Thanksgiving 2012

My day started with this awesome “Thanksgiving” devotional.

Don finally found the hospital where Mick Barnhill was taken yesterday afternoon, so we headed out a little before noon to see him and Donna.

We are so grateful for God’s love and faithfulness when we pray. We got a knock on the Q door last night and Donna said, "We need prayer and a touch from God!" Her husband, Mick, had taken a bicycle fall and was in the hospital with a hematoma on one of his kidneys and other complications. He is also a heart patient and he was in danger of losing a kidney as he was bleeding and they were trying to get that stopped.  Really hard to do when taking Coumadin. We begin to pray, first with Donna and then throughout the night. Just now, we have returned from the hospital where Mick is in ICU. Praise God, he feels much better today and his color is good. Hematoma is still present and they are diligently working to dissolve it. We are so blessed to have the privilege of praying with and for Mick and Donna. Prayer partners, we appreciate your prayers for them, as well.

Throughout the day, I have posted or retrieved pictures from FaceBook as we are all enumerating the things we are ever so grateful and thankful to God for.

First, I am thankful for my preacher-man husband and the ministry God has given us to do in the RV community.

Here’s a couple of pictures I posted on InstaGram for my grandkids, wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving.

I am so happy and thankful that my two beautiful daughters and their families are spending the Thanksgiving holiday together in Oklahoma.

Leslie posted this picture of adoring cousins, Camden and Lydia… precious grandchildren.

Stephanie posted pictures, too!  I made this collage of the pictures she posted.  We had fun texting with them. Stephanie texted me; I read to Don; we all laughed and had a great time.  So grateful for technology and family.

Aren’t they handsome and beautiful?!!! Rick without his Black Friday hat. :-)

About 3:30 PM, it was time for us to go to the Activity Hall for the park Thanksgiving pot luck and turkey dinner.

Ann and Ray sat down at our table, Ann beside me and a new friendship was born!  Love her! 

I love this picture of Ann.  Isn’t she cute?!!!

Just a sampling of the 225 plus residents in the hall for the dinner.

The food, as usual for these get-togethers, was delicious.

This is Don’s plate:He also had a piece of pumpkin pie.

This is my plate:  No dessert for me.  Well, I had my frozen Dutch chocolate shake about two hours before lunch.

Back at the Q, we finished off this beautiful day with football game watching.  The Cowboys almost had a successful come-back.  We are usually Cowboy fans, but we are also RGIII fans and he’s the QB for the Redskins.  Wish the Cowboys had him.

It’s also weird to not be watching Texas vs. Texas A&M, a long time Thanksgiving Day tradition gone bye-bye.

We are so thankful for the privilege of enjoying this Thanksgiving Day.  I hope you enjoy the first Thanksgiving Day proclamation as much as I did and I pray our nation returns to this reverence and acknowledgement of God.

Thanksgiving Proclamation
[New York, 3 October 1789]
By the President of the United States of America [George Washington], a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house” (Ps. 36:7-8).