Commun ty Matters Rolla Presbyterian Manor
Learning to give Thanksgiving By Allen Teal, chaplain
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV I sometimes wonder why we say thank you in certain circumstances. When you dial a wrong number and tell the other person that you are sorry, the response is usually “thank you.” It is unlikely the person is truly thankful that someone called them erroneously. Being thankful involves more than uttering thank you. It needs to be accompanied with a true sense of gratitude. With Thanksgiving later this month, here are three things that should be remembered. THANKS, continued on page 2
November 2016
Thanksgiving brings the community to the Manor One of Rolla Presbyterian Manor’s most treasured traditions is Thanksgiving dinner. Every year, residents host dozens of friends and family for the holiday here in our dining room. That includes Mary Ellen Bailey, who is looking forward to her third Thanksgiving here. Her husband lives in another skilled nursing home, so it takes some effort to get together for special occasions. And her children don’t live close enough to spend the holiday with her. So last year, Mary Ellen invited another couple to our Thanksgiving dinner, and they picked up her husband on the way to join them. “My husband was very impressed with the meal,” she said. “It was very nice, and it worked out really, really well.” Their friends are on a waiting list to move here, Mary Ellen said, so the dinner gave them a chance to experience a day in the life of Presbyterian Manor. Our Thanksgiving dinner tradition has been going for 20 to 25 years. We decided to add up some of the other figures for food and attendance. THANKSGIVING, continued on page 2