This column previously appeared in the November 26, 2014 edition

  Thanksgiving is here. A time that we, as a nation, give thanks for the many blessings we have. We traditionally speak of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans coming together at the same table sharing a meal from both cultures and forging a new beginning in America. The season of Thanksgiving also serves to begin the holiday season where we spend a month giving thanks for our gifts and provisions, then end with Christmas where we celebrate the greatest Gift given to us in the form of a baby, Jesus.

  God has given me a family and a heritage of which I am proud and grateful. We have our ups and downs, our arguments and our hugs, our tears and our joys, but we are always family. I was raised in a family of faith that gives me a foundation to live. I learned about the Love of God at a very early age and have seen it  in action for many years.

  I’m thankful for my Tybee Island family and friends; those who welcome me to the Tybee Church to share a bit about what God has taught me in life and for the other islanders who live a creative, artsy, quirky life that I love to share.

  I’m thankful to be a resident of McDonough and Henry County. We certainly have our problems and concerns, but the people and opportunities available here are amazing. It is a good place to be.

  Yet, as I stop to give thanks for my many blessings, I am very aware that there are many others who are having difficulties during this upcoming season. Loved ones will be missing from around the table or on the other end of the telephone, illnesses have taken gratitude away from many lives, finances rob us of the joy we should be feeling and replacing it with worry and anxiety, family estrangements and tension are present and instead of feeling thankful, we just want it over with.

  I am no stranger to any of the above. There were years where my thankfulness was strained and muted, but I always knew one thing which kept a degree of joy in my heart. That was the simple three words that God. Loves. Me. Through it all, God loves me. He is the provider of the joy in my life. Now, I know that you may think, “How can he sit there and tell me that an unknown, untouchable supreme being can give me joy when my life is falling apart?” Well, I can because I have experienced it.

  In the beauty of nature, in the unashamed laughter of a little kid eating frozen custard while sitting on a bench with his grandpa, in the fellowship of friends and strangers alike while walking around the Square looking at the scarecrows, enjoying a 5K Run/Walk for a worthy non-profit organization, helping a family rebuild their home, helping in a cause to feed those who are hungry and clothe those who are cold. In all that we do, we can find the joy that God gives us and give thanks for it.

  God gave each of us a good life and a means to enjoy it. Be on watch for those having a rough season and try to make it better by a smile, a cup of coffee, a card, an email or a call.

  “Give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” (Psalm 107:8-9)

  And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.