Thanks-giving on Thanksgiving 2014

Thanks-giving, my personal public acknowledgement and attitude is actually much more than just an October and November time frame. Expressing 'thanks' in words and sharing in writing my gratitude is an act of 'giving' that I am honored for the opportunity to possess. Being a newspaper columnist and writing this weekly column has been a blessing to me, because of you, the reader. There is seldom a week that goes by that I do not hear from someone who reads the column. The two most used methods of comments are via email and personal words shared when we pass or meet out and about in life. I know the comments are real especially when someone shares a thought from a column written a month ago or more. Normally their expression begins with, "I've been meaning to tell you". The emails come from all over and they are always welcomed and appreciated. This week is the real Thanksgiving and on my list of 'thanks-giving' is much more than food. Although food seems to have rightfully earned a serious spot of 'thanks-giving' because of all the work required to produce a meal for the family masses. I like to joke in yet a serious way, folks gather on Thanksgiving at the home of whoever cooks! Preparing big meals to feed 15, 30 or more are catered events for the generation that expressed no interest in being skilled within the art of cooking. Sometimes are lives are so sheltered in areas that we have given little to none attention to. For example, folks often offer to help but there would be a heart attack to occur if acceptance of your offer was met with a reply, would you fix this. Those who cook for the masses have learned it is easier if folks just stayed away and let you keep your pace in the kitchen preparing everything. I guess the helpers that will never be eliminated would be the taste testers. Every family has at least one of them if not two or more members. The folks that nibble here and nibble a little bit there, eating at every station, but doing so in the manner of protecting the family from an unperfected plate of food. Those members are here to stay and there is always an active list of volunteers when the position for such is available for filling. One of the facts easily missed about Thanksgiving is that this is strictly an American Holiday. This fact will truly set in when you have the experience of being in another country on Thanksgiving. We American's pay little attention to this fact I'm sure on most every Thanksgiving. It is a fact we might should call to the attention of our attendees this year as we gather, attempting to spark some 'thanks-giving' in way that might have been previously missed. Living in America as a visitor from another country folks who are not citizens often appreciate the facts of citizenship and the meaning of Thanksgiving even greater than we might. This condition is a sad fact but all across the world everyday, people in foreign lands line up and knock on the doors of the Embassies of the United States of America wanting to come in and call the USA home. This Thanksgiving Season we should not let the opportunity pass for our personal 'thanks-giving' for the opportunity to be citizens of the United States. Thanksgiving, you are a grand ole tradition! The opportunity to write this column is a blessing that I am 'thanks-giving' all-about, and over and over again honored to do. Thanks for reading my inspirations, thoughts and suggestions. I am excited to give back by sharing, expressing and putting my ideas out there on the table of discussion, motivation and encouragement. Until then

Death - Motivating Factor

In this season of 'thanks-giving' and particularly this year I have a lot of different questions I am asking and thoughts I am considering. My thanks and my gratitude for the people, experiences and things I've written about through this newspaper column have been honest expressions, genuine thoughts and comments. When we have conversations with our friends and family there are many things we talk about. One subject that is most often avoided at all cost is death. This topic is difficult for folks to think about, much less talk about. 32 years in ministry has filled my life with many experiences of family, friends and situations where I didn't know the individuals now facing this moment and hour in life. As a motivational speaker and preacher I have both heard the expression used by others in speaking to groups and I have used the question, "If you knew you only had x number of days to live what would you do?" Now the question may not seem very motivating to some of you reading this column but the design of the question probes our thoughts what would we do different if we knew we truly only had x number of days to live? With this thought what 'thing' needs to be fixed, what needs to be 'said' to whom, what issue should be 'settled', what conflict 'resolved', what answer 'given'? In the early years of my ministry I remember being called by a family to the bedside of a loved one. When I arrived the doctor and nurses were present performing medical procedures. It appeared every thing that could be done was being done but to no avail in prolonging life or defeating earth's last breath. The two daughters and I had stepped out of the hospital room for a moment when the doctor walked to where we were and said, "we've done all we can do". Walking back into that room with those girls I will never forget the earthly feeling of hopelessness felt. Their father was still alive but ability was no longer available, opportunity had vanished in time and there were no words to be spoken and no actions taken that could add anything to life's existence. It was at that very moment that my life changed and remains changed until I take my last breath here on earth. Live while you can, go while you are able, experience while you feel, because there is a time when you will want to do all of these and so much more, but time will have robbed you of opportunity. Life expectancy is again that subject or topic that folks do not want to think about, much less talk about. Me however, it is a motivating factor of life. My favorite life expectancy calculator is the one sponsored by the Social Security Administration on their website. I prefer this resource tool over other sites that provide calculators, charts and graphs for several reasons. One of those reasons is that no life expectancy tool can account for life style, habits, health or other such related facts. Given that truth, the Social Security site does provide options based upon their data complied and I have options with their life expectancy tool. For example: Given my date of birth I have already passed the 50.2 year mark which means I have a life expectancy of 32.1 years remaining. Any day I live past 82 years and 3 month will be a blessing! (My way of thinking) On the flip side of that, I have 32 years and 1 month to get what I am going to get accomplished completed. Honestly, that is not much time at all. I am feeling the pressure to get things done, said, resolved and answered already! The age milestones within the Social Security Administration are: 62; 67; and 70; If I make it to year 70 then on average my blessings will be any day past 86 years and 6 months. A memorial service for me in March of 2050 doesn't sound like a bad time of year and the year 2050 has a solidness I like. No one likes talking or planning for death. Myself, I am using the facts of life as a motivating gift from the Social Security Administration. I am using life as a gift from God and using the opportunity and ability of time today to do all I can, when I can, where I can and while I can. Ultimately God is in-charge. I am on borrowed time. I pray everyday of my life serves as a witness of His mercy and grace in my-life and His love and plan for your life. Until then

'Thanks-giving' for friends

Finding tangible and namable thanks might seems like an easy task until you attempt to write out the list. If an observer were to evaluate our thanks-givings by the way we live our lives or by the smiles we wear on our faces, things might be difficult to detect for some. I have met folks that simply don't smile and I've often wondered why? Why the sad look--always. Why do some individuals work diligently to never raise their eyebrows to communicate a sense of wonder, excitement or anticipation? I don't remember when I first started smiling. I've tried to remember if a photographer ever had difficulties getting me to smile for a family photo. A written list of tangible blessings that should create a list of 'thanks-givings' can be completed if we use single words to describe generalizations of our gratefulness. Friends is a good example. In traditional southern churches we love testimonies. Testimonies are that time in a worship services were different individuals stand-up before the congregation and share what God is doing in their lives or things they are thankful for. Friends is an often testified thanks. It is my attempt in this column to get you to think more than just the generalizations but for you to name tangible thanks. For example: I love my spouse because--and make a list; Follow the same practice your friends. What is it about your friends that meets a need in your life and allows you to practice your spiritual gifts to their benefit? Completing this task will require a little time and thought. Thinking about our blessings is an important practice and naming them one by one helps to keep a heart in an attitude of thanks and gratefulness. When I think about my friends individually and the traits that each of them exhibits I can honestly get teary-eyed. When we recognize the value others bring to the experience of life and more especially our personal benefit the entire practice of naming and list can be challenging and rewarding. Recently I called a friend to wish him a Happy Birthday. I didn't realize he was having a get together, maybe if I had been a better friend to him I would have been planning him an event, nevertheless, he shared what he was doing and said 'come'. An invitation by a friend to continue the journey of friendship is really an awesome moment in life. Traveling from a speaking engagement out of state, I found my eyes getting road weary one night and I called a friend living in that area and simply asked "is my room reservation still in good standing"? Stopping in town to meet up with friends for dinner at a resturant or accepting a home cooked meal invitation is a great blessings and a tangible thanks we should never grow weary of expressing gratitude. A blessing of friends includes having a group to meet, eat and conduct conversation with after church on Sunday's. Even better yet is seeing new folks join the group from time to time with the same welcome invitation you experienced when you were asked if you wanted to join. How about friends that pick up the phone and call you?..or do you always feel like you are the one making the calls. When friends call to just check in or say hello the moment always serves as a moral booster. How about 'thanks-giving' for friends who share their burdens and express their confidence in us to be confidential and to co-labor with them along their journey. Making a list and naming my friends with their individual traits gives me great reasons to thank God for their talents and to look for opportunities when they can expand their impact list because we know others who could use their helping hand. I believe in friendships that say, "I know someone you need to talk to, I think you could really help". If you've been on the receiving end of a gift of a friend to another, then you know that value and and finding the button of thanks in your heart is not difficult to find at all. I am confident that we all have friends that in general way we love and appreciate. If you want to take that relationship of friendship to another level name your appreciations and see if that doesn't help do the trick in building a stronger friendship, all because of thanks. And remember, there is a friend that sticks by closer than a brother. His name is Jesus. Until then

'Thanks-giving' for health

If the question were asked what are you most thankful for your answer might be like that of many, health. Health is one of those answers many people will give when sharing a bout things they are grateful for, or thankful to have. Health, if you have it, could also be easily overlooked. The old saying 'you never miss it until you don't have it' is true of countless topics and our individual health more especially is enjoyed without question until we find our physical body not able to keep up with demands. The happiest day in life could be the day we had been preparing to hear the word cancer and the doctor shares almost any word other than cancer! You thought you were having a heart attack, but you quickly learned that stress is really nasty and you had no idea it causes the body to malfunction in so many ways. When faced with and prepared for the worse news, any report other than the worst news becomes good news. Failing health is a topic we haver reserved for aged individuals. We don't handle very well the youngest among us having to face serious medical challenges, especially when there are no answers. We like quick medical fixes, we like speedy recoveries and we like for a shot or a prescription to take care of any ills we might have. A difficult lesson to learn in life is that things do not always go the way we've planned. If your age is up in your years you will understand finding a grateful attitude for health and a thankfulness for your personal health without any problems. For the youthful reader I might suggest some volunteering possibly at a nursing home, working with the senior citizens at your church, volunteering during the holiday season to develop a greater appreciation for health. I believe each of us should find a long streak of reasons to be thankful for health. Good health and bad health. There are many great teaching lesions from both and for the grateful and thankful person, I believe we will see their attitude as an inspiration and an encouragement no matter the situation. Until then