He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herbs for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth … Psalm 104:14

Hello, again, friends! This month, I would like to recognize the one holiday that seems to be overlooked more and more each year and that is Thanksgiving. The reason Thanksgiving is so important is that it is a time of thankfulness to God for all that He has done through the year. I believe that people have become so caught up in pleasure things that they fail to remember that all good things come from the Lord. This being said, I hope that all my readers will truly give some time and energy to “counting your blessings.”

Some things I am thankful for: I am thankful that many years ago at the young age of 18 I finally trusted Jesus Christ as personal Savior, I saw myself as a lost hell-bound sinner and turned to the one who suffered, bled and died for my sins on a cross at Calvary. I repented of going my way and called on the Lord for salvation. This was the best thing I ever did in my life. My husband also became a believer, and we learned of God by reading a King James Bible and hearing some great preaching. Then the Lord saw fit to call him into the ministry, which sent us to Pensacola, Fla., where he attended Pensacola Bible Institute and we lived for four years. After this, we moved to Montana for a year where we worked to help some churches spread the gospel. Then, we moved back to Virginia where we had our own church for four years.

I am thankful that the Lord allowed me to home school my youngest daughter and learn how much time and effort it takes to do this. I learned a lot teaching my daughter who then graduated from high school and went on to college. After this, I was able to attend college in my later years and learned about writing, which — after graduating and working for a while — led me to start an herbal newsletter named Herbs and Heirlooms, which I have been writing for the last five years. Also, the Lord gave me the desire to grow herbs and learn more about using them medicinally in order to help my family and others to be healthier. At this time, I had also started making some of my own herbal tonics and salve.

I am thankful that I took the step of faith to ask The Charlotte Gazette about writing a once-a-month column on beneficial healthy information and then asking if I could write the Recipes for Health column. It has been a treat to see this happen for me. The Lord and His blessings are great.

I look forward to the months ahead as we learn together. So, to all my readers, Happy Thanksgiving!

Alice Russell, also known as “Me Me,” resides in the Randolph/Saxe area. Her email address is letstalkherbs@gmail.com.