Thanksgiving is the day we give thanks to God for His blessing and the tradition dates back to 1621 when the Pilgrims celebrated in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  It is meant to be spent with family and friends and if possible in service to others.  It is one of the holidays I love the most.  The smells from the kitchen, a fire burning in the fireplace, the Detroit Lions working up an appetite on TV and the Alka-Seltzer and its burps that tells me that I had too much fun.  A couple of years ago Janie and I invited our friends Jon and Krystal to have Thanksgiving dinner with our family and they brought 2 orphans from the Tennyson Center to join us.  It was a wonderful time and to see the joy on the faces of those kids was a true blessing.  That kind of stuff gets me charged up.  That is why I am so excited to tell you about what Joel and Tiffany Brunk are doing this year and it would be great if the Masonic community got involved.  Here is the email I received from Joel:

Supper with Santa supports foster children at their level of need, on a human basis, unfettered by health or behavior issues. It bolsters the collaborative foster community of Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties by providing some of the intangible spirit of Christmas that often gets lost in the day to day bustle of appointments, therapy and normal daily activities like school.  With the support of Brad Martin at the “The Santa Project” and the communities in which we live and work, we will help these kids make some great holiday memories.  But we can’t do it alone.

We need the generosity of our members to help ensure this magical evening complete with a special dinner, crafts/activities, stockings/ornaments, presents and pictures with Santa is a huge success!  We have opportunities for those who can give the gift of their time, in-kind donations like age-appropriate gifts, and finally monies for the Winter Wonderland decor are needed as well.  All monies raised will go directly to hosting this event, and any surplus funds will be donated directly to the Arapahoe County foster program to cover other essentials for kids newly coming into the program this year who are scared and may have lost everything.  They say it takes a village to raise a child…we are the village.  Let’s work together and make this an evening these kids will never forget.

Please call or email me to find out how you can get involved.  The more the merrier!

Joel Brunk 303-502-0525

**Monies donated are tax-deductible and a receipt will be given to the extent provided by the law.  Checks may be written to “The Santa Project” and mailed to: 7642 S. Balsam Ct. Littleton, Co 80128.

Joel is a brother Mason from Centennial Lodge #84 in Denver and he and Tiffany adopted their son Michael in 2010.  This event would be a great chance for us to make a difference in the lives of 50 – 60 Foster kids.   Why not call him or write a check.  The event will take place on the 16th of Dec. and you will need to talk to Joel to get the location and details.

This year for Christmas we are having our 4th annual Christmas Special at the Robert Russell Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Community Chapel.  And this year there will be 2 Christmas Specials.  Dec. 11th will be “Heavens Calling Choir” and on Dec. 18th Tiffany Katchen and John & Patti Duncan.  These are both Sunday nights at 6:30.  The music and the fellowship are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit.  You are invited to come either one or both.  Mark your Calendars, we would love to see you there!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving this year and be sure to tell God what you are thankful for!

Psalm 100:4-5 says “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (NIV)

I pray that will be the tradition we pass down to future Masonic Generations!

I pray God will bless you and yours,

Rev. Steve Schroeder