Thnksgiving Day Eve

     Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the US of A and I'll be heading over to Mama's house as per usual.

     Allow me to stand on my soap box and preach a moment if you don't mind. It seems to me that Thanksgiving day has become sort of an overlooked holiday. It's the bastard child between Halloween and Christmas. So many decorate for Halloween and Christmas but Thanksgiving gets lost in the shuffle. The true meaning behind the day gets overlooked, doesn't it?  True, it's a time many of us get together with family members we really don't like, but for what?  To watch NFL football games between teams we otherwise wouldn't watch ? Or to gorge ourselves into a food induced coma?
     Or to give thanks to God Almighty who provides all we need?

     That said, I talked to Mama on the phone t'other day regarding the menu feast and she said she was expecting about eight folks to show. First thing I suggested was as I work in a grocery store
ore that offers for sale, the whole meal deal, I would order and pay for the whole shebang. Well, Mom shot that down as she was already getting the bird ready along with several sides. I then came up with, I could bring plastic forks, spoons, plates, cups so she would have to do dishes. Shot down again when she said, and I quote, "Mama don't do that on Thanksgiving".

     I was at my wit's end trying to figure out what I could do to help Mom out when Crazy Mike at work asked me about my Thanksgiving Day plans. I told him what all Mom was fixing and he asked about ham.  Last minute shopping got us a 7.93 pound, spiral sliced ham. I reckoned a near 8 pound hunk of hog's butt (minus the bone) and along with all the other vittles would be plenty for a sammich or 3 for everybody later.

     This morning (that is, Wednesday) I got a call from Mom and she said 5 of the 8 had come up with other plans so we're looking at dinner for 8 to try to be et by 3. Mom, my brother and myself.

     One last note. Last year Mom asked me to carve the turkey but the sharpest knife she could find was a wee paring knife. If you've ever (or never) tried carving a turkey with a paring knife, it's akin to my moving that truckload of sand I had delivered  with my shovel and wheelbarrow. Progress is SLOW!
     But I got what my friend, Gail calls "a God hug". It's when you see something you didn't know you needed or wanted but when you see it, it's a "Voila!" moment. I wasn't thinking about last year's carving ordeal nor how to make this year's easier but I passed a display of electric carving knives. It was once loaded with knives but was down to maybe 5 or 6 on sale for a mere $9.99. Needless to say, I stashed one and as I was making my last minute Thanksgiving Day purchases I passed by the display... it was empty! Had I not stashed mine I would have missed out.


     One last thing, if I may?  Thanksgiving.... Thanks giving.....Giving Thanks. Not only for the food we eat each day (our daily bread) but for everything God gives us each and every day, When Jesus broke the bread at His last Passover "And He took the bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying, "This is my body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me"

Give thanks to Him who deserves all our thanks. Remember the challenge of taxes? Render to Caesar that which is Caesar's.

Render unto God that which is God's......... LOVE!