give thanks

You really can't beat a week off. I have enjoyed the break and the Thanksgiving holiday. It is quiet in my house right now, a candle flickers on the coffee table, as its reflection dances in the front room. My wife and I have only been home for a couple of hours, she is getting caught up on Grey's Anatomy and I have been watching college football since yesterday morning. Life is good. We spent the Thanksgiving break bouncing from house to house, eating three Thanksgiving dinners along the way. I have been in need of a good vacation so for the past 5 days, I have gotten my Sabbath on. I saw a church sign this week that said, "Thanksgiving is nice, but Thanks Living is better". I first thought that it was a little cheesy, dare I say stupid, but am now considering it to be a significant statement and one deserving reflection. So, in an effort to live a life of Thanks Living, here are my thoughts from my Thanksgiving break.

As I lay my head down to sleep tonight, I will thank the Lord that Happy Feet was only an hour and a half. Though it is 90 minutes of my life that I will never get back. Trust me, no matter what they say on Rotten Tomatoes , that movie was terrible. I'm sure Jayson's kids have already seen it three times.

My mom made corn pudding yesterday. It sounds and looks nasty, but I love it. My grandmother would make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas growing up. I am thankful that she passed the recipe on.

Last night I went to the Oklahoma 6A High School Football semi-finals game in Tulsa. I know that high school football is always a big deal, but this is big boy football. 20,000 people in the stands, D-1 prospects on both sides of the ball, and facilities that rival most Conference USA colleges. My alma mater, the Muskogee Roughers, lost to Jenks High, but I am thankful that I was able to have conversations with people I have not seen in 6 years.

After a 3-2 start, the Oklahoma Sooners have won seven in a row and are headed to the Big 12 Championship game. So this holiday, I am thankful for Texas A&M. Hey Longhorns, have fun at the Alamo Bowl.

I am thankful that leather vests are not in style.