November 21st! This is Thanksgiving week; and it feels like it outside. We have a whopping 36 degrees right now which is quite a bit up from when I first got up. But the sun is shining brightly and the sky is a clear brilliant blue. I haven't plugged in my electric birdbath yet so there is a skim of ice on the water. It's going up to the low fifties or upper forties today so it will melt quick enough.

It is going to be a great week. Julie and he pups are coming over either this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Jim will come over most likely Wednesday night. Thursday we will have Thanksgiving meal and also Thursday Lisa and Amanada will be heading out to out house and will be arriving on Friday. Friday, I reckon Jim will head home so he can go to work on Friday night. Then on Sunday I will hold my final worship service at a combined parish worship service and begin my retirement. Sunday afternoon, all of the kids will head back home and Ms. Kate and I will take a nap!!

Yesterday was my last worship service at St. Paul's. I laid the keys on the desk and closed the door behind me. Yeh, I admit it did choke me up a bit; especially when a couple of my parishioners came through the line with tears in their eyes. Pastor / parishioner relationship is a very special relationship, or at least it is to me. Some of these folks have relied on me to get them through some tough times and bonds are strengthened often through tragic and or stressful situations in their lives. Doing so will give you a deeper understanding of that person. I had a lady a couple of weeks ago that came to me and told me through her choked voice that I had been her pathway back to the church and to Christ. As a Christian and as a pastor I don't think I have ever heard more beautiful words. As I told her, I was just the conduit; she and God did all the work.

Yesterday was our middle daughter Heather's 46th birthday. Good Lord, --- where did the time go? Another month our youngest daughter Lisa will be 45 years old. If our daughter have reached middle aged status --- I reckon somehow we have truly become "senior citizens". We don't particularly "feel"like senior citizens ; ----- however, I am retiring Sunday ---- for the second time! It does make a person a bit more aware of their own mortality.

Ms. Kate has finished making the cards for Christmas. Now it is my job to get them addressed and sent out. Maybe I'll go down to my office this afternoon and work on that. I think Ms.Kate is going to be starting on making cookies soon and I need to be out of her way. I have the laundry going so I can get that done while she is busy doing other stuff. We make a pretty good team. I think she is mainly going to be mixing up the dough today and rolling it up. Then we can slice it and bake it maybe tomorrow after Julie gets here. I probably just gained a pound thinking about all of the cookies I'm going to be eating.

Take time this week and focus on your blessings. God does so very much for us and we need to share that with others. Peace.