Thanksgiving Reflection

I spent some time on YouTube today, seeking inspiration for this year's Thanksgiving post. While there was plenty to choose from - of all shapes and sizes, in poor taste and good - I settled on "Thanksgiving" by American pianist George Winston. I invite you for a moment to close your eyes, and simply drink it in:


There is a dimension of Thanksgiving that goes higher than its history, deeper than the Detroit Lions, and further than the fowl that may grace our family table. It is more than just a day to take stock and count our blessings, although such an exercise has value.

I've not lived as much life as some, and I've lived more life than many. The music plays, and with each turn of the page I see images of a lifetime, memories of happy times and sad, faces familiar and others that were almost forgotten. Memories, and the emotions they evoke, are treasures to cherish be they bright or bittersweet. Our life is what it is; every moment, every soul, every experience has made us what we are. To discover within ourselves the capacity to be thankful for our lifetime, when so much argues against us to undermine that discovery, takes a spiritual act of will: a courageous choice to be thankful for all that we are, and what has brought us to be, wherever and whatever we are to become. For some, this may be easy while for others it is almost unbearably heartbreaking.

Yet as I close my eyes, and the notes dance upon my mind, I come to the conclusion that Thanksgiving about all those who have shaped our lives, guided our steps, and filled those spaces in our hearts. It is for joy, in the midst of all things, that we are here. It is for the love of family and friends in our presence, and a remembrance of precious loved ones no longer present, but with us just the same. And it is about those we've yet to meet, and embrace.

Therein lies the heart of this Thanksgiving message: Being thankful for a lifetime that was, a life that is, and an eternity that is to come.

May it be so for you and yours.


* Originally posted for Thanksgiving 2010. Thought it was worth reposting. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Veterans Day 2014

On this Veterans Day, I offer again a thanks to the many men and women who have stood in harm's way on behalf of the American people, and indeed, on behalf of citizens of nations around the world. No words of mine can adequately express the debt owed to those who stand in the gap for the cause of freedom and liberty.

I do invite you, however, to give pause, and remember that each Soldier, Marine, Seaman, and Airman who volunteered to wear the uniform deserve to have their stories told and their sacrifices honored. There are far too many that are too quick to use a few bad examples to tarnish the whole, and I have little patience for such drivel (for the short-tempered, reader caution is advised).

If you read anything today, read this next link. Writing at Ricochet.com, Dave Carter has penned a most poignant piece that left me naught but tears. Take a few minutes and read "If The Wall Could Speak", and give thanks for those who have gone before us, and also give thanks to those who are still with us.

Really, don't miss Dave's piece. It is worth your time.

Life’s Little Pleasures

I awoke this morning with a mantle of melancholy draped across my shoulders, a not uncommon occurrence with me, but one which I find increasingly tiresome. As the first to rise on this rare Saturday free from the manacles of outside commitments, I walked to the kitchen to start the coffee. Opening the cabinet, I retrieved the can holding the blend of heaven, and smiled, for it was brand new.

Why? You see, there are few pleasures in life quite like the smell you smell when you first open a vacuum-sealed pouch of coffee.

Such are the little pleasures of life. And there are others:

The gentle slap of water against the side of a canoe.

The lights on a Christmas tree in an otherwise darkened room.

The look of pure joy on a child’s face in the presence of a new discovery.

The sound of wind in the leaves on a quiet summer’s eve.

These moments bring little pockets of peace to an otherwise fretful, noisy life, which makes them precious indeed. Like manna from heaven.