Thanksgiving 2010

Yesterday was a busy day.  We dressed, we drove, we visited, we ate, we returned, and went straight to bed!  After I assisted Mama in getting ready for bed, I turned out the light and went to my room to do the same.  Reflecting on the day, I thought about how important family is.  I watched as the grands played - four sweet little boys (Jacob, Connor, Michael, and Kale - in order by age).  And then I realized that there were four generations right there together.  How often does that happen nowadays?  Mama (87) all the way down to Kale (2); 85 years difference. Wow!  Almost a century.  How blessed we are to be in the presence of that.  But looking at the bigger picture, each and every one of those present yesterday have more family connections.  We spread far and wide to locations all over the United States...and beyond. 

Mama's house was filled with the following (in order by age):  Mama (Vivian), Merle, Leo, Palmer, Carol, Me, Janet, Charles, Melanie, Will, Stephanie, Ryan, Joanne, Jacob, Connor, Michael, and Kale.  Well, we just had a great time.  We had a fire in the firepit outside, where we ate, under a large white canopy, filled with white lights and a big star of white lights.  The tablescape was lovely with an expression of a bountiful harvest and the food was all very delicious.  [Fried turkey (Leo), dressing (Carol's veggie), "red" carrot souffle with beets and apples, green beans (Carol), squash cassarole, carrots, brown rice and gravy (Janet), turkey from Honeybaked Ham with dressing (me), and homemade cranberry-orange-walnut relish (me), and several desserts (Carol's pumpkin parfait with deflated whipped cream - LOL! - a cake, and my banana pudding).  Well, it was just good, y'all!]

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite celebration day. One of the reasons is there is no expectation from anyone, just a peaceful, fun time - a time of reuniting and sharing our best - ourselves - a time of reflecting on the importance of family.  I am thankful for my family. Thank you, Lord.

A Message

During the night I awoke at 3:00, unable to go back to sleep quickly, I prayed.  I opened the Bible and read this scripture:   “1. Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.  2.  They speak vanity every one with his neighbor; with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.  3.  The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things.  4.  Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?  5.  For the oppression of the poor, for the sighting of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him who puffeth at him.  6.  The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  7.  Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.  8.  The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.”  Psalm 12

I took my Bible and held it against me and prayed.  I asked for Him to protect us, this house, and cleanse it of all evil.  I asked for Him to speak to me.  I prayed for understanding – I said to Him I just don’t understand anything around me.   I prayed earnestly.  I then fell asleep and dreamed this:

I entered a dwelling, for which I had a purpose, a very strong sense of a mission, but not knowing in my finite mind what that mission was, I simply surrendered to it.  I witnessed the suffering of a man, who had thick dark wavy hair and a short beard and mustache.  He was rather slender and he was dark skinned.  He had very dark, almost black eyes.  His demeanor was humble as he had been injured on top of his head and then told it was because of his own stupidity that it happened.  He was bleeding and he didn’t know it.  I then approached him to tell him he was bleeding from his head.  I also told him he didn’t have to accept what he was told about being stupid, and he seemed receptive of my kind words to him.  But then I leaned down next to him and asked him if he knew Jesus Christ?  His expression quickly changed to hard and cold.  He told me that was my belief and his was different.  In that instant I felt very unsafe.  I began to realize that what I was beginning to witness was the religion of Islam.  As I moved through this building, trying to find my way out, I encountered men and women, normal but seemingly with an agenda known only to them.  I had to receive clearance before I could enter into other rooms that were, from my understanding, leading me out and away from this.  Later, it became apparent that I was being watched very closely because of my belief and there was an oppression I was sensing from these people.  They seemed to be instilling fear in me the closer I neared the outside and in each exit, and clearance, there was a reinforcement of that fear.  Before I could leave, I was again given an opportunity to accept their system, a system that I can only liken to more of a mafia style - as long as they accepted what they were told to do and believe, they would live in peace and happiness and they claimed to be a peaceful religion, again, so long as their "way" was accepted - but because I didn’t I would live in fear every where I went and a premature death awaited me but I didn’t know when.  However, I still had some time to cross over to their religion and there would be experiences that would help me decide, yet, if I didn't soon, that death would happen. And then I awoke.