My daily gratitude for:

1. My home at Texas Children’s.
2. Sarah Montgomery and her staying presence and enduring compassion throughout her shifts. I really appreciate her service to TCH.
3. Tim Sensing, one of professors from ACU and one of the best mentors, encouragers, and witty person I know. He was so helpful to guiding me in ministry and putting me in good positions and always being curious about my life.
4. Liz’s playfulness with Ryan.
5. The laughter of Ryan and his friends when they play together.
6. A day with soccer on the TV most of the day.
7. My new coffee beans from Kenya.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Seeing Gods light in any place of darkness, and how it serves me in my chaplaincy.
2. Tim Parker, indeed one of the best friends I could have ever asked for. I love his love of God, love of his family, relaxed attitude, love for fun, and principle. Happy birthday Tim!
3. Megan Gentry, a wonderful Critical Care physician, and very deeply compassionate and sharp human being. Happy birthday Megan!
4. Joe Knadler, a CICU physician, whose dedication, intense commitment to quality care, and attentiveness to language was expressly important in walking a CICu family through the last stages of a dying child. Beautiful work!
5. Catching up with a special patient and family this afternoon, and seeing their smiles!
6. Seeing some of my favorite doctors and fellows regularly as I office in Critical Care.
7. Reading the stories and expressions of love from each couple as I prepare their weddings. It’s a true joy to see how each couple finds bond and joy and journey.
8. The apple cider kombucha from Kickin Kombucha. Delightful!
9. Having fun work dress socks.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Our Bering Young Adult group meet out last night with patio dining and trick or treat for the kids. A reminder of Gods presence in that group.
2. Serving a family together with Jose, our Spanish interpreter, and Shannon and Kara, our social workers. I love the teamwork and shared passion.
3. My childhood friends, Eric, Lukas, Steve, Leland, Scott, Rubén, and Juan.
4. Andrea Echeverri, and her big heart for a family and her openness about her nursing care and constant efforts to provide for her patients and families.
5. Patricia Bastero, a CICU physician who provides beautiful care to her patients, leads with curiosity and invitation, and seems tireless in her engagement with the work of medicine.
6. Medical research and those working on innovations and understanding.
7. Any time I get to watch a Leicester City FC game live.
8. Maya Angelou’s quote: “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”

My daily gratitude for:

1. Being a parent, and loving carrying the responsibility and seeing its beauty and joy.
2. Jessica Shannon’s love for pediatric spirituality and spiritual play with kids in the hospital. I love that she is a colleague of mine at TCH and know her care for TCH Woodlands is top quality.
3. Brandon Huber, whose love for others and gentle presence reflects Gods presence in him. Happy birthday Brandon!
4. Adem Lapaj, one of my old friends from Arlington CofC and Riverside. He was one of my few friends who enjoyed sports and could talk shop with me. Happy birthday Adem!
5. Some parent friends who I get to see regularly during drop off.
6. Ryan’s continued expansive imagination, especially with Beyblades.
7. The simple ability to eat.
8. Chemex pour over coffee.

My daily gratitude for:

1. The pediatric chaplains that I celebrate as mentors and friends, and who have sought out Gods heart and pediatric spirituality with passionate pursuit.
2. Spiritual Care Week, and some of the best chaplains as colleagues.
3. The support of my boss in his encouragement and understanding of my parental roles and needs.
4. Kiersten and Emily, RN’s in the ACHD who lead with lots of humor and calm in crisis.
5. Teaching Ryan soccer skills and helping him to grow his skills and joy one step at a time.
6. Using my own herbs from my hydroponic garden.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Bering Drive’s church service today, which brought a reminder of the importance of place in Gods people. That church, that worship…they matter to us.
2. Pumpkin patch today! We love this every year as a family!
3. Hangin with Evan and Laura Friday, and knowing they are a couple who we cherish so much!
4. Dwain Evans love for the church, and heart for Gods people always.
5. Leah Snyder’s work at Bering for years, being glue and caring for its people through logistics, kindness, and prayer.
6. Ryan’s play with friends from his class, and seeing him feel a sense of belonging and joy playing with his friends.
7. Liz and Ryan’s love of soccer, which allows for all of us to enjoy watching all the time.
8. A surprising Leicester City FC win today, and seeing them play better these last two weeks.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Prayer as a way of seeing and naming the beauty in the world, as well as seeing and naming the darkness too. Prayer as expression rather than simply supplication.
2. Zayda, an ACHD nurse who is refreshingly compassionate, simple in her approach, committed to attentiveness to patients, and full of gratitude and calm. I appreciate working with her.
3. Paul Robertson, one of my mentors and one of the people who saw my capability and was able to draw it out. Happy birthday to a dear friend!
4. Jane Fryda, a chaplain colleague in Wisconsin who is joyful, welcoming, and curious in relation to others. Happy birthday good friend!
5. Chai Green, a fellow friend during my grad school work. He was so calm and relaxed, and a genuine loving presence for me and others.
6. A beautiful and loving seminar about helping with pregnancy loss this morning.
7. Having many learning resources available to me as a chaplain through APC, Transforming Chaplaincy, Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, and PCN. I have plenty of ability to continue to grow!
8. Tuesday Rice and Beans at David and Donald’s house during grad school. Lot of community, and lots of refocusing on Gods heart in the world.
9. Playing ultimate frisbee all those times around ACU.

My daily gratitude for:

1. The presence of a team in the CICU, a team that works together.
2. Prayers of families and staff, which are pure and full of love and heart.
3. Luis Salinas, and his immense kindness and friendship with Liz and I! Happy birthday Luis!
4. Matt Tweddle, a chaplain friend whose wisdom and compassion and wit are second to none! Happy birthday Matt!
5. The note from a parent I received today. What a blessing of gratitude to me!
6. The Palliative Care social workers, Shannon and Claire, and their genuine care and consistency, and their check ins with me.
7. The fun I get making my own tortillas.
8. Ryan’s comfort in 1st grade.
9. Our neighbors Halloween decor and the fun it brings our neighborhood.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Feeling a part of my Heart Center medical team, in that they respect my voice and respect my presence as amongst them.
2. Megan Beech, a CICU RN whose compassion and others centeredness is evidenced even in chaotic and hard days by checking on others. So happy for her to be a mom soon, and so happy to share work in serving families in The Heart Center!
3. Miranda Rodriguez, a CICU RN leader who stepped into a code and dying case without hesitation to both comfort a mother and provide grief support and offer medical support.
4. Stan Rule, another chaplain friend and one who shared in my year of residency. I appreciate his wisdom and passion in his faith. Happy birthday Stan!
5. The opportunity to work with other chaplains on an endorsement body for C of C chaplains moving towards board certification. I’m proud to support and share in leadership and community.
6. A home that feels lived in well.
7. Being greeted by our dogs.
8. Trash pickup, an immensely valuable service that is often taken for granted.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Ryan’s amazing grades today, and the teaching from Ms Worrell, the hard work of Liz and her mom, and the many others who helped him earn those grades and feel proud of himself.
2. Watching parents and grandparents today love their children with everything they have. Amazing.
3. Sebastián Tume, one of my favorite doctors in the CICU, as a physician and a leader and a person of integrity, thoroughness, compassion, and wisdom. Loved working with him this week!
4. Barbara Jo Achuff, a physician in the CIcu whose tireless heart and gentle conversational ability and dogged determination to do right by her patients and families is stunning and inspiring.
5. Will L and David H, kids whose playfulness changed me and my career direction. Happy birthday Will!
6. The Hill country of Texas.
7. Getting to go home today.
8. Having an established and long-standing job and hence having a veteran status.
9. Finding Ryan’s goggles!
10. The patience of Ryan’s swim teacher.