With love and gratitude
Chapter 20: Acknowledgements
I first recognize my wife for her encouragement (pushing) and support (propping up). My greatest earthly treasure, you are the gift that gives with your whole heart. Who knew when we met as teenagers that all of this would happen? Yes, God knew.
I do confess one grief: I cannot share these days more closely with Ma. I trust in God that we will eventually celebrate His goodness in the land of the living. In that day.
I have 2 daughters and a son who honorably expect a lot from me. In great part, I try to do the best that I can because I care for them and the platform that they will inherit. They’ve already shown me that they deserve my best efforts. I am grateful for their expectations.
I give hearty recognition to my family, first my lovely Mothers and noble Dad; 2 brothers who mean a lot to me and a very dear sister; Aunts, Uncles, and cousins; all emerging from Alabama and Mississippi. I am very grateful for them, and I see them as originators and beneficiaries of any personal success. Just the contact and fellowship are, for me, earthly tastes of heavenly love. I treasure your texts; I look forward to each one; they keep me grounded, humble and appreciative of life and the folks that we share it with. Did our ancestors know that they would contribute good things to the world in the manner that each of us contributes? I don’t know if they dreamed that we would do so well. But I believe that they had faith.
I am grateful for the contributions of acquaintances at Life Christian Counseling Network (LCCN), both colleagues and clients. I do not believe that clients and the public appreciate how sincerely the LCCN counselors care about the people that they serve, how much they pray for them, and how strongly the counselors desire to see good in the clients' lives. Being behind the scenes, I know. It is an honor to sit amongst them and to see the good nature of their work.
The Buckinghams—Peter, Chris, and Jonathan—put that together, and I am grateful to them. Jody and Sharon are gifts to the world, and that shows in their patience and kindness. I would not be who I am without Chris and would not have wanted it any other way. She is extremely wise and caring, an unassuming treasure to the profession. It is true—just as I stand amongst the thousands of people whose lives are better because of meeting Chris, the counseling profession is better because Chris became a professional counselor.
Yvette Haley is another treasure, a sister from another mother and father. I smile when I see her helping others. I cheer for Darrell and the tried and true devotion that they share. Her encouragement is powerfully inspiring. And I look forward to seeing that book that we’ve always talked about working on together. It will be my honor.
And, I have had clients, so many clients that I have laughed, cried, and contended with for good. They inspire me, and they challenge me to be better. They are of immeasurable worth, and I value every moment that I spend with them. I will never in this world know how much I have learned from them. I do hope a little of it has come through in the form of this book. But I am eternally grateful for each client, and the time that they offered me to help them. Any success or improvements that they experience is due to their desire and effort to be better. I rejoice to see them prosper.
