I'm Thankful For...

Hello, faithful readers! Well, if you're like me, you're probably still recovering from a self-induced food coma. And if you're a Titans fan like me, you definitely enjoyed watching the Titans open a can of kick-butt on the Lions!!!

Before I begin my traditional Thanksgiving speech, I have to make a confession. It is tradition for the Christmas holiday season to begin the day after Thanksgiving; however, I started celebrating during the first week of November. No, I am not talking about Christmas shopping (my wife has 95% of that done by Labor Day); I'm talking about the music! I'll go more into detail about this in my next entry, though.

Today is a day to give thanks for what we have. So what am I thankful for? Good question; I'm thankful for...

• My family, including my wonderful wife of 13 years, Danielle; my mom & step-dad, my dad & step-mom, and my mother- & father-in-law; my sisters and brother and their spouses; my wife's sister and brother & spouse; my delightful nieces and nephews; my grandfather, who today celebrated his 80th Thanksgiving; my aunts and uncles; and finally, my wife's family both near and far.
• The freedom to gather together; a freedom that was paid for by the blood of brave men and women, friends and neighbors, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, proud Americans who chose to answer the call and make a stand for our great country. To all men and women currently serving in the Armed Forces, and to our veterans as well, thank you for all you have done!!!
• Finally, I am thankful for Jesus Christ, my Lord & Savior who died on a cross to give me new life. And I am thankful for Hilldale Baptist Church, with wonderful members that I have started to form friendships with and an extraordinary pastor, Dr. Larry Robertson, who is not only a knowledgeable preacher, but a terrific human being as well.

In closing, I'd like to remind you all of one thing: As special as Thanksgiving Day is, we should remember to give thanks everyday. Hope you had a great Turkey Day, and don't hurt anybody at the Black Friday sales tomorrow!

Love in Christ,
Tracy E. Lilly

Oh, and Bro. Larry, I take cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express; no checks! (Just kidding.) See you on Sunday!

"Don't blame me... I voted for McCain!"

First of all, I must apologize for the lengthy delay in posting my latest entry. My work schedule has been a bear, and I've been busy with other things on my days off.

Next, some updates:

• I got baptized (again) on Sunday, October 12 and finally joined a Sunday School class.
• Danielle (my wife) had a bone marrow biopsy performed on October 27. We'll get the results this coming Monday. We hope that she doesn't have leukemia, but something that is treatable and curable, so please pray for her.

Moving on... I am sad to see Philip Fulmer stepping down as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers at the end of the season. He was, and will always be in my mind, a great coach and human being. His first eight seasons were good (two SEC titles and a National Championship in '98), but his record since then had not been that great. I hate to see him go, but it was his time and he handled it like everything else: with class (and a $6M buyout!).

Now to the hot topic of the day: the Presidental election. The title says it all! (OK, so maybe I'm overdoing it.) The point is, the candidate I voted for didn't win. I know that my sister-in-law is probably freaking out because she believes that Obama is the Anti-Christ; I'm not sure I agree with all that.

Am I disappointed? Yes. Am I worried about the future of our nation? Not yet. After all, we as Americans need to stand behind our leaders. We don't have to like them, but they need our support.

As Obama said in closing of his acceptance speech, "May God bless the United States of America." Amen, Mr. President (-elect).

"I'm Tracy E. Lilly, and I approve this message."

Love in Christ,
Tracy E. Lilly