Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Well folks, this will be undoubtedly the shortest Gig Line you’ve read, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to offer my thanks for abundant blessings – you, being one of them.

Our nation has been through a lot, especially in these last few years. Political disappointments on both sides, the Covid-19 pandemic, tragedies both unavoidable and avoidable – all too many, but I chose this Thanksgiving Day to focus on the good things, which overrule the bad.

First, I want to thank our Heavenly Father for the blessings of His love and for all the times He not only heard, but truly listened to my prayers and answered them one way or the other. I thank Him too for the grace He has shown me and also given me to accept His response. We’ve all been there at one time or another when we’ve suffered heartache but we’ve also experienced extreme joy and elation that we got good news, that the completely unexpected miracle took place and in turn restored our faith, our hope, and our belief. For our veterans, our active duty, our reserves and all the men and women who have our backs, who keep us safe and who have and still sacrifice special holidays but every day with their precious families to serve this great nation. For The Coastland Times, because they published my first story about my husband Billy, whom I loved so dearly, coming home in 1968 from serving with our U.S. Army in Vietnam. Ever since then, they have supported this column, which I have to say has made a significant and positive difference to our veterans in Dare County ever since. For our law enforcement, firemen/women and first responders who all put their lives on the line every day in order to defend us, save us and help us recover from injuries or sickness to live another day … they’re God’s tools you know. I thank God for you, too – my friends and Gig Line followers. You can’t imagine the impact you have on me, how you influence me in countless ways, how you who are veterans or love our veterans make me want to keep writing. I’m not a proficient writer, far from it. I have no certificates or diplomas earned in journalism classes or courses, I’m just plain ol’ me who writes because I adored my husband, appreciated his service to our country and for all his brothers and sisters and what you all meant to him. You are dear to me and while my spell check on this computer may fail me at times and I get so long winded, you all have stuck by me and it truly touches my heart.

I hope the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday “keeps on keeping on” and that we keep the faith in each other, overlook or accept that none of us are perfect, none of us are worthy of Heaven, not really. We, or at least, I, fall short of the glory of God. With my diet, with my exercise, with the best expression of my love for Him, but I try. You know that they say, “He’s not done with me yet!”

So, my friends near and far, I hope so many good things for you and everyone you love. I hope and pray that you know just how special you are to your family and friends and to me, too! Thank you for hanging in there with me and reading my column primarily devoted to our veterans; thank you for caring about God and all our brothers and sisters in the service and in general daily life in this world with each other. I love you all and I think about you every day!

Until next time, I wish you good health, safety and happiness; forgive those who have hurt you and forgive yourselves, too, if you have hurt others. Forgiveness gives us peace and it is another one of those special blessings to be thankful for not only at Thanksgiving, but every day of the year. Please pray for our troops and their families who love and miss them and please, please pray for our sweet children and young people. They have suffered greatly seeing the ills of the world, especially over these past few years. God bless our youth, our youth leaders and public education teachers that they will do their best to love our kids and to stand up for good, healthy education and help our kids love themselves. And for our pastors, clergymen and volunteers in all the arenas across this nation and the world who perform unselfish, meaningful tasks to lift up our fellow man, I thank them. I pray God will greatly bless the givers above the takers and that He will admonish those who hurt the innocent and vulnerable. Life is good. We are all here for a reason – maybe we’ll take a closer look at what our purpose is and how we can make a difference for good in other people’s lives. If we do, there’s no stopping the scope of our potential greatness.

Remember to check out my website giglineheroes.com; call/text me at 252-202-2058 or email me at giglineheroes@aol.com. Thank you all again for your kindness toward other – keep paying it forward! Stay tuned!

READ ABOUT NEWS AND EVENTS HERE.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE COASTLAND TIMES TODAY!