Happy Thanksgiving!

May you find many things to be thankful for today!

And if you've never read it before, check out Abraham Lincoln's original proclamation, declaring the 4th Thursday in November to be a day of national Thanksgiving:

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony 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 Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward,
Secretary of State

Source: http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm

Thankful November: Opportunities to serve

I have been running at full hilt this week, even though classes aren't in session. And my to do list is still really long--I don't even have a lecture ready for Monday OR a lab written for Tuesday afternoon (that needs to be passed out during Monday class). Not to mention two lab manuals to write, a huge stack of grading and a bunch of other stuff that's coming with me to Thanksgiving.

So I was REALLY tempted this afternoon to bail on a commitment to serve a colleague.

But I didn't. And I was blessed.

One of the retired members of our department (yes, it's the same guy as this story) had back surgery almost two weeks ago. His wife died last spring, and he has no family. So while he's very independent minded, he's relying on friends and colleagues to help him do the things he can't--like drive, carry the laundry basket downstairs, etc. He's working on being able to walk the mile into and home from the office so he can have a little more interaction with people, so walking him to the track is also on the list.

I've been organizing people to help him, but have had a fairly dismal response. So I had agreed to cover today. One of the other retired professors who has been doing a lot of caretaking stopped by my office late this morning...and I almost begged off...at least the walking. John agreed to meet us at the track and he would deliver his paper to him and walk, and I'd work. But as I worked through lunch, things came together on that project fairly nicely, and I was convicted of my need to do what I said I would.

We had agreed on 1 pm, so I worked through lunch and arrived promptly. We walked 10 laps at the gym, turned in some recycling, picked up some groceries, unloaded the groceries, helped with laundry, and chatted with him the whole while.

He's lonely. He doesn't know God, and is resistant to the idea of God even existing. But somewhere in him is a God sized hole. And if he can see something different in me, even if it's just a willingess to give up two hours of my day, and wonder why I do it...it's worth it.

Then tonight after dinner, I took the kids to help set up for the Community Thanksgiving. That was fun too!

So today I'm thankful for opportunities to serve.

Thankful Thursday: Jen

Tonight I dug some hot dogs out of the freezer for the kids, because I knew they didn't like what I had planned for dinner (and I already made them eat it the first time we had it this week).

Not unusual, right?

Except that the freezer wasn't mine--it's my friend Jen's. She's letting us use a shelf in her freezer

Generous doesn't begin to describe Jen and her family. When we were all sick with the flu, she brought us food (mmm, homemade applesauce!) and prayed for us. They've housesat, traded meals, had cookie and meal exchanges, hosted playdates, gone out on girl nights/guy nights...they're our "family" here in town.

I'm very thankful Jen prays with and for us. We have lots of Christian friends, but few that we pray with, beyond saying grace (and since the kids picked up on my parent's memorized grace, it's often not much of a prayer). Especially without a small group, I need that.

So today I'm thankful for friendship. Specifically Christian friendship...and my friend Jen.

Thankful November--digital photo albums!

Tonight I finished Harmony's "Toddler Years" photo album--a gift that I know will be a hit. It seems trite, but I'm so thankful for digital photography--we've saved so much on developing costs, even factoring in the price of the camera. And I love being able to crop, rotate, and do fun stuff electronically.

Henry's baby book is a Creative Memories photo album, but I realized soon after Harmony was born that I wouldn't be able to have the time to do that kind of cropping and journalling.

Snapfish, Shutterfly, and Kodak to the rescue! The prices are reasonable (when you consider that they're hard bound and include all the picture costs), and it takes me about as much time as it takes to do a single page "the old way". We can also print two books--one for us to save and treasure, one for the recipient to love to pieces. When we went on our trip last week, Harmony brought her baby book. It's definitely well loved!

I'm also thankful to be able to take a walk down memory lane while looking at those pictures. It's amazing to think of Harmony as that toddler, and how she's grown and blossomed since then. It's also amazing to think of all the ways God has worked in our lives, both during that time period and since then.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful November--Home!

Aah, somehow there is nothing better than Home sweet Home!

I'm thankful that we are able to own a home...and the end is in sight for the mortgage.
I'm thankful that it's big enough to host large groups for dinner--we've definitely been blessed with great friends and love having them over for dinner.
I'm thankful that we have an apartment upstairs...and that this year's renters are incredibly quiet :)
I'm thankful for this exercise in thankfulness--every time I don't know what to write, the list is very encouraging.

Thankful November--Weekend getaway

We left late last night for a weekend getaway to Southern Indiana! I'm thankful that we have both the time and resources for quick jaunts like this. I know my mom thinks my kids have seen too much (good stuff in my opinion--the beach, NYC, been on trains, airplanes, subways, cabs, etc), but it's fun and builds memories. I'm also thankful for:
--beautiful creations like we saw at the Falls of the Ohio and in Marengo Cave
--talented and funny singers, like Moosebutter
--Patrick's friend, Barb, who watched Hope so we could go to the Moosebutter concert :)
--CHOCOLATE! Especially Schimpff's and their yummy creations. We got to see them make Red hots, and of course, buy more than a few :)

Thankful November--a week of NO CLASS!

That's right, we have the full week off of class for Thanksgiving! That's cause enough for much thanks giving--it gives us time to get organized for next semester (like writing lab manuals, which requires having syllabi planned, which means having a text selected, etc...)