Thanksgiving is here again. It marks our second anniversary of moving from California to our current home. How long ago that seems and still, it seems like yesterday! I will always miss the life and ministry we left behind, but cherish what we have now.

Saturday night Tommy and two of Liz's friends threw her a surprise birthday party and it was great fun! There were friends from church, friends from Liz's school and lots of children, starting, of course with their five. Everyone seemed to enjoy all the visiting and the food. One of the highlights of the evening was a video one of the party hosts made of pictures she got from Liz's mom and Tommy that showed her life from birth through now. Tom and I alternated laughter and tears as we were reminded once more of just how special Liz is!

This has been a week of preparation--after we once got settled from last week's party preparation. I have baked a lot: red velvet and German chocolate cakes for Liz's do; a pecan, a pumpkin and a sweet potato pecan pie for today and I gave our helper a lesson in baking a sour cream pound cake. A house never smells better than when something is baking. Last night my sleep was disturbed as I contemplated how how to serve the sweet potato pecan pie. It's a new Paul Prudomne recipe I tried and it went together beautifully, but was a bit time consuming. Instructions were to roll the crust and pat into an 8 inch cake pan, then layer the other parts. After baking and cooling for a bit, I realized I couldn't get it out of the pan and make it look the way the picture did. We may spoonfuls of pie rather than slices. Our dinner will be late this afternoon and we'll have the nine of us and another family of four from the church around the table. I still have a little more cooking to do, need to extend the table to its full length
and get it set--and figure out how to serve that pie. Other than that, it will be a day of parades and football. Mom loved the Macy's Thanksgiving parade and every year, without fail, she would call to remind us it was on TV, then remind us that they'd be over when the parade ended. I'll watch some of it in her honor. Throughout the day Tom and I will recall all the Thanksgivings we have had together and tonight, when all have gone home and it's quiet once again, we will talk about today and add it to the long list of all for which we have to give thanks.

Cancer has invaded the lives of good friends here. Richard, the friend who asks me to substitute in his Sunday School class, has been diagnosed with a malignancy in his throat. Last week a nodule of some sort was removed and on Monday of this week he was told that it was malignant. When he and his wife met with the specialists, they were told he needed to begin treatment within thirty days, suggesting he see someone at M.D. Anderson in Houston. For any of you who have had cancer touch your life in any way, you know how difficult waiting is. While they wait, life goes on as usual: family arrived for Thanksgiving and Richard will be in his usual place Sunday sharing God's word in Sunday School. Please pray for Richard and his wife, Liz.

Advent begins Sunday, November 30 and so begins the posting of a daily devotional on this blog. I will post at night for the next day so the material will be ready first thing in the morning. Look for the preface and the first installment Sunday morning.

Have a great Thanksgiving and carry the spirit of thankfulness into every day of your lives!

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret