I’m traveling this weekend, so this is a preloaded favourite post of the year! Here’s a link to 2025 and a link to 2024 with every other year linked.
This year’s Apple Playlist, Spotify, and YouTube for the extras.
- Everything by Lifehouse
- Back in the early 2000s this song had a moment across American churches. Mine never did it, but I remember being moved by the message. It’s cringe to watch now, but you have to believe me, this was peak when it came out. I almost dropped the song when I was going through the options, but it was actually what started my list in the note on my phone nearly a year ago in a pretty intense conversation with God. I really do love the lyrics of this song. I really do love the God who is my everything, who moves me and makes me who I am.
- Psalm 46:10 by Dave Bosma on the RCC mixtape
- I miss working with Dave Bosma, and I miss him leading worship at our church, but he’s doing exactly what God has called him to do in Nelson, and I’m so excited about that. I’m also so excited he managed to get this recording done before leaving RCC. This verse was actually what Phil gave to me at the staff day at the start of the year, and the song has been on a loop for longer than that as I’ve finished my year of yes and entered my year of wintering.
- Fight of my life by Rend Collective
- The past twelve months have had some hard things. I have shouted these lyrics at the Lord and begged him to step in for me in some big ways through some major hurdles.
- I’m Done Demon Hunter
- One of the hardest things of the past year was a reunion with two of the people who have caused perhaps the deepest hurt in my life, but by the grace of God, Ryan Clark is still recording new music, so I can offer this song as the extent of my online processing of that moment.
- Idk by Allison Eide
- This was an algorithm find for which I have no regrets. I love this vibe. Why you freaking out? I don’t know, but I know the one who knows it all. It’s got such gold.
- Absolution by Switchfoot
- Jon Foreman is aging just as well as Ryan Clark, and I am here for it. I put the acoustic as a hidden track on the YouTube playlist, but I love them both. And the thing is, my life is wild. WILD, I tell you. Crisis to crisis, could you take me even at my worst? Are you the real thing? Could you save me? Jesus can.
- God’s Got My Back by Forrest Frank
- Have you heard this story? I’m next.
- It’s On Superchick
- Records show I haven’t used this yet, but Superchic[k] has stopped recording music, so I will get to repeats eventually. For now, this still works. It’s on. It all comes down to this. You take your best shot might miss. You take it anyway. Here I am, Lord, send me. I’ll change the world someday. Honestly, not waiting around for someone else’s yes when I told the Lord I’m ready. And let’s not forget the line about when you wanna quit but you’ve come to far. No turning back for me.
- Song for Walking by Tophouse
- I’m obsessed with these weirdos because one of my precious little children sent me this song with NO cOnTeXt and I played it on repeat for a week.
- Maybe the Best Is Now by Judah & the Lion
- By God’s wild design, we’re invited to participate in this adventure of life. I get to choose to be his vessel, his hands and feet, his creation who creates beautiful things. I get to make something out of the life I have when I say yes to Jesus and choose to create in his name, for his glory. There’s been some hard stuff that’s come before, but maybe the best is now. So I’m gonna rock, I’m gonna roll.
- The beginning of something by Jeremy James Whitaker
- Nothing’s wasted, not even a fall. And if that wasn’t enough: Yes, I’m running faster than before. Jesus, Jesus; oh, for grace to trust him more.
- Joy by RAYE
- Someone recently told me I was the human embodiment of this song, so obviously it’s the final official track. But also, I am obsessed with the album, and you should sit and experience the whole thing immediately. It is a presentation. And I chose the live performance of the song on the YouTube list because the excitement Raye has about her sisters is so adorable.
Bonus track: Garden in Manhattan by Josiah Queen
On the First Training camp with my young people, I led them through praying for each other on Saturday night. We had ten people in our group, so it took a while, but it was worth it. As I was concluding the night to send everyone to bed, Donna interrupted and insisted we weren’t leaving until everyone had prayed for me. Immediately two boys piped up they’d had the exact same thought. I was surrounded by my youth and so blessed by their words of encouragement and prayers over me. One of them shared this song. Just before, a different youth had shared the picture of a signpost, and unbeknownst to any of them, a few weeks before, a precious TCK young adult in our church had shared with me rivers in the desert as an encouragement.
Aslan is on the move.
