Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Hope everyone is having a good one! It is different for me because it is my first Thanksgiving away from home. Not only away from home, but in a country where they do not celebrate Thanksgiving. But Thankfully, my small group thought it would be fun to celebrate it with me, but we ended up cooking the big meal yesterday because we also invited Liston and Renee's small group to come and they didn't want to miss out on another small group on Thursday night. So, we actually had very little planning in place for our meal. The turkey didn't go in the oven until 5:30 pm. It was rather stressful, because I was head cook and it was incredibly difficult keeping all the things that needed to be done in my head at one time. But lots of people were willing to help, so I got to exercise by delegating skills and sent people to the store for many random things throughout the night. I also had a lot of help because my mom and grandma had sent me recipes, thanks! But soon all the cooking was done and it was really fun because we went around in a circle saying what we were thankful for and then Andy my small group leader said grace and I think that everyone was happily full by about 10pm. Also after dinner, the Americans that were there, Liston, Renee, Josiah and myself started singing a bunch of American songs, like Star Spangled Banner and things, but on the effects of a full stomach, so I'm sure it was rather funny to watch. Also, apparently the song "My Country Tis of Thee" is to the same tune of the British national anthem "God Save the Queen"... yay for ripping off British songs, and I must say the American words are a whole lot better. I would put up pictures, but unfortunately I forgot to take my camera and the apple pie that I had made, but Irish Heather had made an apple crumble, so that and some ice creamfilled us up well on the dessert end, I was also going to make a pumpkin pie, but ended up not being able to find any pumpkin, but some of my American friends told me of a store that I can find some, so I might make a pie for small group on Tuesday.

Actual Thanksgiving Day has been a good one as well, I didn't get up until late and then I met Fiona at Carrubers for lunch.. a little different than normal Thanksgiving lunch. Then I headed to class and on the way met my friend Will(he's an American) and we talked about Thanksgiving and when we got to our Gaelic class, he offered me some "tester" pumpkin pie (he was gonna make another one) so I got some on Thanksgiving after all. After class, I met Hannah on her way to Princess Street to see the Christmas lights being turned on and she told me it was supposed to snow tomorrow, I'm so excited! Then I went home and had fish sticks because I couldn't be bothered to cook and took my apple pie over to Liston and Renee's small group for a surprise for Rachel's birthday and then came home and called my family just as they were sitting down to eat... perfect timing. I have definitely learned to appreciate my grandma's cooking.

The weirdest thing about this Thanksgiving is that everything here is going on as normal, I still have class, I still have a presentation tomorrow, so it leaves little time to reflect and relax.. but I have been trying and it truely is amazing how God has blessed me in so many different ways. And thank you all those that have blessed me even in a small way, it means so much to me.

And I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
~1 Corinthians 1:4