My daily gratitude for:

1. Providing spiritual and emotional support to staff.
2. Seeing the strengths of others, whether their character or skills or awareness.
3. Our family time this weekend, including soccer watching, brewery time, Dynamo game, tinker crates, Mario Kart, and good friends Sam and Sally and Alex.
4. Tim Hughes, a good friend at Bering who has worked hard on behalf of his family, his daughters, and the congregation.
5. My uncle Mike celebrating another birthday, especially after the health scares he has had this year.
6. The interaction I got to have walking an older woman to MD Anderson today to see her sister and providing support and listening she needed.
7. Ryan completing 2nd grade with flying colors and growth in himself and starting summer in style.
8. Playing soccer twice this weekend and enjoying feeling improvement and quality in my play. (Especially since I started playing 5 years ago on a Memorial Day!)
9. Having consistent and dependable employment.
10. George and Maria Church, a couple I love dearly for their love of God and love of others.
11. Dr Seuss’ “Sneerches” and “Pale Green Pants”
12. Quality crushed pepper mixes. Makes most meals even better!

My daily gratitude for:

1. Self worth and self dignity and self empowerment. All of which is solitary work that cannot be done alone.
2. The sense of finish now having completed the three major presentations of the last two weeks, and the free time for patient care and initiatives I get back!
3. Creativity in chaplaincy.
4. Soccer with Ryan out in the street. Good father son time.
5. Board game play with Liz.
6. Elizabeth Cummings, a NICU SW who loves her job and attends to her families with attentiveness and a desire for them to thrive.
7. Mahealani Yoshida, her passion for equity and affirmation and inclusion and value of others, and her skill set for wordsmithing.
8. Tracey Anderson and Arjun Dangre’s leadership of the AQI course, and making the learning seem valuable as ancillary staff.
9. Learning the tools and value of quality improvement.
10. The hilarious “pivot!” scene from Friends (even though I don’t like the show overall)
11. The Roma Rosso wine that Liz and I enjoyed last night.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Gods forgiveness.
2. Boldness.
3. The Azul soccer team last game today, and the opportunity for closure and fun and celebration!
4. ***
5. Jeff, Cynthia, and Leah’s leadership and pastoring of our Bering congregation and those who visit.
6. Our Bering communion liturgy.
7. K and David Pipes, a marriage that reflected God immensely through wisdom and intentionality and laughter.
8. Unique and tasty cheeses from Houston Dairy Maids.
9. Beach waves.
10. Seeing schools of fish and a very small shark in the shallows of Surfside yesterday.

My daily gratitude for:

1. The feeling of delight.
2. Heart Center nurses, who bring excellence and advocacy and curiosity and heart forward care.
3. My parents love of camping.
4. A good day full of visits today during my first full day back.
5. Sarah Montgomery, a fantastic pediatric chaplain who cares deeply about people and spirituality and good boundaries.
6. The PCN presidents I have known, including Mark Bartel, Ann Heyward Baxter, Mark Brown, Ryan Campbell, Lindsay Bona, Erin Krasowski, and Calvin Bradley. So so good!
7. Being back in warm Houston.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Getting home tonight!
2. A very good PCN conference with great presentations and great location and great inspiration for better chaplaincy.
3. A successful and effective PCI Intensive, and the gift of connection that brought with those attending and with us as faculty.
4. ***
5. Erin Krasowski’s willingness to take me and others to the airport at 4am.
6. Patrick and Kate Jinks presence through the week and seeing Patrick as dad and watching Kates adaptability.
7. Michael Bell, his friendship and especially his honesty.
8. Being able to sleep on a plane, especially with early flights.
9. South Lake Tahoe Brewing Company, and especially their full slate of IPA’s.
10. My bagel breakfast sandwich this morning.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Small ordinary things that tell me im loved, which Liz does often.
2. The sacredness of serene waters.
3. Calvin Bradley’s presence and work this week, and the ways he is shaping me as we get to know each other more.
4. Building sustainable and encouraging relationships with nurses, PT’s, OT’s, Child Life, and Palliative Care.
5. Getting some videos edited and progress in the tech stuff for our conference. Such a relief to be rolling!
6. Daniel Yang, a pediatric chaplain in NY whose thoughtfulness and humor and desire to be a part has been lovely to get to know.
7. The many pediatric chaplains working with and advocating for and nourishing the meaning of patients with mental health struggles.
8. Glenn Harper, a good and loyal and honest friend from SWC.
9. Chris Denham, my cousin with whom I share so many great childhood memories.
10. Drake Shannon, and all of our ping pong and pool battles and the opportunity to mentor him through his first years at Pepperdine.
11. Limber pine trees, which are resilient and super cool!

My daily gratitude for:

1. Giving space for others to share.
2. Liz’s care for our home and cars and errands amidst all of her own full work schedule. She loves our family deeply.
3. ***
4. Jamez Terrys stunningly good presentation on strengths based chaplaincy. Beautiful and stirring for the work we do!
5. Kimberly Russell, a PCN council member whose efforts to modernize PCN offerings and create good tech over the last couple conferences has been truly amazing.
6. Seeing greater representation and diversity at the PCN conference, and recognizing that there is greater wisdom here and more to come.
7. Being challenged as an individual chaplain and as a department to provide better affirming care to the LGBTQ community coming to TCH.
8. The lunch group today of pediatric chaplains with young kids.
9. Matthew Schlageter, a great pediatric chaplain whose humor and approachability are always on point.
10. Zephyr Cove’s clear waters and vistas here around Lake Tahoe.
11. Pine and fir trees.

My daily gratitude for:

1. The sacred power of Story and storytelling.
2. My mom, who taught me to value family most and serve others constantly and to laugh whenever the opportunity arises.
3. The gorgeous Lake Tahoe retreat for our chaplain conference this week. Just beautiful!
4. The colleagiality and sharpening of each other from my PCI colleagues.
5. Cambry and Heather adding to their family with little Brannon.
6. Stefano Mugnaini, a good chaplain friend and ethicist who is quite thoughtful and hilarious and knows how to make others feel valued.
7. Jessica Evey, a fantastic PICU RN and NP whose knows how to bring connection and leadership through humility and humor.
8. ***
9. The warmth from sunshine.
10. Tres leches cake.

My daily gratitude for:

1. Courage.
2. The nurses in the Heart Center and PICU, nurses whose heart and skill and strength are second to none and gifts from God.
3. Paul Riddle, a good friend and mentor who is attentive to good training, intentionality, and thoughtful leadership.
4. Evan and Laura Crocker, a couple whose friendship has meant a ton for me and Liz.
5. Dwain and Barbara Evans, a couple whose love for God and Gods people is beautiful at Bering.
6. Walking into work some mornings.
7. A healing back.
8. The show we have been watching, “Poker Face,” which has been fun and appreciated.
9. Water

My daily gratitude for:

1. Strength in community.
2. The wonder of a body that allows it to run and heal.
3. ***
4. Lots of time with both of our parents this weekend, with good food and conversation and comfort.
5. Ryan running to see me after school when we picked him up after a week at his moms. Splendid sight.
6. David Pybus, a wise man and also very kind to me through the years.
7. Russell Almons friendship and encouragement during my CPE year at Hermann. Brilliant and welcoming!
8. Having a job, a boss, and colleagues who allow me to have a day working remotely.
9. Not setting an alarm for the morning.
10. Dry rose wine.