Today, my friend Chris Payton turned 50 years old.

Chris is not just a friend, but over the years, he’s been my closest and most consistent friend. We met through a church group in high school, and became good friends in time after tat.

Chris has had a significant impact on my life through the many things he’s introduced me to and the many events he’s included me in. We’ve shared in many memories together- most of them good, but some of them tough- and I am grateful we have remained friends. Much of Chris’s influence on me has been spiritual and been cultural. A lot of my musical tastes developed because he introduced me to different bands over time, particularly in the Christian arena during the 1980’s and 1990’s.

To celebrate Chris’s birthday, I thought I would use the post today to list 50 things that Chris has added to my life that has made it more rich and better, be they ideas, or introductions, or incidents, or events, in no particular order. And of course, this list is not comprehensive.

1. Tom Nelson, teaching pastor at Denton Bible Church
2. Toto (the band)
3. White Heart (the band)
4. Klukies
5. A weekend at Baylor back in the day
6. Seeing Linkin Park at World Arena in Colorado Springs in the early 2000’s
7. Sitting with me for a while the night after I scuttled my wedding
8. Hiking the La Luz trail- up and down- without water when we were kids and dumb
9. Wednesday night evangelism at Hoffmantown Church
10. Lobo hoops
11. Yelling at BYU when the Lobos would be beating them
12. Green
13. Vernor’s soda
14. Panda Express
15. Papa Murphy’s
16. Freezing in the Pecos cabin
17. Journals
18. Saggio’s
19. Evangelism Explosion.
20. Conviction and Perspective
21. Mr. Mister
22. Seinfeld
23. The Office
24. Fletch
25. Saturday Night Live
26. Dump Runs
27. Yard work.
28. KLYT
29. The Floyd Brothers
30. Lyle Thurston
31. Beer to Go
32. Bourgeois Tagg
33. Pup n’ Taco
34. “Like I was telling’ Shorney”
35. Consolation emails (love life related)
36. Championship tennis
37. Trick-or-treating with Derek
38. Getting away at Glorieta
39. So many sermon notes
40. My ordination witness
41. My isolation witness
42. My commuter biking advocate
43. Polos from that Winrock store (Why can’t I remember the name?)
44. “Pig face scum!..”
45. Prayer practitioner
46. Jimmy John’s
47. Humble servanthood
48. Devoted husband and dad
49. Dedicated friend
50. Committed follower of Christ

Thank you, Chris, for the example you are in my life of being a good friend, and moreso, of being a good person. I appreciate in this world of shifting opinions and positions, you stay faithful to the things that you hold true, and that make you you- your thoughts about God and his goodness and his effective overwhelming presence upon a world so often shrouded in clouds of confusion. We’ve had some great times, and I am look forward to many more. Especially as we talk through our various ailments and afflictions together!

Happy Birthday, Chris.