With Thanksgiving

“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.”

Henry VanDyke (1852-1933)

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Nobody in the world is more impulsive than a child.  No child in the world is more impulsive than when he or she is at church.  My children are no exception!

I'm happy to say that for the last 1-1/2 years or so, we have become pretty regular church-goers.  Shortly after we moved here, we found a church and parish that we love.  Never before have we felt so welcome, and so much a part of a church community. 

While Jack may still go to the nursery instead of mass on most occasions, the girls have been doing wonderfully when they attend mass with us.  They're beginning to pick up bits and pieces of the mass, prayers and songs that are followed on a weekly basis.  One particular part of our church's mass that I love comes right before Communion.  While the Eucharistic Ministers are heading up to the altar to recieve Communion, the music group has everyone begin singing a little song each and every week.  The girls have heard it often enough, and it is a simple enough song, that they know it by heart.  They'll sing along, and it's so darned cute to hear!  Kara, in particular, has a loud and slightly off-key voice that sounds just darling ... people are always turning around to look at her and smile while she's singing.  She's even received a few compliments from our neighbors at church!

Lord prepare me,

to be a sanctuary.

Pure and holy,

tried and true.

With thanksgiving

I'll be a living,

sanctuary

for you.

So today, as I think about Thanksgiving and all of the things that I have to be thankful for, I just can't help but think of this song in my head.  I'm thankful for my family, my children, my friends, my home, my job, my community, my church ... and for the fact that my children feel comfortable enough around here to sing their little hearts out.