Giving thanks with a grateful heart

I'm giving thanks with a grateful heart A to Z this thanksgiving season - this is a repost (slightly updated) from the last three years, so I'm glad things are stable. 2008 has been full of extreme challenges, but on the upside, I am celebrating one year anniversaries with my son Gary getting married to Nora and giving away my daughter Megan to Chris.

The kids are gone, but I have my health and my precious bride of 29 years, Becky. Pretty amazing that over half of my life has been with the same woman. I hear that the second twenty nine years are awesome!

I have the best job ever in the corporate world, with amazing people and the ability to make a difference in people's lives leveraging the power of the internet. Ralph, James and my peers - thanks for making 8 to 5 a great place to be. I also write for GearDiary.com to satisfy my desire for all things wired and unwired. Amazing that I work online with people that I have never met in person... (we are meeting up in May 2009) but that are generous beyond belief. Thanks Judie Lipsett; you are one special person.

A - Ally my lab dog and faithful companion for over 11 years - she has a vocabulary of 20 sign language words and just sweet as she can be!

B - For my wife Becky of 29 years - I love her so much for her friendship, insight and faithfulness to truth and for loving me always. I cannot imagine being married to anyone else.

C - Christmas, when Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

D - Diggy, my grand dog... smart and loves to play.

E - Ears to hear and eyes to see.

F - Frank, my next door neighbor who been like a father to me for 23 years. Frank taught me to garden, fix cars and generally is always there as a good neighbor. I am always happy to reprogram his CVR and TV remote!

G - Gary - my son - I am so proud of him and seeing him grow up and embrace his destiny into Christlikeness. He's serving in the Air Force, seeing the world, defending our freedom and married to Nora!

H - Home. Home is where the heart is. A place to come home to, entertain guests, provide a place of refuge... all things that I am grateful for.

I - Insight and inventive thoughts.

J - Jesus Christ, my rock and salvation who models excellence and agape love.

K - Kerry, grateful that I have a name and was not aborted.

L - Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is always patient; love is always kind; love is never envious or arrogant with pride. Love never fails.

M - Megan, my precious daughter. She is sweet with a big heart. Married to Chris Corley, I'm confident that she will be honored and cherished for life.

N - Nashville. I love this city so much - the people, community and wealth of treasures around every corner. I've been here for thirty years and as I travel throughout the US, there is no place like Nashville.

O - Opportunity in the land of the free and the home of the brave. It takes persistence, but opportunities are out there; just don't give up or give in to second best.

P - My parents who sacrifice greatly to raise a big family, always making sure we had food and education.

Q - Quiet moments alone with God and away from the rush of the world. I can't get enough time lately and it shows.

R - Relationships... we were not meant to be alone. I come to realize that covenant relationships are precious; I need friends that are not impressed with me.

S - Stability; worth pursuing, nice to have. Striving to be debt free provides a strong foundation for stability.

T - Time to do all the things I want to do. One day, I'll have a Honda Element and photograph every sunset in the 48 states. When I'm home, I'll be in the workshop building stuff out of wood.

U - Understanding; how sad to hear and not understand.

V - Volunteering; what a joy it is to serve others.

W - The extended Woo family; 3 brothers and 3 sisters scattered around the country. Trivia: I'm Kerry; there's Jerry, Terry and Harry (my son is Gary) and sisters Emily, Lily and Sally (daughter is Megan - it's a Thornsbird thing.) Thanks to Gary, we now have a Geni family tree set up online to view.

X - X marks the spot; to be in center of God's will for my life.

Y - Today's youth, who are passionate for life.

Z - Zest and Z's. I need both in equal portions.