Thankfulness...and friends.

I never thought I would be homesick. This is crazy new sensation for a girl who has been completely happy and content away from home all semester. I don't know what to do with myself. You see my home was decorated for christmas, the lights were twinkling, the fire blazing, the hot chocolate strongly beckoning...it was extremly hard to leave Throckmorton this evening. I just wanted to cuddle up in blanket on the couch with my mom and talk the hours away into the night. I haven't wanted to do that in a good long while.
I discovered somethings about myself during this thanksgiving break. I love and appreciate my family more than I thought, and painfully realized I didn't love and appreciate them as much as they deserve. It has been a beautiful journey of discovering thankfulness this week. I thought I knew what thankfulness was, but God said no, I'm the one who defines thankfulness. I needed a good dose of humility as well.
I discovered a lot of things this week; a lot about how I view things compared to how things truly are. I was disappointed in a lot of ways, but refreshed in discovering Truth. I was blessed by a lot peace and rest....more than likely more rest than anything.

to be continued...

Suddenly, I became aware of the curious lack of Natasha in my personality. Likely because a 21 year old hooligan with an unruly bit of no-shave scruff has taken control of the keyboard. Thanksgiving was marvelous. Approximately 2 cups of Jell-o pudding salad and some macaroni and cheese found themselves semi-permanently located in my stomach. The turkey and stuffing lovingly prepared by the delicatessen workers at Kroger received lodging in my left leg (previously emptied in preparation). The pain started approximately 15 minutes later: it hurts so good. A load of dishes or two later, we all slipped into a carbohydrate-induced comatic state.

As I slowly regained consciousness after a long and extremely comfortable nap, the thoughts crossed my mind: "I hope we have cereal left at my house." This profound moment led me into musings about the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Surely, it can't only be about the stockings, presents, and carols. The Pilgrims didn't have any of those. But I do have some things to be thankful for. God blessed me with an incredible family who happens to love me a great deal. I got to spend Thanksgiving with a friend who loves Jesus more than food. I slept in my own bed. I spent half a week in a state of continual amazement at God's love. Yeah, I have a good bit to be thankful for. Amen.

to be continued...?

it was good. -Ryan

to be continued...?

I...uh...*laughter*...*more laughter*...made peanut butter balls...that's it. That's it. -Ashley

to be continued...

This Thanksgiving (2008) was the first Thanksgiving in the past four or five years that all four members of my immediate family were together to celebrate thanks. Between Chris and I being in college, parents living in Mexico, Chris living in Japan and expensive air-fare, it's been a while since we've broken bread on the particular holidy. This thanksgiving, we admittedly were some distance from the remainder of our family, but nonetheless, closeness and love were felt in abundance. The addition of a new friend, the Ethiopian Tekle Legese made the holiday complete, as a reminder of the timelessness and unbound bonds of family, life and love in Christ.
Simple fellowship and a complete reprieve from many of the stresses often experienced in "regular life" wrapped the blessing in the guise of a holiday, and as such, we were truly blessed.
I thank God now, as the blessings continue; evidenced to me by being presently surrounded by spectacular friends and siblings in Christ. Praise God! - Bob

The Dream of the Rood

(This is one of my favorite poems from English class this semester! It is was written by the same author as Beowulf...I love it.)


Listen! The choicest of visions I wish to tell,which came as a dream in middle-night,after voice-bearers lay at rest.It seemed that I saw a most wondrous treeborn aloft, wound round by light, brightest of beams. All was that beaconsprinkled with gold. Gems stoodfair at earth's corners; there likewise fiveshone on the shoulder-span.

All there beheld the Angel of God, fair through predestiny. Indeed, that was no wicked one's gallows, but holy souls beheld it there,men over earth, and all this great creation.Wondrous that victory-beam--and I stained with sins,with wounds of disgrace. I saw glory's treehonored with trappings, shining with joys, decked with gold; gems hadwrapped that forest tree worthily round.Yet through that gold I clearly perceivedold strife of wretches, when first it beganto bleed on its right side.

With sorrows most troubled, I feared that fair sight. I saw that doom-beacon turn trappings and hews: sometimes with water wet,drenched with blood's going; sometimes with jewels decked. But lying there long while, I,troubled, beheld the Healer's tree, until I heard its fair voice.Then best wood spoke these words:"It was long since--I yet remember it--that I was hewn at holt's end,moved from my stem. Strong fiends seized me there, worked me for spectacle; cursèd ones lifted me.

On shoulders men bore me there, then fixed me on hill;fiends enough fastened me. Then saw I mankind's Lordcome with great courage when he would mount on me.Then dared I not against the Lord's word bend or break, when I saw earth'sfields shake. All fiendsI could have felled, but I stood fast.The young hero stripped himself--he, God Almighty--strong and stout-minded. He mounted high gallows, bold before many, when he would loose mankind.I shook when that Man clasped me. I dared, still, not bow to earth,fall to earth's fields, but had to stand fast.

Rood was I reared. I lifted a mighty King,Lord of the heavens, dared not to bend. With dark nails they drove me through: on me those sores are seen,open malice-wounds. I dared not scathe anyone.They mocked us both, we two together. All wet with blood I was,poured out from that Man's side, after ghost he gave up.

Much have I born on that hill of fierce fate. I saw the God of hostsharshly stretched out. Darknesses hadwound round with clouds the corpse of the Wielder,bright radiance; a shadow went forth,dark under heaven. All creation wept, King's fall lamented. Christ was on rood.But there eager ones came from afarto that noble one. I beheld all that. Sore was I with sorrows distressed, yet I bent to men's hands,with great zeal willing. They took there Almighty God, lifted him from that grim torment. Those warriors abandoned mestanding all blood-drenched, all wounded with arrows.

They laid there the limb-weary one, stood at his body's head; beheld they there heaven's Lord, and he himself rested there,worn from that great strife. Then they worked him an earth-house, men in the slayer's sight carved it from bright stone,set in it the Wielder of Victories. Then they sang him a sorrow-song,sad in the eventide, when they would go againwith grief from that great Lord. He rested there, with small company.But we there lamenting a good while stood in our places after the warrior's crywent up. Corpse grew cold,fair life-dwelling. Then someone felled usall to the earth. That was a dreadful fate!

Deep in a pit one delved us. Yet there Lord's thanes, friends, learned of me,. . . . . . . . . . .adorned me with silver and gold.Now you may know, loved man of mine,what I, work of baleful ones, have enduredof sore sorrows. Now has the time come when they will honor me far and wide,men over earth, and all this great creation,will pray for themselves to this beacon. On me God's sonsuffered awhile. Therefore I, glorious now, rise under heaven, and I may heal any of those who will reverence me. Once I became hardest of torments,most loathly to men, before I for them,voice-bearers, life's right way opened.

Indeed, Glory's Prince, Heaven's Protector, honored me, then, over holm-wood.Thus he his mother, Mary herself, Almighty God, for all men,also has honored over all woman-kind.

Now I command you, loved man of mine, that you this seeing tell unto men;discover with words that it is glory's beamwhich Almighty God suffered uponfor all mankind's manifold sinsand for the ancient ill-deeds of Adam. Death he tasted there, yet God rose againby his great might, a help unto men.He then rose to heaven. Again sets out hitherinto this Middle-Earth, seeking mankindon Doomsday, the Lord himself, Almighty God, and with him his angels,when he will deem--he holds power of doom--everyone here as he will have earnedfor himself earlier in this brief life.

Nor may there be any unafraid for the words that the Wielder speaks. He asks before multitudes where that one iswho for God's name would gladly tastebitter death, as before he on beam did.And they then are afraid, and few think what they can to Christ's question answer.Nor need there then any be most afraid who ere in his breast bears finest of beacons;but through that rood shall each soulfrom the earth-way enter the kingdom, who with the Wielder thinks yet to dwell.

"I prayed then to that beam with blithe mind,great zeal, where I alone waswith small company. My heart wasimpelled on the forth-way, waited for in each longing-while. For me now life's hope:that I may seek that victory-beamalone more often than all men,honor it well. My desire for thatis much in mind, and my hope of protection reverts to the rood.

I have not now manystrong friends on this earth; they forth hencehave departed from world's joys, have sought themselves glory's King;they live now in heaven with the High-Father, dwell still in glory, and I for myself expect each of my days the time when the Lord's rood,which I here on earth formerly saw,from this loaned life will fetch me awayand bring me then where is much bliss,joy in the heavens, where the Lord's folk is seated at feast, where is bliss everlasting;and set me then where I after maydwell in glory, well with those saintsdelights to enjoy. May he be friend to mewho here on earth earlier died on that gallows-tree for mankind's sins.

He loosed us and life gave,a heavenly home. Hope was renewedwith glory and gladness to those who there burning endured.That Son was victory-fast in that great venture, with might and good-speed, when he with many,vast host of souls, came to God's kingdom,One-Wielder Almighty: bliss to the angelsand all the saints--those who in heavendwelt long in glory--when their Wielder came, Almighty God, where his homeland was.