My daily gratitude for:

1. The presence of God surrounding me, through Liz’s enduring love, Ryan’s trust, strong staff at the hospital, colleagues who are supportive and encouraging, best friends with loyalty and humor, and the still small voice of God that calms me and calls me towards mercy and peace.
2. Sharing a Thanksgiving meal with the Lucas family this week. They fill my family with love.
3. Sharing a Thanksgiving meal this weekend with Josh and Jacqui, our cousins, and Louis and Marian. We love our family and sharing a table and joy with them is worth it! Smoked turkey and all the sides, with plenty of smiles!
4. The staff at TCH, PICU and Heart Center, who show perseverance, compassion, advocacy, protection, and selflessness at every turn.
5. The roasted turkey that I made and looked beautiful!
6. Christmas smells, with spices and food that are so rooted in my memory and bring great spirit!

My daily gratitude for:

1. The first responders and caregivers who served Houston over Thanksgiving. Giving their time while many of us enjoyed home and or family is amazingly selfless.
2. Barbara Rice, whose lovely hospitality towards Liz and joyful support of me has always blessed me. Happy birthday Barbara!
3. Will, Elijah, and Haylee, who are Ryans cousins and favorite playmates. They remind me of the privilege of being uncle to them and the privilege Ryan has getting to spend time with them.
4. The Fry family. They are such good people, and people I love.
5. Christmas music, and the return of O Come O Come Emmanuel to my ears!
6. The low traffic today on the drive to Venus, TX.
7. Loving professional sports less and less. It’s healthier for me.
8. Stantons City Bites. It will always hold a special place in my heart for its lovely owner, Teresa, it’s history, and it’s damn good burgers.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Our first family Thanksgiving.
2. Having a wife and partner who loves runs, 5ks, and other races. It’s really fun.
3. Grandma and Grandpa, who I am very grateful for. They grounded our family and brought joy and love. Their hugs and their fun are missed because they were so appreciated!
4. My parents and my brothers. They have surrounded me in love throughout my life.
5. Family gatherings when I was younger. Our large gatherings with football, turkeys, hams, vegetable trays, games, and laughter will always be special.
6. Jose Mijangos, an amazing, hilarious, and responsible interpreter at TCH. He is so good at communicating emotions, so present to the families, and a man of faith himself.
7. Snuggling under comfy blankets.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Christmas lights with my love!
2. Organizations that support pediatric cancer research or supper families of pediatric cancer patients, like both Big Love and St Baldricks. Phenomenal purpose driven organizations with great impacts!
3. Albert and Becky Reimer’s, a couple who came into our life for a short time but blessed me with kindness and generosity and welcome.
4. Carson and Sara Henley, a couple who also blessed me richly with their thoughtfulness, humor, and love of all things good.
5. Ryans snuggles when he isn’t feeling well.
6. The anticipation of decorating for Christmas
7. The Houston skyline, by which I always love driving by.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Aiden and Ryan playing together. This melts my heart in all the good ways. It was my joy to see them playing together yesterday, and to play with them too.
2. Sam Luber, who is a great father and friend. His family has been so kind to Liz and I and important to Ryan too. These are the people you need when you raise a child.
3. My work. Ryan suggested this to me as I was writing this. And it’s true. I’m thankful for a place that is flexible, passionate, and understanding all the time.
4. The Easter beach trip a couple years ago with Kristen and Jacob- they were there for me and supportive in the perfect way.
5. St Patrick’s Day with Carleigh and Levi a couple years ago. Again, they were a place of joy when it was needed.
6. Ryans creaky voice when he is sick! It is the most cute thing ever!
7. The neighborhood where we live. I like the neighbors, and I like the fact that there are multiple kids around.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Being able to stay home with Ryan when he’s feeling under the weather.
2. Zoe Fuller, and the journey I have watched her go through as she grows up and enjoys acting. We loved watching her star in Curtains last night!
3. Mothers like Teresa Childers and Alanna Cornes, phenomenal mothers whose love is tough, persevering, beautifully honest, playful, and enduring in the face of all life has to offer. Happy birthday to Teresa and Alanna!
4. Sarah McCollister, whose kindness and positivity is always lovely when I drop Ryan off at school. It’s really great to share a kids school with good friends at the hospital.
5. The ordination and celebration of Courtney Webb this week! What joy!
6. Our family Polar Express trip, and seeing Ryans joy to see and play on a train and also to see Santa.
7. Watching fall leaves fall and float slowly onto our yard. It’s kinda mesmerizing.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Our Christmas photos! So stunning.
2. The end of the week and the beginning of holiday season! (Although let’s be honest it started on Nov 1!)
3. The energy, excitement, and passion of Megan Ostrom. She is a real blessing to those she serves because she brings such heart to her work as a physical therapist.
4. Watching “The Polar Express” as a family tonight. It was priceless to see Ryans faces throughout the movie.
5. Ruston, a former TCH pharmacist who I am blessed to know. He is a good husband, a good dad, and a good man!
6. Dalia Bashir, whose good work as a physician may often go unnoticed. She has a relentless passion and unmatched acumen, and yet she comes across so calmly. I love working with her.

My daily gratitude for:

1. The cooler weather, which brings the opportunity for hot chocolate, hot tea, and coffee!
2. Our family group hugs. Ryan loves them and so do we.
3. The hard work Ryan put into his first major project- his PBL project on gorillas and their habitats!! He was so proud of his work!
4. Anna Coleman, one of the nurses in the CICU whose heart, faith, and peacefulness make her a phenomenal presence and nurse. I love seeing her on the unit and catching up!
5. Arlanza Elementary School. This will always hold a special place in my heart, as the place where my first friends were, where a couple of my favorite teachers were, and where my personality emerged.
6. Having my grandparents live a couple houses down during my elementary school time. What a gift it was to live close!
7. The field that was behind our family’s house on Crest. As kids, that field was full of fun, mystery, and stories, from dirt hills for bike riding to raising chickens to pomegranate trees to baseball and football.
8. Seeing grass finally shoot up in our front yard.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Every breath Ryan, Liz, and I enjoy. Yesterday at the hospital reminded me of just how fragile our breath is.
2. Pam Krinock, her mentorship and her collegiality over these last 8 years. She is such a part of my development and I am a much better chaplain because of what I have learned from her.
3. The TCH Valet and Parking staff who direct traffic and valet and who greet me with smiles and joy every morning. It’s a great part of the start to my day.
4. Our USPS worker who walks our neighborhood all week long. He is really good, pleasant, and more than kind to all of us.

1. The moments where Ryan is mopey and still cute.
2. Connecting with other fathers.
3. My old dog Bailey. I do miss him but most often I am just grateful to have enjoyed many years with him.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Being married to an awesome partner.
2. Building fires with Ryan!
3. The amazing affirmation I received from a family this morning, sending a letter, pictures, and some special encouragement for the support I gave them. That feedback is humbling and special!
4. The profound spiritual power of silence, which most often connects me to parents in hard times, not any special words. Plus, in that silence I hear Gods presence most often.
5. Soup season! Liz and I have had chili, tortilla soup, tomato and coconut soup, and lentil soup…so good!!
6. My friend Christian finding joy in his new job.