TOP TEN EVENTS OF 2003

As with the other lists, these are just the things that have come to mind. I figure that if I remember them here at the end of the year, they must've been big enough to impact me when they happened.

10. Laci Peterson Missing
During the last week of 2002, we were all watching as CNN broadcast every minute detail from Modesto, CA. A young woman missing, a baby to be born, a husband father wanting to find out what happened to his family - all of these things hit close to home for me as a husband and daddy, too.

9. Michael Jackson arrested on child molestation charges
My only fear is that there will be more and more stories of the weirdness going on at Neverland.

8. Rescue of Jessica Lynch and other POWs in Iraq
This story kept the silliness of Peter Arnett and Geraldo Rivera off the airwaves for a bit, didn't it?

7. Beginning of War on Iraq
Can you say "shock & awe"?

6. Capture of Sadaam
In my imagination, he's in the hole, watching Spongebob, singing loudly, and getting caught.

5. Laci Peterson's body found, husband charged with murder
Of all the stories, I hated this one the most. Dang it.

4. Rebounding/rebuilding economy
Isn't it funny how all of the layoffs and such, at least at my company and others in the service sector, have slowed down and folks are actually getting hired again? Isn't it funny how that's been taken away as a campaign issue?

3. Shuttle Columbia explodes
I remember where I was when I found out Challenger had blown up - at Airport High School, walking along the breezeway, hearing it from a friend and thinking he was nuts. I remember this one, too - watching from home on CNN as video of the pieces was shown over and over again.

2. Elizabeth Smart found alive
We'd been flooded with media stories of people, mainly young girls, being abducted and killed, or at least never found. This story gave hope - didn't it? - that life goes on, for better as well as in worse.

1. Ordination of homosexual bishop in Episcopal Church
There are so many different levels of impact here. I don't know that we'll see the downstream ramifications of this for a few years. I hope there can be some revival, conviction and repentance from both "sides" - and that the Kingdom of God is growing through it all.
- posted by Rick @ 16:07