It is Thanksgiving Day, 2007 and I have pondered most of last night and all of today the answer I would give to the question my Pastor asked which was the core of his sermon - "What are you thankful for?" Since the schedules of our family members are so complicated, we elected to assemble on Friday rather than Thursday so as to allow more of our bunch to be present. My "Dearly Beloved" and I attended a church service on Wednesday evening due to professional obligations we had on Thursday. I had concluded long ago my blessings have been so many it would take hours just to scratch the surface of all I personally have for which to be thankful. Thus, I try to express my thanks and gratitude daily to my God for the countless things He has done for me and my family. The older I get I knew if I stored all of such up for Thanksgiving day I would likely forget or overlook something important. What a wonderful thing vansopinion.com is, for it will allow me to tell the world a number of the things for which I continually give thanks..

First and foremost, I acknowledge that through faith in the Grace of my Lord Jesus Christ, my sins have been forgiven. He paid the price for me when He died on the Cross at Calvary. His resurrection from the dead and ascension into Heaven is part of the promise He has prepared a place for me when my time on earth is over. I sometimes call that "Everlasting Life Assurance." For that I am most thankful.

My God blessed me with loving parents. The love they had for my sister and me and we for one another played a significant role in all the days of my life. Their devotion to one another served as a model for my sister and I when we each found and married our spouses. The Lord called my brother-in-law to his Heavenly Home several weeks ago. I am thankful he will be waiting in Heaven until I get there and most assuredly we will have to recap a few football scores. You see he was a Texan, need I say more after this year.

For over fifty years, I have shared my life with a loving wife. Together, the Lord blessed us with three daughters and one son. Our "girls" all have loving husbands, but our son is still "interviewing." When the time is right, I believe the Lord will bless him too as I was blessed. Over the years, five grandchildren were added to our extended family. I thank God daily for the entire bunch and the fact that all of them are healthy and devoted to their Christian Faith.

I thank God for looking after me during the three decades I served our Country as an American soldier while on active duty status and in reserve status. God was always my co-pilot during the thousands of hours I logged as an Army Aviator. Thus, I join the many men and women who thank our Lord for the freedoms we enjoy in this country and in giving us the ability to extend those freedoms to people in other lands.

I thank God for making available the means for me and my adult family members all to have received good educations and professional credentials and for the grandchildren all to be doing well in school. Additionally for the good wage earning capabilities such provided.

I thank God for my many good friends and neighbors and for the occasional opportunity to help others who need assistance in resolving problems in their lives.

I thank God for my "Church family" at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska and for my two Pastors who are not only Called Servants of the Word, but also "real guys" who are my pals even though I am old enough to be their father.

The list goes on and on and on for me and I’m sure it does for each of my readers as well. I am thankful to have this means to reflect upon my many blessings and to thank God for such. That way, when we get around the table tomorrow, I won’t have to "pray without ceasing" and give a new meaning to "Cold Turkey."

I hope each of you take the time to reflect on your many blessings ever single day of your lives as I have done and will continue to do and join with me as "We thank thee all our God, with hearts and hands and voices."