2011 Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dinners have been held at the home of Lisa and Dave for the last 10 years. The dinner menu has been same: Main Dish - over 20 pound turkey (23 pound for this year) and stuffings by Dave, and ham by Hiroko. Appetizer – 4 different kinds of dips and cheeses, salami with veg. and crackers, shrimp cocktail, and fried won ton. After enjoying the appetizers for 3 or 4 hours, here comes dinner. This has been same dishes for the last 10 years, too. Green salad with lots of cheese, green beans with bacon, mashed potato with lots of butter, and risotto with lots of butter. Every one of these dishes is very tasty any time. Everybody enjoy them. The desserts: Pumpkin pie, homemade special apple pie, and rice crispy by the dessert lady, Dave’s sister-in-law.

Hiroko was anxious to go to this year’s dinner because she wanted to see how the handmade tablecloth and runners are fitted on the Lisa’s table.

These are the photo of tablecloth and runners. Aren’t they fitted well? No one noticed these things. Hiroko was still happy to see them on the tables.


This liquor is called “Cake.” It smells like a cake but 75% proof vodka. It was very tasty and strong. Someone put whipped cream and candle on the liquor and everybody sang “Happy Birthday” for him.
There were of course some other drinks: red or white dry wine, sparking wine, beer, soda and water.
 


All were talking and exchanging their life and family news.
There were no Dave Choi, Steven/Amanda, and the Shearin family this year, but the dessert lady’s sister family from Ohio, and cousin joined the dinner (total 23 people). It was fun to meet all these new people. There was lot of leftover which was enough for two days of Hiroko’s family dinner.


Dave and the cousin of the dessert lady.
These two big guys were making mash potato and gravy. Can you see the big (23 lbs.) turkey between these two big guys? Hiroko has been carving the turkey for the last 3 or 4 years, so she would be carving the turkey soon.
Hiroko has always remembered what Taro-kun said, “Scared!” to see the whole turkey. However, not only Taro-kun, but also Dave’s family except Dave say “scare!” so they didn’t come to the kitchen while Hiroko was carving the turkey.


This is the mother who is very beautiful and elegant looking lady of the family from Ohio.
This family and many others were at the front room doing a bingo game, and interesting TV dancing game.
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Let me share with you the main idea of the message from Devon church Thanksgiving Service.

The message was based on the children’s book called “Charlie Brown and Thanksgiving,” and the Bible verse Luke 17:11-19. Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy 11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
14When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”


Various things happened to Charlie Brown, but finally Peppermint Pattie and her friends come to the house of Charlie Brown for Thanksgiving dinner. Peppermint Pattie asked Charlie Brown to give thanksgiving prayer for the dinner. Charlie Brown didn’t to know how and to what giving thanks.

Pastor continues from this story about 10 leppers who forgot to give thanks to the Lord Jesus who healed them. Many people in our daily life, asking the Lord to do something, then, forget to give thanks after the prayer was heard. Or many are saying that we don’t know why and for what to give thanks because we worked so hard and we got all these things we have by ourselves.

All the Christians have one thing to give thanks to the Lord, that is the love of the Lord God. The Lord Jesus gave his life to deliver us from the slave of sin and to give us freedom in Christ. In our side we don’t have to do anything, but trust the Lord and accept His love.

All the Christian can NOT say we have nothing to give thanks or forget to give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

11-11-11, Journal

It is November 11, 2011, at 11:00 PM right now.

Did you do something special? Did you get merried? Did you have a baby? Did you go to the Navy Pier to look for some bargain?

I wanted to do something special, I thought. I tried to read Psalm 11:11 or 111:11, but there is no verse 11 for the both chapters. I read Chapter 11 Verse 11 of the New Testaments Books.

Here are the lists of those verses

Matthew 11:11
Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Mark 11:11
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Luke 11:11
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

John 11:11
After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.

Acts 11:11
Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying.

Romans 11:11
Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.

Hebrews 11:11
And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise.

Revelations 11:11
But after the three and a half days the breath[b] of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

Which verse do you like the best? It is said “All Scripture is God breathed, and is useful for teaching…” so every word in the Scripture is very important for us. But I’d like to choose Roman 11:11. It is very interesting verse.

Israelites have been persecuted with the jealousy of many counties and people, because they were chosen by God and special nation. There are many persecution stories in the Bible. The great Jewish persecution by Hitler in Germany in recent years we cannot forget.

In accordance with the Roman 11:11 because of the Israelites” suffering, salvation has come to me and the Gentiles. All Israelites would have believed Jesus as Messiah if He was born in the Palace as the Ruler of Jews. Then, what would have happened for us, Gentile people? Jesus would be the Lord for Israelities God but not for Gentile. God knows all these things from the beginning of the world. So God’s plan is perfect. I’d give “Thanks” to Israelite and pray for their salvation.

The Lord God of Christian is omnipotent and omnipresent. The Lord God of Christians is not only for Israelites but also for the whole nation. He is the Creator of the whole universe. Pray for the salvation of the whole nation.

This is Hiroko’s special things on 11-11-11.

Hiroko has been busy since the beginning of October, because Hiroko has been making Thanksgiving and Christmas tablecloth for her daughter as a birthday present.



This is a part of the table cloth. It takes lots of time to make these runners.