The HVAC renovation work at the Capitol Building in Lincoln is proceeding nicely. As many of you know, my office was temporarily relocated up to the twelfth floor of the Capitol Building’s tower during the first phase of the HVAC renovation project. However, the first phase is finally coming to an end. So, my new office will be in Room 1124, which is located on the south side of the first floor of the Capitol Building. Whenever you come to Lincoln, please feel free to stop by and say, “Hello.”

November is usually the month we reserve for giving thanks. Thanksgiving is an American tradition that we usually trace all the way back to the first pilgrims, who had much to be thankful for, especially after enduring a long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean on rough seas, a harsh winter, fatal diseases, and even starvation due to lack of food. In spite of all of their suffering, they chose to give glory to God and return thanks for his abundant provision. Above all else, they considered themselves to be blessed for finally having the freedom to worship God in their own way.

I have chosen to write on the subject of giving thanks early this year because I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul in the Bible when he said, “Be thankful” (Colossians 3:15) and “Give thanks in all circumstances,” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Just as I wrote last week about honoring our veterans throughout the year and not just on Veterans Day, I believe giving thanks is also something that should be done throughout the year and not just on Thanksgiving Day. A truly thankful person gives thanks all year long.

So, give thanks no matter the circumstances. In spite of whatever fate we may be facing this year, especially due to the recent blizzards, floods, or loss of crops, let us remember to give thanks for all that we do have. Like the pilgrims, let’s remember how God has blessed our nation with liberty and justice for all. We have successfully repelled all foreign invaders, and we have been the voice of freedom throughout the world. Our economic prosperity, our freedoms, and even our right to own a gun all remain the envy of the world.

While the right to life is guaranteed to us in the Declaration of Independence, life itself is only temporary. God is the giver and taker of life, and only two things are really ever guaranteed to us in this life, namely death and taxes. So, let’s enjoy what we have while we still have the time to do so and before the government takes it away from us. The pilgrims had a favorite proverb which said, “We live and then we die.” The point of the proverb is to enjoy life and to celebrate all that God has blessed you with while you still have the time and the means to do so.

Finally, I am thankful many things. I am thankful for my wife, my three sons and their wives, and my nine grandchildren. I am thankful for my staff and I am thankful for the opportunity to serve and represent all of the folks of Legislative District 47.

The Grave Stone of Mr. John Ogden

The winged skull means, “You live and then you die.”