Family and friends, like in a blink of an eye, once again, our frijoles, yuca y lechón will adorn our tables on Noche Buena and, hopefully, this year more of us will be surrounded by those we love, accompanied by the spirit of those we miss.

This gathering season comes courtesy of a Savior. Let’s not forget it is He we celebrate, and that it is thanks to Him we can. And for that, I am thankful.

From our home to yours, may the presence and love of Christ always fill your hearts, and may your Christmas be wrapped with peace, health and happiness.

What are you thankful for today?

Until next Thursday’s post…si Dios quiere.

“God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith;
the warmth of Christmas, which is love;
the radiance of Christmas, which is purity;
the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;
the belief in Christmas, which is truth;
the all of Christmas, which is Christ.”
-Wilda English

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.”
-B. Hillis

They say that experience is worth its weight in gold…or Bitcoin, or NFTs…or currently, possibly even Gatorade, take your pick. Occasionally, it is gained via positive events that happen in our lives but, most of it, as you know, comes via a big hit and after a lot of kicking and screaming on our part.

Once the initial shock, tachycardia and pain of the newly acquired knowledge has passed, we are able to see what we have learned from it and how it has made us more resilient. What doesn’t break us makes us stronger. You know. Plus, as my mother used to say, “Dios aprieta pero no ahoga,” God squeezes but does not suffocate. We must trust that He will get us through those teaching moments.

I believe I have banked a considerable amount of experience in my life so far. Not much of it was gained voluntarily, I can tell you that. I kicked and screamed my way through most of it. But I am better for it, and richer. Enough to pass on that wealth to my kids. For that, and especially for that, I am so thankful.

Kiddos reading this post: pay close attention to those teaching moments and learn the lessons, because us older folks won’t be around forever to share our wealth of experience and wisdom.

What are you thankful for today?

Until next Thursday’s post…si Dios quiere.

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven.”
-O.F. Whitney

“Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.”
-P. Seeger

“I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow;
And ne’er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.”
R. B. Hamilton

Happy Thanksgiving, friends and family! We are always grateful, but today we emphasize that gratitude. Regardless of our current circumstances, we thank the Lord for that which really makes us blessed. For we know that when all else fades, faith, hope and love remain (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Wishing all of you a very healthy, happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

What are you thankful for today?

Until next Thursday’s post…si Dios quiere.

For flowers that bloom about our feet,
Father, we thank Thee.

For tender grass so fresh, so sweet,
Father, we thank Thee.
For the song of bird and hum of bee,
for all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For blue of stream and blue of sky,
Father, we thank Thee.
For pleasant shade of branches high,
Father, we thank Thee.
For fragrant air and cooling breeze,
for beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For this new morning with its light,
Father, we thank Thee.
For rest and shelter of the night,
Father, we thank Thee
For health and food, for love and friends,
for everything Thy goodness sends,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”
-Purkiser

Hello, and a great Thankful Thursday morning to you all.  Now, repeat after me:

“For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.”

There, feeling grateful yet?…Good.  I am.

Also, today I would like to say a big Thank You to all the veterans, living and deceased, for their service and sacrifices so that we can live in a free country. God bless. 🇺🇸 

What else are you thankful for today?

Until next Thursday’s post…si Dios quiere.

“Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now.”
-A.W. Tozer

Naples, December 27, 2020

And so the story goes…

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things in order, she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, which scriptures she would like read, and which outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

“There’s one more thing,” she said excitedly.

“What’s that?” came the pastor’s reply.

“This is very important,” the young woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”

The pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

“That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the young woman asked.

“Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the pastor.

The young woman explained. “My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on, I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming…like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!”

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder “What’s with the fork?” Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork…the best is yet to come.”

The pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She knew that something better was coming.

At the funeral, people were walking by the young woman’s casket, and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question, “What’s with the fork?” And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died, and about what the fork symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it, either.

Neither have I, actually. I discovered and read this story to my Sunday school students many years ago, and it stayed with me. I hope it stays with you, too, and that the next time you reach for your fork, you let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

“And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
-John 11:26

What are you thankful for today?

Until next Thursday’s post…si Dios quiere.