Thanksgiving & Advent

This is probably my most favorite time of the year. Thanksgiving to Christmas - Advent if you will -- the time of the year that the Church worldwide (except Fundamentalists, Most Evangelicals and Charismatics, the groups I sadly most identify with) celebrates the Advent, or Coming, of our Lord Jesus -- The Word made flesh that dwelt among us.
I began this period this last Thursday with a celebration of Family and Friends. First of all, Thanksgiving morning, Lindsay and Peter called. They were at James and Kristi Jensen's place in a village north of London, England. Although separated by 4,000 miles and 6 hours of time, we had a chance to talk, catch up on life. The occaision of course is Thanksgiving.
Then Chris, Sarah, along with Paula, and Mary Barga came to the house in the late morning. Not too long after came Mom and Dad Barga, Michael and Kathy from Minneapolis. We ate this humongous meal of Turkey, Ham, Rolls, Corn, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, two kinds of Cranberry dishes, and topped it off a couple of hours after the meal with dessert: pumpkin pie, apple cobbler, and/or custard pie! We drank some wine, listened to stories and laughed a lot. Kelly called from Sterling to wish us a Happy Thanksgiving, which was timely since Linda was trying to reconcile her fear with her faith that Kelly was not a part of a train crash in Chicago...never can quite figure out some of the rationale behind our fears, but Kelly's call alleviated any misgivings Linda had and it was a nice "Happy Thanksgiving" from her to add to the festivities. Later in the evening we initiated the Barga clan into the "Great Dalmuti" game, hats and all. It was a great day of celebration, food, and fun.
Michael and Kathy stayed over thru Friday. They went shopping with Paula. Linda and I went out looking for a Christmas tree. We went to our favorite little tree farm, outside of Marshall -- the Hanson tree farm. There, we picked out a 10' tall Balsam. Brought it home, fit it in the tree stand and now it awaits Andy's light decorations and Linda's ornaments. Today, Linda is making cookie dough, we'll decorate the tree, and relax.
Tomorrow the Jensen clan will arrive and we'll do our annual cookie decoration get together. It is usually a noisy but fun get together.

All of this surrounds this season of Thanksgiving, and leads directly into this season of Advent. What is there not to love about a season of family, friends, celebrations and fun?
I sat this week and meditated upon my life in relation to Thanksgiving. Deuteronomy 8 is one of my favorite Old Testament passages and it is that because it's theme is "Remember"..."Don't forget"..."All that God has done for you..." It's true, that we are all prone to forgetfulness. I am prone to take things for granted, to assume, to expect, to demand, and to gripe and complain when things don't go the way I want them to. What is needed is daily doses of "thanksgiving". The simple need to say "Lord, thanks for all that I have received...for my wife and the 35 years we've been together, for my kids who are incredible and continue to humble me and make me grateful...for my friends and the joy they bring into life...for the simple, assumed things...our house, food, heat, health, job, life...life abundant and full of joy!"
All of these things, and more fill me with Thanksgiving, and then along comes Advent!!! "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"...what a fantastic season this is.