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“What are you thankful for?” The standard question we hear during the Thanksgiving holiday. So often we respond with words of gratitude for the people in our lives, the spaces that enrich it, and all the ways we are enlivened by the world around us. But there is one response I’ve realized I never hear: I’m thankful for me . Think about it. Have you ever thought of your own self as something to be thankful for? If not, there are so many parts of yourself that are deserving of

Note: A version of this devotional was published in the “Faith” section of The Eagle, Nov. 15, 2025 “You need to change your perspective.” That’s what the guest staying at our church with her family told me. We were the host church for Family Promise, a local ministry helping unhoused families find permanent homes, and providing them with hospitality in the interim. Today, Family Promise has a fixed location for lodging. But before that, churches hosted guests, with each fami

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” –Proverbs 27:17   This past weekend, I traveled up to Waco for a special lunch at my alma mater, Baylor University. My fraternity chapter there was hosting a 25 th  anniversary alumni lunch, and as one of the founding fathers of the chapter, I was eager to return and celebrate the milestone with them. I came late to Greek life at college, never really imagining that I would be a part of it; but after feeling a lack of c

Growing up, I had a lot of food allergies. Combined with the usual childhood picky eating, my diet was extremely limited—and my overall health suffered because of it. I also developed deep anxiety around food. Experiences that should have been joyful, like going out to dinner with family or friends, often left me anxious and upset. Would there be something I could eat on the menu? Would the waiter understand my dietary needs, or make things awkward for the whole table? Would