As a commissioner, a wife, and a mother, I'm blessed with so many
things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving. I have been blessed
with the ability to lead my fellow Bradley countians in the third
district for almost 8 years now. I'm thankful for their continued
confidence in me.

I'm blessed with a husband who not only stands beside me, but behind
me, as a true friend and father to our children. I'm thankful for his
love and support.

I'm blessed with two beautiful, happy, healthy children--both love
their family and friends and love learning and sharing their young
passionate ideas and energy with us. I'm thankful for their youthful
arms around my neck and their sweet kisses on my cheeks.

I'm blessed to live in the greatest country on Earth, in the home
county of my birth, where women can not only give birth to children,
they can give birth to ideas, have vision, become leaders and have the
right to stand up for what they believe is honest and good. I'm
thankful for the hard working citizens of Bradley County, my friends
and family, and may each and every one of you have a blessed
Thanksgiving.

Lisa Stansberry
Bradley County Commissioner

* * *

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, I like to think back about what has happened in my personal life and in the life of our country. As I do so, I know that we have much to be thankful for as a nation and as individuals. My family and I are truly blessed this holiday season. We will gather with family and loved ones to celebrate an amazing year.
Unfortunately, this has been a difficult year for much of America. Our troops remain in harms way, fighting on two fronts to keep us safe. Our economy remains in deep trouble, with one in five Americans out of work. The federal government remains out of step with the American people, either not listening to what the people are saying, or stubbornly pushing ahead with their own selfish agenda.

Nevertheless, we have much to give thanks for on this holiday. We still live in the greatest country the world has ever known. We have the freedom to practice the religion of our choice, to speak out on the important issues of our time, and to voice our dissatisfaction with our elected officials and our government.

I hope that each of you will take a few minutes as you sit down to dinner on Thursday to pray for our brave military, serving so many miles from home. I also hope that you will reach out to family, friends and neighbors less fortunate than you this holiday season. Perhaps you can give them a helping hand.

Chuck Fleishmann

* * *

As I enjoy time this holiday season with my wife Sharon and our children, I am reminded how blessed we are to live in a country that allows for the free exchange of ideas, the pursuit of happiness and the ability to achieve our dreams-whatever those dreams may be.

As I count my blessings this Thanksgiving, I am especially thankful for our soldiers and their families. These brave men and women risk their lives every day to protect what our forefathers risked everything to guarantee.

This year has been difficult for many. Now, more than ever, we must continue counting our blessings. We must unite as a country and as a community in helping those in need. I want to challenge you to reach out to those struggling during these times of economic uncertainty.

Several months ago, I made a decision to run for Congress-a decision that I am thankful to have made. As I have traveled across north Georgia, meeting with families and conservative leaders, I have been encouraged by your commitment and dedication to protecting the values that make our country great.

I am thankful to live in north Georgia where we understand and cherish the values of faith, family, freedom and life.

America is a blessed nation because of hardworking Americans like you.

Enjoy time with your family this holiday season and I look forward to meeting each of you in the coming months.

Senator Lee Hawkins

* * *

As our family gathers this week to give thanks, we are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support, love and encouragement that so many Tennesseans have blessed us with this year.

Kim, Weston, Coty and I have seen the goodness of our people firsthand as we've traveled the state this past year and stayed in the homes of Tennesseans in all corners of our state.

We have been reminded daily of the wonderful culture that we enjoy in Tennessee, but we have also been reminded that our way of life comes with a price that is paid by the brave Tennesseans and their families who serve in our armed forces. As we enjoy time with our families in the coming days we should all be thankful for those whose loved ones are overseas this holiday season protecting the very freedoms that we are celebrating this week.

It's my hope that this Thanksgiving you will enjoy fellowship with friends and family and have time to slow down enough to appreciate the things that matter most.

Zach Wamp

* * *

Two weeks ago, on Veterans Day, I shared with you a story about my father. Dad was severely wounded in World War II and barely survived. After 10 months in hospitals in England and Virginia, he finally returned to Tennessee.

Though Tennessee was the Promised Land, the land my father had sought for so many months, and though the joy of being home was great, so also was the pain. It was constant, unrelenting. He told mother his legs felt like they were on fire every waking moment. And there were not enough other moments.

At times, mother still recalls dad would say, “I’d just be better off dead. I can’t take this anymore.”

Infections still frequently raged in his legs, and the family physician treated him with the penicillin that repeatedly saved his life. But the doctor also treated him for more than his physical injuries, for dad talked with Dr. Wilson about suicide. The physician later told my mother he counseled dad this way:

“Don’t you have something to be thankful for every day?”

“You have Mary and the children. Think of what it would mean to them if you did what you’re thinking about.”

Then the doctor added a more hopeful note, “Maybe someday we can get rid of this pain.”

With the love of my mother and older brother and sister (I was not yet born), and with the encouragement and friendship of other veterans, family, and neighbors, somehow dad endured. Eventually more than endured.

He went to law school on the G.I. Bill. He continued working three days a week in West Tennessee and attended classes four days a week almost 200 miles away in Middle Tennessee.

I was born about the same time he got the news that he had passed the bar exam. He hung out his shingle, a 41-year-old disabled veteran and father of three, and started over again.

I’m thankful for dad’s courage and mother’s strength. For their seeing the blessings in life and enduring the hardships. For their hope that helped them through the pain.

So many Tennessee families are struggling. These are difficult days, in some ways the most difficult many of us have ever known.

Many older Tennesseans, however, bring historical perspective and hope. Tom Brokaw with good reason called them, “The Greatest Generation.” They overcame The Great Depression and the most powerful militaries in human history.

So many of that greatest generation were also the most thankful generation. They were thankful for their blessings. Countless were the times mom or dad would say, “Aren’t we blessed? We have so much to be thankful for.”

And we also have so much to be thankful for. May this Thanksgiving be a time when we count our blessings, give thanks to our Creator and to those who love us, and renew the hope that will help us through the hardships, the hope that can come as we overcome these hardships.

If you’ll tolerate this former minister sharing a favorite verse, consider from Romans 5 words that Paul seems to have written for such a time as this: “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us…”

May you and yours have a blessed day of giving thanks.

Roy Herron

* * *

Those of you out there who are like me, living pay check to paycheck, who still have a home, and a car. Have so much to be thankful for this time of year. Sure I had to finagle payments by only paying half right now but I am able to cook a fabulous meal for my family and I will have half the late fees. For that I am extremely thankful.

For those of you who have no home or a car, I have been there as a single mom with a child and I have great sympathy. Things will get better with determination, tears, and sacrifice. I know it is hard but take the time to thank whichever God, you serve or don't serve, be thankful for the things that matter. Family, friends, pets, job, God and what ever roof you have over your head. Those are the things that matter.

I want to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Sabrina Smith

* * *

After reading all the opinions and responses posted about how grateful
we should be this Thanksgiving, I am motivated to ask a simple
question.

Why do people who have either obtained or wish to obtain a political
office seem to use this holiday and their comments to pray on our
emotions by turning their writings into a subliminal political
campaign? I think some are a little more obvious than others, but they are all entirely inappropriate and unappreciated. This is not the time to be "stumping" for votes.

Oh well, I guess that I should be thankful for those folks too. After
all, they do make me realize just how wonderful and heartfelt the
non-politically motivated commenters' are.

Tom Donelson
Hixson
debogey1@comcast.net

* * *

I have a better question, Tom. Why are you attempting to make something negative out of all things positive - on Thanksgiving Day no less. I attended Red Bank Baptist Church for years and saw Zach and his family there almost every Sunday. I remember standing behind him and hearing him sing with the congregation “Amazing Grace.”

Tom, Turkey Day, is when grateful folks show their thanks. All you liberal Democrats do is show your behinds. And American voters are sick of it. You all will get a “kick” out of the next election. For that we will also be thankful.

Jim Ashley
Jashley41@comcast.net