Originally posted on Facebook on Saturday, December 18, 2021.

In Week 51 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Jamie Jones.

It was a hot summer's day in June and my wife and boys were sitting on the grass just outside George M. Bryan Airport. They were there for two reasons: because our youngest son, Roman, likes to go there just to watch planes take off and land and because they were recording a video for me for Father's Day.

As they were recording, a man began to walk from the hangers in their direction. Thinking that they were about to be told that they could not be there, my family began to get up and leave. But, the man introduced himself and asked if they were there to see the planes. As they talked, they shared how Roman has expressed a love of airplanes even before he could really talk. The man said, "I think I know of something he might be interested in. There's a group meeting in the hanger right now that I think he should meet. Let me introduce you."

That was about 5 years ago, the man was Jamie Jones and that group that was meeting was the MSU Soaring Club. Roman began flying with them at the very next meeting and loved it. He has been flying under the instruction of Dr. George Bennet ever since and is on course to receive his license this upcoming year.

It is rare to find that thing you know without question you were built to do. Because Mr. Jones went out of his way to show kindness to a stranger, he helped my son to find his thing. For that, I am in his debt and he will be forever enshrined in Luckett family history. I'm grateful. #52WoG

Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, December 5, 2021.

In Week 49 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Mr. Oda Dakhlalla.

When I got to college, I thought Algebra would be like what I took in high school, but they put "College" at the front of College Algebra for a reason. When I needed help, Mr. Oda Dakhlalla was my tutor. Mr. Oda not only helped me to learn the formulas I needed to solve problems but he helped me understand the underlying logic of mathematical concepts. This helped me to even approach problems that I may not have known the necessary formulas to solve. He was brilliant. He went on to help me with a number of my classes like Stats II.

That was more than 20 years ago.

Mr. Oda has since prepped my eldest son for the ACT, who is now a sophomore in college and is currently working with my youngest son on his ACT and SAT.

But most notably, Mr. Oda over the years has become more than a tutor but a friend. On our most recent visit, he insisted to cook for us. We not only have occasion to regularly share a lesson but life. I'm grateful. #52WoG

*If you or your student needs a tutor in math, stats, physics or chemistry, I highly recommend Mr. Dakhlalla. He's effective and affordable (I was able to afford his services in college). His phone number is 662-722-0020.

Originally posted on Facebook on Friday, November 19, 2021.

In Week 47 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Christopher McKnight.

It was a night like tonight, cold, damp and with temperatures in the low 30s.

Our apartment floor was littered with particle board, pieces of gray carpet and electrical wire from building boxes for subwoofers. It was already late, we both had work and school the next day but I was excited about my new subs. I was new to car audio. I bought all the components; the wire, subs, amp and head unit, but I didn't know how to install them. Chris, seeing my excitement, grabs his coat and says, "You know this is love, right?" then precedes out into the cold to install audio equipment in my car in the dark of night. What's more is despite having to take frequent breaks to get the feeling back in our fingers from working in the cold, Chris takes his time -more than four hours by my recollection, to install everything right, all while explaining the process step-by-step to me along the way.

This characterized Chris; selfless, thorough, excellent, kind. He exhibited this many times, in many ways. He was a much better friend than I deserved. And, to answer the earlier question, Yes. I know it's love and I'm grateful. #52WoG

Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, November 7, 2021.

In Week 45 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for my sweet nieces.

I'm the proud father of two boys that I wouldn't trade for anything, but I've always wanted a daughter too.

I believe girls offer something so unique and invaluable to the world that I'd willingly brave the hell of the teenage years again to invest in it.

Though I do not have a daughter of my own, I have a host of nieces and great nieces that I get to see grow up into amazing young women and make their mark on the world. But best of all, I have been given the distinct privilege of being a part of their lives. I'm grateful. #52WoG

*I don't have pictures of all our nieces, but we adore and are proud of every single one.

Originally posted on Facebook on Thursday, September 23, 2021.

In Week 39 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Clayton Richardson.

Mr. Richardson called me from an ad in the Yellow Pages for MR COMPUTER MAN and hired me to write a software program for one of his many businesses.

From the very start, Mr. Richardson was intentional about getting to know me personally. Our meetings around software requirements would sometimes spill into the lunch hour and Mr. Richardson would insist that I join him for a meal. More times than not, this led us to Lenny's Sub Shop as he was quite fond of their Philly Cheesesteak.

Over time, we started hanging out just because. He'd ask me about my family and was eager to tell me about his, especially his new set of twin grandbabies. As he was grinning at the thought on one particular day, he looked at me, his face became more serious, almost stern, and said, "Paul, if I could give you anything, it would be this: Find something to do with your boys -anything, and do it every week. I don't care if it's getting an ice cream cone from McDonald's, but do it without fail. If you do that, I believe it will pay big dividends in your boy's life."

He was right. The rituals Melissa and I put in place from heeding his advice are responsible for countless memories that our children cherish and talk about to this day. I was a new father when he shared this with me and it was one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received.

I called Mr. Richardson today to say, "Thank you". At 86 years old, he invited me out to eat again so we could talk more about our families. I'm grateful. #52WoG

Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, September 12, 2021.

In Week 37 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for our son, Chris Luckett.

The first time I held our son changed me. I was in awe of this tiny human being. I took my index finger to inspect the tiny fingers of his little hands. He was squirming and his eyes were squinting, trying to adjust to the light he's seeing for the first time. As he settled in my arms, he wrapped his hand around my finger and proceeded to fall asleep. As I looked upon his entire hand wrapped around just one of my fingers, I thought, "This little person is depending on me." It was the thought that shook me to my core and changed everything. It was like an entire universe burst into existence before my eyes and I in turn suddenly became very small. It was the first time in my life that something was more important to me than me.

As he grew older, one of the things that stuck out the most about Chris was something he would consistently say as a child. Perhaps the most common question that school age children are asked by adults is, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And, Chris would answer flatly, "I want to be me." This was his response, every single time.

Authenticity has been a pursuit of Chris' from an early age. His willingness to eschew the opinions of others, to introspect and decide for himself rather than assume the prescriptions of culture or those around him is nothing less that astounding. It demonstrates a courage and integrity that inspires me every day.

From the day he was born, God has used Chris to make me question the worthiness of worldly pursuits and to challenge me to live for something greater. I'm grateful. #52WoG

Originally posted on Facebook on Friday, September 3, 2021.

In Week 36 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Rebecca Youngblood.

Occasionally during dinner time, Melissa and I would play the game "Would You Rather?" with our kids. We would go around the table and each person would pose a hypothetical situation to one another which would usually require everyone to choose one of two options. An example would be, "Would you rather get one million dollars right now or receive $20,000 per month for the rest of your life?" It's fun and provides insight into each other's personalities and priorities.

As a kid that grew up United Methodist, I participated in an organization called the Christian Council on Youth Ministries or CCYM. I was not a believer at this point but I didn't know I wasn't and I was mostly involved because it was the default. It got you out of the house, there were some cool trips and it was something to do. Notwithstanding, it was pretty demanding. There were weekly local youth meetings, quarterly district meetings, a summer and fall retreat (at good ole Camp Wesley Pines) and then youth functions at the Mississippi Annual Conference.

One particular year, I remember the name of our statewide Youth Director was Rebecca Youngblood. Honestly, that's all I remember which is odd given: 1.) my memory and 2.) how frequently and for prolonged lengths of time I would see her during many of these events. What I do distinctly remember was the peace, decency and order that presided over all of our gatherings. I remember one especially moving time during an annual conference that was being held on the coast. It was dusk and all the youth were gathered on the beach right outside the HoJo (Howard Johnson) Hotel. We sat in a circle on the sand around a fire and sang "How Great Thou Art".

On the last day of the conference, Rev. Youngblood gave me a black and white marble paperweight with a pewter inset that was the size and shape of a half-dollar coin. Inscribed on the coin were the words, "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace." Of all the thousands of sermons I've heard growing up, this phrase is one of the few messages that stuck with me. It's in my heart and I have that paperweight to this day. Her quite, faithful service imparted to me something that eloquent, passionate preaching or grand, impressive gestures could not.

So, would you rather be remembered for something impressive or know that you've helped someone but no one remembers your name? It is evident to me that Rev. Youngblood chose the latter. She and many others are like Joseph in the Bible, the earthly father of our Lord, of whom not much is spoken but the parts they played were greatly used by the Lord and pivotal. "And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor…" Today, I honor Rebecca Youngblood.

I'm grateful. #52WoG