Thankful Thursday: The People Who Step Into the Dream

October 1, 2026

A Note Before We Begin

Fair warning: this is long and in no particular order. Every person listed here is instrumental in shaping my sweet and amazing life, and I will not apologize for the length. And when I say “life,” I am not talking about things or time. Life is people.

I recommend you grab your coffee and maybe a tissue (personal note)…this will take a minute or 18.

This list is not complete, because I am surely forgetting something or someone right now. 😂 But every person mentioned here has left fingerprints on my heart, my family, and The Twisted Compass.

🧭 Compass Heading

Gratitude for the people helping The Twisted Compass find its way.

🧭 Compass Bearing

Notice the people who show up, roll up their sleeves, and say, “What can I do?”

🧭 Compass Thought

There is a lot of my heart in The Twisted Compass. But as we get ready to celebrate the website launch, I keep seeing how much of everybody else’s heart is in it, too.

The ideas, the photos, the encouragement. The time spent figuring things out. The people who want to participate, contribute, and be part of what this is becoming.

And the dishes.

We cannot have this conversation without discussing the dishes. 😂

Mike, you bring your can-do attitude to this adventure Every. Single. Day. You make room for the work, the mess, the next idea, and all the unexpected turns that come with loving someone whose brain is always creating something new. You do not just support The Twisted Compass; you’re a partner. You listen to my ideas, encourage my dreams, help carry the practical load, and somehow manage to keep showing up with patience, humor, and a willingness to figure things out alongside me.

You are loyal in ways that steady me. You are dedicated in ways that remind me I am not walking through life alone. You keep choosing us, choosing our family, and choosing to give your best, even when the day is long or the task is not glamorous. You are committed to being the best man, husband, partner, and friend you can be, and I see the effort you put into that every day.

You are my best bestie. The person I can laugh with, dream with, vent to, and count on. You know my quirks, my big ideas, my unfinished thoughts, and my tendency to turn one simple project into twelve additional projects. You have seen me at my strongest and my most overwhelmed, and you continue to love me through all of it. That kind of loyalty is a gift I never want to take for granted.

You have also loved our family with an open heart. You have accepted my girl and my grands, not as an obligation, but as people who matter to you because they matter to me. You make room for them, care about them, encourage them, and love them in your own genuine way. Watching you embrace them and become part of their lives means more to me than I can fully explain. You understand that loving me means loving the people I love, and you do that with generosity and grace.

Behind the recipes, pictures, stories, and plans is a man helping make the everyday work possible. You wash All. The. Dishes. You help create the space where this dream can grow. You give me room to be creative while still helping keep my feet on the ground. I see it all, Mike. I see your loyalty, your dedication, your patience, your humor, your commitment, and your love.

And I love you for every bit of it.

Josh, thank you for your amazing work developing the website and making it functional. You have stepped into this dream with me, listened to what matters to me, and helped turn it into something people can actually visit. You have also put up with my ever-evolving vision, which apparently does not believe in sitting still. Thank you for hearing me through all the revisions.

Suzanne, thank you for your steady guidance as I learn to navigate my emotions and help my brain work more effectively and efficiently. Quite a challenge, I may add. 😂 There are a lot of tabs open up there, and several are playing music. Your wisdom, professionalism, patience, and direction mean so much to me.

Vivian, my very First Florida Bestie of 42 years, you know everything about me. Everything—the good, the bad, the beautiful, the messy, and all the parts I might prefer to keep tucked away. You have seen me clearly and still love me anyway. That kind of love is rare, and I never want to treat it casually.

We have been through it. We have walked through hard seasons, confusing seasons, exhausting seasons, and seasons that tested every bit of strength we had. We have laughed until we cried and cried until we collapsed—together. Always together.

You are one of the people who knows how to sit with me in the middle of life without needing to fix every piece of it. You know when I need advice, when I need honesty, when I need encouragement, and when I simply need you beside me. You have been a safe place, a steady place, and a place where I can be completely myself.

There is no way this life is complete without you in it. You are woven into my story, my memories, my laughter, my tears, and the person I have become. You have brought your business expertise, content ideas, photos, creativity, and whole heart to The Twisted Compass, but your greatest contribution is simply you.

And yes, we have already requested that our mansions in Heaven be connected. I expect a shared walkway, adjoining porches, and absolutely no need to make appointments before dropping by. If Heaven is home, then I want my home connected to yours.

Thank you for loving me through everything. Thank you for staying, showing up, laughing, crying, and walking beside me through every twist and turn. I love you more than words can hold, and I cannot imagine this life without you.

Blakely, my girl, my ride or die, thank you for being so much more to me than a daughter and a contributor to The Twisted Compass. You are one of my safest places and one of the people I know I can count on when life gets complicated, inconvenient, or downright ridiculous. You bring your creativity, your ideas, your family, and your whole heart to this Compass, and I am so grateful for every piece of yourself you share.

You have a way of showing up that makes me feel less alone. You listen to my ideas, encourage my dreams, help me think through the details, and remind me that I can keep going when I start to question myself. You question me when I’m losing control…in your opinion. 😂 You understand the vision, but you also understand the person behind it. That is a rare and precious gift.

And let us be honest: you are also my future caretaker when I am old and feeble. I fully expect you to keep me fed (with Twisted Compass-approved recipes), entertained, and pointed in the right direction when my knees, memory, or common sense begin to fail me, which may be sooner rather than later. 😳 I may need help finding my glasses while they are sitting on top of my head, but I know you will be there to help me laugh about it. You are my ride or die now, and apparently my designated keeper later. I could not ask for anyone better.

And Dylan…

Dylan, you are our assigned pray-er, the man who did not know that marrying Blakely meant inheriting her mother and an entire village.

You are an AMAZING father. I love watching you love, guide, protect, encourage, and raise those babies. You are intentional with them, patient with them, and present in the ways that matter most. The way you show up as their dad is one of the greatest gifts you give our family.

But you did not just marry my daughter. You became part of all of us. You stepped into a family with history, opinions, personalities, traditions, noise, love, and enough moving parts to keep anyone on their toes. And somehow, you have embraced the whole village.

You are the son I always wanted. I love you like I pushed you out, and you will forever be my favorite…I mean, everyone already knows that! 😂😂😂

Thank you for loving my girl so well. Thank you for loving Cora and Roan and Fletcher so deeply. Thank you for praying for us, standing with us, participating in our lives, and making room for this family in your heart. Thank you for being willing to be part of The Twisted Compass and for letting your babies be part of this story.

You bring strength, humor, faith, and steadiness to our family. You are not standing on the outside of the village looking in. You are one of the people helping hold it together.

I am so grateful God brought you into our family. I love you more than you probably realize, and I am thankful every day that you are ours.

When I think of you, I’m moved to tears by how grateful I am to have you in our lives. It’s real big…😭

Cora and Roan, my Little Compass explorers, your excitement about having an active role in this makes my Grammy heart just about burst. You want to help. You want to create. You want to be part of it. That means more to me than you know.

You are part of the reason I keep going. You remind me that what we build today can become something meaningful for tomorrow. I want you to grow up surrounded by people who love you well, tell you the truth, point you toward Jesus, celebrate your gifts, and show you that family is something we choose, nurture, and protect.

I love the idea of you growing up with The Twisted Compass and finding your own places within it. Maybe you will help with recipes, stories, photographs, questions, adventures, or ideas we have not even imagined yet. Maybe you will point us toward something new when the rest of us are busy following an old trail. Whatever your contributions become, I hope you always know that your voices matter here.

You are already part of the Little Compass—the small but important direction that helps guide this bigger journey. Your curiosity, creativity, and excitement remind me that the future of The Twisted Compass is not only something I am building for you; it is something I hope you will help shape in your own way.

Fletcher, Mills, and Stella, my sweet little Compass babies, you may not yet understand what The Twisted Compass is or how much you already inspire it. But you bring so much joy into our lives simply by being you.

Your smiles, your innocence, your growing personalities, and all the little surprises you bring into each day make us want to burst with love. You keep us laughing, watching, learning, and staying on our toes. Every new expression, new word, new discovery, and new bit of mischief reminds us how precious this life is.

You may be too young to know that you are part of something bigger, but you are already woven into the heart of it. You inspire us to keep building a place filled with love, faith, family, stories, laughter, and memories you can one day understand and enjoy.

You remind us to slow down and notice the small things. You remind us that joy can be found in a smile, a giggle, a curious question, a tiny hand reaching for ours, or a personality beginning to shine through. You keep our hearts tender and our lives wonderfully full.

You are not only part of the future of The Twisted Compass; you are part of the reason it exists. We are building with you in mind—with the hope that you will grow up surrounded by people who love you fiercely, guide you faithfully, and celebrate every part of who you become.

You grands are better than ice cream and more fun than a roller coaster. You are some of the greatest gifts God has given our family, and I am so proud of each of you. I cannot wait to see where your little compasses lead you.

Amy and Kayla, my bonus children, thank you for the place you have made for me in your lives. I love you both like you are my own, and I hope you always know that. You are not simply people connected to my family; you are part of my heart and part of the family I hold close.

I am grateful for the stories, experiences, laughter, and everyday moments you share with me. I love hearing what is happening in your lives, learning who you are becoming, and being included in the ordinary moments that become some of the most meaningful ones. I look forward to seeing you and spending time with you—always. Time with you is something I genuinely treasure and anticipate.

I also love the way you love Blakely and her babies. Watching you care for them, encourage them, laugh with them, and make room for them fills my heart in a way that is hard to describe. The love you give them is beautiful, and it means so much to me because they mean so much to me. Seeing all of you together reminds me how blessed I am by the family God has given us.

When we are all together, it is the best of the best. Those are the moments that become treasured memories—the laughter, the conversations, the stories, the chaos, the hugs, and the simple joy of being in the same place with people we love. I hold those times close, and I look forward to every opportunity to make more of those memories with you.

Thank you for being willing to participate, share your lives with me, and be part of this journey. The Compass is richer because of you, but more than that, my life is richer because you are in it. I love you both deeply, and I am so thankful that I get to love you like my own.

And James and David—don’t blame me. Amy and Kayla signed you up for this, so you are now officially members of the village.

You are loved and cherished for the way you love our girls. David, we honor your love and commitment to your children. We see you both, and we have the highest praise and respect for the level of commitment you each bring to our family.

We love the entertainment value you each bring to every day we get to spend with you! You keep us laughing, shaking our heads, and grateful for the joy you add to this wonderfully chaotic village.

Welcome to the family village. You are officially in it now. There is no escape. 😂

Katelyn, my girl, my appointed daughter - you resemble me in more ways than just looks. 🧡 Your ideas and suggestions are always rich.

You challenge me to think bigger and encourage me to consider possibilities I might otherwise dismiss. You even challenged me to do a podcast—something I never thought I would do. My first thought was, “Who would listen to me?”

You would, Katelyn. You would listen to me, and that is enough for me. One of these days, I’ll be in your ear all day - cheering you on and blazing new trails…all because you asked.

You are one of my biggest cheerleaders. You see far more talent and wisdom in me than I often see in myself, and you believe in me with a confidence that leaves me humbled. You encourage me in ways mere words cannot describe, reminding me of what may be possible when I am tempted to doubt myself. Your belief in me is a gift I do not take for granted, and I am deeply grateful for you.

Mom Nana aka Baby Hog - thank you for always asking, “What can I do to help?” That willingness to serve is one of the ways you have shown us what love looks like.

You also helped keep Jesus at the center of our family. You taught us that faith is lived through prayer, perseverance, forgiveness, service, and showing up for one another—not just talked about on Sundays.

Your faith helped shape the way I see people, family, service, and gratitude. It is part of why I want The Twisted Compass to be more than a collection of recipes, stories, and photographs. I want it to be a place where people feel welcomed, encouraged, remembered, and reminded that the ordinary pieces of life can hold meaning.

I want our grandbabies to see what you taught us lived out in the generations that follow. I want them to recognize that true love is patient, faithful, forgiving, and present. I want them to know that true friendship is loyal, honest, joyful, and willing to walk through hard things. Most of all, I want them to see that loving Jesus is not just something we say. It is something we live.

Marcia, my bestie for almost 36 years, Blakely’s other mother, bonus grandma to my grands—the one and only Aunt Mushy.

Your love is bigger than the solar system, and your generosity has made room for our whole village. You have welcomed us onto your beautiful ranch as if it were our home.

And it is.

Birthdays, weddings, funerals, celebrations, and ordinary days—we have lived so much life together there. Bits of my story are sprinkled across that property, and every visit feels like coming home.

You do not simply open your gates; you open your life. Your home, your land, your family, your heart. You make room for our laughter, tears, noise, and all the beautiful chaos we bring along.

And now you’re hosting our Twisted Compass website launch—family gathering number 1,001, give or take. At this point, we should probably have our own parking spaces. 😂

Your ranch is beautiful, but what makes it feel like home is you. You have loved us up close, shown up when it mattered, and made sure we know we belong.

Thank you for the memories already made and the ones still ahead. Your hospitality is priceless, and your friendship is one of the great gifts of my life.

I love you more than words can say.

Rhonda, my mince-no-words, passionate, God-loving Bestie of 30-ish years (help me do the math 🤪), you are absolutely amazing—and so much fun. You have a way of telling me the truth while still making me laugh, and I love that about you. Your honesty is refreshing, your faith is genuine, and your friendship is a gift.

Thank you for being my meal prep partner and my Whole30 partner. There is something special about having someone beside you who understands the goals, the struggles, the cravings, and the occasional need to ask, “Does this count?” 😂 You make the process more enjoyable, more accountable, and a whole lot more fun.

I love the way you and Stephen show up in our lives. You bring warmth, laughter, encouragement, and a willingness to be present. You do not just say you care; you make room, participate, and show it in tangible ways. I am grateful for your friendship, your faith, your passion, your honesty, and every bit of fun you bring with you.

Thank you for being exactly who you are and for loving me exactly as I am. I am so thankful God placed you in my life.

Rebecca, my most recent bestie addition of 18-ish years, thank you for continuing to show up and share my dream in such a tangible way. You do not simply encourage The Twisted Compass with kind words; you help it grow through your time, your insight, and your willingness to step into the work alongside me.

Your financial wisdom and grasp of financial planning are invaluable. You see details I might miss, ask questions I need to answer, and help me understand the practical side of turning a dream into something sustainable. You have a gift for directing and redirecting with patience, clarity, and kindness. Even when my thoughts are scattered or my ideas are multiplying, you help me find the next right step without making me feel foolish for needing direction.

You bring wisdom, steadiness, and a willingness to help me make this dream stronger. I am so grateful for the way you show up, for the way you believe in what The Twisted Compass can become, and for the friendship between us.

And to all of our grown children and our grandbabies, you are the heart behind so much of what we are building.

We want you to see what true love looks like—not perfect love, but faithful love. The kind that stays, forgives, serves, laughs, cries, works, prays, and keeps choosing one another.

We want you to know what true friendship feels like—the kind that tells the truth with kindness, takes responsibility when things go wrong, celebrates your joy, carries your burdens, and walks beside you through every twist and turn.

We want you to see what people who love Jesus live like—not people who pretend to have everything figured out, but people who keep turning toward Him, keep learning, keep serving, keep forgiving, and keep loving others because He first loved us.

You are our prize in this life. Better than ice-cream. More fun than a rollercoaster. More precious than any possession, accomplishment, or dream.

You are our legacy.

You are part of what we are building, part of why we are building it, and part of the future we hope to share. Our prayer is that when you look back one day, you will see more than recipes, stories, photographs, and memories. We hope you see a village built with love. We hope you see a family that wanted to give you roots, direction, faith, laughter, and a safe place to come home to.

And to everyone who has followed, liked, shared, or encouraged The Twisted Compass: thank you. Every time you pass a post along, tell someone about us, or take a moment to join in, you help this little dream reach another person.

What touches me most is that my people want to be part of it. They are bringing their own gifts and finding their own place in this story.

I thank God for that. For willing hands, patient hearts, practical help, honest friendship, generous spirits, shared lives, and people who love me through a vision that is still unfolding.

Today, I want to notice that help and name it. I want the people behind this website—and the people who are helping shape its future—to know how deeply they are loved and appreciated.

The Compass has a whole lot of fingerprints on it.

And thanks to Mike, considerably fewer dirty dishes.

🧭 Compass Verse

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,”
— Philippians 1:3, NASB

🙏 Compass Prayer

Lord, thank You for the people who are helping bring this dream to life. Thank You for their gifts, their patience, their honesty, their friendship, and their willingness to show up. Thank You for the people who taught us about faith and helped keep Jesus in focus as we were growing up. Thank You for the example of a life lived through prayer, service, forgiveness, perseverance, and love.

Thank You especially for our grandbabies. Thank You for the joy, hope, laughter, and inspiration they bring into our lives. Help us build a village around them that shows them what true love and true friendship look and feel like, and how to live a life centered on Jesus.

Help us carry forward the faith, love, and lessons we have received. Help us create a legacy that gives them roots, direction, belonging, and a place to find their way home.

Help me notice the contributions of the people around me, speak my gratitude, and love them well in return. Guide The Twisted Compass so that what we create serves others, honors You, and becomes a meaningful part of the future for those we love.

May our children and grandbabies always know that they are our prize in this life, our joy, and our legacy. Amen.

Find Your Way Home.

🧡 Karen
The Twisted Compass

Notice More. Love Well. Gather Often.

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