The First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year.  This year is the first time I will spend Thanksgiving without my friends or family about.  Certainly it is easy to feel sorry for myself but truth be told, I am fine.  After all the trials and tribulations about getting myself settled here, I have a lot to be thankful for.
So many people have been kind and generous to me following the fire, and from time to time some treasure shows up in my mailbox that makes my life just that much better.  I am looking forward to replacing this and that, but in the meantime, I have been unpacking things that I haven't seen in a couple of years, all of which I liked to begin with, so in a sense everyday is just a little like Christmas.  Although I may have to consciously decide to have this attitude, it is the one I prefer.

Shortly after moving here, I decided that the best way I could meet people is by joining a church (since I don't work or attend a school).  I selected the church that is closest to my house, and since it has a 6:00 service on Sunday afternoons, I figured that would work for me.  After attending for more than a month, the pastor told me that, "We should have a conversation."  I was not looking forward to this.  I have very definite beliefs about God, and as you probably know, I was never a church goer-even as a child.  I had gotten in trouble for asking the wrong questions during religious instruction so I learned to keep my opinions to myself, and left the church as soon as I could, so you can imagine my reluctance to have a one on one with this pastor.

Anyway, the meeting was set up and I went, intending to say as little as possible and "yeah, yeah" whenever necessary.  When I arrived, I was handed a booklet that describes what the church believes and what is required of members.  You can imagine my surprise when I read exactly what I believed on their forms!  It's true, there is a church that believes what I believe, and God has lined me up with it.  So, much to my own surprise, I am being baptized on Sunday-which will make me a member of this church.  Does that make me the church lady?  We'll have to ask Dana Carvey to know for sure.

So, this Thanksgiving I have one more thing to be thankful for.  I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I will be joining my neighbor across the street for dinner and feel just a little like a Pilgrim being welcomed by the natives.  Enjoy and I hope to speak with you soon!