Beech Tree News Network

When I was a kid, I knew what I could and could not ask for on Christmas.  Even when I still believed in Santa, I knew there were limitations to how much I could reasonably expect to find under the tree on Christmas morning.  There were seven kids in the family, which meant we could ask for one major gift and expect some small things to go along with it. 

In Matthew 12, our Lord stood before the people and taught great things to them. As He was teaching, one said, “Behold, your mother and your brethren stand outside, desiring to speak with you. But he replied to the man that told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, is my brother, and sister, and mother’” (Matt. 12:47-50).

With Thanksgiving being this Thursday, I’m thinking more about thankfulness.  Last week I ruminated on the “30 Days of Thankfulness” posts on Facebook.  This week I will shine the spotlight on our American Soldiers.  There is never enough you can say or write to express our gratitude to the brave men and women of the Armed Forces.  These brave individuals who give up their time because of love of country deserve so much of our thanks, and not just this Thanksgiving, but every day.

As our community celebrates another Thanksgiving Day, I believe we have much to be thankful for in Butler County.  As a special day that is steeped in American tradition and history, Thanksgiving has always been a time for all of us to reflect on the many gifts we have been given by our Creator.  It is also an opportunity for our community to reach out to those in need.  Two recent events show how  Butler County people can come together to support a worthy cause.

Every year about this time, my family and I embark on what I’ve dubbed The Big Dig.  The annual dig refers to the extraction of all useless and unnecessary things that have accumulated during the previous year.  These things are sorted, given away, thrown out or burned, all to make room for more stuff that will likely fall into one of these categories next year during the dig—it’s the American way.   

Dear Editor,
Under the new redistricting plan, Butler County is now part of the 6th Senatorial District that also includes Hopkins, Muhlenberg and Ohio counties.
I look forward to serving as your Senator. To assist me in being more effective, it is important that I hear from you about the community’s needs. Your ideas and advice will be important in guiding my work in Frankfort.

In a few days people around the nation and in Kentucky will gather to celebrate Thanksgiving.  While the modern day tradition of Thanksgiving is usually marked by football, Black Friday, and leftovers, the history of this holiday is steeped in the fabric of our nation during both good and bad times.
 

It is not uncommon to marvel. We might marvel at a great feat of God or man. However, to think about the Son of God marveling at something merits our attention. It is twice recorded that Jesus marveled at men. The first time is in Matthew 8:5-10. “When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I’m seeing a lot of instances of people expressing their thankfulness.  This is something I believe we should always do.  I’m not one to make a pronouncement on Facebook that says “why don’t we be thankful all the time”.