Is this not the most cliché post title in the whole USA right now? Oh, wait, I forgot to add three exclamation marks to the end of that. Am I being such a bubble burster right now, or what? Well, out of the network of family and friends that read our blog and have their own, I probably am the first one to actually post this on Thanksgiving Day! It’s just after 12:30am here.
Right now, I am enjoying a great cup of black tea (no cream and no sugar, of course!), looking forward to the day ahead. Don’t worry, I’ll go to sleep soon enough…
For our festivities, we are simply going over to the Hardecker’s home, where it will just be us two, and the three of them. We got a turkey that is probably way to big for all of us. Also, Andrea is making cranberry relish (yes, I really do like it a lot, as seen here). She likes it too, Mom!
Anyways, I hope and pray that thankfulnessis not just a word for everyone this day. I heard someone say once that thankfulness is the ultimate form of humility and submission: by being thankful, you are admitting to someone that they have done something for you that you either could not or otherwise would nothave done for yourself. That is what the Lord should be to every Christian: a God who gave something to us freely that we could never attain ourselves: the gift of salvation through Christ Jesus alone. Therefore–through thankfulness–we admittingly show our God submission and humility. This is not my “religion” or “conscience.” It is my sincere belief based on Christ alone. Nothing can we ever be thankful for, except there be a time in our own life, when we, through faith, were born again through the blood of Jesus Christ. Only then are we in truth able to grateful to anything or anyone.
…when you have to air out the house after blowing out your birthday candles!
Yes, yesterday was Dustin’s birthday! Twenty-four years old! We celebrated it with his family last week since we were out of town visiting them. Mom and Dad Murdock gave Dustin a Kindle reader which he loves.
Well Sunday being the day of his birthday, I did a little here and there to make it special. We had already planned to go to Cracker Barrel restaurant after church in the evening, but I had a few other little things in store as well. With only two of us, there is no sense in making a big cake that will sit around for days, so I used a little ceramic bowl that is oven safe to make a little cake just right for the two of us. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting, –his favorite! I whipped together some frosting with powdered sugar, butter, cocoa powder, water, and chocolate chips, pulled the cake out, and let it cool a bit. I then frosted it while we finished the rest of lunch, then put all of twenty-four candles into it. They were a bit crowded since the whole cake was maybe five to six inches in diameter, but I lit them all, nevertheless, and sang Happy Birthday to Dustin just before he blew them out. Then, of course, we proceeded to pull out the candles to eat the cake, but when the candles came out of the cake, they were melted on the bottom also! The cake had been still warm, and it melted the candles on the bottom as well. Then, cutting into the cake, it had some of the appearance of Funfetti cake with the colored wax melted into the inside of the cake! Wow, never had that happen before!
Candles, burnt on the top, and melted on the bottom!
I still did not give Dustin my present, though, until we went to Cracker Barrel in the evening. We sat down, ordered delicious food (love that place!), and he opened my envelope…paid registration in Ancestry.com. Now, lest you think we have Mormon tendencies, let me clarify! Over the recent months, Dustin has done some research on his Dad’s side of the family, who are all German. He has found many interesting things including ship passenger lists of ancestors who have come to America from Germany, ancestors names, birthdates, etc. So I signed him up for a free 14 day trial, then one or two months after that whatever he chooses on Ancestry.com. Well, he has just jumped on it, and is loving it! I am so glad I chose that as his gift, because, as he said, he wouldn’t have done it for himself, probably, but as a gift, he loves it!
He has found things from his Mom’s side, and even from my side of the family. Would you believe this!?! He found out that a distant relative on my Grandpa Leslie’s side of the family was a Baptist minister! (And this is keeping to the name Leslie.) Not only that, but I also have a relative who fought in the Revolutionary war and crossed the Delaware with George Washington!!! Am I ever proud to be a Leslie! Well, Dustin so far has traced that side all the way back to those who were not born in the U.S., but in Scotland!, and beyond that until the records ended in the 1600’s and 1700’s!
And if you think that is interesting, listen to this! He then began with Grandma Leslie, and traced that side back to Massachusetts, England, and then to the Vikings in Sweden (is that where Sharon got her height?), and finally came to a dead end at 160 A.D.! Isn’t that something! I mean, of course, we all go back to Noah somewhere, right? It is still very interesting, though. I am related to the King of Sweden, Aun the Aged! And I can trace my lineage back to my seventy-second grandfather, FINN the Trojan, a Viking! Dustin said our family has around one thousand years of Viking heritage (not so sure that is something to be proud of –?)!(This should be an advertisement for Ancestry.com, right?)
William I of Normandy (circa 1010 AD): My 37th Great-Grandfather on the Leslie side
Well, all in all, I think it has been a good birthday, and am so glad I picked a gift Dustin really enjoys!
Coming soon…the Speckhals Family Tree…all the way back to Noah (or, almost –haha)!
Here are some pictures from our teen activity of last Friday. We set the stage for next week’s Mission Conference with an International Dinner. The different rooms were Japan, Mexico, Africa, and Israel. A friend and I did the Mexico room which was lots of work and also fun. We really enjoyed seeing the other rooms too, though, and partaking of their different foods!
Our Mexico room was complete with decorations, music, a picture slideshow, and Spanish Bibles. Oh, and how could I forget our two little senoritas? They learned the words, “Hola” (Hi) and “Pasale” (Come in) just for the occasion. (I think their mother was tired of hearing them practice those two words all week!) For tasty treats, we had chips and salsa, Jarritos Mexican Soda, and birthday cake. You must know, that in Mexico, after singing Happy Birthday (Feliz, Feliz Cumpleanos!), the Birthday person must take the first bite right out of the cake, and while he does so, his face is pushed into the cake! So we performed that cultural custom on five unsuspecting individuals Friday evening. We wanted them to have a real, up-close “taste” of Mexican culture!
We used our final, extra cake on this unknowing church member, who just happened to be in the building for another reason and turned out to be a prime candidate! After all, his birthday really was right around the corner!
This really should be an advertisement for the UN and World Peace. We have here two representatives from Mexico, one from the Moslem world, one from Africa, and one from Israel! Can you pick out which is which? (Hard, I know.)
Moslem-Mexican relations were strengthened at the summit.
Representatives were a little leery of partaking in the communal bowl refreshments hosted by our friend from Senegal, Africa. However, it must be admitted, the delicacy was tasty, and there have not been any recorded illnesses as a result, so perhaps, as the saying goes, “All’s well that ends well!”
One striking reminder the night brings to mind, however, is the need every one of these countries, and many others have for the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only that, but the Scriptures command, “Go ye…” They do not say give money to those who go. They do not say only to pray for those who go. Nor do they say go when you are older, or when the time is more convenient. Each of us is commanded to “Go”, and I might add, the tense is present. Who are you going to with the Gospel? To your neighbors? To your relatives? To the cashier at the grocery store? To your postman? To your car mechanic? To your hair stylist? To the lost and dying of this world?
I know you all have been holding your breath, sitting on the edge of your seat, WAITING to hear the results of the Dr. Segro Memorial 5k, so here I am!
First of all, I finished! …An accomplishment in itself!
Second, I cut almost three minutes off of my race course time from the week before! My official race time was 27:11 for 5 kilometers or 3.2 miles.
Third, I placed 22nd over all, out of 100 ladies who competed in the 5k.
Lastly, and suprisingly, I placed third in my age group! That was the best part! And I won a medal.
All in all, it was a good lesson in finishing the job even when it gets a bit tedious toward the end! (This last week was pretty full, and more than once I would much rather have caught up on sleep than get up and run!)
