Thankfuls, 2019

It’s the night before Thanksgiving, and that means it’s time for my “thankfuls.” Each night at bedtime, we gather in the boys’ room for prayers. We take turns sharing our thankfuls, those things that stir gratitude in our hearts. This time can be meaningful, meandering, or silly. But it’s always a great way to end the day. So here, as another year passes, are my thankfuls.

May your tables and your hearts be full, tomorrow and always. May you share that fullness with others.

• Baby Yoda
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Gravy
• Friends who operate breweries
• Greta, who wants to do everything and manages to do so
• Alex Gordon and his seven Gold Gloves
• Peregrin Took
• The Stephansdom in Vienna (hey, update your website with summer hours)
• Dave Eggers
• Interfaith journeys with old and new friends
• Clap, snap, nanner, whoop, whomp, boola, woo, beep, moo
• Pastor Costello, the Cantor who Can
• Hamilton, and being in the room where it happens
• Koselig
• Anders, who loves sports and continues to always be kind
• A good pair of running shoes
• Washington Island
• The Gospel According to St. Luke
• Airplanes
• Chavez Ravine
• Polish food
• Paul Bouman, and the gift that it was to know him
• Grace Lutheran School
• Snow
• Our kids’ coaches, who give so much time and so much more
• Slovakia and its people
• The Board of Elders (er, Spiritual Life), who make the burden lighter
• Beer
• Mt. Baldy
• The theology of Robert W. Jenson
• “Blackbird” and, you know, a bunch of other stuff by Lennon/McCartney
• Jorge Soler, KC’s first home run king
• Lefse
• Torsten, the funny one (why won’t he sleep?)
• Tuxedos
• Highs and Lows
• The Oak Park Ice Bears
• The main square in Krakow
• The gift and call to preach God’s Word
• Baseball cards
• LEGO bricks and learning not to step on them
• Knit caps
• Cheese curds
• Erika, who keeps putting up with me. Erika, always
• Jesus Christ, the Light in a darkening world, the hope for a new world