Thanks

Annually, the week prior to Thanksgiving seems in many homes to be dedicated to three agendas: the family gathering for the Thankgiving meal, charting detailed Black Friday battle strategies and decking the entire house in Christmas attire. I love a good deal as much as the next gal, but for me it's just not worth it to get up at 3 a.m. to head out into the cold and wade through crowds of people shoving and throwing elbows for the latest gadget that will still be there (and sometimes still on sale) after 10 a.m. And while I love Christmas, I'd also rather not spend hundreds of dollars making my house look like it was decorated by a pack of elves buzzing on Red Bull. All you're going to see at my house is a single tree in the living room, a wreath on the front door and greenery on the mantle. Don't think I'd knock it if you hit the day-after sales and went crazy with the tinsel; it's just not me.

What I do look forward to is Thanksgiving itself, which seems to not get a whole lot of attention these days, unless of course you watch The Food Network (which I do). Cooking is a passion of mine so I certainly appreciate the culinary offerings involved in Thanksgiving, but what I really love is packing up the car and heading to the family farm to visit relatives I only get to see this time each year. In my family there's just an indescribable warmth that fills me when we all get together for some good food and fellowship. I say fellowship because most of my family members are believers, and I've gotta tell you there's nothing like it. For as long as I can remember that common foundation has felt like a real gift from the Lord. Just knowing I'm loved by people who love God and follow Him has made me feel somehow safer in a world that's just plain scary. And knowing that my kids are going to grow up in that same environment just renews that warmth in my soul.

So this year I want to say that I'm thankful for the wonderful people God has put in my life, whether we're related by blood or just belief. Love our hearts, we're all flawed but we're all perfectly loved by our Creator. For that, I gladly skip the rest of the hoopla.