When God visited, Sean of the South, Nov. 23, 2022

You probably didn’t hear about it. But yesterday, God visited earth.

Contrary to what you’ve heard, God is a big fan of people. He’s a huge fan. In fact, that’s why he came.

His visit was an under-the-radar thing. It was non-publicized. God wasn’t in it for press.

First, he came to Birmingham, Alabama. Of all places.

He stepped into a sleepy hospital corridor last night, and wandered the aisles barefoot. He stopped in the room of a little girl with terminal brain cancer.

The little girl was sleeping. He touched her bald little head. She never even knew he was there. All she knew was that she was dreaming of “angels and stuff.”

When the little girl awoke, something wonderful had happened. Something almost too impossible to believe.

Her mother was seated beside her bed. Asleep in her chair. The little girl sat upright. She stretched her arms. She yawned. She remarked how good she felt. Doctors checked her out. They couldn’t believe she felt “good.”

Because for the last six months, the child has felt like heck. For the last six months, the little girl has been dying. But today, something had shifted. All the treatments. All the therapy. Something was working.

Turns out, the scans the doctor sent away had come back all clear. The child okay. Not just a-little-bit okay. She is totally fine. No traces of cancer. Not a single bit. This child will live.

“My baby will live,” said her mother.

After that, God went to Oklahoma City. It’s not clear how he got there. Maybe he took a Greyhound. Maybe he flew. Maybe God doesn’t take public transportation. Maybe he just did the Star Trek thing, and beamed himself up.

Either way, he landed in a little town outside Oklahoma City. A dusty town which shall remain nameless, because it is small, and everyone knows everyone’s business.

There was an old man who was was suicidal. He is Cherokee. He was locked in his bathroom. He had the gun. He was going to do it. Really going to do it.

But then something warm washed all over him and told him, in an audible voice, “Don’t do it. Rachel drew you a picture.”

He stepped out of his bathtub when he heard the phone ring. It was his granddaughter. She was Facetiming him.

“Hey Grandpa,” said the 6-year-old child. “I called because I just drew you a picture.”

Her name is Rachel.

Then God then traveled to Oregon. The 33rd state. A state with rainforests, mountains and harsh deserts. God must have taken a pretty fast plane because he got there in just the nick of time.

There was a young man named Rob who was having a heart attack in his home. Rob is 26. He was standing in his hallway, and he was so scared. It’s not every day a 26-year-old collapses in his hallway, clutching his chest in terror.

“Don’t let me die, God,” Rob uttered.

When he woke up, he was in the ICU. The doctors said he had been dead for several minutes before they revived him.

His mother, who was sitting beside his hospital bed asked what he’d seen when he was clinically dead.

Rob said, “I just met my father.”

The young man’s father has been dead since he was a toddler. He’s only seen pictures.

“What did he say to you?” his mother asked.

“He said something about Baltimore, Maryland.”

His mother started crying.

“Why are you crying, Mom?” the kid asked.

“I never told you this, but your father asked me to marry him in Baltimore.”

Listen, I don’t know where this letter finds you tonight. I don’t know what you’re doing right now, or where you are spending Thanksgiving.

I don’t know whether you’re happy or sad. I don’t care whether you’re religious or not. Thanksgiving is one day away. And I don’t give the tiniest crap what you’ve heard, I want you to know that no matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, God is your biggest fan.

I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving this year.

Thanksgiving - Sean of the South (seandietrich.com)

Continental Congress Thanksgiving Proclamation

The first proclamation in the independent United States was issued by John Hancock as President of the Continental Congress as a day of fasting on March 16, 1776. The first national Thanksgiving was celebrated on December 18, 1777, and the Continental Congress issued National Thanksgiving Day proclamations each year between 1778 and 1784. The one I read today for my devotions was The Congressional Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1779. An on-line search reveals many such proclamations, including those from colonies, states, Congress and presidents. The importance of God comes and goes in these government documents, with President Trump the winner with 29 in only one term. Nixon and Ford didn't mention God at all in one of theirs. In number, because he had 4 terms, FDR said the most about God in Thanksgiving proclamations. But over the years, the theme of the Thanksgiving proclamations from our Presidents shifted from thanking and petitioning God to extolling American values.

(from the 1779 document) " . . . to beseech him that he would be graciously pleased to influence our public councils, and bless them with wisdom from on high, with unanimity, firmness, and success; that he would go forth with our hosts and crown our arms with victory; that he would grant to his Church the plentiful effusions of divine grace, and pour out his Holy Spirit on all ministers of the Gospel; that he would bless and prosper the means of education, and spread the light of Christian knowledge through the remotest corners of the earth; . . . "

Now thank we all our God, story of a favorite hymn

I confess. I had zero European history classes in college. So I'll take a non-recommended stop at Wikipedia for the 30 Years War, 1618-48. There are better, more complete sources--but it was 30 years, so I won't look for them.

"The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle, famine, and disease, while some areas of what is now modern Germany experienced population declines of over 50%. Related conflicts include the Eighty Years' War, the War of the Mantuan Succession, the Franco-Spanish War, and the Portuguese Restoration War."

I did learn in high school (1950s) that it was a religious war, but more recent scholarship has called it political. But Protestant and Catholic monarchs were certainly fighting each other. Based on the size of populations at that time, I'd guess not until the Communists killed 100 million in the 20th century was there a war that took such a large percent of the population. Famine and disease also contributed to the death toll in the 17th c.

I mention this because the beautiful hymn we usually sing on Thanksgiving Day, "Now thank we all our God," by Martin Rinkart (a Lutheran pastor) was written during this terrible war. At the height of the plague of 1637 he was the only minister left in his city to care for the sick and dying. If he could thank God at that terrible time in history, so can we.

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom his world rejoices;

who from our mothers' arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world in the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

English translation Catherine Winkworth

Melissa uses Paris Hilton's recipe for brinning a turkey

This year, I did a dry brine for the first time. Usually, I soak the bird in salt water and some other things. Instead, I pulled a recipe from Paris Hilton's cooking show. Yes, she has one. No, she cannot cook. That's the premise. A rich girl who has always been fed learns to cook. Anyway, I'm sharing the recipe with you here because it turned out so great that it's going to be my new go-to:

Salt 1/2 Cup

Sugar 1/2 Cup

Ground black pepper 1/4 Cup

Garlic Powder 1/4 Cup

Dried Thyme 1/4 Cup

Dried Oregano 1/4 Cup

Dried Sage 2 TBSP

Dried Rosemary 2 TBSP

Paprika 2 TBSP

Rub this all over, in and out, place in fridge uncovered, overnight.

Next day, take a soft stick of butter and grease down the skin, under the skin.

Cut 1 apple, 1 lemon, 1/2 onion and put in the bird.

Pour 1 1/2 cup of white wine (I used red) into the bottom of the pan.

NOTE: The thing that scared me is that it seemed like all the fluid came out of the turkey came out after the brine and that I'd end up with Chevy Chase's turkey from Christmas Vacation. I went with it, though. Turkey turned out fine and flavorful. Loved it and it produced a spicy gravy that was also excellent. Highly recommend!

Spinal Health for Thanksgiving

Dr. Ken Hansraj, spinal surgeon 

1. Maintain good posture the entire time. Proper digestion only occurs when we are sitting up straight. Good posture is defined as ears aligned with the shoulders and the “angel wings,” or the shoulder blades, retracted. In proper alignment, spinal stress is diminished. Recent studies show that gastric emptying is significantly delayed in the supine position when compared to a sitting position.

Furthermore, “If you’re slouched over your plate, food cannot travel to the stomach in time for your body to tell your brain it’s getting full; it can take twice as long; thus, causing you to eat twice as much leaving you full and tired.

2. A brief family meditation for peace and happiness. Coming back together as a family means leaving many personal worlds of happiness, sadness and development behind. Take time out to honor and recognize this transition. Sit quietly together, hold hands and briefly recognize the personal worlds. Then state an intention to have a great family get together.

3. Deep Belly Breathing: Deep belly breathing helps with digestion of food by enhancing motion of the belly and its food contents. Deeper yet though it serves to improve the motion of the spinal segments, spinal cord and nerve roots, and it increases the cerebrospinal fluid motion and distribution. Deep breathing might also decrease the swelling of the deranged spine joints and the nerve roots causing less pain. Deep belly breathing in itself will help you to feel better.

Dr. Ken Says” A deep breath of clean fresh air is as soothing to the body as a large glass of cool water on a hot summer day” so place your hands on your belly and breathe deeply to feel your belly move. Repeat this all day.

4. Small bites and small breaks will allow you to enjoy a steady-paced meal without needing to slow down or stop eating entirely. Take small bites of the highly caloric sides like mashed potatoes, stuffing and cheesy casseroles, but load up your fork with Turkey and string beans. Take a 5-minute break between each helping to allow your stomach to catch up with your eyes.

5. Chat, “Take time out to engage in and enjoy the conversations around the table. When you are actively engaged and fully involved in a fulfilling conversation then you spend less time eating and more time feeling externally better. The craving for food and internal satisfaction diminishes” Ask each person how they are doing. Find out about their little inner workings in life. Your family will manifest happiness, and then you become happier leaving you with less of a desire to binge.

6. Savor your desserts. Use a demitasse spoon to eat. This spoon is diminutive, smaller than a teaspoon. Allow the dessert to sit on your tongue for a minute. Allow the two to 8 thousand taste buds on your tongue to delight in the vanilla or chocolate, cinnamon, and other contents. Feel the texture and temperature of each bite. Train your taste buds to enjoy and delight in the taste and textures. Otherwise you become involved in volume consumption. This is where you eat so much to feel that your belly is full.

Dr. Ken says, “Evening out the trajectory of a meal that can last 3-4 hours takes some purposeful technique. On average, it takes between 12-14 minutes for our bodies to recognize we’re full. Keeping this in mind, begin your dinner with small thoughtful fork-full and pay attention to your body’s signals. It will tell you when to take a break, so you can save room for dessert!

7. Mini Chair Exercises (bends and twists) help you keep your blood pumping and metabolism working. Bending to the right or left (as if you were picking up a fork you dropped) and sideways twists (like you’re greeting a guest behind you) are two small, but effective ways to help your body digest.

Dr. Ken says, “Small range-of-motion exercises help ensure your body’s digestive functions keep up with your food in-take and your blood pressure remains stable. This will help ward off headaches, cramps and gas at the dinner table.

8. After Dinner Walk. Schedule a family walk after dinner. Walking helps digestion of food and builds a togetherness of the tribe. It is a great family routine to build. People start to feel better because the spine joints and the spinal nerves start moving with walking. One of the fastest ways to develop back or neck pain is to remain stagnant. When the spine joints and the spinal nerves do not move, then they can cause pain.

Dr. Ken Hansraj is a New York based spinal surgeon who has dedicated more than 20 years of his life to helping people in every country improve their spinal health. Dr. Ken’s LIFT: Meditations to Boost Back Health releases January 1, 2022 wherever songs are sold.

Enjoying summer's bounty

 For breakfast this morning I had 2 biscuits warmed up (left over from dinner a few days ago) with tart cherry jam.  My daughter has found a summer farmer's market on the east side whose produce she buys in bulk in the summer.  She bought gallons of tart Michigan sour cherries this summer and processed them into jam.  And we're now enjoying it.  She also bought baskets of cukes and using my Mother's recipe for bread and butter pickles and dill pickles, we've had some of that for holiday meals.  She also bought a lot of corn on the cob and wax beans and processed those for the freezer.  Bob hates corn, but the rest of us really enjoyed a taste of summer at Thanksgiving--tasted like we'd just walked into the field and pulled a few ears off the stalk. She sent some home with me after Saturday dinner, and I enjoyed it for Sunday breakfast. I'd often talked about how wonderful watermelon pickles are (the only produce I've ever canned, and that was 1957), so she found a recipe in my Mother's file box, and made them this past summer using tiny little flower shapes.  She also makes cherry pies with highly decorative crusts. The apple butter is scrumptious but perhaps fewer spices next time, she says.  She's considerably added to her costs by then packaging the jars and Fed-exing them to relatives. She often calls her cousin Amy for advice about mom's recipes if she thinks something doesn't sound right, so I know she got some, and her cousin Joan in Indiana who has been so helpful to us this past year.  I believe her sisters-in-law in Colorado and Kansas benefited from her generosity, and of course we did too. 

Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving Proclamation, George Washington, 1789

By the President of the United States of America. A Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

Let us answer the call of George Washington to use this opportunity to render unto God our sincere and humble thanks.

Thanksgiving mandates—an opinion

"I think public health experts should not just listen, but HEAR what people are saying. Americans are saying that despite all the damage done by COVID-19, despite the rising cases and at-capacity ICUs around the country, their desire for human connection is so great, that they are willing to take the risk and have Thanksgiving. Americans are, in effect, expressing the longing and desperation of their soul."

"My worry is that the very nature of the modern media ecosystem is to promote messages that spark anger, shame, and fear. The original article hits these emotions. Doctors then tweet messages that amplify the 'shame on them' message and escalate tensions. The reward system of Twitter gives these actors positive feedback with likes and retweets."

Full piece at Medscape.com (need to register, but free) Op-Ed: Demanding Thanksgiving Abstinence Is Not Public Health | MedPage Today

The Thanksgiving lockdown is so convenient

Sometimes we oldsters complain that "kids today" don't know American history as we learned it in the 50s and 60s. But we've learned in 2020 that our elected leaders don't know the history of the 80s and 90s or even the 21st century. A Thanksgiving lock down plays right into the hands of the far-left, cancel culture, kill the sense of national identity and destroy the family game plan. It's like a gift, wrapped with a big bow and delivered by Amazon.

The battle over Thanksgiving and its origins has been going on for at least 40 years. Nasty powerful white Europeans with guns and a foreign religion came and destroyed a benign, peaceful, close to nature indigenous culture. Just google it--the algorithms are all set to find that meme for you in the top 10 listings.

Thanksgiving is not technically a religious holiday, although all religious people understand WHO is getting the thanks. True, it's not called family day on the calendar, but families under any definition or "like family" gather to eat at a table of shared abundance, tell stories, play games and watch football. Marxists can strike their biggest blow--they are anti-religious and anti-family, particularly the nuclear family because those two support the "system" they wish to destroy.

You can read the works of Karl Marx, or Vladimir Lenin, or the mission statement of Black Lives Matter. It's all there.

Baby Alexandria

I rarely remember a sermon--and we have such good pastors. Nothing personal--it's a learning disability I've learned to work around since I was a child. Joe Valentino had such a stunning story in his Thanksgiving sermon it's stayed with me--and I'd love to be able to do what those parents did. I may not have all the details correct, but here's the gist of it.

I remembered seeing a notice in the November 17 bulletin about the death of baby Alexandria, and Joe told her story. This much adored and awaited for little girl had a stroke at birth and didn't die, but she was brain dead. Her parents took her home and made a vow to enjoy every moment of her life, to love and cherish her as if each day were their last together. I could hear gasps from the other pews. I believe she died about a week later, and they had kept their vow. We never know what day is our last together, so always be kind and loving and thankful for the time you have.

Thankful. Gratitude. Grateful.

Be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16.

May we give thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Ephesians 5:30

Thank God! Give him the praise and the glory. Before all the living, acknowledge the many good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Before all men, honor and proclaim God's deeds, and do not be slack in praising him. Tobit 12:6

The word of God for the people of God.

Thanksgiving, November 28, 1872

Whereas the revolution of another year has again brought the time when it is usual to look back upon the past and publicly to thank the Almighty for His mercies and His blessings; and

Whereas if any one people has more occasion than another for such thankfulness it is the citizens of the United States, whose Government is their creature, subject to their behests;

who have reserved to themselves ample civil and religious freedom and equality before the law;

who during the last twelvemonth have enjoyed exemption from any grievous or general calamity, and to whom prosperity in agriculture, manufactures, and commerce has been vouchsafed;

Now, therefore, by these considerations, I recommend that on Thursday, the 28th day of November next, the people meet in their respective places of worship and there make their acknowledgments to God for His kindness and bounty.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 11th day of October, A.D. 1872, and of the Independence of the United States of America the ninety-seventh. U.S. GRANT

If you have a spare prayer this Thanksgiving . . .

The last time we saw Dan was at the funeral of a mutual friend in 2018.  He and Bob used to work together—I only saw his wife at the wonderful Christmas parties.  They had the most beautiful children—dark, Italian and very well behaved.  According to her story, Dan is now disabled and she has arthritis (plus another surgery from 20 years ago over which she has battled insurance companies and doctors without satisfaction).  So she hired a company to rake and take away the leaves.  On Tuesday.  Well, if you live in the tsunami lane we’ve experienced the last 24 hours, you know that all the neighbors’ leaves are now in their yard, and the money and frustration were wasted.  She said this, which is why I’m asking you to pray for this stranger even I don’t know well—and I suspect there is a hidden message in here for her adult children and grandchildren, so you can throw that in also:

“There are days when I just feel like jumping off a bridge and this is one of them. Last week a hit-and-run driver bashed our only car and took off leaving us to deal with the expense and effort to get it fixed. By "us" I mean me because I have to do everything, large and small, by myself now==which isn't all that different than what I have always been stuck with. All I do is work: cook, clean, fix stuff, laundry, yard work, and so on into infinity. If I had known I was going to spend my entire life getting stuck doing the scut-work nobody else wants to bother with so they can enjoy their lives unencumbered by it all I'd have taken that jump a long time ago.”

Do something small that won’t change lives

Today I packed a bag for a family or household to have complete sides with the turkey Lutheran Social Services will distribute--mashed potatoes, 2 different vegetables, 2 fruits, a cake, gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin. I also packed a bag for "God's Hygiene Help Center" which includes personal care items for women who need to get back their dignity. This was started by Tammy Jewell about 8 years ago who was using her own disability check to buy things for those less fortunate. I packed shampoo, hand lotion, cotton balls, razors, deodorant, hand sanitizer, feminine hygiene products, and new Christmas socks, just for fun.

No one's life will be permanently changed. But the recipient may just be on a temporary slide and can bounce back, but she could be mentally ill and spend the rest of her life on the street. Why not have one good day to feel like everyone else? Would that be so terrible?

A few years ago I was visiting in Mt. Morris around the holidays and my Uncle Gene stopped by to chat. He was feeling great--he and a bunch of guys at the bar had taken up their annual collection for turkeys and were going to distribute them to (there was a list). They felt good and there were some families who had a nice meal--nothing life changing, just people helping people.

I was thinking about this because two Nobel Prize winners won on the basis of small projects enhanced by competition and incentive—finding out that children in Africa learn better if the teacher shows up, and that children are more like to get immunizations if they and the health care worker show up.  So simple.  Yet the author of the article was critical.

https://www.econlib.org/nobel-laureates-aim-too-low-on-global-poverty/

Have the holidays been cancelled?

Our son who has brain cancer has decided that this year we won’t celebrate November birthdays, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.  Of course, we are disappointed, but he needs to be careful about viruses.

But that set me to thinking about other unusual holidays.  Our son Stanley died on February 13, and we were receiving Valentine cards and sympathy cards in the same mail drop. Our son Patrick died shortly before Thanksgiving, so that holiday in 1964 was pretty much a blur.  I can’t even remember if we made the trip to Mt. Morris or stayed in Champaign.

 Stanley, Christmas 1962

Bob's mother, grandmother, Aunt Babe, Aunt Bert

And my dear Mother, always one for stern advice, warned me not to let bad memories interfere with future enjoyment of holidays.  It was wise advice, especially since I didn’t know she especially cared about holidays, which were always rather low keyed in my family, compared with my husband’s family blow outs and budget busting gifts.

Christmas both of those years was just awful.  My sisters had adorable toddlers the same age as Stanley, which we needed to admire and coo about while remembering an earlier Christmas with Mom and Dad beaming holding 3 babies. I have a few photos from those years and I look like death warmed over, as we used to say in the 20th century.

 Our final Christmas in our home of 34 years, 2001

Thanksgiving 2009

                               
Another holiday alone memory is the fall of 1957.  My college roommate, JoElla, and I decided we would just stay on campus for Thanksgiving and not face that 6 hour drive back to Illinois. We could relax, read, maybe go to a movie and catch up on laundry.  What a disaster!  We had no idea how deserted and lonely the campus would be, or how everything would be closed and we’d eat cold food in our dorm room.  By Christmas I was so homesick I could barely function.

Then there was the year that my sister and I decided we’d do something totally different for the holidays because our adult children were squabbling with each other—I don’t even remember the year—sometime in the early 2000s—or what the disputes were.  By comparison with this year, they were certainly minor. So we got together at Rehoboth Beach and had Thanksgiving dinner at a lovely hotel known for that event.

For years we shared and alternated our winter holidays with our son in law’s parents in Cleveland. I think we ate alone in a restaurant or would drive to Indianapolis to have dinner with Bob’s family—usually a huge crowd and that often made us feel even more lonely because by that time some of our nieces and nephews were grandparents and we couldn’t even identify some of the people.

And Oh My.  The years I cancelled at the last minute our plans to drive to Illinois to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with my parents.  One of us would always seem to come down with a cold and it would go through the family so I’d cancel the 10 hour trip. And guiltily I confess, that I often wasn’t too sad, because what looked like a fabulous idea during Indian Summer in October’s bright colors didn’t look so great in the ice and snow of late December.  Mom was always understanding and gracious—not to worry, they would drive to Oregon and eat at the nursing home with my grandparents.

Again the holidays of 2017-18 were really bad.  Our daughter had planned a great neighborhood football party, the invitations were out, the food was prepared, and their sweet little Chihuahua Abby died very suddenly. It was a horrible shock.  We were all devastated, especially since in the previous 3 months Phil’s dear Rosa and our Lotsa Spotsa had died and it was like opening a raw wound.  At the last minute, the five of us did get together, enjoyed the food, and watched the game. We cried and laughed and helped each other get through a very bad time. It was momentary—you don’t get over a tragedy just by enjoying a few laughs and some great food.  But it helps.

The early Americans were still thankful for their good harvest in spite of all their losses, and Jesus was still born in a manger in Bethlehem to be setting out for the cross years later.  We’ll remember what holidays are about and will be thankful for our hope which is in the Lord, and for modern technology and drugs which will battle this disease for us.

On Thanksgiving and suffering

I was on my way to reading something else in 2 Corinthians, but stopped at Paul's "thanksgiving" which follows his greeting, "grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." We hear that greeting so often, we sometimes don't even notice it. Christian pastors often begin their sermons with that.

I was writing in my gratitude journal; the words grace and gratitude are derived from the Latin gratis/gratus/gratia which means thankful. Eucharist derives from the Greek εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), meaning "thanksgiving," and root for "charity" is right in the middle.

Interestingly, in Paul's "thanksgiving" which I often skip to get on to the juicy stuff of resolving conflicts, and raising money, he uses the Jewish blessing "God of all encouragement" (consolation, paraklesis) ten times! And when does he encourage us? In every affliction. He mentions suffering or affliction seven times in this word of thanksgiving.

"Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement."

Although I never got to the verses I had planned to read, today I'm thankful for God's encouragement in a time of suffering.

https://www.wordsense.eu/grace/

I shared the above thought about thanksgiving and gratitude on my Facebook page, which allows others to respond immediately, not like a blog which has to be approved first.  A young Lutheran pastor from Texas, Phil Daniels, who a few years ago was a seminary student serving at our church, responded.  I don’t know when I friended him on FB, or how he happened to notice my little essay.

Philip Daniels: That is very insightful. I have noticed, as I have been working on sermons, how often I overlook those introductions in order to go onto the more meaty stuff ... and I'm a pastor! That has been something God has been teaching me both in my personal study and public proclamation: don't overlook those introductions. And I do love the word "Paraklesis" which has overtones of the word often used to describe the Holy Spirit. In the Septuagint we see Isaiah most famously use it in Isaiah 40:1: Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. The Hebrew in that sense is "Nacham." As far as I can understand, the word is tied to both breath and resuscitation. In Arabic, the word means "to breath pantingly." While, this misses the mark, it does give us a little insight as words of comfort are often felt like gasps of living breath to those worn out by fatigue in the world. Yet the earliest parts of the Bible seem to use it in the comforting after a death (i.e. Genesis 24:67b, "So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.")

Nacham therefore is best understood as a revivification after the loss of someone or some ideal dear. And, oddly, one wonders if one has to experience this death in order to have this new breath breathed into one.

This is probably overanalyzing Paul in this context. On the other hand, I am also sure Paul would not be averse to such thinking. These are people who can offer comfort because a new breath has been put inside them. A Comforter has been called beside them. They can now breathe new life into the lives of those around them since they have been "comforted" indeed we could say they have experienced "nacham." If we forget that we have been revived, that we too have looked upon the cross and the body placed in the tomb; we can also declare that Someone has revived us and bids us to GO! and share the good news that we have.

In any case, keep reading and don't be afraid of the New Life found each New Day in the easy glanced-over parts of this Book of Life.

How to be grateful, even when times are tough. . .

Although I know to whom gratitude is directed, and that it shouldn’t be me or a fitness coach, I thought this e-mail from “Coach Tyler” had merit because it reminds us that setbacks are often a push forward.  Many of his points are quite Biblical (and since for many fitness/nutrition is the new God, I understand that). Even the word Eucharist means Thanksgiving!  He writes about three setbacks—a car accident, a job loss, and injuries that could have ended his successful private training business created after overcoming the first two: I promise if you read this whole email, you’ll be grateful you did :-) To start… First, let me explain what true gratitude is. Then, I wanna share with you 3 short stories from my life that will drive this point home. Let's dive in... Gratitude… many people think that in order to be grateful, you must have circumstances in your life that push you to experience gratitude. If life is good, you are grateful, if life is bad however… you throw a stink and tell yourself, “poor me.” While any gratitude is better than no gratitude, the most important kind of gratitude you must develop is called unconditional gratitude. Much like unconditional love where you love someone without conditions, unconditional gratitude is where you are grateful regardless of the circumstances that are happening to you in your life. And… One of the best ways to develop this is to remind yourself that with every hard hill you must climb, there is an easy slope waiting for you on the other side. In fact, here’s my personal life motto… “Everything That Happens To You Happens For A Good Reason. It’s Your Responsibility To Find That Reason!” Nowadays, when something bad happens to me, I look for the lessons, I look for the learning opportunities that came from my struggles. And… I assume that these bad circumstances are there to guide me towards something greater than I ever thought was possible. Let me explain... My first big lesson in unconditional gratitude came over a decade ago when I was hit by a car and ended up in the hospital where I had to relearn how to walk after more then 3 months of painful recovery! At first, I considered this a curse, and… like most people, I played the “poor me” game for several weeks. However… This accident is what led me down the path to learning the workout techniques I used to transform my body. And… It ultimately resulted in the creation of all of the Warrior Made workouts that we send out every week! Having seen this unfold in front of my eyes, I began to realize that life has a plan for me and it has one for you too! Then… Years later, something terrible happened… I lost my job! You see… At the time I was working a construction job and my wife was going to school full time. I worked every weekend just to make a living and to pay the rent. I can even remember my wife calling me to ask if she could buy a cup of coffee… It was Wednesday and I told her that she would have to wait until Friday. What a terrible feeling, not being able to provide a cup of coffee to the person you love most in this world. But… Like I said, it got worse… Work got slow and I got laid off! I can remember walking into my bedroom, my wife looking at me with eyes that knew something was wrong. I said to her, “I lost my job today” she looked up and said… “Ohh, you had me worried that someone died (I’m a bit dramatic). So what if you lost your job, you’re the smartest guy I know, this is the best thing that ever happened to you!” And… she was right! I went to work for myself, I busted my ass and ultimately built a successful personal training practice and boot-camp program through a local gym. As you can see... Another low point in my life actually turned out to be the catalyst to me finding success in teaching people how to transform their bodies and lives. But... That too didn’t last long… At the time I was working from 6am to 7pm 5 days a week and more on the weekends. If you came by the gym, I was likely there and I prided myself on my work ethic and on the fact that I did whatever I could to help my clients succeed! Then… One night I went to an adult gymnastics class with a friend of mine and it happened again… I was trying some new gymnastic moves that I probably shouldn’t have been doing and out of nowhere, my right knee collapsed and I tore my ACL, MCL, LCL, Quad and Meniscus! Overnight, I realized that there was one huge flaw in my “successful” bootcamp and private training programs… If I wasn’t there, everything failed! Which led me to 2 options… Let my programs fall apart because I couldn’t show up, or… figure out how to run my business from my laptop on my couch! I again busted my ass, learning how to automate my gym programs and eventually, I started a blog with much of the same content I was sharing with my students. After a few months, I was working less and less on the boot-camps and more and more on my online business and within 1 year of starting my first online community, I replaced my entire income from running private training and boot-camps! This led me to where I am today, the proud owner of Warrior Made! Which... Is growing so fast that I can hardly believe my eyes! And… I owe all of it to getting hit by a car, losing my job and brutally injuring my right knee in a sporting accident! All things that would leave people angry, upset and irritable! Instead... I was able to find the good in these things and today, I wouldn’t change a thing. In fact... I'm eternally grateful for everything in my life including the seemingly hard times! So… My gift for you on Thanksgiving is this… Right now, take a moment to think about your past, to find something that you may have considered a curse at the time but eventually became a blessing. Once you have that in your mind, take a second to realize that most of the bad things that are happening to you right now, are just currents in your river of life, coaxing you towards becoming the best version of yourself. And… Everything that's happened to you up to this point has happened for a reason. Perhaps even a good one? It’s your responsibility to find that reason and make a positive impact on the world! Happy Thanksgiving Norma and don’t forget to be unconditionally grateful for everything that happens in your life! Coach Tyler

A little Thanksgiving humor

From my November 25, 2013 blog entry.

The U.S. government has just passed a new law called: "The Affordable Turkey Act..." declaring that every citizen MUST purchase a Turkey this Thanksgiving, no later than Thanksgiving itself, Thursday, November 28th, 2013. These "affordable" turkeys will cost an average of $430 -$545 each. This does not include stuffing, cooking pots, meat thermometers, hunting fees, feather plucking fees, a stove or other device used to cook it in, meat cutters, “removal of innards” fees, labor costs resulting from losses caused by passing out after eating yourself sick of turkey [i.e. 1lb dark meat = appx. 2 lbs white meat in estimated labor losses felt by your employer].

This law has been passed, because until now, typically only wealthy and financially responsible people have been able to purchase turkeys during Thanksgiving. This new law ensures that every American can now have an "affordable" turkey of his or her own, because everyone is "entitled" to a turkey during Thanksgiving. If you purchase your turkey before Thanksgiving, you will receive 4 "free" pilgrim vests; not including frequent dry-cleaning fees.

In order to make sure everyone purchases an affordable turkey, the costs of buying a Thanksgiving turkey will increase on average of 250-400% per year. This way, wealthy people will pay more for something that other people don't want, still can’t afford, or haven’t enough space in their stomachs or people in their home to eat it all. But to be fair, people who can't afford to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving will be regularly fined and children (under the age of 26) can just eat their parent’s turkey until they turn 27; then they must purchase their own turkey for Thanksgiving. If you already have a turkey, you can keep yours (just kidding; no you can't). If you don't want or don't need turkey this Thanksgiving, you are required to buy one anyhow. If you refuse to buy one or can't afford one, you will be regularly fined $800 until you purchase one, or face imprisonment. Failure to eat the turkey this Thanksgiving will also result in fines. People living on the beachfronts; ghettos; inner cities or areas with no access to grocery stores or hunting grounds are not exempt. Meat allergies, veganism/vegetarianism, PETA advocates, lack of knowledge nor desire to cook your turkey are unacceptable excuses for not eating your turkey this Thanksgiving.

A government review board (that doesn't know the difference between the turkey, duck, and bacon in a turducken will decide everything, including; when, where, how often and for what purposes you can eat your turkey, to include how many people you can share your Thanksgiving turkey with and determine if one is too old or healthy enough to be able to eat turkey. They will also decide if your turkey is acceptable to FDA or USDA standards or if you must purchase specific seasonings, condiments, recipes or other additions, (like a government issue can of cranberry sauce estimated at $25.00) or a newer and more fresh turkey. Those who can afford turduckens will be required to do so...it's only fair.

The government will also change the name of the “wishbone” to the “hopebone” as they will be determining the full extent of your fortune in the event that you snap off the larger half of said bone. Failure to comply with these rules – such as continuing to call it a “wishbone” – will also result in fines and possible imprisonment.

Government officials are exempt from this new law. If they want a Thanksgiving turkey, they and their families can obtain turkeys for free, at the expense of taxpayers. Unions, bankers and mega companies with large political affiliations ($$$) are also exempt. If the government can force you to buy health insurance, they can force you to buy a Thanksgiving turkey....or ANYTHING else.. It really is that simple.

By: Constitutional Watchmen

How to make schmaltz

https://www.splendidtable.org/story/how-to-make-schmaltz

We eat a lot of chicken, particularly thighs—that’s the best flavor because of the dark meat.  I prefer to buy it with skin on and bone in because the flavor is better. Sometimes I cook one to have broth on hand, and skim it.  However, I always remove the skin before baking because it just looks and feels slimy.  Well, little did I know this can be rendered to chicken fat and then used in various recipes. The skin and fat can also be purchased at butcher counters.  As much chicken as we eat, that shouldn’t be necessary.

• Skin and fat from 8 chicken thighs (or 2 cups/450 grams miscellaneous reserved chicken skin and fat)
• 1/4 cup/60 milliliters water
• 1 Spanish onion, cut into medium dice

Yield: 1/2 cup/120 grams schmaltz and 1/2 cup/60 grams gribenes (craclkings)

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/hard-cider-gravy-chives

http://www.countymarketnorthbranch.com/Recipes/RecipeFull.aspx?RecipeID=33011  Looks like it’s tasty in place of butter for mashed potatoes.

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/why-schmaltz-is-your-secret-weapon-for-the-best-thanksgiving-sides/?

A new way to fix chicken

I got a new recipe in September for crock pot chicken, but I decided to use it also for baked chicken thighs, and the sauce/paste makes a wonderful spread for crackers.  Mix Panko crumbs, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning into a paste like texture, and then spread it on the thighs before baking (I always remove the skin, see above note).  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.  Quite yummy.

Friday family photo--Thanksgiving past

1971 birthdays/Thanksgiving

1996

2009

2015

2017