Christmas can (and should) bring a focus back to what really matters.

For me, that's first and foremost reflecting on the real reason we celebrate Christmas to begin with.

I've had to unlearn some things over the years.

I've had to train myself that Christmas is about more than food, presents, holiday parties, and time off.

In what can be a crazy time of the year for some people, I have to remember For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)

I have to remind myself that giving and getting gifts are cool, but Every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17)

Wishing a Merry Christmas to others can be helpful, but a merry heart does good, like medicine (Proverbs 17:22) - and being joyful to those around me is one of the best things I can do.

This is the 103rd email I've sent out to this list in 2024.

104 is scheduled for Friday.

2 emails per week, 52 weeks per year.

That may, or it may not, seem like a lot. If you knew the whole story of what this year has been for us, you'd know it's been both easy and incredibly difficult at times.

That's a lot of thoughts I've had to turn into ideas that can help you be a stronger and healthier version of yourself.

And as much as I hope you've gotten incredible value from them, I've learned a lot along the way too.

In honor of Christmas, here are some things I'm most thankful for reflecting back on the 104 emails I've sent out in 2024:

• I'm thankful God has placed these passions inside of me. Many people I talk to are trying to get healthy, because they feel like it's the right thing to do. I'm thankful, that for nothing special that I've done, that God has fueled a desire to both be healthy and help others be healthy. When I can feel that it's my higher purpose to help build stronger families - it makes it much easier to be consistent in showing up in places like this email list.
• I'm thankful for my wife, who supports me to go for it...especially when she can't see the whole picture. This can apply to so many things - whether us moving across country 5-6 months pregnant, pivoting in our business, or pursuing my health and fitness passions. I can 100% guarantee that 100+ emails would not have been sent if not for her support for me and our family.
• I'm thankful for my kids, and the reminder of pure joy and love that they show regardless of how I'm performing. It doesn't matter whether I have a good day or bad day. It doesn't matter whether I write something that impacts thousands of you reading or just one person. They love Dad...simply because he's Dad. It keeps me humble and focused on what really matters as I chase various goals I have. My view of health and fitness, and therefore the things I write about, have changed greatly over the past 3+ years of being a Dad.
• I'm thankful for my family of choice. We're blessed to have people in our life that would do anything for us, that have allowed us to lean on them during tougher times, and that love us through every easy and challenging season. If there's one thing God has taught me in 2024, it's how important and challenging it is to develop these relationships. But how worth it is.
• I'm thankful for my health. I wasn't motivated enough while writing this to go back and count how many training sessions I logged this year, but I do know one thing. By the grace of God, I did not miss a single workout session this year due to being sick, being in pain or being injured, or not having energy to get up early. Sure, there are some things I do consistently that make that more likely (that I've written about over the past year) - but a full year of hard training without any setbacks is not normal.
• I'm thankful for my experiences. Lindsey and I laugh as I think back to all the things I've tried over the years. 25% of them were borderline stupid or unhealthy. 50% were probably just a waste of time. And 75% of them I probably wouldn't do again if I had the choice. Yet every experience has not been wasted. Each thing I've tried has given me more content to write about. More stories to share with you. More lessons of what hasn't worked (and a realization of the few things that really do work). 
• I'm thankful for all of you. There is a lot of noise in the health and fitness space. Everyone is a 'health coach' or 'online trainer' these days. Your neighbor probably has a podcast. That jacked dude with his shirt off in every Instagram reel makes it hard to focus. Yet these emails get opened thousands of times every single week. In a time where no one seems to have enough time or attention, and everyone is seemingly trying to sell something, I'm thankful that you continue to get value from this content that I'm thankful I get to share.

Thank you for allowing me to serve you as you pursue a stronger life.

It's a journey, that if you choose to pursue fully in this coming year, you will not regret.

You'll be better for you. You'll be better for your family. And you'll be better for those around you.

Merry Christmas,

Dr. Dave