Thinking of Others

Sometimes, you don't really think of others.

I know I don't.

Now, I like to think I do. And I really think I do. Most of the time I really do.

But this time...I didn't.

You know, that time in your life, when your world is very small and extremely self inclusive?? Well, that's where I've been lately. Or at least that's where I was a couple of days before Thanksgiving.

It's one of those 'It all started it when...." kind of stories. The car has been giving us trouble...the stove isn't working. The radiator heaters keep tripping the breakers. I promise, every light bulb in this place blew out in one day. (OK...not every one...but it seemed like every one!) If it can go wrong-it HAS gone wrong.

Please don't get me wrong. We currently live at our Church in a converted apartment. We had lived here before in the basement, but it was sooo dreary we couldn't stand the thought of living downstairs again. I am most grateful for the living arrangements, and the last thing I want to come across as is unthankful for what the Lord and the Church have provided.

However, it seems that Murphy's Law has arrested us and has had us in custody for quite some time. So, when Thanksgiving week rolled around and the baking element in my oven wasn't working, I really thought I would come unhinged. After all, how could I have a turkey if I couldn't bake it? And what about the dressing and the sweet potato casserole?

I located an appliance parts store in Athens that carried the element I needed, but in my usual fashion, I shopped around for a better price. A local competitor in Winder was going to have the part for me the next day, but I told him I needed it that day (Tuesday) and that I would be going to Athens to buy it at another store. The sales clerk said "OK" in a very snide tone and hung up.

Oh...if I had only known what that meant.

I drove all the way to Athens (I was pushed for time) and when I got there, the competitor in Winder had called the store in Athens and cleaned him out of all the parts that I needed.

I almost cried.

"No Thanksgiving dinner..." I thought to myself.

I thought the owner was joking when he said he was sold out of the heating elements I needed. After all, he had three of them just an hour earlier. When I told him about my attempt to deal with the Winder store, he knew right away they had done it out of spite. Apparently, as soon as I told the Winder associate that I was going to purchase my heating element from Athens, they hung up and called the Athens store, purchased all three that he had in stock, and then sent someone by to pick them up.

The Athens store owner was kind enough to help me locate the part in Commerce. As I waited for him to located it, I noticed the rain falling outside; it was getting dark fast. He found my part and sent me on my way. Or so I thought.

I went outside to crank my '88 Blazer and the battery was dead. Again, I fought back tears. At this point, I'm wondering what I've done wrong. I knew I had to hold it together in order to get someone to jump off my battery. After about 15-25 minutes I was back on the road to get my baking element.

When I arrived at the hardware store in Commerce, I was delighted to find that the heating element was less expensive than I had anticipated. It was strangely shaped though.

"Hmmmm.... I wonder if this is the right element? Well, the appliance man in Athens called and gave them the part number and they said it was the right one."

After I got my receipt, I expressed my concern, and the clerk said I could not bring back an electrical part if it was not the right one. Oh well...the only way to know is to take it home and try. I didn't have the old one with me to compare it to.

You know those sinking feelings?? Well, I had one the whole way home. That discounted element not only ended up being the wrong one, but it also ended up shorting out the thermostat. Now the problem with the stove was no longer a $50 problem; it was a $170 problem.

I cried. I cried hard.

No Thanksgiving dinner. On top of that, my food budget was cut short by the purchase of a battery for my vehicle. Talk about adding insult to injury. I couldn't figure out what was going on in my life, why things were so difficult.

It didn't take long for me to realize how petty I was being, especially when God reminded me of how much I could cook without an oven. I have cooked many turkeys and hams in a crockpot, and I did still have full use of the stove top. I would have to sacrifice the casseroles, dressing, and homemade pumpkin pie, but I didn't have to sacrifice Thanksgiving Day!

I was beginning to feel better about Thanksgiving Day. Wednesday night came and I was "encouraged" because MY FAMILY was going to have Thanksgiving. We have had an exceptionally trying year, and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. It's a very intimate time for our family. We spend it with just our immediate family, so it's very important to us. And we like it to be everything we envision it to be.

During the prayer requests, I remembered to ask for special prayer for dear friends of ours. They are evangelists who travel around the country. They live in a travel trailer pulled by a Ford F-350. They live in this 365 days a year. They own no other house. When I talked to my dear sister in Christ, she asked me to please pray for them about their trailer. It's having some MAJOR problems that need repair. She reminded me that this was her home and that she felt like it was falling apart. She told me that something would have to be done about it soon.

I relayed all this in my prayer request. As we all knelt to pray, I bowed down on my knees....this family was heavy on my heart. As I started to pray for them, I thought of how "discouraged" I had been the past couple of days.

I thought of how petty I had been about an oven, yet the needs of others were so much greater than mine. If she could have seen how ridiculously depressed I had been over an oven and a battery....yet her house is in desperate need of repair. That travel trailer is all her family has and it needs major attention. If her house isn't suitable for travel, they can't evangelize. It's so much more serious than a broken oven.

I felt somewhat ashamed, but I also felt grateful for what I have. I wasn't even thinking of Tamatha and her family. Come to think of it, I wasn't thinking of Ruby and the fact that she needed her roof repaired. Her husband died 6 weeks ago before he could get their house reroofed.

I didn't even think of Annette. Her roof is in the same shape as Ruby's, except there's actually some water damage at her house.

I wasn't thinking of anyone, except me. That's so easy to do. But while saying a prayer for someone else and their needs, God helped me see just how small my needs really were.

Fortunately, Thanksgiving isn't just a season. It's an attitude of the heart. I don't have to wait until next November to adjust the attitude of my heart. That's something I should do every day, perhaps even minute by minute if required.

And the more I have my heart in a spirit of Thanksgiving, you can be sure I'm not thinking of myself. I'm thinking of others.

Thanksgiving at the Whitman Home

Thanksgiving Has Gone and Gone and We're Still Giving Thanks

What a wonderful day it was!


Kevin beat the roosters up by rising at 5:30 AM. He had a BIG day ahead of him, with a BIG menu to live up to. When I woke up at 8:00 AM, the pumpkin pies were already in the oven. My hubby is so good to me! ;p Most of the morning, I sat in the recliner with my foot propped up. I enjoyed the sale ads and for once, I was glad I was unable to do Black Friday shopping. This wicked little surgery will have me held back a looooonnng time. But again, that's o.k. I was treated like a queen on Thanksgiving Day; how can I complain??


The menu changed....it grew and expanded to include the following: Turkey breast, Spiral Honey Baked Ham, cream corn, speckled butter beans, baked macaroni & cheese, dressing, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, rolls, and that WAY good pumpkin pie. Umm, ummm, good! With only 5 people in our family, we had alot of leftovers. All the better the next day, I say!


I did manage to set my table. I decided to use my Wedgwood India China, Godinger tea goblets, and my Wallace Queens flatware. Fresh tablecloth, cloth napkins...it was so nice. After we ate, my family and I sat around the table and had coffee with our pie. We have such a good time "dressing up" the table and eating with our finest settings.

All in all, the day was relaxing and fulfilling. Yet, these are not the things I'm most thankful for. I'm thankful for the great salvation I have, and for the great God who imparted it. I'm thankful for my children, all of who now know the Lord as their personal Saviour. I'm thankful for a loving husband and the marriage relationship we have shared for over 15 years. I'm thankful for my Church where I can worship the Lord, and I'm thankful for the freedom to do so.

I'm also thankful for safety, a home, and 2 vehicles. Everyone in America doesn't have those things. I'm thankful for the good health care I receive and the ability to pay for that care. I'm thankful to live in America, the beacon of freedom to the rest of the world. I enjoy freedom that other people in other lands know nothing about. Even with the problems we are having in the USA, we are still a great land, and I'm thankful for that great privilege.


Up next will be some photos to kinda let you see inside the Whitman Home in preparation for our big day. Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving on the Way and the Tradition Still Holds

Thanksgiving is almost here, and I have to say, it's one of my favorite holidays! I love the menu planning, the cooking, the cleaning...as much work as it is, Thanksgiving dinner is so rewarding.

Ah, yes...Thanksgiving dinner. How I love all that it entails. But this year will be different. Kevin dearest will be manning the kitchen. Since my ankle surgery is still dictating my life, my wonderful husband will prepare the feast.

Mind you, it would be sooo easy to just run up to my Mother's house in NC. It's even a little tempting. But Kevin and I have been trying to make a tradition of our own, and that's Thanksgiving at home. Our home.

I have to give Kevin proper adulation, for most men would be making a B line to their Mother-in-Law's house. After all, he's preparing a meal for a couple of teenage boys, a tween daughter, and a precious but persnickety wife! But he's very serious about our traditions. To be honest, this isn't the first Thanksgiving meal he has thrown on the table.

The first Thanksgiving supper (not the one with the pilgrims) was in 1998. I had to have my gal bladder removed the day before Thanksgiving. At that time, our tradition was to go to my Mother's home. There have been many medical advances, and even though they don't saw you in half anymore when they remove your gallbladder, I was unable to travel. We had all the food, but no cook...so I thought! Kevin prepared a wonderful spread, and was right proud of himself for the good job!

Some may say, "Oh, you were just really hungry. That's why it tasted so good. Appreciation is a great seasoning sauce." No. The man can flat out cook. And that's one of the reasons I'm looking forward to Thursday.

Wives, imagine. Sitting back on Thursday morning while your husband prepares a feast! Turkey, Honey baked ham, cream corn, dressing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, rolls, and last but not least, Kevin's home-made pumpkin pie. He has that one mastered. I will relish every single bite. I've got it sooo good. ;p

It will mean alot of work for Kevin and the kids, but it will be a wonderful day. I hope all of you have a wonderful day, and please, never cease to be thankful.