Sunday Meditation

CELEBRATING THE SAINTS III

"The saints of old who lived & died by faith in the promises of God are set forth as the evidence of His grace & faithfulness. We are encouraged & strengthened in our own faith & life by their example, & we join them in fixing our hope on Christ Jesus (Heb. 12:1-2). Their witness also demonstrates the intimate connection between faith & the cross, so that not only works of love, but also persecution, suffering & death, are remembered & extolled as the fruits of faith." --Richard Stuckwisch, The Lutheran Witness, Oct. 2019

Surreptitious Saturday

We enjoyed another family "Thanksmas" yesterday. Well, except for Nebraska losing to Iowa, which Nathan, Craig, Derek & I watched. At least Nebraska kept it close, but you know what they say:  "Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, & presidential debates.

Last evening we enjoyed our traditional feast:  Turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, Lois' world famous stuffing, crescent rolls, sweet potato casserole (yuck), cranberries (double yuck), green bean casserole, corn w/cream cheese. After we opened presents, we enjoyed Rachel's pumpkin-pecan pie.
[Brianna ate the left over green bean casserole for breakfast this morning. Did I mention that she's 15?]

After dinner we took family pictures. Laura directed traffic. Then we opened presents. Everyone seemed satisfied & grateful. Bentley (6) & Calvin (3 1/2) got a little impatient & wanted to start playing with their presents.

It's a little after noon today. Sarah & the dogs are taking naps. The rest of the crew is playing at the YMCA. After several days of yucky weather, the sun is out. It was a really wet snow (We got 6.5" on TUE.), & yesterday it rained, & temps are above freezing, so it's a sloppy mess outside. The kids were hoping to go sledding, but I think it will be too slushy.

As always, we are very thankful & grateful for family. We all get along so well. Bentley & Calvin get along especially well--another thing to be thankful & grateful for. Happy (a little late) Thanksgiving!

A Prayer for Thanksgiving Day

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good & His mercy endures forever. Lord God, heavenly Father, You have created me & endowed me with all that I am or have as a pure gift of Your "fatherly, divine goodness & mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me." You sustain me from day to day with the gifts of daily bread in the food that I eat, the family that surrounds me, the friends I enjoy, the country where I live, & countless other benefits that I constantly receive from your open hand. On this Day of Thanksgiving, cause me to gratefully remember the good gifts that You shower upon me. Deepen in me the knowledge of Your goodness, & awaken my heart to praise You for all of Your gifts, especially the forgiveness of sins that You have purchased & won for me & the whole world in the atoning death of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Keep me mindful of Your mercies every day, & grant that I may thank, praise, serve, & obey You not only with my lips but also with a life dedicated to the service of my neighbor. To You, O Lord, Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, be all honor & gory, praise & thanksgiving, now & forever. Amen. --Lutheran Book of Prayer

Whimsical Wednesday

We had a blizzard yesterday & woke up to what looks like 5-7" of snow. Lois took Bentley, our 6-year-old grandson, sledding yesterday. We're watching him again today, & I foresee another sledding expedition. Craig & Sarah & the girls should make it this evening. Hopefully they'll be here in time for church tonight. Nathan & Laura & Calvin won't make it today, due to a blizzard in the Twin Cities. Hopefully they'll make it tomorrow.

What' on the agenda today? Besides watching Bentley, we'll finish putting up Christmas decorations, except for the tree ornaments, which the kids will help with. (We do our family Christmas on Friday night.) Lois got some grocery shopping done yesterday; the rest will be done today.

We'll do our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday night, too. Our menu will be the same as every year. Turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn, cranberries (which I don't like), sweet potatoes (which I really don't like), black olives, pumpkin-pecan pie, & apple pie. My New Year's resolution to lose 10 lbs. this year will be sorely tested.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

I readily imagine the Good Shepherd delights in the task of caring for his flock. He goes willingly to search for the one that has gone astray. He gently offers his arms and guidance through valleys and beside still waters. He calls us by name and smiles at recognition of his voice. --Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

WHIMSY

"STUDY:  Americans growing tired of traditional Thanksgiving meals, open to alternative" --Drudge Report, 11/26

"Millennials in panic as outraged boomers threaten to withhold participation trophies" --Babylon Bee, 11/26

"New ultrasound technology can detect up to 50 genders" --ditto

"Mars Inc. vowed to make its chocolate green & failed . . . 'Anytime someone bites on a chocolate bar in the U.S., a tree is being cut down,' said Eric Agnero, an environmental activist in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coat. 'If we continue like that, in two, three, four years there will be no more forests." --Omaha World Herald, 11/10

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . FLORIDA

"Iguanas taking over FL--& state not sure what do do" --Drudge, 11/26  I can neither confirm nor deny reports that Florimaniacs are being encouraged to consider iguana for non-traditional Thanksgiving meal.

"Student offer teacher $15, citing her low pay. A FL 3rd grader surprised his teacher with $15 & a note saying teachers aren't paid enough" --Omaha World Herald, 11/11

"Dog goes on joyride after bumping car into motion. FL authorities say they responded to a rogue vehicle spinning in reverse around a suburban cul-de-sac with a longe occupant inside:  a black Labrador" --ditto, 11/24

. . . CALIFORNIA

"Californians brace for deadly 50-degree cold front" --Babylon Bee, 11/26

THANKSGIVING

For those of us who spend far too much time following the news these days, it is easy to feel that everything is falling apart. Regardless of your political ideology, there is no doubt that this country is politically divided and facing serious challenges. To make matters worse, we are entering an election season. Politicians will be trying their best to convince us that we are one vote away from choosing between Nazi Germany and Venezuela.

Yet, as we gather with friends and family this Thanksgiving, it is worth remembering that, beyond the headlines, things are actually pretty darn good. As both individuals and a country, we really have more than enough to be thankful for . . . Politics are not our life. The people we love, our faith, our families, the things we do that bring our lives joy and meaning — these things are far more important than politics. As George Will has pointed out: There are 357 million Americans; 350 million of them did not watch cable news or listen to talk radio yesterday.

So, as we begin to carve our turkey — which costs 4 percent less than last year — let’s tune out the politicians and their doom and gloom. It is a wonderful time to be alive. We really have so much to be thankful for. --Michael Tanner, NRO 11/27

POLITICS & UNITY

But politics in a republic is almost never about unity. Rather, politics is the art of negotiating differences. Democracy is about disagreement, not agreement. When politicians say: “The time for debate is over” or “Let’s put politics aside,” they’re really saying “shut up” to those who disagree. --Jonah Goldberg, ditto

Celebrating the Saints, Part II

"Repeatedly, the Lord declares that He remembers His people, His saints. His remembering is not a mental recalling of something He has forgotten, but a deliberate exercise of His love, whereby He keeps & carries out His promises, fulfills His covenant & saves His people from sin & death. And as He remembers them, He reveals & gives Himself to them by speaking His Word to them & by naming them & blessing them with His own holy name." --Richard Stuckwisch, The Lutheran Witness, Oct. 2019

Saturday + Celebrities + Christmas + Thankfulness + Happiness

SATURDAY

Lois plans to paint the guest bathroom upstairs today. I'm planning to sort through a plethora of papers & sort through pictures. We printed pictures from our trip to Glacier this summer, & we finally printed pictures from our trip to the Tetons & Yellowstone several years ago. The kids & grandkids will be here for Thanksgiving. We'll put up Christmas decorations on Wednesday. We'll hold back on the ornaments so the grandkids can help decorate the tree. We'll do Christmas on Friday or Saturday night, depending on Rachel's work schedule. We'll also do Thanksgiving dinner, depending on Rachel's work schedule.

THE COMMERCIALISM OF CHRISTMAS

At least the commercialism of Christmas carries within it news of “joy” and “goodwill to men.” And in a time of great change, it offers us stodgy, solid traditions. In a dark mood, it blares in with a message of light. The Victorian-era residue on Christmas points us away from our meritocratic striving and our ceaseless pursuits of distinction. It reminds us to do charitable works, and to share our blessings with the poor, the less fortunate. It points east, with the giddy rumor of some great outburst of hope and a promise of peace. So let it come. Break out the jazzy crooner Christmas albums. Deck the halls, find a new recipe for Chestnut soup. Let the women put on those cheesy rom-coms. And let a little of the joy come early. I think we need it.--Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review Online, 11/23

CELEBRITIES

Celebrity testimony is an age-old political stunt on Capitol Hill. If you want the press at your hearing, you lunge at the chance to have a star athlete, or a famous singer or actor, bring some zing to your issue. Democrats do this better because they have a lot more friends in Hollywood and they're always more willing to push the envelope with silliness. When you want to push your agenda on agriculture to the left and you need attention, you get Jane Fonda, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek to testify. Their credentials? They all starred in movies about agriculture. --Brent Bozell, Townhall, 11/22

GIVE THANKS

The death of a friend and the ongoing battle against cancer in my own family make me very thankful for very many things. Most of all, I am thankful for a very real God I can call upon in times of stress, worry and trouble. He gives me no escape, but then, He could not escape 
the cross. But I am thankful and comforted by the thought that He will walk beside me. --Erick Erickson, ditto

HAPPINESS

"You will never be happy if your happiness depends on getting solely what you want. Change the focus. Get a new center. Will what God wills, and your joy no man shall take from you." Be not afraid, in other words . . .Think not that you could do more good if you were well, or that you could be more kind if you had more money, or that you could exercise more power for good if you had another position! What matters is not what we are, or what we are doing, but whether we are doing God's will." --Kathryn Lopez, Townhall, 11/23

Free-for-All Friday

TEMP CHALLENGE

Ratings based on wunderground.com at 7:33a (CST)

• Norfolk, NE, 15 degrees
• Ventura, IA, 19
• Eagan, MN, 21
• TIE, Beatrice, NE, Lincoln, NE, 23
• BALMIEST LECKBANDS, Garrison, IA, 24

FREE FOR ALL

• "Family drags uncle's corpse to insurance company to prove he's dead." --Drudge Report, 11/21

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . CALIFORNIA

• "San Fran Poop Problems Worsening" --Drudge, 11/22

BUREAUCRACY

But by nature, the huge federal bureaucracy counts on bigger government and more taxes to feed it. So naturally, the bureaucracy is usually more sympathetic to big-government progressives than to small-government conservatives. --Victor Davis Hanson, National Review Online, 11/21

IMPEACHMENT

After three days of Adam Schiff’s impeachment inquiry, we are left with only the monotony. We know in advance all the questions, the subjective mood answers and bureaucratic mindset of the witnesses, the ensuing spin, and the congressional posturing. ditto

Republicans believe they’ve been living life under two sets of rules. Considering what previous administrations have gotten away with — and what many of the people now clamoring for impeachment helped them get away with — it’s difficult to blame them. --David Harsanyi, NRO, 11/22

RAISING CHILDREN

We’re supposed to watch what our children watch.  It’s up to us to impart our impressions, opinions, and lessons as we see fit.  We’re not supposed to leave child rearing to athletes, actors, singers, and presidents.  --Chris Stigall, Townhall, 11/21

ABORTION

Perhaps the most shocking facts that have come to light about the abortion industry are the reports of sales of baby body parts for money -- and the callousness of those involved in the abortion and dismemberment of fetuses whose body parts could be sold. --Laura Hollis, ditto

"I LOVE OUR COUNTRY"

I love the vastness of our country, the different topographies, the different weather patterns, communities and cultures. I love the freedom we have to travel between states, to speak our minds, to bear arms, to practice religion, to work whatever job we want in whatever location we want. I love the freedom to vote for our government and to protest when we disagree with those who are in power. I love that we are the most welcoming country in the world, that we stand up for human rights violations and that we desire to be the shining light upon the hill. --Jackie Gingrich Cushman, ditto

ISRAEL

As long as a religious motivation for wiping out Israel persists, there will be no peace, and no two-state solution. --Cal Thomas, ditto