November always feels like a soft exhale after a long year a season of reflection, warmth, and renewed faith. For me, thankfulness begins with one simple truth: I am thankful for grace and mercy. I’m thankful for the people who surround me, who love my children and my future just as fiercely as I do. These are the people who see all of me the good, the broken, the healing and choose to stay. The grace and mercy I’ve been given by Ron and his family through both past and present trials have humbled me beyond words.
Gratitude, to me, isn’t a list of blessings… it’s a way of life. It’s the quiet “thank you” whispered at a sunset. It’s finding joy in small wins: the perfect parking spot, the string of green lights, or the chance to make someone else’s day with a genuine compliment. When you start noticing all the good around you, gratitude stops feeling like a task and becomes a natural rhythm of your soul.
Having a servant’s heart is an extension of that gratitude. For me, it looks like using what I’ve been given to give back offering to take photos of the residents at Ron’s facility so they can share something beautiful with their families this holiday season, or reaching out to a young man who wants to start a grief support group. It’s welcoming my children’s friends into our home when they need a safe place to be real and loved. It’s guiding families facing fear and uncertainty with their children’s health, or encouraging someone in an abusive situation to see their worth and strength.
If anything good can rise from the ashes of the storms I’ve faced, then let it be hope, a light for someone else’s path. That’s the heartbeat behind this blog, this website, and the books I’m called to write. To be a place of hope.
When I reflect on those moments of service, I’m reminded that my pain wasn’t wasted. I believe God held my hand through it all, whispering, “I’ve got you. There’s purpose in this.” I once told my children, after yet another trip to Stanford Hospital, “Sometimes we are given a journey so that we can help others.” That truth grounds me… the hardest roads we walk may not be meant for us but through us, to reach someone else who needs to know they’re not alone.
Faith fills the gaps between what is and what’s unresolved. It’s about doing it scared. Trusting that God is in control even when the unknown feels unbearable. I’ve learned to pray, “God, I know You are in control. I’m struggling right now with what I can’t see. Please help me walk in the direction You’ve set for me, with faith and courage. I trust You.”
Thankfulness isn’t just spoken; it’s lived. It’s in the smile you offer, the compliment you give, the pause to truly take in a moment of beauty. Pull the car over for the sunset. Stop at the lake and watch the birds dance. Sit at your table and listen to your family laugh. Make your table a place of peace not a battle ground. Ask your loved ones their high and low of the day. Talk through the low, celebrate the high, and always end in gratitude.
Humility is another form of gratitude. In leadership, being humbled means understanding that titles don’t define worth. CEO is my job title not my identity. Leadership isn’t about sitting on a throne; it’s about carrying responsibility, being accountable, and serving others with integrity. And in everyday life, humility finds you in unexpected moments, the ones that remind you that no one is untouchable, that we’re all human and all in need of grace.
As we enter this season of gratitude, my hope is that this message fills your heart with light. It’s not over. Tomorrow is always a few short hours away. If today was hard, give it to God. Rest, then wake up and try again, 1% better than yesterday. If you only managed a shower today, that’s okay. Tomorrow, put on an outfit that makes you feel like a rockstar. You don’t have to change the world every day just take one step forward at a time. Give yourself the same grace and mercy you so easily offer to others. You can do hard things.
1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “Do everything in love.” Love God. Love yourself. Love your family. Love people.
You are not alone in this world, and the same God who created the ocean, the mountains, the sunsets, and the sunrise thought the world needed you, too. Uniquely made, perfect in His image not our own. Even when things feel impossible, remember: there is beauty in this life we’ve been given. You just have to look.
XO – Lish