Happy Thanksgiving!

As we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving, we need to remember the very first Thanksgiving. The pilgrims, when after a year of near starvation and plague, were finally able to eat food, and they stopped to give thanks. They took a day, a whole day, to give thanks to the Lord, who made them.

The story of these labourers, gives me strength and makes me thankful for all that I have. Some of the main things I am thankful for are, first of all my Lord Jesus Christ who came and died for me on the cross, second of all my parents, for bringing me into this world and for training me and bringing me up to love the Lord. I am also thankful for all my family. My brothers, my sister, my grandparents, all my Aunts and Uncles, and my cousins have loved me and helped me do what is right. I am also very thankful for my friends. Whether they all know it or not, they have helped me to become the person I am today. Last of all (not really, I have many more thankful's I would say, but this is all for today.), I am very thankful for the church we go to. I think our family has really been blessed by our church. We have been blessed by the teaching , by the fellowship that we have received, and from the encouragement to do what is right.

I hope that you would take a minute to stop and to think of all the wonderful things you have to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In Him,

First Family Thanksgiving Get Together...

This past Sunday, our family went to our first Thanksgiving. It was my Memaw Laura's Thanksgiving, and we all gathered at her house.

The table decoration

The tables laden with food. Since everyone in our family gathered together can't fit on one table (and all the food can't fit either (-: ) we have to make two tables.

A good and sunny shot of Nathan. :)

The boys playing an active game if " Marco/Polo." :)

The Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Mommy made for the Thanksgiving. The recipe is found HERE. We added spiced whipped cream for a topping as well. All it is, is whipping cream, with sugar and pumpkin pie spice to taste. Of course, make sure you whip the cream. :)

Everything was very good, it was hard to eat it all. Thanksgiving is such a nice time because you get to see family, and think of all the things you are thankful for.

I hope everyone has a nice rest of the day!

In Him,

Proverbs 31

Isn't that a pretty picture? I just think it reminds me of the Proverbs 31 woman.

In Him,

Photo Credit: Allposters.com

A Big Announcment....

The producers of Fireproof, Flywheel, and Facing the Giants are going to anounce their new movie.... Go HERE for more information.


In Him,



P.S. I learned about this from Julia's Journal

Another Veteran's Day Post...

A realization hit me today as my father was talking to me over the phone. He pointed out a sad, but true fact about the veterans of the past battles. Daddy said that many of them are passing away without being reconized or that no one is rewarding them for their sacrifices. He then sent me the following article.

SOON TO BE GONE
By Stephen R. Ellison, M.D., US Army
This should be required reading in every school and college in our country This Captain, an Army doctor, deserves a medal himself for putting this together. If you choose not to pass it on, fine, but I think you will want to, after you read it.

I am a doctor specializing in the Emergency Departments of the only two military Level One-Trauma Centers, both in San Antonio , TX and they care for civilian Emergencies as well as military personnel. San Antonio has the largest military retiree population in the world living here. As a military doctor, I work long hours and the pay is less than glamorous One tends to become jaded by the long hours, lack of sleep, food, family contact and the endless parade of human suffering passing before you. The arrival of another ambulance does not mean more pay, only more work.

Most often, it is a victim from a motor vehicle crash.

Often it is a person of dubious character who has been shot or stabbed. With our large military retiree population, it is often a nursing home patient Even with my enlisted service and minimal combat experience in Panama , I have caught myself groaning when the ambulance brought in yet another sick, elderly person from one of the local retirement centers that cater to military retirees. I had not stopped to think of what citizens of this age group represented.

I saw 'Saving Private Ryan.' I was touched deeply. Not so much by the carnage, but by the sacrifices of so many. I was touched most by the scene of the elderly survivor at the graveside, asking his wife if he'd been a good man. I realized that I had seen these same men and women coming through my Emergency Dept. and had not realized what magnificent sacrifices they had made. The things they did for me and everyone else that has lived on this planet since the end of that conflict are priceless.

Situation permitting, I now try to ask my patients about their experiences. They would never bring up the subject without the inquiry. I have been privileged to an amazing array of experiences, recounted in the brief minutes allowed in an Emergency Dept. encounter. These experiences have revealed the incredible individuals I have had the honor of serving in a medical capacity, many on their last admission to the hospital.

There was a frail, elderly woman who reassured my young enlisted medic, trying to start an IV line in her arm. She remained calm and poised, despite her illness and the multiple needle-sticks into her fragile veins. She was what we call a 'hard stick.' As the medic made another attempt, I noticed a number tattooed across her forearm. I touched it with one finger and looked into her eyes. She simply said, ' Auschwitz .' Many of later generations would have loudly and openly berated the young medic in his many attempts. How different was the response from this person who'd seen unspeakable suffering.

Also, there was this long retired Colonel, who as a young officer had parachuted from his burning plane over a Pacific island held by the Japanese. Now an octogenarian, he had a minor cut on his head from a fall at his home where he lived alone. His CT scan and suturing had been delayed until after midnight by the usual parade of high priority ambulance patients. Still spry for his age, he asked to use the phone to call a taxi, to take him home, then he realized his ambulance had brought him without his wallet. He asked if he could use the phone to make a long distance call to his daughter who lived 7 miles away. With great pride we told him that he could not, as he'd done enough for his country and the least we could do was get him a taxi home, even if we had to pay for it ourselves. My only regret was that my shift wouldn't end for several hours, and I couldn't drive him myself.

I was there the night M/Sgt. Roy Benavidez came through the Emergency Dept. for the last time. He was very sick. I was not the doctor taking care of him, but I walked to his bedside and took his hand. I said nothing. He was so sick, he didn't know I was there. I'd read his Congressional Medal of Honor citation and wanted to shake his hand. He died a few days later.

The gentleman who served with Merrill's Marauders,

the survivor of the Bataan Death March,

the survivor of Omaha Beach ,

the 101 year old World War I veteran.

The former POW held in frozen North Korea ,

The former Special Forces medic - now with non-operable liver cancer,

the former Viet Nam Corps Commander.

I remember these citizens.

I may still groan when yet another ambulance comes in, but now I am much more aware of what an honor it is to serve these particular men and women.

I have seen a Congress who would turn their back on these individuals who've sacrificed so much to protect our liberty. I see later generations that seem to be totally engrossed in abusing these same liberties, won with such sacrifice.

It has become my personal endeavor to make the nurses and young enlisted medics aware of these amazing individuals when I encounter them in our Emergency Dept. Their response to these particular citizens has made me think that perhaps all is not lost in the next generation.

My experiences have solidified my belief that we are losing an incredible generation, and this nation knows not what it is losing. Our uncaring government and ungrateful civilian populace should all take note. We should all remember that we must 'Earn this.'

Written By CPT.Stephen R. Ellison, M.D. US Army

If it weren't for the United States military, there'd be NO United States of America .

-- "The ONLY thing necessary for the triumph of evil ... if for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke, 1727 - 1797

In Him,

Kristin Elizabeth

A Little Funny Moment...

Today as I was playing our Wii with my two youngest brothers, my Wii remote's battery's died. Ryan (being the little helper he is), immediatly rushed off and brought me two new battery's. Those two battery's didn't work, so he again ran off and brought two more. When those didn't work either, he brought me the cup that he said they were kept in....

(Ryan in mid-word :-) )

Can anyone ever guess what that cup said? :)

Have a nice day!

In Him,

Happy Veterans Day!

Happy Veterans Day to my Daddy, and those men and woman that served in the military.

In Him,

Tonight at prayer meeting as I was reading some verses, this one jumped out at me. I just thought I would share it. I don't know why it impacted me so much, maybe because I have learning and studying about this lately.

In Him,