Thinking of Thanks

This day calls for pause to consider the things we are thankful for. Some of mine are below.


  1. My Faith. I credit my good friend Pat for discipling me during our college years. His method was not to beat me on the head with scripture, guilt and judgement. Instead he showed me what compassion and love and true friendship looked like. God took it from there.
  2. My Immediate Family. A wife who I can laugh with and two beautiful, smart kids. I keep wondering how I managed to get this lucky.
  3. My Extended Family. The past couple years has made me realize how much I took them all for granted for so long. They love me and my kids unconditionally and were there for each other in times of hurt.
  4. My Dog. He is the third kid in this family, though intellectually he's stunted at 3 years old. His goofy look and cocked head makes me smile daily. Truly man's best friend.
  5. My City. I was out in downtown Waukesha last night and was amazed at the vibrancy of this small city. Compared to what it was even 10 years ago, it has been an amazing transformation. I love going to the coffee shops, the art galleries, the restaurants and the bars.
  6. My Job. I am still blessed to love what I do for a living. GIS and mapping has been my life and I am lucky to have a fiscally responsible county government that has kept things stable in our department.
  7. My Friends. I've got fishing buddies, football watching buddies and tool borrowing buddies. I've got church friends, and writing friends, and facebook friends.
  8. My Hobbies. Fishing, biking, writing, music, camping, kayaking. I'm happiest when I'm outdoors, and am lucky to have a wife who understands that and supports it.
  9. My House. It's nearly a century old, and it shows, but it will always be home to my kids, and I know what it means to have warm, loving and secure home.
  10. My Country and Its Armed Forces. When I see some of the war torn places in the world, I am humbled by the commitment of our soldiers and military in keeping our country safe. I don't always agree with our foreign policy and hate to see us in places we don't belong, but am thankful that we've had peace on this soil for so long.
What are you thankful for?

Blogging off...

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