I generally run late of commenting on seasons like Thanksgiving. I wanted to wait till my son was born to post these 7 Great Things that have happened in my life that I am profoundly grateful & thankful for.

1. At 17 in March of 1997, I got my first glimpse of Jesus from a gym teacher named William Lesley Whitney. He went by Leslie. Go figure. Man told me I deserved hell but Jesus wanted to love and save me. Jesus wanted to love and save me. Still brings tears to my eyes. It is teaching me hope and joy.

2. A year later I entered a school that was going to nothing more than a stop over till I could get to wherever I was going. I finished a triple major 5 years later. Met some of the best friends in my life there. Learned part of the theological system that I understand how God sees and interacts with humanity. It is teaching me humility.

3. Six years later I entered the ministry as a youth pastor. I grew disenchanted with established churches that I saw as idolatry cast in the image of piety. I was taught that there was sacred i.e. the pastors and then the secular i.e. everyone else. I have since learned that the call to ministry in sacred and secular, clerical and vocational. This is teaching me a divine view of earthly duty.

4. Seven years later I met the woman who is my wife and the love of my life. She is a saint and sinner. I am so in process in learning how to love her with all my heart. She is teaching me the joy of how beauty grows deeper every day.

5. Eleven years later I watched my beautiful wife have our first daughter. She makes me smile in a way that I truly believe no one else will ever do. A daddy daughter relationship and love is so amazing. She is so funny. She is teaching me a fatherly love and a greater respect for girls.

6. Twelve years later I fell in love again with the church. After disenchanted with traditionalism, I joined the church planting movement. It didn’t go so well. Read my series on humility. God is teaching me to love the Church for who she is, his bride not mine. This is teaching me perspective.

7. Twelve years later and one day ago (December 5th), I had my first son Asher Benjamin. My wife did a awesome job of having him naturally. She was beyond awesome in it all. He is teaching me perseverance as I learn what it means to be daddy to a son.

Seven things + twelve years of being blessings = more than I deserve. I am thankful to God for all my blessings.