How To Have A Real Thanksgiving

(Before I begin, I'd like to say "Happy Birthday!" to Ellen. I'm thankful for your friendship! You might read this days after the fact, but I thought of you and prayed for you today. Hope your day was great!)

On to the lesson at hand.

I think I mentioned that I am descended from some of the original Mayflower Pilgrims. John Alden, Priscilla Mullins, and Priscilla's parents, William and Alice Mullins are my ancestors. If nothing else, you might be familiar with the names of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins from the poem by Longfellow (another descendant) called "The Courtship of Miles Standish." Within this poem is the well-known line, "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?" Whether the events of this poem ever occurred is not at issue. The fact that many know their names because of the poem is my point. These are my 10th-great grandparents. I like studying their lives, for the most part. Some things I read disturb me, though.

In this world of political correctness, to which I will probably never adapt, I'd like to say that I don't care what foods the Pilgrims ate. I don't need all the details, except a few important ones. For instance, I need to know who they thanked at their feast. Are people really arguing that these "Puritans" who left England and went first to The Netherlands and then to America didn't thank God on that day? I find that hard to believe!

The current argument is that the celebration was to thank the Native Americans for helping them through the hard winter. Of course they thanked the Native Americans! But they thanked God also! True Christians always thank the Lord for sending the right persons along at the right time in answer to prayers for deliverance, and they also thank the people that God used to provide that deliverance. I don't see the contradiction. But to say that religious people didn't thank God at all is absurd.

I also need to know the "why" they gave thanks and I just gave you a very, very b-r-o-a-d hint.

Thanksgiving didn't originate with Pilgrims who traveled to the New World on a ship. It didn't originate with Native Americans either. Giving thanks has always happened within the hearts of thankful peoples. For instance, the Bible is full of poems of praise written by thankful Jews.

Do you know what the aforementioned thankful people had in common? They were survivors.

When the Children of Israel were miraculously taken through the Red Sea they sang a song rejoicing in God's deliverance (Exodus 15:1-21). When Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera they sang a song of praise for God's deliverance (Judges chapter 5). David wrote songs of praise when God delivered him from his enemies. Psalm 18 was specifically written as a praise to God for delivering him from Saul. Psalm 30 was written to thank God for delivering him from death. The Pilgrims of Plimouth Colony saw half of their number die that first winter. They had a feast celebrating that they had been delivered from death themselves.

So how can you have a REAL Thanksgiving? Follow these simple steps:

1. Think back over the hardships of the last year. Did you have anything bad happen? Did any loved ones die causing you grief? Did you experience any accidents or serious illnesses? Any sins that caused heartache and pain? Write those things down.

2. Did the Lord deliver you through any of these horrible events? Is He still helping you deal with some things on a daily basis? Can you see the hand of God at work in your life? Try to see God's sustaining grace during each event you listed.

3. Make a list entitled "Things For Which I'm Thankful."

Most of us do step #3 annually, sort of an advance penance for overeating. The list usually includes our salvation, family, health, church, food, and similar items. These things are not bad ones but they are not specific enough. Sometimes our hearts aren't in the writing of the list, especially when we're trying to get past this little chore so we can get on with the feast-and-football festival.

If you still don't understand my point let's engage in a little role-playing exercise. Say "thank you" like you are talking to the person I've described in the following two scenarios. Your response is in italics:

A. A person holds a door open for you so you say, "thank you."

B. Your child is trapped in a burning house but as you watch in terror a fireman runs up and places your rescued child in your arms. You say, "THANK YOU!!!!!"

Do you get my point now? It is a matter of perspective. Same words, different intensity. Go rewrite those lists. You are a survivor! This Thanksgiving thank God for His deliverance and say it like you really mean it. That's how to have a real Thanksgiving.

Really? I HATE playing this game!

I couldn't resist. Pastor Dad came upstairs this morning and asked me if I had taken the quiz that Lou had on her blog. I told him that last night I was too tired to take quizzes more complicated than "How long have I been sitting on my backside today?" Or "How far have I ridden in a car the last 2 days?"

He told me what board game he is and I thought I'd better take the quiz so that I can engage in polite conversation with the rest of my family, all of whom seem to have already taken the quiz. Here are my results:

You Are Chess

You are brilliant and shrewd. You can often predict what people will do in the future. You thrive in complex situations. You deal with contradictions well. You can have many streams of though going on at your mind at once. You keep track of things well. You are very patient. You have lots of endurance, even when your energy dwindles

What Board Game Are You?

I hear all my family laughing right about now.

Predict future events? Thrive in complex situations? Well, I am a wife and mother and pastor's wife. Enough said.

The contradictions are usually in my own head. Good thing I can deal well with them. :)

The endurance when energy dwindles? Well, if you've read the two previous posts I guess we "could" conclude that if this isn't a bull's eye it is at least in the neighborhood of being on target.

Not sure I can keep track of things well, although I have been known to find items (like keys) that others in the family were supposed to be keeping track of well. Not going to name any names here. YOU know who you are! And there are several of you!

But if any of you (and I don't care who you are or how much I love you) challenge me to a game of chess you are likely to get the board and pieces thrown at you. So much for that part about patience!

Road Trip! Chapter 2

Oh, my! Am I tired! In the last 2 days we've logged 500 miles in the car and there was no beach or family at the end of the trip. Bummer!

I am so-o-o tired that I can't bear the thought of getting in the car again to go anywhere, not even to see Sgt. Dan and Lou on Tues. Stop that hysterical laughter, Dan. I can hear it from here. And don't cry Lou. Of course we're coming! I'll be able to sit for a mind-numbing long time again soon. It is just that I've got the just-got-off-the-horse feeling right now.

I told our friend, Donna, via email earlier today that I've been having problems with insomnia. Well, Donna, I think I've found the cure. I don't think I'll have any sleep problems tonight.

I didn't even do the driving today. No, don't panic! 13-year-old Bear didn't drive, although I'm sure he would've been happy to oblige. Pastor Dad rearranged his whole day just so he could suffer with chauffeur us to the game. We drove 175 miles ONE WAY so that we could stay to watch 2 of our teams play like kids who had ridden in cars 175 miles ONE WAY and then we got back in our cars and drove home. Whew!

I did the math. I've been sitting for about 10 hours straight. First, I sat for 3.5 hours in the car going north. Second, I sat for over 2 hours on wooden bleachers. And then I sat again on the return ride of 3.5 hours. We left home around noon and returned around 10 p.m. See? I'm good at math. And that's about as complicated as the computations can be that I can do right now.

No one got to whup up on anyone today, thankfully, since I've already hinted at the fact that the 2 teams we watched lost. But there were no blow-outs. The Bear's team lost by 5 points. The ball acted like it just didn't want to go through those hoops today. Our JV team lost by a few more than that but only because they put in second and third string players at the end. I'm sure the coach thought about how angry some parents would be if they came all that distance and their child didn't even get to play. We won't know until later how our other 2 teams did. We weren't sticking around to find out first-hand.

The opponents today were another homeschooling group like our own. Last year they made the trip to our town and we beat them due to their apparent travel fatigue. I'm noticing a pattern here.

Think I'm going to head off to bed and dream of days when homeschooling actually means doing schoolwork, playing sports means badminton and volleyball in my in-laws' backyard, and riding in a car for a back-aching long time means that loved ones we haven't seen for awhile are at the end of the trip.

Road Trip! Chapter 1

There will be several over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for future installments.

Today's trip was for the Bear's first basketball game of the season. Said game was about 90 minutes north. He fell asleep in the car on the way (and on the way home, too - I must be boring company). When he awoke going we were in the midst of a blinding snowstorm with white-flocked evergreens as scenery. We were about 10 miles from our destination.

He asked, "Where are we?"

"In Siberia, I think," was my reply. He just grinned. He's used to my quirky answers. He wanted to know if I could get him back to the state of Ohio in time for his game. Yessiree, and with time to spare.

While we were slowly picking our way along in traffic I was listening to the local Christian radio station. They gave the weather report. 50% chance of snow! Uh, fellas? You might want to look out your windows and change that to 100% now. I'm pretty sure it is a safe assumption.

We arrived early enough to watch our jr. high girls team whup up on their opponents. "Whup up on" is a term we homeschoolers use. You won't find it in any of the study manuals for the ACT or SAT, or in any curriculum's vocabulary lists, but it is a useful term. It was especially useful tonight.

The girls and the boys were able to whup up on their opponents, each team winning by about 40 points. Homeschoolers may not be socialized but they know how to play sports! And on teams, too!

There were some "uh-oh" moments, like when the opposition scored their first points several minutes into the game when one of our players made a basket on the wrong end of the court. Okay, maybe not all homeschoolers can play sports. Just kidding. This boy is not a rookie, so it was nerves, plain and simple. He's a good natured kid and a talented basketball player so he was able to gather his wits about him and go on to score many more points for our team. And no, it wasn't the Bear. If it was, do you think I'd be telling you about it? I think not!

Tomorrow, Bear and I are headed 3 hours north into a neighboring state. Good thing some of us are stay-at-home moms with nothing else to do but drive our offspring all over kingdom come. (sigh)

Next Tuesday Pastor Dad, the Bear, my parents, and I will be driving 10 hours to spend Thanksgiving with Lulu and Sgt. Dan.

Sgt. Dan, are you reading this? I'll bet you just can't contain your excitement that I, your mother-in-law, am coming to visit! Perhaps you'll want to get one of those tickers on Lou's blog that tells how many days it is until my arrival. And it better not be set to count down the days until I leave. Understand?! And no raw meat either! I like all my entrees to be sporting a nice tan, thank-you-very-much! I'll give you the rest of my instructions upon my arrival. Have a pen and paper ready. Okay? See you soon! XXXOOOXXX