What a beautiful Thanksgiving day we had here in Southeast Kentucky! Hope that you had some special time with family and friends, but also that you were able to get outside to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine. Whether it was a family football game in the yard, a walk around the neighborhood, some foraging in the woods, or a hike up a mountain, the opportunities of days like that cannot be ignored!

It is a blessing to be able to intentionally unite with family and friends, even if there are things that make such gatherings difficult. Relationships are hard. They take a lot of time and effort. There are no perfect families, and even those of us who claim to dislike “drama” can still find ourselves in the middle of it. Holidays can be challenging as well if there is a loved one missing from the group. I pray that all can feel the comfort and peace that faith in God and hope in eternal life can bring.

Over the holiday, we were able to lead a large family on a guided adventure in the Gorge. That day was gorgeous with sunshine as well, and the blue sky seemed endless as we stood on clifftops and gazed out at the chasm below. We enjoyed sharing knowledge and love of trees with individuals in the group and listened to as many grand adventure stories as we told. Later, I was struck by how comfortable and loving the members were with their extended family. There was lots of laughter, and good-natured heckling. It was a blessing to share the experience with them.

I also realized what a help it may have been for their activity to be planned and facilitated by our guide team! No matter how well a family gets along, it can be beneficial for the details to get sorted out and determined by another party: no pressure or expectation lies on a family member. All can relax and enjoy the experience!

Thankful for that opportunity, and for the others to come....