Bynum Thanksgiving 2014

Psalm 103:1
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His Holy name!

It I thought about it enough...I could get real "weepy".....
In fact, I kind of walked around in that state yesterday, the state of feeling full.
Not of food...
But of gratitude.
I was assailed on every side by the little things that took place, leaving me with an incredible sense of being grateful for life.
Not just an existence here on planet earth, but a life that, up to this very day, has been full and blessed.

It started with text messages I received from others who attend VRC, wishing Vicki and I a Happy Thanksgiving. Friends are better than diamonds.
Family gathering in our house around our table to share the meal together.
Vicki leading the prayer....
Then the singing of "Bless Be The Tie".....a tradition from Vicki's grandfather, Bishop Walker, the ultimate family man, as well as the epitome of what a Southern Gentleman should be.

Laughter....
Food.....
Stories and memories....
More food...
A whole bunch of "Hey! Do you remember the year when.." that circulated from person to person.
Coffee and pie.....
Then everyone off to find a chair or couch to recuperate on.

Football in the back yard...
Sons....grand son....and me...
Each pass was a Touchdown...
Each route run by the receiver was done so with a fluid and  ease of motion....
Well, maybe it looked that way to us...
More memories that I want Tyler to store away, so they can be taken out for years to come, dusted off and relived.

My grand daughter, Ashley, is the epitome of energy. She is full speed ahead all the time. Throw some pie into the mix, and she becomes this force of nature to be reckoned with.
Witty, quick and eloquent is the thoughts and words that come streaming out of her in machine gun fashion. You just never know what she will say next, but rest assured it will be note worthy.

Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears on TV....
Not the best game...but it was football, wasn't it?
Chad and I off to Wal-mart to buy a Christmas tree.
Chad finds the "All-Christmas / All-the-time" radio station and commences to launch into the next season.
The Full Frontal assault known as Black Friday had not yet commenced at the store, so we made our way in and out with our purchase and experienced no problems or resistance. 
Off to Chad's house to drop the tree off, then back home for round two.

My brother, Wayne, and his wife, Sue, dropped by for coffee and pie.
More stories...
More memories....
Somehow I can't help but see Wayne and I as a couple of kids growing up at Gallant.
That's the beauty of memories....
I still have my mom and dad in my heart and in my thoughts, even though they have been gone for over 29 years.
So Wayne and I share our stories about growing up together.
My sons and my grand children love to hear these tales.
I'm not so sure that each year doesn't bring small changes to these tales...you know what I mean...put a little extra jam on the bread.

Finally after everyone has left....
Josh, Heather, Vicki and I are all in the living room with one last cup of coffee or piece of pie...
Talking and catching up on the latest in each others life.
The weariness sets in and sleep starts to beckon each of us.
"Good-night's" and hugs as we make our way down the hall to our respective bedrooms.
As I settle down into the bed, there is a sense of fullness in my thoughts and in my heart...
A fullness that can only come from God.
A fullness that reveals to me that life indeed has it's ups and downs....
Its mountain tops and its valley's.
And that if we look for the little things and find gratitude for them....
Life can truly be worth living.

Thanks for stopping by the Greene Street Letters this morning....
God on you...
mb

And thank you, Father for family....
For my wife, Vicki...
My mother in law, Betty...
For Josh and Heather...
Chad, Robin, Tyler and Ashley...
For my Brother in law and Sister in law...Larry and Deb Campbell...
For Steve and Peggy Parrish...
For Wayne and Sue Bynum.....
And last but not least...
The canines that joined us for the feast....
Baxter...
And Bitsy...
IT was a good day.