Opinions

It’s that time of year where we take a moment to give thanks. We reflect on the many blessings that God has sent our way (and we also gorge ourselves on turkey!). This Thanksgiving season, I am especially thankful to God for what he has done in and through Tabernacle Baptist Church.

The year has flown by and now Thanksgiving is here. I hope you have a meaningful Thanksgiving with family and friends. The election is over, basketball is starting, and the sentimental feelings of fall have turned into the blah of winter. Many already have their Christmas trees up, and this week delicious turkeys will be the centerpiece of our tables. Actually, our celebration to give thanks was created in the United States in 1863, as President Abraham Lincoln wanted to promote unity and for all Americans to show their gratitude to God. Thanksgiving eventually became a national holiday in 1941, but what about counting our blessings every day?

My husband, Peter, told me about the unlikely friendship. When we stay in Mexico, Peter walks the same route up to the environmental preserve every day. It’s a steep climb to the park, which is filled with wildlife and rare plants. Because Peter walks the same streets daily, he has gotten to know a lot of the people who have homes on the way up. The whole thing started with Reacher, an exuberant 75-pound Belgian Malinois, and his American expat owner, Anita. The Belgian Malinois is a dog often trained for search and rescue. You might have seen videos of them scaling walls. Peter never saw Reacher actually climbing any walls, but he never doubted his ability to do so if the need arose.

Interesting week for those seeking information on who might serve on the cabinet of presidentelect Donald Trump. This season of transition following an election normally is known as “to the victor go the spoils.” The victorious new president gets to form his own leadership team. But not with today’s Democratic Party.

“Do you have grandchildren?” I asked with a kind and lilting voice, after being introduced to my newest cousin (by marriage) when we gathered in Alabama for Thanksgiving.

“I don’t know many words about teeth,” I told the dentist. Since my husband, Peter, and I spend time in Mexico, it makes sense to get dental work done while we’re here, and I had been putting off going to the dentist. I knew I needed to get work done where my gums had receded, and the enamel no longer covered what it was supposed to. I’ve been told that over-exuberant toothbrushing contributes to this condition, so I’ve been trying to ease off. But I don’t really think my toothbrush is the cause. I’m just getting old.

How long would it have lasted? When would the public realize they had been duped? What they had seen appeared presidential, but the bamboozled surely could tell that what they ordered from Temu was, in fact, a fake.

Once upon a time, Thanksgiving was a lot easier. Before people could fly or snowski, they lived a stone’s throw from Grandma’s house and there was no need to ask the question, “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” because you were going over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house…and washing the dishes afterwards.

“There will be monks here tomorrow morning,” is what I figured Jorge was telling me. In Spanish, “monks” sounds like “monkeys” in English. But I was pretty sure we were not having monkeys over for breakfast. Jorge is my landlord here in Mexico, and he speaks only Spanish to me. He will speak some English when my husband, Peter, is around. But if it’s just me, he’ll stick to Spanish, and I am fine with that, but it doesn’t mean I get 100% of what he says.

It’s a spiritual revelation to comprehend that words have tremendous power but where there is privilege there is also accountability. Communication not only shapes our views while influencing our behavior, but words also expose who we really are as we can learn a great deal about a person’s views when we hear them speak. This is a wonderful prayer to begin each day, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” Psalm 141:3. Yes, we have much to pray about, and this petition is crucial if we are to live a holy life of integrity, respect, and love. Encouraging words are worth much, and cost little, and since what we say is what we think, it would be wise to monitor our thoughts and what we believe.