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

Originally posted on Facebook on Friday, August 13, 2021.

In Week 33 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Mr. John Fair and Johnny Fair of Fair Propane & Fair Oil Company.

"Is there a way we can…?"

These are my all time favorite words to hear from a client. As an I.T. professional, I deeply enjoy helping business owners leverage technology to achieve outcomes once thought only possible for large corporations.

To this day I'm not completely sure why, but Mr. Fair called and invited me to attend a meeting at the Fair Companies office in Louisville, Mississippi. They were meeting with the software vendor for their propane operations about a possible expansion into other markets. And, the question on the table was, "Is there a way we can setup offices in these new locations and have remote service reps access customer data in a central location?" The vendor quickly replied, "Not possible. You'll need a separate install for each location." And, this software wasn't cheap.

Mr. Fair, leaned back, placing an elbow in one hand while resting his finger on his mouth, tapping it slowly as he contemplated the vendor's response. He then turned ever-so slightly in my direction, indicating that he wanted my perspective. I asked the vendor questions to understand the underlying technology stack and then asked whether there was any potential licensing violation in creating "virtual desktops" to access the data. A few years prior, I had the privilege of learning about a new technology called Terminal Services while working as a high school intern at Entergy Corporation through a program for minority students called Inroads. After implementing the technology, they were able to achieve the desired outcome while also saving a significant sum. This began a relationship with the Fairs that has spanned nearly two decades.

Mr. John and Johnny Fair are business men that are constantly innovating and have established themselves as regional leaders in the petroleum industry. They dramatically grew their propane and fuel businesses while graciously bringing me along for the ride. We have since had many conversations that start with "Is there a way we can…?" and represents some of the most fun and significant moments of growth in my career.

Not only have they sought opportunities to involve me in their own businesses, but they've recommended me for opportunities with other clubs, associations and boards that they belong to. As a result, I've traveled from east coast to west coast, visiting places I may not have had opportunity to otherwise. Because of their advocacy, I was made tech lead on an ERP project managing the distribution of millions of dollars of fuel per month across multiple states. Thanks to them, if you've gassed up somewhere in the southeast, there's a chance that you've touched my work.

Over the years, our relationship has spanned well beyond I.T. projects. They've shared insights from lessons they've learned in business that's grown me not only as an I.T. pro but as a business owner as well. I've developed meaningful friendships with many of their staff. We've shared important moments of life together. We've had a lot of hard conversations together. We've prayed together. In fact, one of my most prized possessions is a letter of recommendation that Mr. Fair wrote to a church for a pastorate I was considering.

These men and their team have contributed immensely not only to the growth of my business or to me as a professional, but also to my growth as a person. I'm grateful. #52WoG

Originally posted on Facebook on Wednesday, August 4, 2021.

In Week 32 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for my Uncle John Jr.

Fishing with my dad was my happy place as a young boy.

Every Saturday, I'd ask my dad -correction, I'd beg my dad to go fishing. I remember the tingle of anticipation as we'd load the boat and hitch it to that old, green, Dodge Diplomat. It felt like traveling to a different world as we drove from the neatly coifed yards of our neighborhood in the city of Jackson, Mississippi and approached, what seemed like at the time, the vast ocean of the Ross Barnett Reservoir.

On this particular day, we're fishing with his brother and my Uncle John Jr.

Fishing with these guys is an all day (and night) affair. I remember on one occasion a friend of mine asked to go with us and broke down crying because he had had enough after 8 hours. Poor guy. This is why the grocery store was one of our first stops on a fishing trip. My dad would buy stuff like a whole loaf of bread, packs of bologna, potted meat, vienna sausages, chips, water and liver -that last one was for the fish. As I think about the way we ate on these trips, I can't help but laugh thinking about how neurotic my wife and I have been about how and what our kids eat. On these fishing trips, I'd often go between baiting my hook with a minnow and fixing a sandwich. Our idea of sanitation was running our hand through the lake water to get off fish scales and worm guts before reaching into the pack of bologna!

I remember the roar of the outboard motor and the gentle skips of the boat as we skimmed the lake. My dad had taken us out pretty far -so far that we've largely lost sight of land. We approached a small island that looks like something straight out of Huckleberry Finn. It's surrounded by lily pads. I peer over the edge of the boat and can see no sign of bottom. I turn to my Uncle John Jr. and ask, "Hey Uncle John, how deep do you think that water is?" He takes an oar and plunges it down until his forearm is submerged. He replies, "It's deep." I couldn't swim so I asked, "What would you do if you fell in that water?" He replied, "Seeing that I can't swim, I guess I'd have to drink it all, nephew!" And, with that he, I and my dad had a long, hearty laugh.

I learned yesterday, that my Uncle John Jr. has passed. But what remains with me is that every memory I have of him is warm and kind. I'm grateful. I solicit your prayers and kind regards for Uncle John Jr.'s family and loved ones. #52WoG