Grateful 2025

In this season of Thanksgiving, I reflect on the year. When we moved into our house in March 1990, one of the first things I did was walk the perimeter of the property line with my Bible, praying for peace and security for all who crossed inside this line.

Recently, I read the following that really spoke to me about God's protection for us:

I have always thought that Noah was safe inside the Ark because he built it according to God's specifications. I thought that perhaps the strength of the gopher wood and the soundness of the architecture ensured that the waters of the flood would not come into the Ark, but I encountered a verse that shifted this whole paradigm. Gen 7:16 says. "The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. THEN GOD SHUT HIM IN...." Even after Noah built the Ark, God Himself shut him in to keep out the waters of the flood... In other translations, this verse says, "The Lord sealed them inside." It is not the fact that you have locked your house that keeps you safe at night; it is not your good driving skills that keep you safe on the road, nor is it your healthy eating habits that keep you healthy - only God can shut you in and shut out the devil that is seeking to devour you.

When I read that, it became clear to me how God protects us who love Him and strive to walk with Him in our daily lives.

The one time I questioned Him about His promise to me was when we had to evacuate our home due to the rising waters of Hurricane Harvey. That was the one time in my life that I was in survival mode and had to get my family to safety. We lost almost everything in that flood, but over time His blessings outweighed the loss. The house was rebuilt with insurance money, and most of what we lost was also covered. We now have a new house in the same location. For that, I am grateful!

Since last Thanksgiving, there have also been some painful times for me. I lost one of my pets last Spring. We had to put Jasper Jax down. Saying goodbye to Jasper broke my heart. I had my hand on his side, and he was purring the entire time, but then his purring stopped. He was gone. He was sick most of his last days, and his age was catching up with him. I made him a promise when he was young. I promised him that I would not leave his side in his last moments. I kept that promise. Years earlier, when we had to put down Marie, our cat of 12-plus years, we walked out on her in her last minutes. We could not stand the idea of watching her die. I can still hear her cry for us as we walked out. It breaks my heart to think of that last moment of her life, seeing us walk away. Ever since, I have promised all our pets that I would be with them in their final minutes if possible. A couple of weeks later, my Dad passed away. I believe that I was the last of our family to see him alive. I stopped by to check on him and Mom. He was not conscious when I saw him. A few hours later, we got the call that he was gone. A family friend was there checking on Mom and Dad, and before she left, she looked in on Dad and found him gone. She had shown up as I was leaving earlier in the day. Hearing the news about Dad was sad and a relief at the same time. Relief in the fact that he was in so much pain towards the end that he was now out of pain forever. Mom told me later that when Jan found him, he was on his side with his arms outstretched. For the weeks leading up to that day, he was always on his back. I think he saw who was there to escort him to Heaven, and he reached out for them. Dad did not want a memorial service for him, but a combined service for when it is time to say goodbye to Mom. Mom is doing well. She has a clear mind and remembers things as well as a 93-year-old can, like most of us. Physically, she has difficulty moving around, but she does move around. She goes to physical therapy to help with her mobility.

As I approach my 67th birthday, it will be the first without Dad, whom I shared it with. His birthday was also November 29th. I can recall only one time I wasn't with him on our birthday: when I was working in Florida. I called him that day, and we had a good conversation. This past year, I had a great-nephew born on his Dad's birthday. It felt like the year to hand over the torch to a son sharing his birthday with his Dad.

I am blessed to have Jennifer, Will, and Allison as my family. Jennifer retired as a schoolteacher but works a few days a week at a tutoring center in Friendswood. I think she misses teaching, just not the politics behind everyday teaching. Will loves his job with UTMB. As I understand it, he ghostwrites for the insurance side of UTMB. Allison resigned from her teaching job and is seeking work. In the meantime, she stays busy house-sitting for folks who are out of town. She has been staying in some nice houses.

I am grateful for my dogs, Axle and Paisley, and my cats, Vlad, Luna, and our new ones, Luca and Moxi. They keep me smiling. I am grateful for my garage and all the car and minibike projects in it. I have plenty to work on to keep me busy for a lifetime. Breathing new life into a car and driving it for the first time feels like no other.

I am grateful for my job, which I look forward to each workday. Every morning as I walk through the doors at work, I pray that I bring real value to my employers. I think I do.

I don't know what the next year holds for us, but I do know God is watching over our every breath.