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What are uninsured/underinsured motorists (UM/UIM) benefits? UM/UIM benefits are optional first-party insurance benefits that are available to Pennsylvania motorists, who desire an extra layer of financial protection in the event that they and/or their passengers are injured in a motor vehicle accident.  While motor vehicle liability coverage in Pennsylvania is mandatory, there are times when motorists do not carry any liability insurance – they are referred to as “uninsured” motorists.  More frequently, there are motorists who do not carry sufficient liability insurance to cover the damages caused by their careless conduct.   For example, if you're involved in a wreck caused by another and you determine that the other driver only has the state's minimum required limit of liability coverage, which in Pennsylvania is $15,000.00, and it's insufficient to cover your medical expenses, the other driver would be considered “underinsured” —meaning that they have liability insurance, but it's just not enough to cover the damage.  Under these circumstances, if you had UIM coverage, your motor vehicle liability insurance company may be obligated to pay the remainder of your medical bills and, in some cases, reasonable compensation for your injuries and damages up to the limits of your UM/UIM coverage limits. So what is bad faith insurance practice? In the context of UM/UIM insurance, bad faith insurance practice is essentially your motor vehicle liability insurance company’s unreasonable refusal to pay the UM/UIM benefits you are entitled to under the policy and the laws of Pennsylvania.  For example, let’s say that the at-fault driver referenced above only has $15,000.00 in liability insurance coverage and you sustained $25,000.00 in medical expenses.  The at-fault driver paid the extent of his/her liability limits, but you still had $10,000.00 remaining in medical bills.  If you purchased UIM coverage, you would have standing to file a claim for UIM benefits with your motor vehicle liability insurance company.  If your motor vehicle liability insurance company refused to provide you with UIM coverage and did not have a reasonable basis to support its coverage decision, then you may be able to sue your motor vehicle liability insurance carrier for breach of contract (failure to abide by terms of insurance policy) and bad faith. The breach of contract claim would typically involve your request to be paid the benefits you are arguably owed, whereas, the bad faith claim would include your claim for attorney’s fees and “punitive” damages, which are damages essentially designed to punish the insurance carrier for its bad faith refusal to pay benefits, and to deter them from doing this again to other policyholders.  There is a wrinkle in these claims however, as the policyholder has a right to a jury trial in breach of contract case, but this is not so for bad faith claims filed in state court – the bad faith claim is decided by the court.  See, Nebel v. Encompass Home and Auto Insurance Company, No. GD-15-015891 (C.P. Allegh. Co. Oct. 6, 2016 Folino, J.), where the court granted the insurance company’s motion to sever and stay the bad faith portion of a UIM/bad faith claim.

‘Tis the season for Christmas movies, tree lighting ceremonies and live events! If you’re looking for a new holiday tradition, you should check out NBC’s live musicals! In 2013, the live musicals were brought back after 50 years. NBC’s first revived live musical was The Sound of Music Live! This musical was broadcast in December 2013 and featured country music star Carrie Underwood as Maria. Due to the wild success of the first live musical, a decision to broadcast another musical was made. In 2014, NBC took viewers to Neverland with Peter Pan Live! This show featured Allison Williams (ex-Nightly News anchor Brian Williams’ daughter) and Christopher Walken. It was truly magical. Though it was not as successful as the 2013 musical, it was still a hit. Last year, NBC took viewers back to Oz with The Wiz Live! This hit originally featured the iconic Michael Jackson. This time around, Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige were responsible for leading this musical down the “yellow brick road” to success. With yet another year of great viewings, NBC is at it again for the 2016 holiday season. At 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, Hairspray Live! will air on NBC!  This year’s production features well-known stars like Jennifer Hudson, Derek Hough, Ariana Grande, Kristen Chenoweth, Rosie O’Donnell and more. The following is the description provided by NBC.com: “Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, "Hairspray Live!" takes place in 1962 Baltimore. Plump teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on "The Corny Collins Show," a local TV program. When against all odds Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight and meets a colorful array of characters, including the resident dreamboat, Link; the ambitious mean girl, Amber; an African American boy she meets in detention, Seaweed; and his mother, Motormouth Maybelle, the owner of a local record store. Tracy's mother is the indomitable Edna, and she eventually encourages Tracy on her campaign to integrate the all-white "Corny Collins Show” (“NBC: Hairspray Live!,” 2016). Hairspray Live! marks the fourth year of NBC’s live musicals. Make a new tradition for you and your family. Pop some popcorn and tune in. Fingers crossed for another successful show that keeps this fun, annual event coming back in 2017.

Most people have seen a television show or movie where the plot revolves around a lawsuit. Attorneys and their clients show up in the courtroom ready to ambush their opponent. Neither side knows what the witnesses will say or what evidence will be introduced. While this plot makes for great entertainment, it could not be further from reality. In a lawsuit, both parties go through a process called discovery. Discovery allows each party to ask the other questions called interrogatories, request documents, and ask the other party to admit or deny statements. Another tool used in discovery is a deposition. Unlike interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission, a deposition is a question and answer session that usually occurs face-to-face. A deposition allows the attorneys for both parties to ask a witness questions under oath. In addition to the attorneys for both parties, the witness and a court reporter are present. The court reporter creates a record of the deposition by typing every word spoken. Unlike a trial, the judge and jury are not present. The deposition serves the purpose of allowing both parties to learn what the witness knows and preserve the testimony for trial. Since depositions are under oath, an effective attorney can lock witnesses into their testimony. If the witness attempts to change his or her testimony at a later date, the attorney is allowed to attack the witness’ credibility using their deposition. The appearance of a witness during their deposition is also important. Attorneys will try to assess the witness’ credibility and imagine how a jury may view the witness’ appearance and demeanor. While a written answer may appear credible, the witness’ actions could cause the attorney to believe additional evidence exists. Moreover, the attorneys will likely find information and facts not previously known, which gives them an opportunity to test their theories of the case. Discovery is not only about finding favorable facts, as it is equally important to understand the weak aspects of a case. An attorney certainly does not want to find negative information for the first time at trial. Furthermore, after reviewing the evidence, an attorney and client may decide settling the case is in their best interest. Since discovery allows both parties to understand the facts well before trial, the vast majority of cases settle.

Over 53 years ago, the United States Supreme Court unanimously decided the landmark case of Gideon v. Wainwright.  In that case, the Court held that the right of an indigent defendant in a criminal trial to have the assistance of counsel is a fundamental right essential to a fair trial. Clarence Earl Gideon’s trial and conviction, which took place with Gideon representing himself and completely without the assistance of counsel, was found to be in violation of the 14th Amendment.  The Supreme Court ruled that the United States Constitution requires the states to provide defense attorneys to criminal defendants charged with serious offenses who cannot themselves afford lawyers.  In its opinion, the Supreme Court stated: Any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for him.  This seems to us to be an obvious truth. . . .  From the very beginning, our state and national constitutions and laws have laid great emphasis on procedural and substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before impartial tribunals in which every defendant stands equal before the law.  This noble ideal cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him. Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335, 344 (1967). The right to counsel does not apply in non-criminal cases (with the exception of one special class:  juveniles in civil commitment proceedings).  But the “obvious truth” articulated in Gideon, equating the fair administration of justice with the right to counsel, is yet to be realized in civil cases, even though fundamental human needs may be affected by such proceedings. Ten years ago, the American Bar Association adopted a resolution for “Civil Gideon” in instances where “basic human needs are at stake, such as those involving shelter, sustenance, safety, health or child custody, as determined by each jurisdiction.”  This resolution brought into focus the need for legal assistance in cases where an indigent person might lose his or her children, home, or healthcare, for example.  Our justice system is designed by lawyers for lawyers.  Imagine a hospital where if you are a poor patient, you are told to put in your own IV.  This is obviously outrageous, and so is the lack of legal representation for the poor when faced with the potential for loss of fundamental human needs.  The fair administration of justice when such fundamental rights are at stake requires the presence of counsel. Providing legal counsel as a matter of right and at public expense to low income persons in civil proceedings where basic human needs are at stake is entirely consistent with the reasoning of Gideon. A civil right to counsel is a fundamental right.  Indeed, providing counsel is the great equalizer.  True justice should not be about means.

The holidays are upon us, and while many folks are rushing around catching the sales for the hottest items of the year, many others are wondering if they will be able to make ends meet this month. With this in mind, if you are one of the more fortunate people who have some extra cash during the holidays, consider helping someone in need. After all, it is the season for giving, sharing, love and kindness.  Be generous to those who are struggling. Not everyone in need chooses those circumstances. Not everyone in need is asking for a handout.  Families are impacted by so many factors, whether it is a parent who has lost his or her job, a sick loved one or a family helping others in a rough spot and making sacrifices to do so. Whatever the series of events that landed people into rough circumstances, I don't think any would choose to just sit back and hope for a handout. Sometimes there’s the misconception that people who can’t afford to give this time of year don’t work, are lazy and entitled.  I strongly disagree and would not hesitate to voice my opinion loudly.  Yes, there are some, but on the flipside, just like with a group of wealthy folks, you may ask -- are they wealthy because they earned it?  Are they wealthy because it was handed to them?  Perhaps they may have participated in unethical acts to get to the top?  The list could go on. There is always more than one way to look at something.  Brush it all aside. This holiday season, I ask you to really look into the eyes of the needy, listen to the voice of despair and feel with the warmth of your heart. Please do what you can to help a family in need.  Let every family have a warm meal, a gift for their child or even help to pay utilities. Give them a job, give them something, anything, to bring them hope for a brighter future. Take that chance and be generous in the 2016 Holiday Season.

In my ongoing effort to keep local hoops fans informed and educated about the rules of the game of basketball, I thought it would be a good idea to give everyone some advance warning about recent changes in the rules that are going to result in more whistles this year, especially early in the season. Every year, the powers-that-be at the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations and yeah, I know, the acronym doesn’t fit) get together and decide whether new rules are needed to make the game better. At the same time, these folks take a look at how existing rules are being applied, and they issue “Points of Emphasis” for officials to consider.  These Points of Emphasis simply highlight areas where the rules makers think officials need to do a better job.  Most of the time, rules changes and the POEs have little obvious influence on how the games are called.  This year, however, will present a different situation. Last season, a new rule went into effect regarding defending a ballhandler.  Simply put, the rule identified four situations in which officials are instructed to call a foul on the defense:  1. When the defender places two hands on the ballhandler; 2. When the defender places an extended arm bar on the ballhandler; 3. When the defender places a single hand on the ballhandler and keeps it there; and 4. When the defender contacts the ballhandler more than once with the same or alternating hands.  So why, you may ask, is this new rule such a big deal?  The answer is that the rule eliminates the official’s judgment from the process.  In the past, officials were told to call fouls when, in the official’s judgment, a defender had done something to put the offense at a disadvantage.  Pretty much every foul amounted to a judgment call by the official.  Contact, even significant contact, could be ignored if, in the judgment of the official, there was no real advantage gained by the defense.  A good example would be someone like Steph Curry in the NBA trying to defend Shaquille O’Neal in the post.  Curry could lean, push, shove, and do everything but hang on Shaq, and the big man would still be able to easily get to the hoop and dunk it.  Lots of contact, but no real advantage gained, so no whistle.  The new rule presents an entirely different circumstance.  The question of advantage/disadvantage has been removed from the equation.  If the defender puts two hands on the dribbler, it’s a foul.  If the defender puts an arm bar on the dribbler, it’s a foul.  No judgment is involved.  That means that there will be many situations where officials may have held their whistles in years past, that will result in fouls being assessed this year. Adding to what I believe will be a significant increase in fouls called is the fact that this year, the rules makers have emphasized that the term “ballhandler" includes a post player who has received the ball.  Take a minute to visualize what we have grown accustomed to seeing when a player receives the ball "on the block."  The defense bodies up.  There is always at least one hand on the player's hip.  In most cases, there is an arm bar placed firmly in the back of the offensive player.  In some circumstances, we have seen a defender step back and place two hands on the offensive player as if he were preparing to push a refrigerator across the floor.  In the past, those situations were not automatic whistles.  Again, the concept of advantage/disadvantage controlled.  This year, the whistle will be blown.  It may not seem like much as you read this, but believe me, it’s going to make a BIG difference in how games are called. All of these rules changes are designed to permit more freedom of movement in the game.  Rules makers have decided that the game has become too physical, and they are moving toward restoring the movement and flow that fans enjoy watching.  Unfortunately, to meet that goal, I'm going to have to blow my whistle a lot more this year.  So, before you scream at me to "let ‘em play," please remember that I'm just following orders.  Hopefully, the players and coaches will adjust within a few weeks.  If not, it’s going to be a long season filled with lots of free throws.

Recently, during an email exchange with a co-worker, we were discussing the upcoming holidays and how we were excited, but at the same time not so excited about them. We started talking about Thanksgiving recipes and what we were planning to make, how much we were going to eat and how bad we would feel after eating so much.  After that, the topic of Christmas came up.  I told my friend that out of all of the holidays, “X-mas” is the one that I look forward to the least. I shared that I am actually dreading that the holiday is right around the corner.  I am not looking forward to all the rushing, the stress and, of course, spending money.  First, she corrected me that it is not “X-Mas,” it is Christmas.  She then wrote me the following email: “To me, Christmas is about hope, a light shining in the dark, the birth of a Savior.  If you focus on the true meaning of Christmas, it’s always good.  J We’ve just gotten so far away from the true meaning of Christmas, it’s become something else not even close to what it is supposed to be.  It’s really about God making a way for sinful people to come back into fellowship with Him.  After the sin of Adam and Eve, all generations that followed (including us) were separated from God because of sin.  When Christ came, He became the sacrifice God required to forgive our sin.  So, Christ made it possible for us to be forgiven and to have fellowship with God again.” I almost cried after I read this email.  It made me think and think hard.  I immediately felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.  I began to think of Christmas for the right reasons.  Most of us, I think, get all wrapped up in the spending and the gifts so much that we lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas.  I thanked my friend for this true gift.  It is most certainly the best gift that I will receive this holiday season.

Nearly every family has to face the agonizing decision at some point to have a loved one placed in a nursing home. The stress of that experience is terrible and can unleash a torrent of guilt, anguish, sorrow and concern. When faced with this onslaught of emotions, oftentimes the one through line we cling to in these situations is the hope that that our loved ones will remain comfortable and safe so they can enjoy what quality of life remains. Tragically, that comfort sometimes proves elusive once the paperwork is signed and our loved one is admitted to the home. Unfortunately serial neglect in a nursing home, which leads to death, remains a serious problem. But rather than strive to improve the quality of care, by paying caregivers a living wage, thoroughly training and educating staff and closely monitoring the care being provided to its residents, the nursing home industry has instead sought to shield itself from civil lawsuits by burying something called an “arbitration provision” in the mound of admission paperwork families must sign to admit their loved ones to a facility. These forced arbitration agreements have long been an issue in nursing homes. Many admissions agreements contain a mandatory arbitration clause that prevents residents and their families from suing the nursing home in cases of injury, abuse, sexual assault, or even murder. With a forced arbitration agreement in place, these types of claims are heard in a biased system that often has no semblance of neutrality; in some instances, injured individuals’ claims are heard before lawyers that also represent—and are paid by—the nursing homes. According to Julia Duncan of the American Association for Justice, “or years, the nursing home industry has used forced arbitration to cover up allegations of abuse and neglect in secret proceedings before their hand-picked arbitration provider.” When faced with the decision to admit a family member to a nursing facility, the family—and perhaps the resident as well — often face the very real likelihood that the elderly family member might not ever be able to return home. For all practical purposes, all anyone is trying to do in that situation is get through the paperwork and get their elderly loved one comfortable and secure. The family arrives at the facility and is presented with admission paperwork. An admission coordinator, even if well intentioned, rarely or ever explains the paperwork in detail. The paperwork is also rarely read in full because if it were, each admission would likely take the better part of a day. The typical admission packet requires 25 to 35 signatures, and one of these signatures is to an arbitration agreement. As a result, even the most fairly written arbitration agreement is unfair in that situation, because the family does not know they are giving up their constitutional right to go to court if something goes wrong. In a rare federal acknowledgment of this phenomenon, on Sept. 28, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that actually prohibits nursing homes from using pre-dispute arbitration agreements in admissions contracts dated on or after Nov. 28, 2016. The rule applies to all skilled nursing facilities that receive money from Medicare and Medicaid—the vast majority of all facilities in the United States. Unsurprisingly, on the heels of CMS's issuance of this final rule, the nursing home industry quickly filed suit in federal court in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, seeking to block implementation of CMS's arbitration ban. And, for now, the industry has succeeded. Although seemingly sympathetic to the rationale underpinning the arbitration ban, District Court Judge Michael P. Mills granted the industry's motion to block the ban on the grounds that CMS is a regulatory agency and that it takes an act of Congress to properly implement such a ban. So, for now, forced arbitration will continue to be the standard in nursing home admissions every day. But all hope is not lost. Judge Mills' decision is unlikely to be the last word in this fight and forced arbitration is likely to receive additional judicial or congressional scrutiny in the future. In the meantime, if you are faced with the difficult decision of having to admit a loved one to a nursing home, please keep in mind that a nursing home cannot refuse to admit your loved one if you refuse to sign an arbitration agreement. So be diligent when presented with the admission paperwork, in looking for a forced arbitration agreement.  Refuse to sign it and protect your loved one in the event that they fall victim to substandard nursing home practices.

This Sunday, Nov. 27, begins the season of Advent in many Christian churches. Advent will last for four weeks and end on Christmas Eve. Many of us are familiar with Advent candles, Advent wreaths and Advent calendars. But what is Advent all about and what part should we play? The translation of Advent from Latin is "coming." And so we are waiting and preparing for a coming during the four weeks of Advent. This coming focuses on the past, as we celebrate when Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. This coming likewise focuses on the future. It focuses on an unknown day in an unknown year when Christ will come again at the end of time and judge whether we are worthy to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Focusing on the past is fairly straightforward. We set up nativity scenes, we decorate a tree with lights and put a star or an angel on top to remember the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. We observe the tradition of giving to those we love and to those less fortunate. We sing Christmas hymns reminiscent of that first blessed Christmas in Bethlehem. So far, so good. All A's and a few A+’s for the super duper do-gooders. Now on to part two. How do we use the Advent season to prepare for the second coming? We as a people have been commissioned to "love your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself.” If we know not the time of the second coming...Judgment Day...hadn't we better always be prepared? Most of us feel like we get a good grade on the "love your God with all your heart" mandate. What's not to love? He died on the cross for our sins, so that we would have the chance to live the heavenly life someday. He gave us life, complete with a family to love us, He gave some of us adorable children and grandchildren to cherish, He gave us our country, our faith and more material goods than any of us can ever use. He is well and truly loved. All A's and a few A+'s thrown in for the over-achievers. Now the sticky part about loving your neighbor as yourself. Who is your neighbor? He is the rest of the folks. That's black, white, Hispanic, Arab. He's Protestant, Jewish, Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist and Islamic. It's the blue bloods and the immigrants. It's the LBGT community as well as the straight. It's the guy at work who seldom takes a shower and doesn't use deodorant. It's that coach who wouldn't start your son at first base even though you knew he was better than the starter. It's the brother you had an argument with in 1987 and haven't spoken to since, much to the dismay of your mother. It's the spouse who left you for someone else. It's the friend who wasn't loyal when loyalty was what you needed most. It's the father who wasn't the Ozzie in Ozzie and Harriet. It's the brother-in-law who constantly hits you up for "a loan" and never pays you back. Now here we go, preparing for the second coming. We need to love all these folks as we love ourselves. How does that happen? Those feelings are packed in there, like dirt tramped down on a grave. And we're going to be judged on whether we love these folks as we love ourselves? No A's in this group so far. How do we start digging? One shovelful at a time. A Christmas card might be a good start. Praying for them would help. There has to be a big dose of forgiveness in there somewhere. Or maybe we dig to the bottom...have a talk, offer an olive branch, offer to start over. I think we just got an A, maybe an A+. We'll see how it goes. Let's all get ready. List them, kill them with kindness and check them off. I'm aiming for the big prize. You coming?

Thanksgiving is a holiday that is celebrated every year in November. The holiday was first celebrated by the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians in 1621. In 1863, President Abe Lincoln declared that there be a Thanksgiving Day every year in November. Everyone has Thanksgiving traditions that usually consist of food, family, friends, football, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and more. It is also a day to give thanks for all of the blessings in life. In honor of the special holiday, some of the Bordas & Bordas attorneys and staff have collaborated to share their favorite memories about Thanksgiving. Marilyn Bell: One of my most memorable Thanksgivings was going to Holly River (Webster County) to visit a great aunt. She had a large, old farmhouse way down in a holler (as we called it). The old house was full of mysterious old items, including a pipe organ. Not sure why they had one in their home, but it was pretty awesome.  But what I loved most about this farm were the animals - cows, chickens, rabbits and ducks.  There was a small, shallow stream that ran behind the house, with just a board to cross over, and the barn set up the hill from the house.  Now, what I am about to tell you is the honest truth.  That year, when we went out back to see the animals, all the ducks were missing their feet.  They were walking around on stubs! They had run around enough to the point where the stubs had flattened out a little.  They were not in pain, and it didn’t interfere with their mobility (if anything, they could run faster on their stubs than on webbed, flat duck feet).  They were perfectly normal otherwise, and they were ALL alike.  Needless to say, we were amazed.  Our aunt explained that the previous winter, the ducks were in the creek wading when the temperature dropped and their feet were frozen in the water.  The rest of the story you can only imagine.  I have since researched this phenomenon on the Internet and it is possible.  My sisters and cousins can attest to this story.  Craziest bunch of ducks you’d ever see.  That’s a Thanksgiving sight I’ll never forget. Sally Blon: When I was small, Thanksgiving was a wonderful time of year. The house smelled of turkey and yeast bread rising, while the pumpkin pies and cinnamon rolls, made the day before, were lined up on the counter waiting to be eaten. All of us kids were sent out to play so we wouldn't be under foot in the kitchen, or stick our fingers into the pies. We could hardly wait to be called in for dinner. I fondly remember those years, and especially that my eyes were always bigger than my belly. I never listened when my mom would tell me not load my plate because I could never finish it all. The family dog loved me though. Geoff Brown: My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is football. Every year, our friends from Cleveland come to town for the annual Wheeling Worms vs. Ohio Hobos Turkey Bowl. The game started nine years ago in our backyard and the kids, who were much younger then, came up with the names of the teams. Over the years, we’ve moved the game to a bigger field and we now have team jerseys.  The only thing on the line, other than pride, is that the losing team has to pay for the winning team’s trip to Sheetz after the game.  As a proud member of the Worms, it is embarrassing to say that we have just two wins against six losses over the history of the game.  Hopefully, we can turn things around on Thursday.   Happy Thanksgiving and Go Worms! Jodi Cunningham: My favorite things about Thanksgiving are spending time with loved ones, giving thanks to God for all our blessings and enjoying all the wonderful food, especially my favorite – “Acorn Squash Casserole.” Jeanne Dedo: I remember sitting at the kids’ table with all my cousins and thinking how great it would be to sit at the adult table. Once I got to the adult table, I was thinking I want to go back and sit at the kids’ table, which was much more fun than the adult table.  You never know how much you’ll miss the little things in life that make you happy and I truly believe the food at the kids table always tasted better. Now, Thanksgiving has become a forgotten holiday. We go from Halloween straight to Christmas. Sad, but true. Erin Dodd: Just thinking of Thanksgiving Day, the aroma of the festive foods that fill the home and looking forward to tasting some specialty pies from relatives makes my mouth water. But, for me, it has always been, and always will be more about the family being together and the memories each year generates. As a child, Thanksgiving was the time the aunts, uncles and many cousins gathered at my grandparents’ home.  While the adults prepared the feast and visited over football games, the children all played flag football in the yard holding our very own “Turkey Bowl.”  After dinner, we nestled in our sleeping bags lined up in the rec room staying up late, goofing around, playing games and scaring each other with silly ghost stories. Now, I am one of those aunts making side dishes for the grandparents home - creating the memories for my children, nieces and nephews. But honestly, it gives me an even bigger thrill to see the memories they create together, and a bonding that will never be broken amongst them all.  I am truly grateful to have a solid home foundation and a loving family with which to celebrate this holiday time. Sharon Eubanks: My favorite Thanksgiving thing is making the dinner with my mom. Missy McAbee: One Thanksgiving when I was about 10, my cousin, Michelle, and I thought we were going to be the best hunters in the world.  We had this bright idea of staying at our grandparent’s house the night before Thanksgiving and getting up at the crack of dawn to go hunting down in our grandfather’s field.  We got up, bundled all up and headed down into the woods with my grandfather and my dad.  I remember how cold it was and how bored we were.  And being 10-year-old girls, we weren’t very quiet.  Needless to say, we lasted about 30 minutes down in those woods before we headed back up to the house and back to bed. Alena McAllister: My favorite part of Thanksgiving is being lucky enough to be able to spend it with my family. When I first graduated college, I worked in retail management and was always required to spend long hours at my stores in preparation for Black Friday sales. Sometimes it was exhilarating, especially the rush of people coming through our doors at midnight openings. But having to go to bed early in the afternoon on Thanksgiving Day or, worse, having to skip Thanksgiving dinner completely was not a happy trade. I’m thankful that my time in retail is over and I hope that we can temper our excitement for Black Friday deals long enough to allow my former colleagues to spend a day with their families as well. Becky Murphy: Thanksgiving with my family was and always has been filled with lots of food, lots of relatives and FOOTBALL.  Fun times with mom, dad, my brothers, their families and lots of aunts, uncles and cousins.  Now that mom, dad, aunts and uncles have passed on, we are carrying on the tradition with our local family members and in-laws.  It is still a good time to get together with all that can make it to Thanksgiving dinner.  And for that, I am VERY, VERY GRATEFUL.  Of course, we also remember all of those family members who are no longer with us and give thanks to God for having them in our lives for however long or short. So, I hope everyone has a THANKFUL THANKSGIVING and you all think of everything you are thankful for, past and present, on this wonderful day. Bryan Pasciak: I love spending time with my family, watching football and relaxing. As someone who enjoys sweet potatoes and pumpkins, Thanksgiving dinner is usually one of my favorites. Tricia Pennell: One of my favorite traditions for Thanksgiving is putting up my Christmas tree and decorating for the holidays.  I do this every year on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday) and then I have dinner on Friday with my family and celebrate the upcoming holiday season. Sherry Sharpsky: Thanksgiving is actually my favorite holiday. I have such fond memories of family gatherings -- love, laughter, reminiscing and the wonderful aromas coming out of my mom’s kitchen. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all the wonderful blessings that God has bestowed upon us and should open our hearts to charity, peace and goodwill. Crystal Shaver: One of the things I look forward to the most on Thanksgiving is the fact that my mom makes each one of us kids our own pumpkin pie to take home each year.  She also makes cinnamon rolls out of the leftover dough, which we all fight over because there’s usually only enough dough to make two.  So we do have to share the cinnamon rolls, but we are all guaranteed our own pie!  Umm, I’m getting hungry … Ty Smith: One thing I will always remember about Thanksgiving is when I was in the sixth grade, my cousins came into town from Cleveland.  My uncle promised to take all seven of us hunting for turkey.  I excitedly thought that meant I was going to either operate a rifle or a bow.  When we reached the forest, my uncle instructed each of us to find a big stick…. I said, “For what?”  He said to hunt turkey (boom)…how disappointed I was.  We never even saw a turkey.  We just walked around in the cold and mud for a few hours.  Little did I know he just wanted to get us out of the house so my mother, her sisters and my grandmother could have some peace while they prepared the best meal of the year. Darcy Springer: I have been making Thanksgiving Dinner for my entire family for at least the last 35 years!  That is a lot of turkeys, dressing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pies. What is the one Thanksgiving no one lets me forget?  The one year I failed to put sugar in the pies. I laugh at myself for the sugarless pie as well!  I love having everyone come to dinner at my house, and knowing my dinner is their favorite!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Jay Stoneking: Years ago my church used to sponsor a free Thanksgiving dinner for those who couldn’t afford one. My wife and I volunteered to drive a van around town, picking up our guests, taking them to the church and then returning them home. We got to socialize with all of our guests. Then at the end of the day all of the volunteers would eat their meal together, tired but genuinely happy that we had the opportunity to serve so many. Ellie Wallace: Although every Thanksgiving has been a wonderful memory of spending time with family, my most cherished memories are the ones when my mother and father were still alive and we would all pile into their little house with our growing families.   The house my parents raised the four of us kids in was not a large house and it seemed to grow smaller each year as our families grew.  But it didn’t seem to bother any of us that we were all squeezed in there like sardines.  Every Thanksgiving Day we would gather at their home and spend the whole day long into the evening sharing our lives, our love and eating the best home cooked food one could ever be blessed with. Amy Wilson: Our family gathered each year at my grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving.  I have fond memories of walking into her house and seeing glistening tinfoil everywhere—wrapped over the turkey, covering the pumpkin pies and enveloping the glass casserole dishes that housed all the sides. Susan Wilson: I have always been with my entire family and then added my husband’s family to our dinner table through the years on Thanksgiving Day. My most precious memory is from when I was a very young. Thanksgiving was my dad’s favorite holiday and my mom (who had seven children, making us a family of nine and quite poor money-wise) would prepare our Thanksgiving Day meal almost single-handedly. She started days before. But at that time, it was not only the nine of us at the table. We had several tables set up in the kitchen, my parent’s bedroom and the living room to accommodate grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.  My mom would prepare a meal for sometimes upwards of 30 people in our tiny house. Today, my sister has inherited Thanksgiving Day from my mom and we all help prepare my mom’s traditional Thanksgiving Day meal, including her stuffing. I have to mention the stuffing. It is a different recipe than the traditional, but so good! We have practically made no changes to her recipes, other than our in-laws will bring different desserts to enjoy. And those desserts are wonderful. Another part of the meal that has not changed is my mom’s pumpkin pies. I have taken over baking her pumpkin pies—lots of them—and no store-bought for us, ever. I think my mom’s pumpkin pies are more important to my family than anything else we gobble up on this day. My older brother demands that I make a pie just for him to take home and I always have to prepare at least two pumpkin pies to be left behind at my house for my family to enjoy.  Happy Turkey Day everyone!!! Zak Zatezalo: For us, Thanksgiving is possibly our truest family day of the year. It combines the reflection of Christmas without the gift-buying pressures. I love to watch the Macy’s Day Parade with the kids and then help with the final dinner preparations before welcoming our extended family for a dinner filled with the mindfulness of God’s grace and the things that truly matter most in life.

I write a Thanksgiving blog every year. But I have a confession to make:  this year’s blog was a hard one for me to write.  To be honest, it’s been a pretty rough year.  My mom died unexpectedly in July.  Then in October my dad learned that his lung cancer had returned.  Needless to say, both of these things are still weighing heavy on my heart. It would be easy for me to make excuses, right?  To give myself a free pass.  But that’s not God’s way.  No, God challenges us to give thanks “always and for everything.”  Eph 5:20.  Even though early Christians were facing terrible persecution, Paul urged them—and us—to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God…”  1 Th. 5:18.  God is honored by our thanks, especially when we’re willing to express it in the midst of life’s hardships. It may not be easy, but that’s what I’m going to try to do in today’s blog. My mom has only been gone for two and a half months.  Slowly but surely I’m working my way through the grieving process.  But I can give God thanks by celebrating the life she lived. I can say this much with absolute confidence:  I am the man I am today because of my mom’s love and patience.  My mom was my biggest cheerleader.  Whatever I did, whether it was school, or career, or my work in ministry, she was always an encourager.  More than that, she was a woman of genuine faith.  Believers are challenged not only to know God’s word, but to live it out—to live a life “worthy of the gospel.”  Phil. 1:27.  Mom did that, and seeing her faith in action had a profound effect on me.  I remember my mom’s gentle strength and her passion for prayer.  Even as a grown man, I would share prayer needs with her knowing she would faithfully commit to pray for them. The truth is I see mom’s fingerprints all over my life, and I thank God for every one of them! The story of my dad’s cancer goes back 17 years.  After having surgery that removed half of his lung, he was cancer-free.  But he faced a new bout of cancer about a year ago.  We were encouraged to hear that he was a candidate for a new cancer treatment—an intense and precisely-targeted form of radiation.  It looked to us like the treatment may have been successful.  But last month we were told that the cancer was back and had begun to spread. You may be wondering:  how is it possible to be thankful in circumstances like that?  It’s a struggle, I’ll admit.  But even as we face this newest challenge, I can see God’s hand. I’ve always heard that a tragedy can either tear a family apart or bind it together.  I’m thankful that God is using my dad’s illness to make our family stronger.  The shock really hasn’t worn off yet, but I’m already seeing us pull together.  My dad has always been a strong man. And with every doctor visit I see his strength on full display.  But he’s not in this thing alone.  Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, along with their husbands and wives, are rallying in support.  I know the house must be quiet now that mom is gone.  I hope that whenever he feels alone, he’ll be comforted by our love and by the power of our prayers. Why am I thankful?  I’m thankful that in times of trial and trouble, God sends friends and loved ones who can comfort us and refresh our spirits.  I pray that in the days ahead we can be an encouragement to dad and that he, in turn, can be an encouragement to us. I’ll sign off with this thought:  the truth is, thanksgiving is really a form of worship.  What I mean is that we don’t give thanks because our life is going good, but because He is good.  Six different times the psalmist tells us to “give thanks to God, for he is good.”  My prayer for you is that you’ll remember His goodness, and then, like the psalmist, that you’ll respond with thanksgiving!

Every year on Black Friday, people take to the stores to get a bargain on gifts they are buying for a loved one or on something they just can’t live without, all because of a “deal.” I know that some of the deals on this day are awesome, but is it worth it to push, shove and be disrespectful to your fellow shoppers? Over the years, we have heard horror stories about people being knocked down, trampled and some even dying as a result of such antics on Black Friday. I remember years ago shopping for my niece who was five or six years old at the time (she is now 33). Cabbage Patch Kids were hot that year, so my husband and I went out on Black Friday for a deal on this doll for her. I had it in my hand and was showing it to my husband when a lady came over and grabbed it out of my hand.  I was in my early 20s and was so taken aback by this lady that I just let her have it instead of fighting over. My husband was not so understanding at the time and went over to her and asked why she took it out of my hands. The lady looked him square in the eye and said, “I had it first!” To this day, we still remember just standing there, looking at each other in disbelief. He was ready to tell her a thing or two, but I grabbed his arm and told him it was not worth it. Being newly married, he looked into my eyes and agreed. So I dug some more in the store’s big bin and found a similar doll to the one I first had. After all that we went through to get the Cabbage Patch Kid on Black Friday, a week later that same store had those same dolls for a cheaper price. This just goes to show you that grabbing and fighting over items on Black Friday is just not worth it. There could be a better deal the next week. To this day, I hate it when my wonderful husband gets the newspaper with all the Black Friday deals in it and starts to plan out trips to the stores.  I sometimes refuse to go with him, because I can’t stand all the pushing, shoving, grabbing and people yelling at me or someone else. Last week, I wrote a blog about being kind to others. Well, this piggybacks on that subject.  Black Friday is a day to be understanding, accepting, patient, soft spoken and, most of all, to remember that we are out and about shopping for Christmas - the birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Remember that while out shopping on Black Friday. The most important question is, what would God think of your actions on Black Friday? Think before you speak those nasty words or grab items out of others hands.  God is watching and he will tell Santa on you. Rock on, people. Rock on.