At Purpose Nation, we are thankful to our God, to our families and to all of you -- our supporters!
Since we launched the Purpose Nation Podcast in August, thanks to your interest and support, episodes of the Podcast have been played nearly 30,000 times! We are also very thankful for our Podcast guests, including nine of them who sent along their own messages of thanks below (in alphabetical order by last name). We asked them what they are most thankful for in their careers and personal lives. Thank you again all for your support and enjoy the messages below.
Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Stephen Barr, PhD, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware (Podcast Episode #12)
"I have to say, fundamentally, the thing I'm most grateful for is that I exist at all. I mean God is the source of being. He is the Creator of all things. Everything we have, our very existence, our minds, our bodies, everything, our senses, our faculties of reason, our ability to see and smell and hear everything and our intelligence and skills everything is a gift from God.
And so I'm grateful for everything. I really can't pick one thing out and say I'm grateful just for that because I'm grateful for the whole thing. I wouldn't exist at all unless it were God's creative power. And of course for the gift of faith. I suppose if there's one other than the fact that I exist at all it's for the gift of faith."
- An excerpt from our Podcast #12 interview
"[I am thankful for] ...the opportunities we encounter, not just the science part, but I think our opportunities with family. I think the human side always goes beyond the science side. I am most thankful for family and friends."
- Excerpt from an upcoming Podcast episode, stay tuned!
"I am most thankful for God’s gift of awareness and openness to new things. Most of my interesting work came out of trying something new and noticing the surprising results that could have been easily missed.
I am most thankful for the opportunities my new role as Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning are providing me in my continued service to students, and for the support of my family given the demands this role has placed on my time."
- Sent to us from Prof. Dennin
Pat Gelsinger, CEO of VMWare (Podcast Episode #4)
"I have seen the hand of God through my career in profound ways – pulling me from a farming community into tech, moving me to the West Coast, magical moments like managing the 80486 and being Intel’s first CTO and now CEO of VMW – the scarlet thread of His sovereign leaders.
2016 was a horrific year of challenge... with [VMWare] stock going from 80 to 40, son with cancer, a broken foot, executive transitions, collapse of a joint venture, father-in-law passing away.
2017 has a been a year of blessing, stock going to 120, healthy son, recognition and plenty. 2017 a year of Thanksgiving after a year in the desert of challenge and growth!"
- Sent to us from Mr. Gelsinger
Victor Ho, CEO of FiveStars (Podcast Episode Coming Soon)
"There are a lot of things I am thankful for. I am just thankful for God not giving up on me... how often He's provided for me and shown me, yet how often I am unfaithful or driven by other temptations... how many days I even just neglect to do my quiet time as I should or pray as I should... how often I let worldly goals impede my vision... Then through it all, God has just always been there and pursued me regardless. I can't even fathom the depths of the grace and mercy He's shown me. So I guess I am just incredibly grateful for that.
I am hopeful and grateful for how He'll extend that to my wife, she's pregnant right now with our first child... how He'll extend that to our child. I think these are all sort of faith things, too. Intellectually I know that God will be faithful to them also and that God will be as devoted to them as He has been to me. But, there are those parts of you that are nervous, or worried, or doubt. "Hey God, you are going to be there for my kid, right? My wife, you are going to draw her close as relentlessly as you have pursued me, right?" I guess it is kind of a question and a prayer and a thanks all wrapped in one!"
- Excerpt from an upcoming Podcast episode, stay tuned!
Jonathan Lunine, PhD, Professor in the Physical Sciences at Cornell University (Podcast Episode #1)
"I am grateful for everything! My family, my health, my career, and for the opportunity to testify to my own faith through venues like your Podcast and a talk I gave this week at Notre Dame.
I try very hard to confine my prayers to the health of my family and friends, and not to include “this proposal” or “that professional opportunity.” Science is a huge messy tapestry of opportunities, successes and failures; whether something I’m involved in goes or not, whether it is I or a competitor who gets to do something in particular is not for me to either wish or pray for.
I do pray that the young people coming up in planetary exploration will have the chance for the same kinds of incredible opportunities and experiences I have been blessed to have in my career. And for those, I am truly grateful to our Lord."
- Sent to us by Prof. Lunine
Stacy Trasancos, PhD, Scientist, Theologian, Homeschool Mom, Teacher and Author (Podcast Episode #11)
"I am thankful for the periodic table. Like the mother of the seven martyred sons in the Second Book of Maccabees, even in the face of suffering or injustice I can look at the order in creation and remember that God is faithful. I sometimes imagine that I could meet that mother, take a walk with her, and tell her what we know about the order in the atomic realm today.
I am thankful for our family’s move to Texas to be close to my parents and siblings. I left over 20 years ago to move to the Northeast, but now my youngest children can grow up the way I did – in the land of big skies and good-natured folks. It’s so good to be back where people talk right!"
- Sent to us by Dr. Trasancos
Skip Vaccarello, Author and Technology Executive (Podcast Episode #6)
"As I look back at my life, I can see how God had a plan for me, even before I truly knew Jesus as my savior. I most thankful that God blessed me with certain skills and has given me opportunities in high technology, business, and writing that I can use as platforms to encourage others to consider faith.
Although I have enjoyed some success in my career, what gives me the greatest satisfaction is knowing I have helped someone on their spiritual journey and discover who Jesus is and how much he loves them."
- Sent to us by Mr. Vaccarello
"I'm thankful to have a career in science where I have the freedom to explore the mysteries of the universe. I saw God's hand in providing a job when it looked like I wouldn't get a faculty job. I also saw the Lord's miraculously provide funding to do cancer research when it looked like I had hit a dead end and I would not be granted funding to work on cancer.
Personally, I'm thankful that I and my family are healthy and for good friends."
- Sent to us by Prof. Yu