23 November 2006

My favorite holiday

by Phil Johnson



ast year, I described what a "traditional" Thanksgiving meal looks like at our house. No turkey.

That rule has become so inviolable that Darlene drove to four different grocery stores Tuesday, because the only "Italian sausage" our normal market had was turkey sausage, and she had trouble finding the real thing.

But she finally found it, and the aroma in our house is now filled with the nostalgic ambrosia of an authentic Thanksgiving in the Johnson household: gourmet pizza. The pizza-carving ceremony today is scheduled for about 2:30. This year we have a house full of guests, all young people who are thrilled to have the world's finest deep-dish pizza instead of the standard smorgasbord of turkey and side-dishes-no-one-really-likes-because-why-else-would-they-make-them-just-once-a-year.

Anyway, I love Thanksgiving because it is the one holiday annually that still hasn't been hopelessly commercialized and secularized. It has a singular purpose, and it's focused on God's grace and goodness.

I won't list all the things I am thankful for, because the list is too long. It starts with the reality of divine grace and the love of Christ for sinners like me. My list prominently features my wife and family, and close behind would be several pages listing relatives and friends whom I'm thankful for. Properly enumerated, the list would also include practically every facet of my life and ministry. And let's not forget Wrigley, my Beagle. Then there'd be a unabridged-dictionary-sized list of all the daily tokens of divine grace we often take for granted. And the list would have to end with profound gratitude for pizza instead of turkey.

You have a great day, and may the Lord make us all truly thankful.

Phil's signature

13 comments:

Kevin Stilley said...

Best wishes for a most blessed day of thanksgiving, ...as you enjoy the pizza.

Even So... said...

I'll have to try that pizza sometime, thought I wonder how it can be the world's best if it is not wood-fired (is it?)...

Happy Thanksgiving to all...and "even so, come Lord Jesus"...

Paul said...

Enjoy the day.

Many thanks for the work you do in His name that greatly benefits me.

donsands said...

Happy Turkey Day! I mean Deep-Dish Day!

May His love and peace fill your heart, and your home. Have a grand Thanksgiving.

Unknown said...

Greetings and many Blessings from our Lord on this Thanksgiving!

When did the pizza thing start? Any particular reason?

Bhedr said...

Amen on the no-comercialized Holiday!!

Happy Thankgiving!!

wordsmith said...

Pizza?!?! Are you thankful for clogged arteries, Phil ;) ?

Mike Perrigoue said...

Hey Phil, while I was eating my turkey (and ham) today I thought about you and your deep dish and was wondering if you would post about it.

Sure enough...here it is!

Happy Thanksgiving!

BTW
We have been attending Juanita Community Church (Bruce Ray and Steve Harris) for about a year now and are in the process of becoming members. Thank you again for recommending this church as it has been a real blessing to us!

James Scott Bell said...

And thanks for this blogsite which, in the world of theo-blogs, stands high in readability, depth, challenge and contributors.

Lindon said...

Glad to hear someone else does things a bit different. Every Thanksgiving we do Prime Rib and for Christmas Eve we have a total Fondue meal with meats cooked in oil, veggies in cheese and of course, dark chocolate for desert. All the fondue forks are numbered so we never get them mixed up. Takes quite a few Fondue pots but the meal lasts for hours and is great fun.

Yum.

danny2 said...

i'm thankful for the post...because now my family's manicotti tradition doesn't seem so out there!

Mark B. Hanson said...

Although Thanksgiving is not itself sufficiently commercialized, the day after certainly is! Let's all give thanks for the sales! Uh, wait...

Matthew said...

OKay, Okay, I am actually Matthew's wife, but I do not have a blogger account and since I haven't posted in a full six months on journalspace, I figure I can get by without one.....

So anyway, My paternal family, almost 70 of us, have a Christmas tradtion of homemade Mexican food. We get together at my oldest aunts house and make fajitas, pico de gallo, flour and corn tortillas, blackened beer-butt chicken, white pintos, queso, and salsa verde.

I haven't been to a Daniels Christmas in a few years, but I sure get a hankerin' for some spice every Christmas now.