We didn’t build it

Gratitude recognizes what came before us

November has always been, for me, a month for a particular sense of gratitude. This is partially because Thanksgiving comes in November — that one holiday that has been left mostly untouched by commercialism (with the possible exception of the turkey industry).

For the most part, however, Thanksgiving is still a quiet holiday, untouched by sectarian or political divisions, for simple thankfulness transcends the dark lines we draw to separate us.

To the grateful, there is no“us” and “them,” only one humanity that, in our best moments, realizes that so much in life is not of our own making. We stand on the shoulders of others and benefit from their hard work and loyalty to great ideas and ideals.

This truth comes through in Deuteronomy 6, which says that we drink at cisterns we did not hew and drink from wells we did not dig. One paraphrase is:

“We build on foundations we did not lay/ We warm ourselves at fires we did not light/ We sit in the shade of trees we did not plant/ We drink from wells we did not dig/ We profit from persons we did not know.”

In other words, no generation should ever think of itself as self-sufficient. Whatever we accomplish in life, whatever we build, we build on the foundations laid by others. If we fail to recognize this, we harbor the illusion of self-sufficiency.

If every generation thinks only of itself, we will never make progress. When Israel was ready to enter the Promised Land, they were reminded that they did not build the cities, plant the vineyards, dig the wells or manufacture the goods. They would experience the blessings of the promise, but to be blessed can easily become hypnotic, and we easily forget the gifts or the givers of the past.

A friend of mine who serves as pastor of a church in New York City tells of a question and answer time in a church capital funds campaign for the nursery and preschool program of the church. One of the sincere questions asked was, “Why should we give to this project when our children will have graduated from the nursery by the time the project is finished?”

In other words, “What’s in it for me?”

The truth of the matter is that as long as we labor only for ourselves, we leave no gifts for those who come after us. November is a good time to consider another way of life — gratefully leaving something for others, investing in a future beyond ourselves, and expressing our deep gratitude for those who did the same for us.

Baptist

PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org

All services & Bible Study 9:15 & 10:45. Trad. & Blended (Sanctuary), Contemporary (Great Hall), Amigos de Dios (Gym) / 214.860.1500

WIlSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100

Pastor George A. Mason Ph.D. / Worship 8:30 & 11:00 am

Bible Study 9:40 am / www.wilshirebc.org

BIBlE CHURCHES

GRACE BIBlE CHURCH / www. gracebiblechurch.org

Sunday Worship: Traditional 9:00 am; Contemporary 10:30 am

Adult Bible Classes both hours /11306 Inwood Rd./214.368.0779

NORTH HIGHlANDS BIBlE CHURCH / www.nhbc.net

Sunday: Lifequest (all ages) 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am

Wed: Student Ministry 7:00 pm / 9626 Church Road / 214.348.9697

DISCIPl ES Of C HRIST

CENTRAl CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 4711 Westside Drive / 214.526.7291

Sunday Worship 11:00 am ./ Sunday School 9:45am

Wed. Bible Study 5:00 pm./ www.cccdt.org / ALL are welcome

E AST DAllAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship Gathering 9:30 am

Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan / www.edcc.org

m ETHODIST

lAKE HIGHlANDS UmC/ 9015 Plano Rd. / 214.348.6600 / lhumc.com

9:30 – Sunday School / 10:30 – Fellowship Time

10:50 – Traditional & Contemporary Worship

NON-DENOmINATIONA l

SHORElINE DAllAS CHURCH / 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane ShorelineDallas.com / 469.227.0471 / Pastor Earl McClellan

Everyone’s Welcome at 9:15am / Children’s & Youth Ministry

P RESB y TERIAN

KING’S PARISH ASSOCIATE REfORmED PRESBy TERIAN CHURCH kingsparish.com / Rev. David Winburne / Worship at 10:00 am

Meets at Ridgewood Park Rec Center / 469.600.3303

NORTHPARK PRESBy TERIAN CHURCH / 214.363.5457

9555 N. Central Expwy. / www.northparkpres.org

Pastor: Rev. Brent Barry / 8:30 & 11:00 am Sunday Services

UNIT y

Part of the nature of gratitude is that it cannot be commanded — it can only be encouraged. Gratitude that is commanded is not really gratitude. Gratitude comes from a willingly grateful heart.

So this month I only encourage you to consider a grateful attitude. After all, it’s the good soil in which you may sow a little something that will grow into something more. Not because you have to, but because you get to. Not reluctantly, but with a measure of gratitude that may begin to multiply, until one day it fills you full.

UNIT y Of DAllAS / A Positive Path For Spiritual Living 6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 / 972-233-7106 / UnityDallas.org

Sunday services: 9:00 am & 11:00 am

Early risers had a chance to see Tom C. Gooch Elementary students on TV taking part in September’s PARK(ing) Day. During the event, downtown parking spots were turned into temporary spaces that provided spots to read, do yoga, look at art and more. The segment aired on Univision, channel 23, and Telefutura, channel 49.

The Dallas Independent School District launched a new app for iPhones and Androids. The app lets parents and students see grades, bus routes, emergency notifications, cafeteria menus, a calendar and more. The free app, developed by School Connect, is available in English and Spanish at dallasisd.org/mobileapp.

Preston Hollow schoolteachers Rachel Burnett and Susan Bourenane received the Innovations in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Teaching Awards, presented to 12 Dallas ISD teachers by the Texas Instruments Foundation in September. Burnett teaches algebra at W.T. White High School and is the core math teacher for the school’s Engineering Academy. Bourenane teaches technology and computer at George Bannerman Dealey Montessori Vanguard and International Academy. The awards honor secondary math and science teachers that build student achievement in the STEM subjects, a problem area for many students. Each honoree received $10,000, half for personal use and the other half for professional development or instructional technology.

Danielli Costa, gifted math teacher at Thomas Jefferson High, was featured on the September cover of the North Texan, the alumni magazine for the University of North Texas. Costa was hired by the high school last spring. Her students had already seen five teachers come and go, and standardized testing time loomed near. She was ready for the challenge, in part because of the training and experience she received through UNT’s Teach North Texas program, she tells the magazine.

Hillcrest High student Sydney L. Pedigo was named a National Merit Semifinalist. Each year, more than 1.5 million high school juniors take the PSAT test to help qualify for college entrance and scholarships. And each year, students who achieve the top 16,000 scores among all testtakers are named National Merit Semifinalists. About half of the semifinalists will receive $2,500 National Merit scholarships, while the scores of the others help them obtain merit scholarships from colleges.

People

Preston Hollow resident Joanne Fay is now a member of the Dallas Parks Foundation board. Fay has served in organizations such as the Women’s Board of the Dallas Opera Guild and Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy, and she has chaired the boards of St. Mark’s School of Texas, LeukemiaTexas, the Dallas Woman’s Club and more.

HAVE

AN ITEM TO BE fEATurEd?

Please submit news items and/or photos concerning neighborhood residents, activities, honors and volunteer opportunities to editor@advocatemag.com. Our deadline is the first of the month prior to the month of publication.

Toddler playground dedication

St. Alcuin Montessori School dedicated a toddler playground on its campus in honor of a former student who died in December after a yearlong battle with brain cancer. Little Virginia Franklin , at bottom, and Theo Johnson, Veronica Murray, Helena Magee and Maria Delgado came out for the special naming ceremony of the Chloe Simone Shea Toddler Playground Sept. 7.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

ART: Draw or Paint. All Levels. Lake Highlands N. Rec. Ctr. Jane Cross, 214-534-6829. Linda, 214-808-4919.

ARTISTIC GATHERINGS

Art Classes For All Ages. Casa Linda Plaza. 214-821-8383. www.artisticgatherings.com

DRUM & PIANO LESSONS Your location. UNT Grads. Betty & Bill See: buchermusicschool.com on Facebook 469-831-7012

LEARN GUITAR OR PIANO Beginner Drums. Fun/Easy. Your Home. UNT Music Grad. Larry 469-358-8784

LOCAL TEACHER WHO TUTORS Algebra 2, Pre Cal, Calculus. Your Home/Mine. Melissa-MS. 817-988-0202

TUTORING All Subjects. Elem-middle School. Algebra 1, Dmath. Your Home. 25 + Yrs. Dr. J. 214-535-6594. vsjams@att.net

VOICE TEACHER with 38 years experience. MM, NATS www.PatriciaIvey.com 214-769-8560

DEC. DEADLINE NOV. 7 214.560.4203 TO ADVERTISE

For what it’s ‘Worth’

Sam Childers , a Preston Hollow resident who authored “Images of America: Historic Dallas Hotels” and is pictured at right, spoke at the grand re-opening of the Worth Hotel at Dallas Heritage Village, and the Junior Historians cut the ceremonial ribbon Sept. 27.