Since it is the week of Thanksgiving in the United States, Jason Strate (@strateSql) has requested that bloggers post what they are thankful for, along the lines of Adam Machanic’s (@AdamMachanic) T-SQL Tuesday and now Jen McCown’s (@midnightDBA) UnSQL Friday. So this is my entry.

I have many things to be thankful for and, honestly, I’m not thankful enough, so this is a good exercise for me.

Faith

This Fall has been a fairly difficult one for my family and me.  We found out that my father-in-law has terminal cancer, we’ve dealt with lice, my son broke his arm, I went to the ER with chest pain, and I just found out that my father has cancer in the lymph nodes on the left side of his neck.  Yet, through all of this, I find comfort in my faith because I believe what the Bible says in Romans 6:28:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Even when I don’t understand the why’s I know that God has a plan.  I know that his is hard for people who don’t share my faith to understand.  It’s even hard for me to explain, of course that’s why it’s faith.

Family

My wife, Alice, is the best.  She has to be to put up with me.  She’s my best friend and there’s comfort just in knowing she’s there.  She’s allowed me to drag here from New Hampshire to Florida and dealt with her parents failing health from 1500 miles away.  Alice also has encouraged me to be involved in the SQL Server community and to grow professionally no matter the time and expense needed.  On top of all that she’s a great mom too!

I love my 3 kids.  Danielle is almost 12, does great in school, and can really do anything she sets her mind to.  Evan (mister broken arm), 9, is my sports pal.  He loves to play and watch sports with me.   Regan, 7, is a bundle of energy and loves to perform.  Things are NEVER dull when he’s around.  Sure I get frustrated with them and annoyed, but I couldn’t ask for a better set of kids.

Friends

I’ve moved around a lot in my life so I don’t have that best friend since second grade, but I’m blessed with many friends all over the world.

Over the last couple of years the SQL Server Community has amazed me with the way it rallies around and supports its members.  Most of you I’ve only interacted with online, but in many cases I know you as well or better than people I see regularly.  I consider Mike Walsh (@mike_walsh) to be one of my closest friends (this may be news to him) and I’ve only met him face to face 3 times, but we share the same faith and the same profession so we have much in common.  There are too many of you to name you all, but I’m thankful that I get to associate with you all.

Being thankful is something I know I could and should do better at.  I’m going to close with one more verse that sums up how I should be 1 Thessalonians 5:18:

in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.