In 2006, a few days before Christmas, doctors announced my wife had six months to live. She had, they said, a rare form of cancer that had spread to her lungs. There was really nothing that could be done. We had a one-year-old and I had been told my job was coming to an end the same day of the diagnosis. Thankfully, it was a misdiagnosis. Not only did I keep my job, but I kept my wife. Ten years later, doctors informed my wife they suspected she had a genetic form of lung cancer. Had my wife not been misdiagnosed in 2006, they would not have known about her lung cancer in 2016. My wife has stage four lung cancer. It is genetic. There is no cure. Nine years ago, she was given two years to live. She is still here. Thankfulness can be a very abstract concept. We are grateful for things. We are thankful for things. We thank people. Often our gratitude comes from random events, seeming accidents and happy coincidences. We don’t often think about a man upstairs guiding our lives, let alone history. Things happen. We are thankful for dodging bullets, unanswered prayers, answered prayers and the kindnesses of random strangers, family and friends. As we become more successful in life, it is often harder to be thankful for small things. Small things loom large when we are small, starting our career before life explodes into family, debt, career, success and income. Then, many of the acts of kindness, gratitude and thankfulness shrink. A twenty-dollar bill is immeasurably larger and a great act of kindness to a struggling twenty-something than to a well-off forty-something. But it is still an act of kindness. The thankfulness just changes based on where one is in life. Two months ago, my wife fell down the stairs on the way out to church. She broke her foot. She has been healing from the break only to get hospitalized with an illness. The week after she got out of the hospital, my father got put into the hospital. I am thankful for my sisters who live closer to my parents than me who could tend to them while I tend to my wife. I am thankful for the doctors and the offers of help. I am way more thankful as I get older for the prayers of others than when I was young. “I’ll pray” is as much a Southernism as “bless your heart” and asking how someone is when you really are not interested in the answer. It is what you say, but it’s not necessarily what you mean. I say it when I mean it, and I am more appreciative as I get older when people really do it. This last month has been a whirlwind for family health, work, professional growth and setbacks. The friend’s casserole or the neighbor covering dinner is far less meaningful now than their heartfelt prayers. Thankfully for all of them, the sacrifice of time to make room in prayers for other people than self is what I am more thankful for as I age. We live in extraordinary and bizarre times. We have, right now, as you read this, a robot roaming Mars and a massive telescope in space beaming back incredible images of the edge of space. Online and on television, we have clowns performing for our attention, votes, support, opposition or clicks. Sorting through it all can generate anxiety and a desire to unplug from it all. Why tune in when it is more pleasant to tune out and not think about things? But thinking and engaging is a civic and necessary virtue. When we do, we should at least consider the small things for which we are thankful, from the small acts of kindness to the random events that just happen. I am thankful for the surprises in life that make me appreciate life still with my wife. In these overwhelming and extraordinary times, do not fail to be thankful. There is still so much to be thankful for. COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post There Is So Much to Be Thankful For appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President Donald Trump has spent the last decade producing some of America's most iconic political moments. Some were divisive, some were historic, and many of them were hilarious.Here are the top five Trump moments that make me thankful for his presidency. 5. Turn them OFF!Trump had many memorable moments during his first presidential campaign, earning a reputation for being a totally candid and unapologetic candidate. Almost a decade ago at a rally in Atlanta, Georgia, Trump put his personality and political talent on full display, turning a technical hiccup into a chant with countless rallygoers. The stage lights abruptly went off in the middle of his campaign speech, prompting Trump to quip that the venue "didn't pay the electric bill," sending applause and laughter through the audience. To Trump's dismay, the lights quickly blared back on, and he began to shout, "No! Get those lights off!""Turn them off! They're too bright! Turn them OFF!" Trump later encouraged audience members to join him in chanting, "Turn off the lights!" "That's the way we have to negotiate for our country," he added. 4. From the standpoint of waterDuring Hurricane Florence in September 2018, Trump posted a video in which he thanked first responders and all those involved in mitigating the pain inflicted by the natural disaster. Although this would have been a routine exercise in any other administration, the orator in chief delivered one of his most iconic Trump lines that never fails to make people chuckle. While Trump has several memorable one-liners, this one was uniquely pre-approved and posted to a personal social media account. "I just want to thank all of the incredible men and women who have done such a great job in helping with Florence," Trump said. "This is a tough hurricane.""One of the wettest we've ever seen from the standpoint of water. Rarely have we had an experience like it, and it certainly is not good," he added.3. Trick or treat Some of the most iconic Trump moments were entirely unscripted, and 2018 Halloween was no exception.The White House was hosting the annual trick-or-treat festivities where the president and first lady Melania Trump hand out candy to kids dressed up in their Halloween costumes. One such trick-or-treater showed up in a Minion costume from the well-known "Despicable Me" films, which quickly proved to limit the child's candy-collecting abilities.The child's costume seemingly obstructed his hands, but Trump didn't want to deprive the Minion of his Halloween harvest. Instead, Trump opted to simply place the candy bar on top of the Minion's head as onlookers erupted in laughter. 2. The N-wordTrump's unprompted one-liners are usually the most controversial, but also the most entertaining. His speech to military brass at Quantico earlier this year was no exception, after Trump veered off script and produced one of the most viral moments so far in his second term. "It was really a stupid person that ... mentioned the word 'nuclear,'" Trump said during the address. "I moved a submarine or two ... over to the coast of Russia, just to be careful, because we can't let people throw around that word," he continued."I call it the N-word," Trump added. "There are two N-words, and you can't use either of them."Campaigning as the peace president and working around the clock to end conflicts around the globe, his play on words was both in line with the administration's agenda and with Trump's comedic instincts. 1. 'Because you'd be in jail'One of Trump's most iconic political feuds was with none other than failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The two sparred on a number of issues and exchanged many notable insults at each other, but few are as memorable as the October 9, 2016, presidential debate. This mic drop speaks for itself. "Last time, at the first debate, we had millions of people fact-checking, so I expect we'll have millions more fact-checking because, you know, it's just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country," Clinton said. Trump picked up the mic and simply said, "Because you'd be in jail." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

As this story's headline indicates, I'm not much of a cook.I can do meatloaf in a pinch and can manage some roasted veggies — and I've even been known to create some of the best baked spicy chicken wings this side of ... well, this side of my street. Maybe.'Let's get to cookin'!'That said, this Thanksgiving Day, do you have plans for all those leftovers that have predictably piled up after dinner is done? All of that turkey, stuffing, and, of course, cranberry sauce?Sure, there are plenty of exotic recipes for leftovers out there that require a bit of effort — as well as ingredients that may not be so easy to procure if you don't already have them on hand (especially amid crowded Black Friday shopping conditions). And who wants to exert even more effort after hours and hours of prep time and cooking time on this holiday?Certainly not me — and I'm not even the one doing the Thanksgiving cooking. Ease and speed and comfort are the kings in this kitchen.In an effort to help y'all think ahead, how about a trio of post-holiday sandwich ideas that can win the day and pare down the piles of food left in your fridge?Thanksgiving leftover slidersThis entertaining fellow — his YouTube handle is @morehowtobbqright — presents on video what appears to be an easy recipe for sliders that even I'd be game to try. (He also calls them "samiches," so you know they're gonna be good.)Our chef tells us, "Let's get to cookin'!" and then shows us how.Looks like you need a pack of King's Hawaiian Savory Butter Rolls — but hey, maybe you can repurpose leftover dinner rolls from your T-Day feast too. He says you then place all the bottom roll halves on foil, pile up a bunch of American cheese slices, followed by leftover turkey pieces, then your leftover stuffing, then your leftover cranberry sauce — followed by, you guessed it, more of those American cheese slices — and then you pop the top halves of the rolls on top to crown your creation. Our chef also instructs us to melt some butter and brush it on the top of the "samiches," after which you wrap 'em all in foil and then bake them on a tray for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Then you uncover the sliders and bake them for 15 more minutes to brown the tops. Thanksgiving leftover quesadillasBelieve it or not, even easier than the sliders.Our chef — her YouTube handle is @MealsWithMaria — shows us in a less-than-30-second video how simple these quesadillas are to create.Just warm some butter in a skillet over medium heat and add a tortilla. Then add leftover mashed potatoes, leftover sweet potatoes, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and chunks of leftover turkey. Then you fry it all up until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy.Finally, for the last minute of heat, you add some leftover cranberry sauce on top and fold over the tortilla. She suggests slicing it in half and, if you want, dipping it in leftover gravy. Thanksgiving leftover deluxe grilled cheese sandwichesOK, now for the "deluxe" portion of our program.Our YouTube guide — his handle is @Chef_Tyler — presents a snazzy grilled cheese sandwich recipe in his brief video. First, he suggests toasting your leftover bread in an oiled pan before assembling the stuff in the middle. (It also looks like he's slicing part of a leftover hard-crusted loaf. This is already a mighty big cut above the grilled cheese I typically make.)He then tells us to mix our leftover cranberries with mayo — to prevent things from getting soggy — and then spread the mixture on the toasted bread. (Oh, got any herbs on hand? They're good for that cranberry-mayo spread too.)Then you put your cheese on top of the spread — he recommends slices of aged cheddar or gouda, but anything will do. Then the leftover turkey chunks. The drier the better, believe it or not. (And don't forget to heat the turkey in the pan before putting it on top of the cheese, as Chef Tyler says that will help the cheese melt faster.)It appears you cook the sandwich on both sides until the crust is golden brown — natch — and then dip it in leftover gravy if you want. Happy Thanksgiving — and the days after — one and all!Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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Major U.S. charities warn they may struggle to meet rising demand for food, coats, and gifts as the 2025 holiday season begins amid falling donations, high costs, and the lingering financial strain of the year's prolonged Democrat-led government shutdown.

Canada's once-cozy trade relationship with the U.S. has ended amid President Donald Trump's tariffs, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, according to CTV.

Hong Kong police arrested the bosses of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter on Thursday over the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years, which killed at least 83 people with scores more listed as missing.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan national charged in Wednesday's shooting of two National Guard troops near the White House, served for more than a decade as a mercenary for U.S. forces in wartime Afghanistan, senior intelligence officials told Newsmax.