I believe that Thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday of the year. And, it’s not just about the food and the football, even though that, alone, is enough to put a smile on my face. Our house has always been a gathering place at Thanksgiving. Family and friends stop by during the day, and, together, we acknowledge that God has really been good to us all. We always have a houseful, coming and going from morning until midnight. All ages and all races and nationalities are represented in our home that day, with one common, overriding theme. It may not be stated in so many words, but there’s an atmosphere there that’s undeniable. We’re blessed.
I wanted to take some time and space here to express some random thoughts and ideas about my favorite time of the year.
Being Thankful
Your mom was right – always say “please” and “thank you.” Whether she realized it or not though, that seemingly insignificant act has far more impact than simply socially acceptable behavior. Developing a thankful heart, as well as an attitude of ungratefulness, is a habit. So, fill your home with thankfulness! It starts with Mom and Dad – saying “please,” “thank you,” and “you’re welcome.” Then declare it to be a family trait - “Our family expresses thanks!” Expressions of thankfulness are like the reins and the bridle in the horse’s mouth. They will turn the tide of attitude in your home.
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)
How Many Ways To Worship?
One activity you can try with your family is to discover every way you can think of to worship God. Almost any age group can participate in this exercise that expands your family’s concept of worship. And it can be a project that stretches over an extended period of time, because, in reality, there are limitless responses to this. Feel free to allow your kids to use their imaginations.
The book of Psalms is the perfect place to teach your children what worship looks like and sounds like. Give your family the assignment to search through the entire book in order to prompt them to find all the different ways to worship. The list in almost inexhaustible, and offers such a variety of postures and practices that anyone can find something that’s a comfortable expression for them – be still, sing, shout, clap your hands, stand, sit, lie down, leap, and on and on. For school age children, the visual of writing all the responses on butcher paper or posterboard makes a real impact.
The Thanksgiving Tradition
The original Thanksgiving dinner began with each person having seven kernels of corn on his or her plate, to commemorate the time of famine when that was all each colonist had to eat each day for months…after eating those, they gave thanks for God’s bountiful blessing, and began the feast. Why not make that a tradition that reminds us of the abundance of God’s goodness? Or, go around the table with each person offering a sentence prayer thanking God for something they are specifically, especially thankful for.
If you have any meaningful Thanksgiving traditions in your home, we’d love for you to share them with us. You can tell us about them in the comments here, or, for you more private types, you can email us at MarthaandGreg@aol.com. Have a blessed Thanksgiving weekend!
It’s a faded brown gingham apron, hand-stitched, trimmed with a ribbon and a row of equally faded pinkish ric-rac. They say she never was without her apron, and sure enough, the photo I have shows her wearing a similar one as she stands beside her husband in a field, looking stoically at the camera in the fashion of her day.
Her life was more difficult than I can fathom. Her husband was a circuit-riding preacher, and, with their eight children, they moved from place to place, wherever he was needed, picking cotton on other people’s land, eating and sleeping and living in temporary houses borrowed from other people for the length of their stay.
She was a tiny woman, under five feet tall, weighing about 85 pounds, but she drug the huge sack, weighing more than she did by the time it was full of cotton, behind her as she worked her way up and down the rows in the sun. Singing.
My husband’s great grandmother, Nettie Stiewig, worked hard laboring in the fields, helped educate her children, cooked meals, did laundry, and somehow found time to create some of the most exquisite embroidered and crocheted linens I have ever seen.
But the story of her life, the one thing that I really know about her, is that she sang.
Up and down the rows, back bent, fingers raw to the point of bleeding, she worked in the heat and the dust with her husband and children toiling nearby.
But instead of complaining about the work, or wishing she could express her homemaker’s artistic heart in a house of her own, Grandma sang joyful, unending hymns to the Savior she loved.
In doing so, she left a legacy that lives still in the hearts of four generations after her.
We’ve been talking a lot in our Sunday School class about our personal stories, and how they are part of God’s big, eternal story. We all want to do that One Great Thing for Jesus, and wonder if, should the opportunity arise, we will recognize it, and be up for the challenge. Sometimes I think that One Great Thing may not be that obvious, even to ourselves, as we somehow trudge from day to day, task to task, waiting for “Something” to happen..
But when I see that apron, where I have lovingly hung it in my kitchen, I hear the message of her life, still powerful in the heart of a great-granddaughter-in-law who never even met her.
My work, through all the little moments and tasks of life, becomes worship when my heart is full of praise to Him.
The apron touches me, and fills me with the hope that the memory of my life which will echo through the generations after me will be the same as hers: “She worshipped Jesus while she worked. She sang.”
Martha
It all started when Tom Brady went down with a season-ending injury in Week 1, and New England became just another team. Even with Peyton Manning leading them, the Colts are just so-so. This afternoon, ESPN reported that Tony Romo is out for at least four weeks and, so, it doesn't look too good for the Cowboys. Just six weeks deep, this has already been an interesting NFL season. Last Monday night, I watched the Vikings upset the Saints, and literally flinched when Cedric Griffin delivered the hit of at least that week on the Saints' Billy Miller.
Cedric went to high school at Holmes in San Antonio, where Martha has taught 22 years, and both Annie and Matt, our kids, attended there with Ced. As a matter of fact, Matt loved the school so much, he's back there teaching English. Cedric played football with Matt for the Huskies, back in the program's glory days. Don't look now, it's not as pretty as it used to be. Matt, as an underclassman then, had the responsibility of being on the scout team in practice, running next week's opponent's offense to help school the studs starting on defense. Looking back, he'll tell you he never got hit harder in any game than Ced hit him in practice. Even though, as a cornerback, Ced was smaller that most of the guys on defense, he still could bring it.
Seeing Ced's big hit last week brought to my remembrance an article that was written about him while he was at the University of Texas.
Cedric Griffin: Breaking barriersBy Thomas Stepp, University of Texas Media Relations 
Late in the summer of 2001, Cedric Griffin walked into the Longhorns team meeting room for the first time as a freshman. At first glance, he may have appeared quiet, stern and almost unapproachable to his fellow freshmen, but what his new teammates, including his future roommate Matt Nordgren, may not have realized is how much there was to discover.
"Cedric is one of the toughest guys you'll ever try to get to know, but I think that once you do, you'll be very happy with who you meet," Nordgren said. "It's a special thing, because he doesn't let many people in. He's very loyal. I think that's one of his best qualities. When you do get in, he'll do anything for you, anything in the world."
Trust and loyalty are two of the biggest qualities in getting to know Cedric Griffin. It was engrained at an early age as he ended up doing much for himself because of strained relations with his family, most of which is in southern Mississippi.
At age 10, he and his mother made their way to San Antonio, and although he admits he has found it difficult to ask for help from anyone, he would eventually receive one offer he felt he could not turn down.
"I don't talk to my real parents that much," Griffin said. "I live with a family in San Antonio who asked if I wanted to stay with them -- the Johnsons. I stayed with them in high school, so they are my closest family. I would call them a mother and a father figure. I 'm really close to my natural mom, we just haven't gotten along too well all the time."
In the Johnson household, comprised of father Tony, mother Sandi and son Anthony, Griffin found true trust and loyalty. He credits them fully for his successes, especially Anthony, one of his teammates at Holmes High School in San Antonio, who became his best friend.
"If you're his friend, you've got a friend for life," Tony Johnson said. "He'll go to bat for you, he'll go fight for you, and if he hears someone saying something about you, he'll step right up and straighten that out quickly.
"He has a hard time expressing himself, but when he does, it really comes out. It can be hard for him to do that. I guess as a child, he had to hold his emotions in so much. He'll let you know that he loves you, and he's just so thankful. He's just that type of person."
Beginning as teammates in Pop Warner football, Anthony and Cedric hit it off, and he was gradually accepted into the Johnson family, starting with an introduction to Tony and continuing with rides home from practice.
Eventually, during Griffin's sophomore year in high school, the Johnsons would extend an invitation for him to live with them in order to provide stability to the special person they recognized him to be.
"They're really supportive and they came to all of my games," Griffin described. "Even today, whenever I want to go down there, I can do it and just relax. They call me all the time and are just a really loving family."
With the benefit of support from the Johnsons, one night in their house became a distinct turning point. The night he took the SAT, it was Anthony who stayed up with Cedric to help him prepare.
"We sat there with training manuals, and I helped him where I could," Anthony recalled. "He knew some of the areas, and I knew some, so I helped as much as I could, and he just put a lot of effort into it. He trusted me, and we just got it done."
When the results were in, Griffin was on his way to play for The University of Texas.
"That was the happiest I've ever been in my life, because I knew I was going to college." Griffin recalled. "I knew I was going to have a chance to do what I wanted to do, and I knew I could repay him if everything worked out right. He helped me get here, and he's the reason why I'm here, honestly."
However, Tony and Anthony are quick to turn that credit around. Tony remembers a time when someone asked if Cedric made it to Texas because of the Johnson family.
"No, I'm here because of Cedric," he told them. "I'm sitting in this stadium seat because Cedric got me the tickets."
"I was there because of Cedric, not the other way around," he then explained. "He's there on his own initiative. I wish people could understand fully how hard it was for him to get where he is. If someone else takes credit, that's just silly. He's there because of him."
Anthony and Cedric consider each other brothers, and with the Johnsons' support, Griffin was able turn his strong ability to focus to his passion -- the game of football. Tony says that even from age 11, Cedric had his goals in place.
"When he is focused on it, you can forget it," Tony said. "I don't care what it is. I've never seen him give up. I've told him there are challenges out there that sometimes you won't meet, but that doesn't mean you have to quit trying. You don't just shoot for the moon, you can shoot for another galaxy, and he does. Sometimes it's almost an obsession compared to people who don't have goals. It does amaze me."
"Since he was a little kid, Cedric's been committed to football," Anthony followed. "Whatever he puts his mind to, that's what he does. From Pop Warner to middle school to high school, he's excelled at it, and it's what he's always wanted to do. Now he wants to go to the NFL, and that's his next step."
The Johnson family could not be prouder of Griffin, and no one would know him better than Anthony, who has seen him from all sides as they grew up together.
"It's like day and night away from football," Anthony laughed. "He can be so goofy. A lot of people don't see that side, because he's all rough and tough on the football field, but in the house, he's just a silly person."
So by the help of one family, Griffin found a second. He arrived at Texas and was embraced by teammates Matt Nordgren, Brian Carter, Michael Huff and the coaching staff, most notably defensive backs coach Duane Akina.
Firmly placed on the right track, Griffin knows that one day he will return to his original home of Natchez, Miss. Despite all he has been through, he still views it as just that -- home.
"All of my family is there," explained Griffin. "I'm the only one out here right now, but it strengthens me. I want to go back to Mississippi, help my family out and go out there and live. That's where I'm from, and that's where I would like to be."
A youth and community studies major, Griffin's greatest hope is to be able to help those who are in need, especially those who have helped him.
"I want to do something with children or at a community house. I want to have a chance to give back. I hope I'm fortunate enough to give back to people who have done for me. They're the ones who have set up centers and things like that. I just want to go out into the community, see what the problems are and try to help people."
A recent problem everyone is familiar with in that region is the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Griffin received word early that his family was safe, but that did not deter him from wanting to help those he does not know.
"The little money I do have, I donate to the Red Cross," Griffin admitted. "It's hard times right now and everybody needs help, so I definitely want to do it."
Underneath the exterior is where you find the true Cedric Griffin. When asked to describe himself, he had this to say:
"I really feel like I'm a sensitive person, and a caring and loving person, but a lot of people don't believe that just because of the way they see me. Football brings your other personality out because you want to be mean, you want to try to be hard. That's what a lot of people perceive me as, but I'm just a really cool, caring guy to tell you the truth. That's what I think I am."
And he's not the only one.
We got to see a lot of Cedric and Anthony (AJ) back in their high school days. They both faithfully attended the weekly Fellowship of Christian Athletes' meetings that Matt led and we were adult sponsors. They showed up at our house for parties and get-togethers. Sean Jensen of the Pioneer Press wrote an article about Ced since he became a Minnesota Viking. In the article, Sandi Johnson said that the two boys were "like twins." And, that was exactly how they acted, except for the fact that AJ had sandy hair and freckles and was about four inches taller. But the Johnsons made certain that Ced was a part of their family. They provided all the clothes and school supplies that he needed, and the encouragement and discipline that kept him going. Now in his third year in the NFL, he can look back at his time as a part of the Johnson family for providing that impetus to persevere and succeed.
In Sean Jensen's article, Ced says of his life's goal, "It's just all about being a man. Just manning up and taking ownership of what you made. I know I have to be responsible for my actions." That's a valuable lesson to learn. And it manifests itself in many more ways than one big hit.
Posted by
Martha & Greg Singleton
12:50 PM
It’s one of those areas of controversy within the church that causes discussions confrontations, arguments, and, heaven forbid (and it does!), finger-pointing and judgmental attitudes. And it’s all about the kids.
So, as Christians, what do we do with Halloween? Can we ignore it and pretend it’s not there? That’s pretty difficult when on the evening of the 31st kids in costume are banging on our doors demanding candy. I’m sure, no matter how hard you try to keep that undercover, your kids are going to notice that kind of gimmick. I found out, anyway, that it was never a good idea to try to ignore troublesome situations when it came to my own family.
Halloween, without a doubt, has pagan roots. Over 2,000 years ago, the Druids celebrated their new year on November 1. The night before was dedicated to driving out the evil spirits so that the new year would be prosperous and productive. Costumes, bonfires and animal sacrifices, even of the human variety, were common practices. In 835 AD, Pope Gregory IV reclaimed November 1 for Christianity, proclaiming it to be the official All Saints’ Day.
To address all the opinions about acknowledging Halloween would take far too much space on this blog. And, I really don’t think it’s my job to convince anyone to accept my position anyway. I would like to suggest a few alternatives, though, that could turn a typically unholy day into something that actually can bring God glory and bring your family together.
NO FEAR
Since the primary goal of Halloween is to inflict at least some measure of fear, why not redeem the time to discuss with your family what God says about fear.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” II Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
“Don’t be afraid, my people. Be glad now and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things.” Joel 2:21 (NLT)
CELEBRATE THE SAINTS!
All Saints’ Day is a great time to remember those who have remarkably lived their lives for God. Talk with your family about those in the Bible, throughout church history and even in your own ancestry.
You might, also, want to read an article that appeared in Christianity Today, written by Harold Myra. It’s entitled “Is Halloween a Witches' Brew?: Or Have Christians Been Spooked Out of Celebrating A Part of Their Rich Tradition?” http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/octoberweb-only/42.0.html
So there’s a good start! And, now it’s your turn. Is there anything your family has done that has brought positive light to a dark day in October? Let us know!
Let’s hear it for the oldest guy on Facebook. I believe this is worth a rousing round of applause, if not a standing ovation.
For those of you of my generation who may be living in a cave, Facebook is an “online social network” that boasts over 100,000,000 active members worldwide. My initial reaction to the whole concept was founded from my normal overblown conspiratorial point of view. I was certain that this would bring about the eventual ruination of life as we know it. More and more, as I heard people talk about it, my attitude shifted to smugness. Facebook was too silly for me. I would never lower myself to that level.
The very coolest of the marketing folks began telling me that this was an excellent way of networking. With a book coming out, our presence on Facebook would give us access to an abundance of potential readers. I reasoned that we just didn’t need any of this new fly-by-night technology. We’ll do just fine with the traditional methods of reaching people, thank you very much.
Those Facebook people are pretty smart. After all, it does have its roots at Harvard. You can’t access anyone’s Facebook page unless you’re a member. So, when someone referred me to some information that could be found on their Facebook profile, I was left completely out of the loop. Denied the free flow of information, about six months ago, I was forced to initiate a covert entry into the world of Facebook. I joined, but I reasoned that if I left my profile absolutely blank, nobody would notice I was there.
Somehow, my friend Joe in Tennessee, found me under some online rock. I received an e-mail from Facebook that said Joe had “added you as a friend on Facebook. We need to confirm that you know Joe in order for you to be friends on Facebook.”
So what do you do with that? Joe is my friend, and I’ve really missed seeing him since he and his family left San Antonio. To ignore him online before 100,000,000 people would be absolutely rude. But I wasn’t ready to come out of hiding yet, so I tucked the e-mail back into my mailbox until I decided what my participation in this online phenomenon was going to look like.
I cringed when a few days later I found another “friendship request” in my mailbox. This was from Sarah. I’ve known her since she was a little girl, and I officiated at her wedding a couple of years ago. That absolutely obligates somebody to publicly declare friendship, I do believe. So I confirmed the fact that Sarah was, indeed, my friend. And while I was at it, I thought it was only proper that I acknowledge Joe, too.
Within a couple of hours I checked my e-mail, only to find out that Sarah had left me a message on my otherwise blank Facebook page. She was just letting me know how happy she was that she was my very first Facebook friend. Sentiments like that just make you feel good.
And, that opened up the floodgates. Within the next couple of days, about 50 other folks just wanted to be my friend. Some of them I hadn’t heard from in a long time, and it was great to find out what they were up to. Others invited me to join special interest Facebook groups they were involved in, and some shared pictures of their families. I was introduced to “friends-of-friend”, and further expanded that phenomenon known as “six degrees of Singleton.” Despite my early rants, chides and misgivings, I was now beginning to feel just fine in this place.
Community is a great thing. It’s what Jesus had in mind when He laid out the groundwork for the first church. Being with people you know and love, depending on each other, and declaring your commitment to each other is a comfortable thing. But it’s also challenging, in a very good way. That commitment is sometimes tested and you’re called on to be accountable or to hold others accountable. But even that is worth it.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was martyred because he resisted Adolph Hitler wrote: “Because God has already laid the only foundation of our fellowship, because God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ, long before we entered into common life with them, we enter into that common life not as demanders but as thankful recipients. We thank God for what He has done for us. We thank God for giving us brethren who live by His call, by His forgiveness, and His promise.”
I’m thankful for others that God has brought into my life, in fellowship with Him and each other. Because of these people, because of you, my life is rich and I am blessed!
His name was Peter, he was seven years old and he was on his way back home to New York City. That’s about all we knew about that little boy from what he told us, but what we witnessed told plenty more.
During our recent trip to the East Coast, we spent a total of about twenty-four hours in an airport or on one of a variety of styles of aircraft we sampled. When you’re stuck in an airport, watching the “Departures” monitor while your flight time gets pushed back further and further, or when you’re on a runway waiting for your turn to take off, you have two choices. You can let the whole situation eat you alive, or you can sit back, make the best of it and people-watch. I usually choose the latter.
There is nowhere else you can go and observe such a wide swatch of life. People are coming and going, interacting and retreating into a shell, and enjoying each other’s company and getting on each other’s frazzled nerves. I always find the parent-child encounters to be the most interesting.
That’s how I met Peter. He was a bit small for his age, but he made up for it with his brilliance. He, apparently, was an airport observer like me, but he had the guts to say exactly what I was thinking. That provoked more than one “shhhhhhhhhhhhh” from his attentive Mom. Dad disappeared for a while, and I just assumed he was seeking an escape from the boredom. After a few minutes, though, he came back with a package under his arm, and he tossed it to Peter. “Here you go, Buddy,” he said. “Check this out!”
I immediately recognized the contents of Peter’s gift. It was a copy of the brand new Athlon College Football Annual that I had been thumbing through myself, earlier when I was at the magazine rack. You would have thought that Dad had uncovered buried treasure and placed it in his son’s hands. I have never seen such a display of unbridled enthusiasm.
Peter got down on his knees, using his chair as a podium, and began to drink in the contents of the magazine. The cover itself elicited his first observations.
“They have L.S.U. rated #9?! That’s ridiculous!” he exclaimed. “They’re the defending national champs!”
“They lost a lot of good players, Pete,” said Dad.
“How about number 72?”
“That was Glenn Dorsey,” said Dad. “Gone!”
“OH MY GOSH! He was the best defensive player in college football!”
“He’s with the Kansas City Chiefs now.”
Peter began daydreaming about his NFL team now. “I wish he was wearing New York Jets green.”
He opened the magazine and continued. “Do you think Florida can win it all, Dad?”
“They have some great players, like the Heisman Trophy winner.”
“Tim Tebow! What a great quarterback!”
I looked over at Peter’s Mom and she was smiling.
“He really knows his stuff,” I said.
“We really didn’t try to make him that way. He and his dad just talk about it and he drinks it in.”
Peter stood up quickly and raised his 200-page magazine high over his head. “Dad, I can’t wait until we can sit down together and read every bit of this!”
Could I ever identify with Peter! I had had the same reaction when I was his age and my dad brought me a new sports magazine. And I can remember when Matt and I would pore over every page of the new Texas Football issue together. I realize now that it’s never really the sport itself that makes those moments so memorable. Peter, Matt and I were passionate about it because it was an opportunity that we got to spend with our dads, sharing thoughts and ideas with each other. Sports aren’t the connection. Relationship is.
So, when it comes to passing on our faith to our children, we earn the privilege with the time we’ve spent sharing life together. Matt told me just the other day, “I don’t think that, at the time, I always got what we were talking about. But, I knew that if it was important enough for you to spend time with me talking about it, then it really must have been important.”
Do you want your kids to share your passion for Christ? Do you want them to be attentive to what you have to say about your faith? Here’s a simple equation - time = priority. Make time to talk to your kids. Your stories reveal to them your heart.
Greg
The Thanksgiving Tradition
