Want to add your own gratitude to the the list? Contact Matt to get what you are grateful for–yes, even Mizzou or KC football–added to the list.
My creator, my family, the opportunity to be part of the VU family. The friends we’ve made here at VU for everything they’ve done to help us through everything. And we can never forget Megan, Lindsey, Amy, Joe, VUR, and everyone with VUF for the BEST and most APPRECIATED birthday surprise ever, and everything they continue to do for us.-Dennis M.
I am grateful for my life, my family and my job/coworkers. I never imagined 2 years ago that God would have blessed me and my daughters by giving us the opportunity to work at VU. I’m thankful for His unending, unconditional love, and the people at VU that allow themselves to be a part of that. I’m excited to see what is next! -Toni B.
I am thankful for each and every one of you who are reading this right now. I am thankful for the time and the energy, sacrifice and dedication that each one of you has made to build this company into what it is. You never know who you are helping, and there may be someone out there who God is leading to this place and God is using you and your passion and the results you deliver to enhance their lives the way all of you have done for me. I am forever grateful for all of you and the lights that you have turned back on in my heart. Thank you all. – Matt T
I’m thankful for the baby in my wife’s belly! –Alberto B.
I am grateful for the opportunity that simply fell in my lap to work here. I wasn’t looking for another job, I was happily employed for 10 years at Aflac. But my life changed on me and I needed to make the appropriate adjustments after my divorce to support my family on my own. And then a couple of old friends (who work here) reached out to me at different times and told me of this amazing place to work. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I am grateful that I was given the strength and the faith to take the leap and give this a try. Love this place! Love my “work family.” –Christina S.
I’m grateful for everything I have, my family, my job and the fact that I have things to be grateful for. –Yvonne C.
I’m grateful for the life God chose to let me continue to live, the many friends and family I get to enjoy it with, and the opportunity to share my testimony on how good He is. –Bryant C.
The list of what I’m grateful for is so long. First, I am grateful that God continues to forgive me and love me and show me His favor, mercy and grace. I am eternally (literally) grateful that Jesus died so that I can go to heaven. I am blessed beyond belief and extremely grateful for my husband (who is my best friend) and daughter. I am also grateful that I have had the opportunity to work for this amazing company. It really has changed my life for the better. I have never once not wanted to come into work for the day. That is itself is amazing! –LeAnn S.
The list goes on and on, but I really would like to express my gratitude for God’s grace, mercy, and the love that he has and gives to each and every one of us. I’m also extremely grateful for a supportive and loving family and to have the opportunity to work for a company that values people and values above all else. –Rebekah B.
Earlier this year, my father in law received the news he had just 6 months left to live. He has lung, liver, adrenal and brain cancer. We thought we wouldn’t be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with him this year. In what has to be a miracle, he is surviving 9 months into his “6 months left” diagnosis. I am thankful for God’s grace that will allow us to celebrate one last Thanksgiving with this dear man. – Sarah H.
I am grateful for a loving, supportive family. This has been a very eventful year for me. I got engaged, got my job at VU, got married, and now I am expecting my first child. I am also 4 weeks away from graduating with my MBA. –Heather H.
I am grateful to work for a company that genuinely cares about me. As a grad student, intern and wife, my schedule is constantly changing and crazy. It is amazing to know that my supervisor and co-workers care not only about the work that needs to be done, but also for my well-being, and are always very understanding during busy exam weeks or when unexpected things arise. I did not have this at my previous job, and it has makes all the difference during stressful weeks. Such a blessing! –Laura H.
My wife, my job, my house, my kids, my parents & extended family, my church family, my friends, my in-laws, my ex-wife. –Matt W.
I am truly thankful for so much in life. I have had 3 tumors in 3 years. My first, was called a terratoma (look it up at your own risk – a very weird rare tumor). Anyway….I was engaged to my now husband, but at that time we were not yet married and just starting our life together. They had to remove my left ovary and ¾ of my right ovary during the extraction of the tumor. Then, a year later and only 2 months before getting married, a breast tumor. Then, another 6 months or so later another ovarian tumor on the piece of my right ovary that was still left. I went into surgery to remove that tiny little piece of my right ovary that was left, and trying to somehow digest the fact that I would never have biological kids of my own. I was utterly devastated beyond words. I’m lying on the surgery prep table with my gown on and my hair in the hair net, and as the anesthesiologist was prepping my arm, the nurse starts screaming for the anesthesiologist to stop. My last minute pregnancy test that Boone Hospital does showed positive!!! We ended up having a miscarriage – but I KNOW that pregnancy test showed positive just to stop that surgery, because just two short months later we got pregnant again, and now have a beautiful, healthy, perfect little 1 year old boy – AND NO TUMOR. The doctors have no explanation how the tumor has disappeared, but I know it was all through the power of prayer. Not to mention I was able to conceive with only ¼ ovary total and no fertility drugs. I’ve said all this to circle back around to the fact that faith is very important to me, and I’m SO thankful to have the faith forums and events like this to keep me focused on my faith. –Kim B.
I am thankful for the life God has chosen for me, including my job (and the bad jobs I have held in the past that help me to appreciate this one!), my husband and the fact that he is the perfect helpmate for me, and the child due in February that God is entrusting to us. –Tamra R.
The opportunity to be here at VU, a significant turn and growth in my life journey. I am thankful for each and every person I have had the opportunity to get to know. I am amazed at the consistently great interaction with everyone and that the values are lived throughout this organization! I am thankful for the leadership team who have built a solid home foundation that touches so many lives…in so many ways. I am humbled by it all. –Wendy W.
I’m really thankful for all the opportunities and encouragement to grow while I’ve been working here for the last 3.5 years. The culture that we have here at VU to share, care, and lend a hand for others is incredible. The compassion and grace that I have seen from my coworkers is truly an inspiration & motivation for me to make each day better than the last. Also, I’m really thankful to still have the use of all my limbs, and be able to live independently. – Emily A.
First of all, I am blessed to have great parents and two sisters whom I am quite proud of. The baby, Meredith, happens to work in the Lighthouse Dept. She rocks it out over there! Next, I am thankful for my husband and my amazing daughters, Mary, Claire, and Grace. My daughters are my life and I pray that I will be a good role model for them daily. I must admit they do keep my hair stylist and dermatologist in business . . . DRAMA! I am so thankful for my second family, my family at VUHL. Brock went out on a limb and let me apply for this position 4 years ago when I was about at the bottom of hell, I thought. I was depressed, drinking heavily, having seizures, and feeling worthless. Then, I was blessed with the opportunity to prove myself to the company. I am thankful for that opportunity! I am not very gifted nor intelligent, but have brought a lot of my heart and soul here. I got to start out with Nick Herman at the Lighthouse. Wow! What an amazing person to learn from and the most awesome department to be a part of. We were enhancing lives from 6 AM to 6 PM. I loved every minute of it there and I loved my teammates. Unfortunately, all of the state testing came about and anxiety got the best of me again. But, I had faith that things would be okay. I am very committed to this company and trusted my leaders. Luckily, I was given a chance to use my customer service skills to obtain an agent relations advocate position working for Wendy Wiederhold. Another great opportunity to learn and grow under one of the best! And, I am able to help people every day! Without going into my whole life story, I will say that I have worked since I was 12 years old, kind of a work-a-holic! I have picked up garbage, been spit on as a teacher, threatened as a principal, and cursed at as a consultant. But, none of that matters as long as I am helping people and doing my best every day to be the person God wants me to be. I have a lot of work to do, but each day I get a little closer. VUHL has helped me grow as a professional, a parent, a friend, and as a Christian. So, those are a few things I am thankful for. I guess I should add Zoey, my dog, and my best buds! Oh, and my running shoes and coffee! –Anne B.
I attached a letter we received from Afghanistan from a soldier who received gloves we helped pay for. The letter hangs next to my desk, I don’t know if it’s a man or woman who wrote it, but I think about this letter all the time and how seriously lucky I am to have people like SPC Small stepping up in the world and reminding me our freedom is most definitely not free. That is something I am grateful for! –Dani W.
God has been so good to me so I am grateful every morning for the life I have. –Stephanie D.
I am grateful first for my God who has provided everything that I hold dear to me. I am grateful for my wonderful family, for their love and companionship, for the fact that they make me a better man that I may be otherwise. I am grateful and proud to live in this country where I am free and for those men and women, as well as their families, that have and do sacrifice so much to preserve those freedoms. I am grateful for my new work home at Veterans United, I had almost given up hope, that there was a place like this but I was again blessed to find it. I look forward to the many years to come and opportunity to Enhance lives with Passion and Integrity. If I have to be away from my family, I am grateful that it is here at Veterans United. –Dan B.
I am grateful for my son. God works in mysterious ways especially when I was told I could not have children. With being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 15, I was told there was not even hope. But I beat the odds and have a very healthy boy. He is my Miracle! I am grateful for all of my family and friends. Without them, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am grateful my church has finally found land to build. I am grateful for VU of giving me the opportunity to work here. I have only been here a short time and everyone has been welcoming me into their little VU family. I am very blessed! Most importantly….. I am thankful for Jesus Christ! –Nicole G.