’t have to take four days to go see them every once in a while. More on that later.
Looking at this list, I think if I were to sum up the whole year into some kind of word that defines how that list makes me feel, it’s “Loved.” That might sound lame to someone reading this, but to me it’s everything. Everything good that poured out of this year started with someone taking the time to care about me or me taking some time to care about them. I really think that’s the essence of what a “good” life is made of. Sharing some of your time with someone else when you don’t have to, but because you want to. That ends with everyone having been appreciated and feeling like they have value.
The thing that mainly comes to mind when I recap this year as the highlight is turning 40. No one likes to get older, that’s very true, but if my next 40 years are anything like this previous 10 has been, then I think I’m in for a wild ride. My 40th birthday party was such an amazing experience. It was only two hours, but I’ve honestly never felt so cared about in that two hours in my life. Stephanie is incredible. She took the time to get in touch with everyone that means something to me. My small group, Jacob and Ashley, my parents, friends from work, everybody. When I pulled up to the picnic place my mind was blown. Everyone I cared about was there. Everyone that means something important to me was there. Stephanie cracked me up because she said she sent out the invitations and expected maybe 70% of the people to be able to come. Nearly everyone said they could be there. There was only one family that had a prior commitment and couldn’t show up. I told her it felt like the end of Big Fish, where Edward Bloom saw everyone in his life all in one place. I was amazed.
If there’s anything about last year that I need to figure out how to improve this year, it’s my health. I don’t want to harp on it or anything, but I was a bit lazy in the latter half of the year and I’m setting out to make a change this year. Spoiler alert: so far so good.
It was quite a year and I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish. By the grace of God, everyone was healthy and happy. We all made it through another year and get to continue the journey. I’m very grateful for where I am, and I’m encouraged by the growth that I’ve been able to have over the year. I’ve learned some things about myself, and figured out how to be a better advocate for my own well being. That has the most to do with my mood and success. I’m not perfect at getting rid of the “people pleasing” side of my personality and probably never will be, but I’m trying to be better at saying “no” when I need to.
I’m excited about 2026. There’s a lot that can happen this year that can be good. There’s also a massive amount of uncertainty in the world, which isn’t that uncommon anytime. Yet we’re in a weird space in our country where things aren’t making sense and it likely will impact us in big ways if things don’t go the way they should. There’s little of that I can control though. The best I can do is keep God first, my family protected and provided for, and go out of my way to ensure that people around me know they are loved and have value.
I’m reminded of a quote as I sit here that I adore. I can’t remember who said it and I’m too lazy to look it up, but the quote is, “Be born. Preach the gospel. Die. Be forgotten.” I’m thinking a lot on this lately. People tend to have some legacy they want to be remembered for, and I’m working hard to try to not worry about being remembered. I want people to have seen Jesus in my life and promptly forget me so they can remember Him. I don’t know what that takes, but I guess we’ll find out.
Let’s go, 2026.