Thanksgiving in April | Jon Stolpe Stretched

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Yesterday, our family took the DART train to the West End Historic District in Dallas, TX to take in the sites and sounds. We saw the Grassy Knoll at Dealey Plaza where John F. Kennedy was shot. We saw the Old Red Museum. We also saw the John F. Kennedy Memorial, the log cabin in Founders Plaza, and Rosa Parks Plaza. It was exciting to visit each of these places as we walked through this area, but the highlight for each of us was the visit to Thanksgiving Square.

Thanksgiving Square was built in 1977 as a place to remind everyone to be thankful. In the square, there are several water fountains, a Norman Rockwell mosaic, a bell tower, and a few structures designed to focus your attention on gratitude. As I walked through the Golden Ring of Thanksgiving, I gave thanks for my family, my kids, and my wonderful wife. I thanked God for restored health for Leanne and for a return to normalcy.

After we ate lunch in the square, we entered Thanksgiving Hall where we were greeted by friends of my dad. My dad had served on an interfaith council that met in this location. Several of the council members were there following a regular meeting. They each greeted my dad so warmly. As we chatted with our new friends, we learned a bit about the council and about Thanksgiving Square. Did you know that seven countries around the world celebrate a Thanksgiving Day? Did you know that the first Thanksgiving in Texas occurred in May of 1541? We learned these facts and more as we walked through the hall.

Finally, we ended our visit by walking up the spiral sidewalk to the entrance of Thanksgiving Square Chapel. The chapel includes a spiral display of stained glass designed to focus your attention upward. Since we were by ourselves, we all laid down on the floor and looked straight up at the spiral ceiling. What a wonderful way to end our vacation in Texas – with Thanksgiving in April!

What are you thankful for today?

http://deuceology.wordpress.com Larry Carter

Salvation. Marriage. Kids. Job. Church.
http://www.theanalogoustruth.wordpress.com/ Arny

My Dad…
http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

Interesting, never heard of the place before.

But thank you for bringing Thankfulness to the forefront. Here’s my list

My wife
My dogs
My savior
My parents and family
My home
My church family
Relationships
My blog readers
The authors of the blogs I read
Cool things like remote controlled helicopters
- http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal
  
  Thanks, Joe, for that last one on the list. You made me laugh and that’s something I also am thankful for.
  - http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde
    
    Glad it made you laugh. The silly things can bring much joy.
    
    Within the last week I had two such experiences with the helicopter. One of my neighbors had her niece and nephew out and they got a kick out of it. Then Easter my nieces and nephew had a lot of fun chasing it down and trying to keep up. Not to mention seeing how high we could get it.
    - http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal
      
      So RC helicopter wasn’t a random thought wave picked up out of the ether? A friend’s son had one that he flew at the football field across the street from our home. It was fascinating to watch him at work with that thing. It sounds like you brought joy to the kids while having a blast on Sunday.
http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

Jon, I have family in the area but haven’t been to Dallas (other than passing through) in ages. Your pictures make me long for something I’ve never seen. I last visited Dallas on a regular basis in 1977, the year Thanksgiving Square came into existence.

I am thankful for:

my faith–a gift from God
my wife–a gift from God
my friends–each a gift from God
my opportunities in life–each a gift from God

I think I could go on with this theme for a bit but I appreciate your prompting me to think about what I have received and the One to whom I’m grateful.