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A long list of things to be thankful for
By Mary Madewell
Published November 26, 2009
There are so many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day.
The saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the freedom we enjoy in America, our families, our co-workers, our friends and the community we live in here in Paris and Lamar County all take a place on my list.
As I write this column just hours before boarding a plane for California to visit my newest granddaughter —Madison Leigh Madewell, born just a week ago, to Michael and Stacy Madewell, I am thankful that the pesky youth who often gave his teachers in Paris and Prairiland headaches grew up to be such a fine husband, father and loving son.
I lost a dear granddaughter this year to drugs, but I am thankful we have the great-granddaughter she left in the loving cares of our oldest daughter. And, we have had two other grandchildren (one great) join our famiy this year — Gavin Deon Brown, son of our daughter, Renee, and her husband, Steven Jones; and Christopher Baker, the grandson of our oldest son, Jerry Madewell and his wife, Mary.
The three new babies are spaced three months apart. What a time we will have at future family gatherings.
Having first hand knowledge of the skills of the Paris Police Department dispatchers along with highly trained paramedics who man Paris Emergency Services ambulances, plus the caring and skillful hands of physicans and nurses at Paris Regional Medical Center’s Heart Hospital, I am thankful the Lord used their skills to save my husband’s life this year.
The obvious movement for Christ taking place with the youth of our community is high on my list of things to be thankful for. Challenge Day at Paris High set the stage for powerful motivational speaker and evangelist Ken Freeman who spoke at numerous local schools while conducting a revival at East Paris Baptist Church.
Both the Concerned Citizens for Racial Equality and the Diversity Task Force of Paris are on my thankful list — Concerned Citizens for forcing us to take a good look at ourselves, and the Diversity Task Force for all the work being accomplished to produce a better appreciation of diversity and the opportunities the group provides for people to get to know one another better. I look forward to racial dialogues planned for next year — a time for small groups to meet and have honest discussions about race in general.
In the words of former President Bill Clinton, “We have talked at each other and about each other for a long time. It’s high time we all began talking with each other. (July 1998)
My list of things to be thankful for could go on indefinitely but I’ve got a plane to catch in a few hours.
Have a happy Thanksgiving and most of all, take time out of a busy weekend to reflect upon what Thanksgiving is all about and reflect a bit on the things to be thankful for —good health, family, friends, community and the saving grace of Jesus.
Mary Madewell is the manging editor of The Paris News.
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