Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving.

One of those days when I feel the isolation from family and countrymen some. Holidays and missing significant life milestones or health issues stir up lots of memories and a longing for the memories that we miss making because of the distance.

Knowing we will be the only ones celebrating in our area tomorrow makes a small lonely feeling-this feeling will rapidly disappear on Saturday when folks from many countries join together for a time of thankfulness and fellowship on Saturday. Yes, every day we thank the Lord for the blessings He pours on us but nice put aside a whole day to remember and reflect.

The worst Thanksgiving I remember occurred only a few years ago when Eli and Anna attended the international school which did not recognize most holidays as their students came from at least 3 different nations. Because of the carpool responsibilities we did not feel like we could keep the kids home. Spending most of the day alone was hard.

Celebration of our blessings, good food that we generally do not have or take the time to make, and family time will shape our family Thanksgiving. This week we reviewed the history of American Thanksgiving and how the Lord shaped the country and our families history.

So many areas and individual items to be thankful for one hesitates for fear of forgetting important items. But better to forget a few than not acknowledge those we do remember.

• God-loving and true. Unchanging.
• Faith, Christian heritage, Bible, 
• Family-biological, spiritual, international
• Friends-young and old. New and forever. Here and there. 
• Freedoms. Ability to choose. Worship. Speech. Vote.
• Food, clean water, house, running water, electricity, clothes, shoes
• Internet, computers, phones, Kindle, E-bay
• Medical-medicines, treatments, surgeries that improve and prolong life. Health
• Homeschool. Learning together. Sonlight. The HomeScholar.
• Haiti-people, land, weather, culture
• Support team-Prayers and $ that allow our ministry to continue as well as the folks at GP and other ministries that support our lives here.
• Books!
• Nature-animals, Kodiak-our cat, trees, flowers, plants, mountains, sea
• Music, colors, beauty, nice smells
• Laughter, joy, peace, contentment, gratitude 
• Political stability, safety

Thank the Lord. Enjoy those around you. Count your blessings.