Giving Thanks - Around the Corner

I think it is getting colder....by a few degrees ever couple of weeks.  We have had temperatures in the upper 40's for some time now and I have been loving it.  Today, after a long hiatus, the sun came out and stayed for several hours.  As we were running some errands, the sky was a beautiful blue with storm clouds threatening.  Days like this always remind me of Dutch and Flemish landscapes from the seventeenth century.  Now when I see those paintings, I will realize they ring true.

We went to the center at 3...well at least I did.  SK drove me over - along with supplies that needed to be delivered to the center...then he drove back to our apartment and walked back.  While he was home he took the opportunity to take a 45-minute nap!...which I don't begrudge at all.  I would have been tempted to do that myself.

Before Family Home Evening began we had three visitors.  They are not of our faith....not of the Christian faith.  They were invited by one of our YSAs and decided to come and see what it was all about.  SK talked to them for half an hour.  I think he explained a lot about the Church.  They made the point that the name of Jesus Christ is mentioned more times than any other in their sacred book of scripture.  But they left before the meeting got underway, explaining that they were very happy with their religion and just curious about ours.

You never know what may come of it.

We had a "Name Extractions" evening.  Jonathan, our returned missionary who is so talented at so many things...including family history and extractions gave a beautiful message and then helped all of the young people gathered around the pool table with their computers doing name extractions.

Jonathan and Helene busily engaged in indexing.

Jonathan told something really interesting.  He comes from a very strong family who loves being together.  The farthest anyone lives away is an hour, and that is a grandfather.  Otherwise, everyone lives within 10 or 20 minutes from the parents.  Spiritually, each child is well-grounded and has served a mission and is moving forward with a life of faith.  They love celebrating traditions as a family and enjoy a family Thanksgiving feast every November.  They will have one coming up.

They gather around and make a feast....everyone doing their part.  Jonathan will make dinner rolls (yes...from scratch and with yeast!) and sweet potato casserole. Others will roast a turkey, make potatoes and gravy, dressing and all the other familiar traditional food. After the meal is over, they have what he described as an "almost testimony meeting" where they each speak of what they are grateful for.  Isn't that wonderful?

This Thursday before we report for duty at the center, SK and I will do something similar.  The family sent gratitude notes on Fall paper (beautiful orange and yellow and red leaves).  Each individual had his/her own sheet and has listed or written about what they are thankful for.  The papers came in a package, and when we realized what they were, we immediately tucked them into a folder.

We will have a little family devotional - just the two of us - we'll sing a Thanksgiving song, have a prayer and a spiritual thought, we will read the letters from our children and grandchildren and then we will tell each other what we are grateful for.

It may take awhile.