Something to Look Forward To

I recently created a note on my phone called “Upcoming Exciting Things.” In it, I’m keeping a list of all the stuff I’m looking forward to in the near future. And ever since I started the list, I’ve found myself going back to it occasionally and get excited all over again. It’s been a great mental exercise for me.

Granted, most of items on my list are nerdy products that Apple announced at their most recent events. But as silly as that may sound to you, keeping this list and checking it has actually helped me avoid a pandemic-induced funk.

This crisis has gone on much longer than any of us expected, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking this is what life is going to be like forever. But the truth is that it’s not.

This pandemic will end. Life will not always be this way. Things will get better. And thinking positively about the future reminds us of that.

This doesn’t just apply to COVID, by the way. This is true in every phase of life. No matter what any of us is going through at any given moment, there is always something good to look forward to. And that’s what gives us hope when we don’t feel like we have the strength to carry on.

Thinking positively about the future keeps us from despair. It’s also just plain fun. And it can be a great starting point for making a plan to where we want to be.

Do you have something in your life that you’re looking forward to? We all need it. But it’s something we have to choose to seek out.

The current state of world can bring out the pessimist in all of us. I never knew what a downer I could be before now. And you may be feeling that way, too. But I’m here to remind you that life, at its core, is good. And there’s always something better ahead for you.

Positivity isn’t some blind, baseless belief that your story will have a fairy tale ending. It’s making the choice to believe that life can be better than it is today. It’s the choice to look forward to something, get excited about it, and allow that excitement to fuel you as you move forward.

My encouragement to you is simple: Choose something that you’re looking forward to, and remind yourself of it on a daily basis.

Maybe it’s getting together with friends at a restaurant once that’s safe again. Or maybe it’s a family event that you’re planning to attend when that’s an option. Or maybe it’s a nerdy gadget that you’ve been itching to try. (Okay, that one’s mine.)

Regardless of what it is, we all need something to look forward to. And we all have something to look forward to if we’ll just choose to seek it out. I hope you will, because I’ve found it to be really helpful in my own life.

Be well, friends. We’ll talk again soon!

Fragile

As if this year hadn’t thrown us enough curveballs already, my community was informed last week that we are under an indefinite boil order. Thanks, 2020.

If you’re unfamiliar with what a boil order is, it’s basically a fancy way for the local government to let you know that your tap water is unfit for consumption. Any water intended for humans to eat or drink must be boiled for at least a minute to ensure that it won’t make you very sick. Thus the name “boil order.”

It might seem inconsequential given everything else that’s happening in the world right now, but for my friends and neighbors, a development like this is very disruptive. Several local restaurants had to immediately shut down, putting their employees out of work with no guaranteed return date. There were concerns that students wouldn’t be able to attend schools without something to drink, though administrators were able to quickly put together a plan. Grocery stores are forced to ration out bottled water to ensure everyone has a chance to get some.

It’s all anyone can talk about. There are signs everywhere. People are constantly asking, “Is the boil order still in place? How much longer?”

People’s lives are being greatly affected. And it’s all because someone didn’t use enough disinfectant at the water treatment plant.

I don’t say all of this to complain. Katherine and I are getting by just fine; for us, it’s just an inconvenience. But I do worry about all of the other people in my small town who are struggling with lack of work or access to clean water right now. Their suffering is real. And even though it seems like a minor problem compared to what we’ve all faced this year, it isn’t for them. For them, it’s just another in a series of undeserved blows that have come this year to threaten them and their loved ones.

The life of my community has been significantly disrupted by dirty water. Something we took for granted just a few days ago has become the thing we yearn for the most. It’s like living in a bizarre alternate version of reality, and it’s quite unsettling.

That last sentence probably describes how most of us have felt throughout this strange and difficult year. It really does seem like we woke up one morning in a world that looks like ours but feels completely different. None of the threats we’re facing were expected, and the things we most desire now we didn’t give a second thought to this time last year.

Visiting friends and family. Going to a restaurant. Taking a trip to somewhere new. Seeing a movie in a theater. These activities were considered so commonplace before, and now, we talk about them like they’re either rare delights or lost practices from a bygone era.

Going to work. Paying rent. Sending kids to school. All of these were taken for granted before now. We don’t have that luxury anymore.

Whether it’s a virus bringing our entire world to a screeching hault or contaminated water interfering with the businesses and everyday lives of the people in my community, the events of this year have made one thing abundantly clear to me:

The things we hold dear are so very fragile. Our lives can change drastically at a moment’s notice. The smallest causes can have enormous effects and take away things we thought would always be there.

Life is precious. Love just as much so. And they’re fragile. So let’s cherish them for all they’re worth and make sure we don’t take a single thing for granted.

We don’t know what’s going to happen next. We don’t know what life will look like tomorrow or how things will change. All we can do is love those around us, appreciate the good things in life we do have, and hope for an even better tomorrow.

I’m sorry you had to read through a whole story about small town water issues, just to get to that, but I hope it’s helpful. I certainly needed the reminder this week. Maybe you did, too.

Thanks for reading, friends. I’ll talk to you again soon.

 One

Last week at their special event dedicated to new watches and iPads, Apple took a few minutes to introduce something completely different: a new services bundled called Apple One, coming this fall.

Of course, I’m going to get excited about something like this. I’m a super-nerd, and I’ve been patiently waiting for Apple to offer a bundle for a very long time. Tons of Apple fans who know the company’s services and love them have been clamoring for just this sort of offering.

But most people aren’t super-nerds. You might be reading this and wondering what a services bundle is and why you should know about it. You may not even know that Apple offers so many different services to their customers. You may be reading this and thinking, “Who cares?”

Well, I care. So here I am, fueled partially by my overflowing excitement about Apple One and partially by my self-imposed duty to keep others in the loop about cool tech stuff, to tell you all about this exciting new thing Apple is doing.

Apple’s Services

When most people think about Apple products, they think of devices: iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and the like. Before the iPhone, Apple was famous for creating the iPod. Remember those?

But while Apple has traditionally made most of their money by selling hardware, they’ve always had a knack for building great software, too. Think about iOS, the operating system that runs the iPhone. Or the Notes app that you use all the time on your tablet or computer. These programs are written by Apple and included with the devices.

Beyond hardware and software, though, Apple is also in the business of creating services. Really, they’ve been doing it for years. The iTunes Store was a service that launched the iPod into stardom back in the day. The App Store is part of what makes iPhones and iPads so special, and it’s a service as well.

Over the past few years, Apple has started putting more and more attention on their services business, especially what’s called direct-to-consumer services. The company is trying to offer people high-quality content and experiences that they’ll want to subscribe to month after month.

What are these services exactly? Let’s break them down.

iCloud

Built in to every one of Apple’s operating systems, iCloud is the company’s cloud storage service. It uploads your photos, files, contacts, notes, calendars, and most everything else on your device to the company’s secure servers and syncs that information to your other Apple products. That way, you can have all of your data on your phone, tablet, and computer, all up-to-date and in perfect sync. And if one of them ends up getting broken or lost, everything is still intact in the cloud.

iCloud is an incredible service. I use it to automatically back up my phone and iPad every night so that I never lose any information. When I had to replace my phone last week due to my own clumsiness, all I had to do was sign in to iCloud on the new phone, and all of my data, apps, and settings were downloaded from the cloud to the device. It was just like having my old phone back, and it was so easy!

Apple gives every user a set amount of free iCloud data, but it often isn’t enough. If you’re an iPhone owner and take a lot of photos, it’s very likely that you’ve at some point received the dreaded “iCloud storage full” notification. Not only is this annoying; it also means your photos aren’t being backed up!

The solution is to purchase additional iCloud storage from Apple. For a monthly fee (anywhere from $1 to $10 depending on how much you need), you can buy enough space in the cloud to back up all of your precious data with room to spare. I’ve got my entire digital life saved in iCloud, from family photos to my old school files to the projects I’m doing for work right now. Thanks to my subscription, I can rest easy knowing that everything is backed up and available on all of my devices.

That’s only possible thanks to iCloud.

Music

The days of buying MP3s and ripping CDs are pretty much over now. Rather than purchasing individual songs or albums to download and then keeping them forever, music fans now pay a monthly fee to gain access to any song or album they want without having to pay for individual songs. This new model for music consumption is called streaming.

Apple Music is the company’s music streaming service. If you’ve heard of apps like Spotify and Pandora, it’s a lot like those, but it’s created by Apple instead of a third party.

I was hesitant to jump on the streaming music train before Apple Music came along. My iTunes music library was something I had invested in heavily over many years, and I wasn’t ready to give it up to switch over to the new streaming model. Fortunately, Apple Music offers the best of both worlds because it integrates with music purchases you’ve already made.

So whether you’re streaming a new album that just came out or replaying your favorite song you bought a decade ago, it’s all available in the Music app on any Apple device, or on the web. If you come across a CD or MP3 you want to include in your library, you can upload it, and it’ll be right there with all of your other music. I really appreciate this hybrid approach, and it’s what got me into streaming music in the first place.

You don’t have to start with a library, though. Apple Music includes suggestion for songs and albums it thinks you’ll like based on what you listen to, so there’s always something new to try if you’re in the mood for it. For $10/month, you get unlimited access to all the music in the world. Or for $15/month your whole family can enjoy.

(Side note: Music is the only service from Apple that charges extra for a family subscription. That’s because the company doesn’t own the music and has to license it from the labels. All other Apple services include the ability to share your subscription with up to five other family members using a handy feature called Family Sharing.)

Unlimited music for a fixed monthly subscription is great for those of who enjoy keeping up with what’s new and keeping their old rotation around. Apple Music offers just that.

TV+

Apple is also getting into the TV business with their own streaming service. You may have noticed a lot of these popping up lately. Once everyone saw how well it worked out for Netflix, they all wanted a piece of the streaming pie.

But don’t be fooled: TV+ isn’t some half-hearted moneygrab. The company isn’t just jumping onto a trend here. They’re really invested in creating and curating the highest quality offering of any streaming service out there, and it shows.

TV+ doesn’t have a giant library yet. Unlike other services that offer a back catalogue of purchased content from other creators, Apple is going all-in on original programming. That means there isn’t a seemingly unlimited amount of content to choose from. But it also means that you can trust any show on the service to be worth your time.

I’ve watched most of the shows that have come out on TV+. The service has a little bit of everything, from sci-fi to drama to travel to comedy to documentary and everything in-between. Some series have big stars in them, while others feature more newcomers and unknowns. A few of my favorite shows on the service so far have been For All Mankind, Ted Lasso, Little America, and Central Park.

TV+ is $5/month for the whole family, but you can get a year-long free trial with the purchase of any Apple product. You might even qualify fo the free year already without even knowing it. Either way, I’ve found the quality of the shows to be well worth the price, and I will definitely be paying once my free year ends.

Arcade

Mobile games are a ton of fun, but not when they’re overrun with ads or require in-app purchase to keep playing. That’s why Apple Arcade offers a collection of fun, high-quality games with no ads or in-app purchases for just $5/month.

There are over 100 games on Arcade, and they range in genre from puzzle to racing to action/adventure and beyond. Every game can be played on your phone, tablet, computer, and even the Apple TV if you have one in your living room. They’re compatible with controllers if you like to play that way, and many of the games are multiplayer, so you can play with others, too.

I didn’t think Arcade would be for me when I first heard about it. I don’t play many games on my phone, or really many video games period. But a couple of the launch titles piqued my interest, so I gave it a try, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Some of the games on Arcade I just couldn’t live without, like Crossy Castle and Butter Royale. There are so many others that I’ve enjoyed, too, but I keep coming back to those two over and over again. I can’t get enough.

Having every game available on every device is just great. I love that I can play on the big screen in the living room when I have time or on-the-go with my phone if I have just a few minutes to spare.

I’m not the kind of person who spends a lot of money on video games, so convincing me to subscribe to a gaming service was a bit of a stretch. But Arcade is just that good. It’s an ever-growing collection of quality, family-friendly, ad-free games that anyone can enjoy.

News+

I have to be honest: This is the section I had to do the most research on. As much as I enjoy Apple’s services, I’ve actually never tried News+. I don’t read a lot of newspapers or magazines, so this particular service just hasn’t pulled me in yet. But that might change with Apple One, as you’ll read later on.

News+ is a subscription service housed in the News app on Apple devices. Maybe you’ve opened up News to read some of the free content before and wondered what all that News+ stuff was about. If so, today’s your lucky day, because you’re about to learn.

The service is an easy way to subscribe to a boatload of newspapers and magazines for people who enjoy keeping up with everything happening in the world. A subscription gets you access to The Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine, Business Insider, Vogue, and so many other publications for $10/month.

If you’re the type of person who subscribes to magazines or newspapers, News+ is a great way to get all the news you want without getting overrun with subscriptions. There’s enough reading content in there to keep you occupied all month long. And there’s always more coming, so you’ll always have something to read.

A new feature recently added to News+ is audio stories. Each week, Apple selects a handful of long-form stories that people are interested in and hires a professional to record an audio version of the story. This way, you can listen to the story while you’re commuting or working around the house. This is a cool innovation in the news space, and as someone who listens to a lot of podcasts, I can definitely appreciate the value of high-quality audio content.

The more I look into it, the more I wonder why I’ve never given News+ a go. It’s sort of a bundle in and of itself, and it seems like a great value. Maybe I’ll have to set aside some more reading time soon and see what this service is all about for myself.

Fitness+

The newest service from Apple, Fitness+ is coming later this year and will offer classes for Apple Watch owners who want to take better care of their health. Classes will be available for all sorts of different workout types from trainers who are seasoned professionals in their fields.

What’s going to set Fitness+ apart from similar services is the way it ties Apple’s products and services together. The Watch will be your fitness tracker, but you’ll actually be watching the workout on your phone, tablet, or TV. The videos will feature live stats from your Watch to let you know how you’re doing, and the interface will adapt to show what’s most important at any given time, such as your heart rate during a burst or a little celebration if you reach one of your daily goals during a class.

The service will also integrate with Apple Music to provide custom workout mixes from different genres chosen by the trainers. And if you like the music your trainer chooses, you can always save the playlist for later.

Fitness+ looks like a great gym replacement for Apple Watch owners who have to work out at home now, and it will only cost $10/month for the whole family to access. It seems like an effective way to get more fit and focus on your health, which makes the cost well worth it. I personally can’t wait to give Fitness+ a try as soon as it launches.

The Bundle

So Apple offers a bunch of services that people can subscribe to for reasonable monthly prices. This works out great for both the company and consumers. Apple gets a recurring source of revenue, and customers gain access to some really useful and enjoyable experiences.

The problem with these services, though, is that they start to build up over time and can become tricky to keep up with. If you’ve ever had to maintain your household’s budget, you know how much work it is to remember which bill is due on which day and how much it costs. It can get unwieldy pretty quickly.

On top of housing bills, utilities, food, internet, cell service, transportation, and other necessities like Netflix, consumers don’t want to have to keep up with five or six different subscriptions from Apple, even if they enjoy using the services they subscribe to.

That’s where the bundle comes in: You get all of the company’s services you want, and you only pay once a month. On top of making your budget simpler, you also get a discount compared to subscribing to each service individually. Isn’t bundling fun?

Ironically, Apple One comes in three different tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier.

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Individual

The base Apple One tier is the Individual plan. It includes Music, TV+, Arcade, and 50 GB of iCloud storage for $15/month. That’s a savings of $6/month over buying each service individually. (Even though this is technically the plan geared for individuals, TV+ and Arcade can still be shared with family members because Family Sharing comes standard with both services.)

Family

Because Apple doesn’t own the songs in Music the way they control the content in the rest of their services, they have to charge a little extra to add Family Sharing to it. That’s why the Family plan is $20/month. It includes Music, TV+, and Arcade for the whole family, as well as 200 GB of iCloud storage that can be shared by all. Your family will save $8/month on the family plan.

Premier

While the Individual and Family plans focus mostly on entertainment, the Premier plan includes everything Apple has to offer. On top of everything in the Family plan, Premier includes News+ and Fitness+ for everyone in the family, plus a whopping 2 TB of iCloud storage. (If you don’t already know what a terabyte is, it’s more storage than you’ll ever need.) This plan is $30/month, which results in a savings of $25 over subscribing to each service individually.

It might sound funny to have three different tiers of a service called Apple One, but it actually makes sense. There’s the basic tier for individuals who just want Apple’s entertainment offerings. Then there’s a plan for families that want the same. And finally the top-of-line plan for those who just want it all. Each plan includes amazing services at a great value for those who want to access them.

Is It Worth It?

The thing about Apple One, as with any bundle, is that it’s a great deal—assuming the person paying for it actually uses everything included. And that’s where the question of whether or not it’s worth subscribing to gets personal.

For me, it’s definitely worth it. I already pay for a family Music subscription ($15/month), Arcade ($5/month), and 200 GB of iCloud storage ($3/month). Once my TV+ free trial runs out in November, I’ll be paying $5/month for that because I can’t miss season two of my new favorite shows. For me, the Apple One Family plan is a no-brainer because I can get everything I’m paying for now and save $8/month.

But the beauty of Apple One is that I can do more than just save money on the services I already have. For just a couple of dollars a month, I can upgrade to the Premier plan and get access to every service the company offers. And since I really want to give the new Fitness+ service a try when it comes out, I’ll definitely be subscribing to Premier. At that point, I’m saving money again and getting News+ and way more iCloud storage thrown in as well. What an amazing deal!

Granted, it’s only an amazing deal if I actually utilize those services, which I will. I use Apple products and services for everything I do, so it only makes sense that I’d go all-in on the bundle. But I use those products and services because I believe they’re the best available, and they offer me some pretty incredible experiences I can’t get anywhere else.

If you’re not an Apple customer, or if you have an iPhone but don’t really want to stream music or store all of your data in iCloud, then the Apple One bundle probably isn’t for you.

But if you do already use one or two of Apple’s services, or if you’re interested in seeing what you can get out of them, then Apple One is certainly worth a look. It’s going to unlock a whole world of new things you can do on your Apple devices, and it won’t break your bank in the process.

Is the bundle worth it? I’d say so. It would be hard to get more value out of $15 than unlimited music streaming, prestige TV shows and movies, a bunch of fun and high-quality games, and automatic cloud syncing and backup of your photos and files. For just $5 more, you can extend that entertainment and storage to five other family members. Or for $30, you can get all of that plus fitness classes, digital newspapers and magazines, and even more cloud storage so that you never have to worry about running out.

No matter which tier you’re considering, if you think you’ll use any of the services included in Apple One, it’s definitely worth trying. And who knows? You might fall in love with some of the other included services as well. That’s the beauty of the bundle.

What’s Missing?

For the most part, Apple fans are pretty happy with Apple One’s offerings. I don’t think anyone could have predicted how generous the company would be with the discounts, especially on the Premier plan. The option to get all of Apple’s services in one discounted subscription is just a dream come true for a lot of us, not to mention a no-brainer.

The main criticism I’ve seen of the bundle is that it doesn’t include what most people still consider to be Apple’s most appealing product: the iPhone. And while I totally agree that a services + hardware bundle would be really cool, I’m not sure that it would work for most people.

If you have an iPhone, it’s most likely financed through your mobile carrier. That way, you pay part of the phone’s value each month in exchange for the ability to use it, and you can upgrade after a certain number of months. It works out well for everyone.

For Apple to include the iPhone in their bundle, they’d have to require all of their customers to break their agreements with their mobile carriers, which would be inconvenient and costly. Apple’s still making money off of those carrier-financed phones, so I don’t see any reason they need to break that up.

For those who really want to go all-in, Apple does offer the iPhone Upgrade Program, which is similar to the carriers’ financing programs. With it, you pay a little bit each month for the phone and can upgrade every year. The program also includes AppleCare+, a protection plan that ensures you can get your phone fixed or replaced in case something happens to it.

The iPhone Upgrade Program is a great way to buy an iPhone. In fact, I’m planning to switch to it this year when the iPhone 12 comes out. And you can technically turn any Apple device into a subscription with financing on Apple’s credit card. I’m just not sure that combining device financing with Apple One would be the best thing for the company to do. Better to give people the option to get their devices any way they want and then purchase the services bundle separately.

I’ve been saying for a while that subscriptions are the future, but I don’t think that’s true anymore. Subscriptions are just the way the world works now, and they’re a great way to get access to a lot of amazing things at a reasonable price.

Apple’s services offerings are incredible and wide-ranging, which makes me really excited for the upcoming Apple One bundle. I will definitely be signing up day one, and I can’t wait to take advantage of all it has to offer.

Whether you came in a die-hard Apple fan already planning on getting the bundle, just vaguely interested in what was going on, or downright confused, I hope this explainer has made things crystal clear for you. And if I’ve convinced you to give the bundle a try, then all the better!

Thanks for reading my deep dive on Apple One. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Apple’s new bundle and whether or not you’ll be subscribing, so let me know what you think! Talk to you again soon.

Capacity Exceeded

Things have been quieter than usual here lately, and I’d like to apologize for that. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to write to you or anything. I’ve just found it to be a lot harder as of late, and I’d like to explain why.

We’re living in some strange times, and they’re affecting everyone differently. I don’t want to pretend that my pandemic experience has been particularly more difficult than others’. My loved ones are safe; we’re getting by. In that sense, all is well.

But I have experienced a sharp decrease in my available mental bandwidth over these past six months. As we’ve talked about before, bandwidth is a technology term that refers to the amount of information a data channel can carry at any given time. Metaphorically, we can apply it to our own minds to mean the capacity we have to handle things like information, tasks, stress, and communication.

One’s mental bandwidth varies from day to day and can be affected by any number of factors. If you’re feeling really stressed at work, you might have little bandwidth for much else, including taking care of yourself and spending social time with friends. On the other hand, if your mind is clear and worry-free, then you’ll find yourself with plenty of extra bandwidth for creativity, expression, and other things.

Our minds were only made to handle so much at once. When we hit that limit, there just isn’t room for anything else. We either have to remove something that’s taking up bandwidth or stop taking on new things. And that’s where I’ve found myself lately.

A combination of factors has forced me to reallocate my mental energy in the months since the pandemic began. Those factors include

• managing a heavier workload with added responsibilities,

• learning new tools and skills to keep the church connected digitally,

• trying to maintain relationships with my loved ones when I can’t visit them,

• and navigating the ever-changing landscape of our society during COVID.

I won’t lie: Some days, managing all of this has been hard. The work stuff has actually been fun, and I’m really proud of the way it’s all turned out. But not seeing people and trying to make the right decisions for my safety and the safety of my loved ones has really weighed on me. And it’s taken up a lot of my mental capacity.

Hopefully it’s understandable why my writing might slip down the priority list in light of all of this. It’s not that I don’t care about it or want to do it. I even still have time set aside for it every week. I just haven’t had the bandwidth to generate ideas, process them, write them out, and edit them like I usually do.

Don’t worry, though. I’m taking care of myself. When you don’t see a blog post here on any given Tuesday, it’s safe to assume that I used my writing time for a mental health break, maybe even a good nap or some time outside with Winter.

I’m managing my bandwidth to the best of my ability, and that might mean I have to skip something I love every once in a while. It’s a process, and I’ve got every intention of reallocating that bandwidth back to my writing as soon as it’s available. It just so happened that I had some available this week, which is why you’re reading this.

We’re all learning to adapt to this new normal. There’s no way of telling when the pandemic will die down or what the world’s going to look like once it does. All we can do is our best to take care of ourselves and those we love. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you don’t hear from me on here as much as you expect, it’s because I’m doing just that: my best. My bandwidth might be maxed out, but I’m still here.

If you’ve been feeling your mental bandwidth tapped out a little more lately, you’re not alone. It’s perfectly okay to make the changes necessary to keep yourself healthy. Don’t be afraid to take a step back, give yourself a break, and conserve your energy for the things that are absolutely vital. You’ve got this.

And if you’re one of those people who copes with stress by creating wonderful things, two things:

1. I’m jealous of you.

2. I’m happy for you! I’d love to see what you’ve been up to.

The only way through this is by seeing each other through this. So let’s support one another in taking care of ourselves, whether that means taking a step back or going all-in. Thank you so much for all of your support, both now and the many times before. I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and I’ll talk to you again as soon as possible.

Until then!

Grateful

Gratitude has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Last week, I preached a sermon on the subject at my church, so I’ve been thinking a lot about how important it is to remain thankful even during these difficult times.

I think that we each struggle with gratitude in one of two ways. Some of us aren’t good at practicing thanks when things are going well. We get caught up in the excitement, we get swept up by the praise, and we want to give ourselves all the credit. That can be a major hindrance to gratitude.

That’s never really been my problem, though. I suffer from the opposite, as I’m sure some of you do. When things are difficult or not going my way, that’s when my struggle with gratitude starts. I can become so focused on the things that worry or bother me that I don’t take time to recognize all the good things going on in my life.

Spending some time studying gratitude was a good reminder for me. It made me aware of how important it is to be thankful for the life I have, whether it’s easy at any given moment or not.

So for this week’s blog post, I thought I’d share a few things that I’m thankful for and encourage you to do the same. Gratitude is something we shouldn’t be afraid to share. It’s not bragging about what we have; it’s celebrating what we’ve been blessed with and inviting others to share in that joy and express their own.

Here are a few things I’m thankful for right now:

• My family will always be at the top this list. I’m so thankful for the life that Katherine and I share, and the fact that we get to share it with our beloved dog Winter and all of our extended family. I’m glad we live near them all and get to see them often. I have a lot of love in my life, and that’s the best thing I could ever ask for.

• Of course, I’m very grateful for my job at the church and the ability to work to provide for myself and my family. I’m blessed to be in ministry doing what I feel called to do. Serving God through technology is my favorite thing to do, and I’m grateful that it’s also my career.

• Especially in times like these, I’m thankful that my family and I have enough to get by. We don’t live lavishly by any means. But the fact that we can be comfortable without having to worry about how we’re going to cover our bills is a huge blessing that I never want to take for granted.

• My friends are an endless source of joy in my life and give me so much to be thankful for. Whether they’re people I grew up, met while I was in school, go to church with, or only know from our online conversations, I’m so thankful for each and every one of them.

• A lot of people have invested their time and wisdom in me over the years. For all of my mentors, I am forever grateful.

• I’m thankful for technology and all of the opportunities its given me to learn, express myself, and help others. The 21st century and I were made for each other, and I’m glad I get to enjoy all of our modern marvels.

Of course, I could go on and on. It wouldn’t make for the best blog post, but it is good for me. When I start to make a list like this, I quickly realize that I have so many things in my life to be grateful for. So many beautiful things.

Does that make difficult times easier? I’d like to think so, at least a little bit. Nothing can protect us from the harshness of life, but a grateful heart can keep us grounded and hopeful. I believe we need that.

The truth is that gratitude isn’t even really an optimistic practice. It’s the most realistic worldview there is. It gives the bad days context and keeps us from getting swallowed up by them. Because no matter how dark life might seem, there’s always more light than darkness if we simply look hard enough. It’s up to us to choose if we want to seek it out or not.

One last thing I’m thankful for before I go: you. Thank you for reading this blog and making it what it is. I know I haven’t posted as much as usual; there are a lot of different reasons for that. But writing these articles for you is a true joy, and I’m so glad that I’m able to do it. Thank you again.

Now that you’ve heard from me, I’d like to know what you’re grateful for. Expressing gratitude is good for us, so let’s do it together. Let me know in the comments or on social media what you’re thankful for today. I can’t wait to hear from you.

I’ll talk to you again soon. Stay safe out there, friends.