Thanksgiving smokers

It’s a beautiful day in Blacksburg. The smoker is billowing, and the aroma of turkey cooking fills the front yard. Sam and Carolyn have been up since 6 a.m. beginning the smoking process. I am the DD for this meal and all meals at the Noble household (designated dishwasher), and so the family smokers aren’t (too) bitter that I stayed in bed while they got up early.

We have a full house again this year, and it’s also led to a full heart (and soon, full bellies). I stole away to the man cave for a few moments to dash off ye olde traditional thanksgiving blog post. As I glanced over last year’s A pandemic Thanksgiving – I couldn’t help but experience a fresh wave of awe and gratitude for what God has done in and around me in just a year.

A year for which to be thankful

• Northstar moved into its first church “home.” After 18 years of meeting in rented and borrowed places, Good Friday was our first worship service in our new building. Easter Sunday was our first Sunday to worship together! It was surreal timing. It truly just “worked out” for it to happen on those dates. Seeing so many of our church family rejoice and so many guests come worship with us in spite of pandemic clouds was deeply humbling. I am truly stunned by how our church has grown in the middle of a pandemic and all He continues to do through these remarkable people as we seek to be His church.

• Sam and Sidney moved in. You hear about millennials coming back home and living in the basement, but you never expect it to happen. 😉 Adelyn had to finish her spring semester last year at home, and we loved having her. We never expected to be blessed by Sam and Sidney moving in this year. Sam was in process of transitioning from YoungLife staff in North Carolina to YL staff here in Virginia. They didn’t know where they’d be placed at the time, so instead of continuing to pay rent in NC, we had the joy of spending the summer with them. Getting to walk in prayer with them through their waiting for an assignment (Winchester, VA!) and the subsequent details (job for Sidney and house hunting) was a humble privilege. They both served as interns at the church as well, and that was also special getting to see them daily and serve Him with them.

• Hank, the grand dog. On top of that (and maybe even better than Sam and Sidney being here) was getting to spend the summer with Hank, our new black lab grand dog. I am his favorite human. There’s nothing quite like seeing him shake, jump, quiver and whip his tail around each morning when he saw me again to make me feel like I’m amazing and can do no wrong. I hear him say in the middle of his gyrations, “Oh boy oh boy oh boy. You’re still here!???!!! This is the best day EVER! I am so HAPPY!!! It’s you. You’re my favorite! <slobber/wag> I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!! Ball?!!! Throw the ball???!! Oh boy oh boy oh boy…” Imagine that every single morning!

• Semblances of normality. I wanted to title this post A post-pandemic Thanksgiving, yet there are many still living life behind masks and deeply worried about the future as it relates to COVID. Other parts of the nation and world are moving forward, accepting realities and even probing new information and discoveries to help us restore trust, reexamine “science” and embrace healthier strategies for the future. It feels wonderful to be able to go to the movies again, to sit inside a restaurant, to see crowded sports venues, and simply feel “normal” again in many ways.

• Spoons Shaved Ice. Little did we know in January that by summer a cutesy food truck purchased in North Carolina would be transformed and become such a fun and successful endeavor for Carolyn and her sister Cortney! From community pools to parking lots to the Hokie Village outside Lane Stadium before VT football games, Spoons was a delicious hit. When the weather cooled off, they creatively changed their menu from shaved ice to flavored hot chocolate. Our neighbors were amazing too as they often stopped by when the girls were sampling flavors and concoctions and agreed to be guinea pigs. You can see more about their menus and story on the Spoons website or follow them on Instagram.

• Adelyn graduated from college. We were so thankful and proud of this soon-to-be math teacher completing her undergrad with honors in the midst of unprecedented times. She served and invested deeply at Christopher Newport University and in Newport News. She was the worship leader for Cru, a youth leader for Peninsula Community Chapel, an RA and… a lot more. She’s an overachiever! And she and Braeden are tying the knot next month!

• My sister got married! We were prepared for one wedding in the family this year, but we were delighted to add another to our schedule. In early October, my sister Amy and her beau Casey contacted us to let us know that they were doing a special wedding/party on Halloween weekend. Of course, we went, and I was blessed to be able to officiate! With guests in Halloween costumes, Amy and Casey got hitched. I can truly say we are no longer “scared” it wouldn’t ever happen. 😉

• Finally but not lastly, I am so grateful for being known by God. I have had the joyful and humble privilege of following Jesus since I was seven. I am more aware than ever of my foibles, flaws and idiocies. I am thankful that I can see growth. I am thankful for grace upon grace. (John 1:16) When autumn displays the glory of God’s creative prowess in the leaves and foliage, I’m reminded in the oranges, yellows, greens, and reds that if God can display His wonder in the leaves so beautifully and seasonally, He can certainly display His wonder through me.

I am grateful. Are you?

It really is mind-boggling all that God has done this past year. I am also really thankful that for whatever reason I began blogging so many moons ago. This habit/practice of annual Thanksgiving posts is a humble and stunning marker of God’s continuing goodness, provision and power in the midst of both challenging and wondrous times. It’s surreal to read previous posts and track God’s activity and all He’s done. I encourage you to journal on Thanksgiving every year and keep track of God’s gracious activity and provision.

Prior Thanksgiving posts

• 2005: Juanita’s, hot tea, and thee… aaaaah
• 2006: Better late than never… thanksgiving
• 2008: Giving thanks
• 2009: What a difference a year makes
• 2010: The Thanksgiving Chair
• 2011: Very Thankful
• 2013: Thanksgiving 2013
• 2014: Thanksgiving past
• 2015: Another thankful year
• 2016: Choosing Thanksgiving
• 2017: The humility of Thanksgiving
• 2018: Thankful for pardon
• 2019: Ye olde traditional Thanksgiving post
• 2020: A pandemic thanksgiving