Thanksgiving...Will I get promoted this year?

So, another year of thanksgiving dinner and another year to answer an age old question asked by every teenager showing up at the Avila home..."Am I old enough to sit at the adult table this year?" This question is generally posed moments before dinner is to be served and generally leads into an argument which is followed by a small rebellion of 4-9 years old's who also believe that they should have a chair at the adult table. This is also followed by an argument, by the same 4-9 year old's, concerning voting rights and something to do about the age of drinking in SC. However, this is a separate matter all together. I've tried planning for this moment however how does one plan for disaster? Generally, if I set the bar to 14 years of age then the 13 year old will chime in that her birthday is in 2 months! So...just like last year...it looks like I'll be sitting at the kiddie table again...talking about Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers...yippee....

Daddy, does that happen to you wherever you go?

Ashley had just finished up her practice with a new gymnastics school. She went through 3 hours of hard core training so I thought I would take her out for dinner. So we went to a Greek family restaurant in the area. Once there we ordered our food and had a great conversation. The owner of the restaurant saw me and came running to the table. She sat down next to Ashley and in her Greek accent proclaims "When you are done you need to pray with me...ok!?" When she got up to greet other customers Ashley looked at me and asked, "daddy, do strangers randomly come up to you and ask you to pray with them?" Of course Ashley had no way of knowing that we had prayed for her the week prior and was on a spirtual high because her husband had just come to know the Lord. So after explaining everything to Ashley the owner again sat down with us this time bringing a piece of pie for Ashley. I prayed with "Mama", as she likes to be called, and it was a wonderful time. When we left I asked Ashley what she was praying for while I prayed for Mama. She looked at me with this big grin and said "I thanked God for the pie...it was so yummy."

Do you believe in miracles?

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle

Once upon a time there was a great nation. Bound by the gates of excellence and looked upon in envy. Once upon a time we were a nation without apology. Born from the spirit of men who had a dream, conceived with a thought and born with a stroke of a pen. Once upon a time I was part of a nation that excelled in all aspects of life. I want our nation to excel once again. Without apology of our past success. Without apology of our future endeavors. We were once great and we will be great again. Not because of any "act" that some congressman will do but by the heart of every American in this country. We are the heart beat of this nation. We are the blood which flows through the vain of this great nation. And we will reclaim the very liberty and freedom that our nation's elected officials have taken away from us...we will be great again. As you watch the videos...remember how great we were...and how together we can be great again.