Thanksgiving!!

My first Thanksgiving! = D

After 19 years of life on this Earth, I have finally experienced my first thanksgiving. This is because Thanksgiving is only celebrated in America. I have enjoyed it very much. Thank you all who have made it such an enjoyable experience.

Since the start of the week, I have been in holiday mode despite having two days of school left and a test to do. The festivities started off with my first thanksgiving dinner, the AACF potluck thanksgiving dinner on Monday evening. I had an awesome time with all the food and the turkey and the ham, and especially having fellowship with brothers and sisters. But the food was awesome too...ate a little bit too much. I am just thankful for all the brothers and sisters and all the friendships I have made in UCSB, for making my time here feel like a home away from home. After the dinner, a few of us went to watch "Inglourious Basterds" at the IV Theater. They had 3 previous screenings already but when we got there, there was a massive queue to get in. I guess this was because it was the last screening. Fortunately we made it in, but only just. The film was pretty good, it was a typical Quintin Tarintino film wit lots of violence in it.

I came back down to LA on Tuesday night. I am very grateful for my cousin, for driving all the way up to SB just to pick up so that I don't have to take AMTRAK or greyhound. Also for my aunt, for letting me stay with her. On Wednesday I met up with my two uncles, Alan and Calvin and two other cousins, Amy and Michelle. We had brunch at a congee place. It was so good tasting chinese food again....especially congee. Afterwards we went to play Badminton, which lasted for more than 4 hours. It was fun but tiring. Then we went for dinner at Coconut Bay.

Thursday was Thanksgiving Day aka Turkey Day. I woke up early to go with my cousin to his Church's Turkey Bowl. This is where we get together to have fellowship with each other and to play sports (kickball, flag football, and ultimate frisbee) to work off some of the calories before putting them back on later in the day. After Turkey bowl, we returned home to find my uncle Alan already cooking the turkey. The smell was soooooo goood!!! Four hours later....my first official thanksgiving dinner! We had Turkey, Stuffing, Cajun Style Quail, Mushrooms, Salad and Sweet Yam topped with marshmallows. It was delicious.

On Friday we met up with my uncles again for yum cha because my cousins Amy and Michelle left their cameras at my aunts place and they were returning to Arizona that day. Afterwards we went to my Uncle Calvin's house to say bye to Uncle Alan, Amy and Michelle and to look at my Uncle Alan's dogs, Amaretto and Halluteen. They are a German Shepherd and Husky respectively. They were big dogs but also the most gentle dogs I have ever seen. My uncle took them in after an animal shelter had rescued them from abuse. After saying my farewell to my uncle and cousins, we went to Brea Mall to do some shopping. Since it was my first thanksgiving, I had decided that I wanted to experience what Black Friday Shopping was like....then I realised that if I wanted to experience the proper Black Friday sales, I would have to wake up and start queuing in the middle of the night. So I decided not to and just went in the afternoon. It was still extremely busy as Black Friday represents the start of the christmas sales season. Afterwards Lynnette, Garrett, Karissa and Jon picked me up at the mall and we went down to Irvine Spectrum to watch A Christmas Carol 3D at the Imax theatre. The 3D was awesome.

What I am thankful for:

• God for His Love, Mercy, and Grace; for His Son Jesus; for His provision and taking care of me through my ups and downs.
• Family
• Friends
• Everything!
  

Setting aside all the food and turkey, my thoughts on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving like most other major holidays have been heavily commercialised. Thanksgiving originated when the pilgrims crossed the Atlantic and settled in America, it was to Thank God for letting them survive a harsh winter and also for the harvest. Now its been made into just another holiday.
I think Thanksgiving is great. It's a time where were are thankful to God for his provision and providence. He gives and takes away, so we should be thankful. But instead of just being thankful on one day of the year, we should be thankful to Him every day of the year. For His Love and Mercy and Grace. For His Forgiveness, His Son Jesus and the Cross. We sould be thankful everyday that we are still alive and not dead. For everything He has provided and will provide for us. I think Thanksgiving is a great holiday and it should be celebrated as we should be Thankful to God. However I don't think that Thanksgiving should be the only a day where we give Thanks But also a reminder that we should give thanks to God every single day.