“The peace of Christ must control your hearts — a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people.” – Colossians 3:15

With tomorrow – believe it or not – officially the “1st Sunday in Advent”, I’d like to reiterate my argument that Advent is more effectively understood as a five-week observance, because the whole concept of Thanksgiving is the perfect prelude to our preparation for Christmas.

When gratitude resides at the foundation of our faith, then Thanks leads naturally into Hope, Peace, Love, and then Joy. Thanksgiving is the best context for Christmas.

With that in mind, on this spectacularly beautiful Saturday in North Carolina, these additional Thanksgiving photos tell a beautiful story.

Down in Miami, our newest grandchild – Geoffrey William – has been exercising his lungs and bringing joy into the home. His brother and sister, David and Beks, are so proud and so happy. His parents are pretty stoked too. The grandparents, however, are beyond frustrated they haven’t had the opportunity to meet him yet!

Fall in Wake Forest

Here in Wake Forest Autumn 2020 continues to be a colorful testimony to the imagination and beauty of creation. This weekend it’s the turn of the yellow trees to show off (as you can see in the opening image).

Max, meanwhile, is making a huge splash of colorful presence himself. He loves to go for long walks, he loves to be admired by all the passers-by, and he really loves to run at full speed when I can find a large enough fenced-off area.

He really is an absolute godsend. He’s been with us four months as of this weekend, and it’s hard to picture a time when he was not.

So I’ll leave you with this handful of thankful photos – because I am – DEREK