If I had a chart like this for pop culture, I would award a check mark to the new Sandra Bullock movie, The Blind Side. I might modify the category to read, “Caught showing us what Jesus is like.” If you don’t know by now, the Blind side is the story of a white Memphis family taking in a Black homeless boy, and their journey together. Without beating the viewer in the face the film tells the story of violence, poverty and addiction was well as the power of redemption that comes with unconditional love.

One of the bonuses of seeing the film was that I got to watch it with my oldest son’s family which includes my daughter-in-law and two grandsons. Ben and I joined them for an early showing on Thanksgiving day. I don’t know if the film will do a lot of box office business, but it should. It is a powerful story. Watch the Trailer

Better Living with Thanksgiving

Two years ago this November, we set out on our fourth cross-country road trip in about a year and a half. We were on the road on the Thanksgiving holiday and had a turkey dinner at the Cracker Barrel restaurant near Pensacola, Florida. Lots of things were up in the air. We had just moved into a “new” house. I was starting a new law practice. We were recovering from the whirlwind of moving to Florida and then moving back to California.

My youngest son, Benjamin, was born on Thanksgiving day, 2002. He celebrated his birthday that year on the road. This year we continued the tradition of a Chuck E. Cheese birthday for Ben.

From the perspective of two years, things have calmed down quite a bit. Our fixer-upper house is a little more livable than it was when we moved in. We still have two showers and 1 bathtub that don’t work. We have learned how to handle heating our non-centrally air conditioned and heated all-electric home. We haven’t seen any $1000 plus bills this year (when we moved in, our first utility bill was over $1200!). Benjamin is in first grade at the local Christian school and loving every minute of it. We spent Thanksgiving with Loretta’s daughter and our grandkids. My two-yr. old law practice is going pretty well. I spend a lot of time trying to help people with financial trouble get a fresh start or save their homes. We have a lot to be grateful for this year. Life is not perfect, but it is pretty good.

I have been learning to develop an attitude of Thanksgiving that I can carry with me every day. I don’t mean I want to eat left-over Turkey and cranberry sandwiches every day. I want to learn to be grateful for the daily blessings that come our way, the things that money can’t buy, love for my family and love for my God.

With feel-good gurus urging us to find the secret and live in the moment, I want to learn to get rid of anxiety through an attitude of prayerfulness and thanksgiving. Last year that was one of my New Year’s resolutions and I think it is beginning to seek in. I frequently remind my clients that they can survive their financial and other legal troubles.

Give To KidCare

My friend, Larry Kapchinsky, runs a great relief organization, KidCare International. From his most recent newsletter: “For many families, celebrating the holidays this year will be an extraordinary challenge…Locally, (in San Bernardino and Riverside County, California) many poor children depend on KidCare International’s educational enrichment. food, shelter, and clothing, but there are thousands of children in South Africa, Tanzania, Russia, and Sri Lanka that would have little or no hope without the help of humanitarian agencies like KidCare International. Thousands of children die each year in these countries from a lack of the most basic human needs—food, shelter, clean water and sanitation.” If you are looking for a worthy non-profit for a year-end charitable gift, I highly recommend KidCare.