A TENNESSEE FAMILY THANKSGIVING (November 23-27, 2016)

Thanksgiving in Tennessee was a gathering of family as Aaron's crew blasted in from Missouri and Autumn's quartet drifted in from Indiana.  Only Andrew missed the event because he had to work.  During this "Nomad" time our life we will often be a long way away from these folks but then there will be times when we will be at their places, probably longer than they would like.  Family is a priority and we sure do love ours!

As you can see, Grandma Sherry provided a full traditional Thanksgiving dinner in our 4 bedroom condo at Fairfield Glade.  The food was great and it is always amazing when the 6 grands get together.  The only down side was the agonizing loss of Michigan to Ohio State (OSU did not get that first down)  It was a time spent playing games, hanging out, horseback riding, and, for six of us a long (5 mile) hike to the bottom of a gorge and back out.

                                   REFLECTIONS ON ROCK PILES                                

It is the hike from the lookout down to the winding creek below that I will long remember.  Four energetic grand kids, Scott (a marathon runner), and me ..... me; an over weight, worn out, 68 year old grand father.  The walk down meandered through the tall trees on the rocky pathway.  It was a great time of laughing and talking about how much longer it would be until we reached the bottom.  Reach the bottom we did as the kids scrambled from boulder to boulder and rock to rock that pretty much covered the trickling waterway.  For them it was great fun, for me it was a great photo op. 

 It was then that I noticed Abigail stacking rocks one on top of the other and saw that all across the area others had done the same.  Some were five or six rocks high balanced carefully to top of each other, a testament that someone had been there and, in a moment of creativity, had left them there as a reminder of their presence at that point in time.  Now, Abigail was doing the same in hopes that someone. sometime would see her creation and know that she had been there.

It made me think about God and how he has given us so many "rock piles" to remind us that he was creator. Rock piles of mountains, streams, forests, and oceans should cause us to see His hand in all things.  He is saying; "I have been here, just look around."

It made me think about the rock piles we leave for our children and grand children; the monuments of lives well lived, of faithful service to the Lord.  Hopefully, when we have passed from this life to the next, they will remember our love and even our willingness to share the long, straight up exodus from the creek bottoms.