On New Years Day I was up at 5:30 a.m., driving to Estavan, Saskatchewan so I could celebrate a dear friend's wedding. This necessarily cut short any time for typical New Year’s reflections. I had hoped to write something, at least list of my favourite albums, books, and films of 2015, but as January rolled into February and nothing happened, such plans seem ridiculously late to implement now.

But taking the time to celebrate what God has done is surely worthwhile, especially during the boring and wearisome month of February. And I've written a fair bit about about some of the trials of this past year. Now I want to take some time to reflect on the blessings and joys of 2015. So here is a list of (some) my favourite things from the year; the experiences that I’m so thankful for, the riches that "overflow and flood the plain" of my life.

Travels 2015

My vacation to Hornby Island and Portland was, in so many ways, just what I needed. I left in great uncertainty and arrived home rejoicing in how God used the trip to build me up in His Gospel and to clarify my plans for the year ahead. My time at Hornby was in turn relaxing and convicting, preparing me for a trip to Portland. Here I was able to witness the creativity and faithfulness of its local church, through visits with The Bible Project and Humble Beast.

Writing about Portland

In late Autumn I was sick for about a month and a half, which gave me time to pull out the recordings I took during the interviews I conducted in Portland. I edited these into a couple of essays, with the proofreading and morale support of my friend Andrew. The essay on The Bible Project was well received when it was published and I plan on releasing the one on Humble Beast soon. Hopefully this is just the start of many more interviews, essays, and even trips.

The Troubles

“Things might have been different, but they could not have been better” says a character in Tolkien’s autobiographical short story Leaf by Niggle. It’s funny how the darkest bits of your life are the bits that you can’t do without. It was hard. And I wish it happened differently, but I see now the reasons why it might have happened. Working through this whole experience was a challenge, but a delight. A handful of people have thanked me for writing about the experience in this trilogy of short essays, and I pray that’s just a small sampling of the fruit that He is growing in me.

Music with Jason

In 2014, the music team that I played with disbanded and I was heartbroken. But this last year I was invited to play with Jason Hoffer, who’s headed a number of bands, including International Cold Beat. Our music practices are more like music lesson. I’ve learned so much from playing with him, and I’ve had a hoot of fun in the process. Our style started to gel over the year (satisfying to watch), and we have some bold (and scary!) plans for 2016.

Learning Coffee

Last Christmas, my parents gave me a gift that had an impact on my next year: a Chemex, an electric scale, and a hand-powered bur grinder. Since then I’ve added a gooseneck kettle, an areopress, and an electric burr grinder. Over the year, my skill and knowledge of the art of fine coffee increased along with my equipment collection. (For example, I took cream at the beginning of the year. I now take my coffee black.) The practice of learning to craft such an exquisite beverage daily has enriched my life in so many ways. I’ll never take it back.

A Year of Reading

In 2015, I finished 72 books. My goal was to reach the end of each month having read at least 5 titles, but vacation time, exhaustion, and a month and half of sickness gave me more time. I always hope that when I look back on my list of books read, I’ve read works worth reading, works that shape the mind and cultivate the soul. This year, I can say that the titles I chose did so more often that they did not. Soon I hope to publish a list of the 22 books that impacted me the most. I was especially encouraged by the number of times certain books were exactly what I needed to read at that moment of my life.

Apple Watch

It was great fun to be part of the first generation of users for a brand new Apple device.

Well, those are (some) of my most treasured 2015 experiences. What were yours? Let’s think back and rejoice together.

There is nothing like sinking your teeth into an excellent musician’s back catalogue. The journey of discovery usually begins by falling in love with a single album, spending hours unpacking its lyrics, examining its riffs, and enjoying its virtuosity. Just that one album can be a priceless gift gift, but when you discover that they’ve released other music just as worthy, that journey is like a slow burn of Christmas mornings. An artist with such riches is one I would happily explore forever, an artist that would satisfy for a lifetime, even if the rest of your music library is removed. A desert island artist. I love lists so here are my top five such desert island artists.

Paul Simon

One day some colleagues and I got into a major disagreement over who had produced better music, Simon and Garfunkel or Paul Simon. I proposed, and was ridiculed for my opinion, that Paul Simon’s music has a depth that surpasses the youthful melodies of the famous folk duo. You could give me just his two world albums, Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints and I would have enough complexity of beat and elegance of lyrics to keep me happy for months. But even his recent 2011 album has tracks like ‘Rewrite’, which is my definition of a perfect song. Unlike his earlier efforts, Paul Simon’s best music is a certain intrinsic selflessness, which is why Sammy Rhodes described Graceland as “so full of joy it practically dares you to be sad.”

Start with: Graceland

Sufjan Stevens

One of the great things about Sufjan Stevens is the diversity of his music. Watching it progress over his career is quite a journey. His early lo-fi folk, with its almost medieval flare thanks to the horns and flutes, gave way to an orchestration, complete with choral rounds and chants. Then there is his electronic phases filled delightful, if sometimes obnoxious beats and patches. His recent offerings combine gentle electronic with a light folk that has me eager to see where it will evolve next. But it’s his lyrics that haunt and comfort me. A friend of mine describes one song, Impossible Soul, as the best song to listen to when your depressed. It meets you in your sorrow, cheers you up, and then reminds us that our depression is probably rooted in our own selfishness. And I supposes such is true of his entire discography.

Start with: Come on Feel the Illinois, or Songs of Christmas (depending on the time of year).

Josh Garrels

Josh Garrels is a songcrafter. He’s honed his arsenal of tools and what are a rare mixture they are. He is just as comfortable using organic samples and beats as he is with sparse guitar picking. His voice is equally at home dispatching hip-hop flow as he is soul-stabbing falsetto. This package is wrapped into a lush soundscape that tells stories of heartache and home, the dangers of the wilderness and the contentment of redemption. His are songs I can nestle into and live my life amongst.

Start with: Love & War & The Sea In Between

Humble Beast

True, technically a hip-hop label. But the group’s four artists, united by the label’s lush, acoustic driven production, sit on equal footing in their talents and upon my musical shelf of honour. I turn to Beautiful Eulogy when my soul is dry and my heart is broken, and they restore me in the hope of the Gospel, my cheeks often getting wet in the process. Propaganda is a modern day prophet, preaching into his culture while restoring hope in his community of Los Angeles. Jackie Hill Perry intricate wordplay produces a cracked mosaic drawing us to seek joy in the Lord. And JGivens’s depth of lyrics and intricate soundscapes tell a multi-layered story as complex and as simple as life itself. To say that their music has impacted my life is an understatement.

Start with: Fly Exam or Crimson Cord

Open Slot

I know, I know, this is cheating, but honestly, choosing this artist would depend on what I’m most feeling on the day of my island banishment. Would it be U2 (with lots to explore, not to mention two of the best albums ever recorded, The Joshua Tree and Achtung, Baby)? Might I choose Elbow, whose maundering chords and rifts I can sink my teeth into? Or would it be a perineal favourite, Jars of Clay? Right now I would probably opt for Bob Dylan. His talents remain undiminished, his back catalogue offers so much to explore, his broken voice satisfies in ways normal polish just can’t, and his musicianship and storytelling can fill a lifetime

Start with: U2's The Joshua Tree, Elbow's The Takeoff and Landing of Everything, Jars of Clay's The Long Fall Back to Earth, and Bob Dylan's Oh Mercy.

So there they are, my five(ish) desert island artists. Who would you choose? Please share - maybe your suggestions will result in the rest in a new journey of discovery for the rest of us.