Sending thankful praise your way

Thanksgiving Message From Chuck

I try to approach every day with an attitude of gratitude, thankful for another day to breathe the air, and walk upon this earth. Some days are tougher than others, especially when you are fighting insurance companies on behalf of your clients' truly deserving causes as Jeannine, Sharon and I do each working day. I try to never lose sight though that even those challenges are a blessing for which thankfulness should be exercised. Joel Osteen says that, "One of the main reasons that we lose our enthusiasm in life is because we become ungrateful... we let what was once a miracle become common to us. We get so accustomed to His goodness it becomes routine." I wake up every day and try to approach it as a new day in which I can be thankful and try to make a positive difference in the world in which we live.

Carpe diem is a Latin term which means to seize the present, don't worry about tomorrow. I try to make a concerted effort to practice this philosophy daily. Gandhi once said that, "Each night, when he went to sleep, he died, and the next morning, when he awoke he was reborn." I believe in this quote wholeheartedly. Every day is truly a new day to be thankful, appreciate all those around us and all of the blessings that are present in life itself. As Oprah Winfrey stated, "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." I thank God for my family, faith, friends, clients, business associates, Sharon my office manager and paralegal, Jeannine our coworker, all the relationships we have developed over the years, and I am thankful for each and every one of you!

May you have a very blessed Thanksgiving.

Chuck

COMMUNITY CHARITY SPOTLIGHT

Fostering Hope Florida is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing help to foster children and foster families in the Tampa Bay area.

Sneak Preview for our Holiday Charity Drive....

Our Charities 2016: This year's two charities that your generous donations will support are The RAP House and Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.

More information, including wish lists, will be featured in our December newsletter ~ watch your mailboxes for it the first week in December!

HERE'S A GREAT SEASONAL RECIPE

FOR THE FAMILY TO ENJOY...

Apple-Pecan Cheesecake

Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Filling

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
Topping
4 cups apples (about 3) - peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with aluminum foil, extending the foil sheets over the side of the dish.
To make the crust, mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar together in a bowl until evenly blended. Press evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
To make the filling, beat the cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar, and vanilla together in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. Beat in the sour cream. On low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Pour the mixture over the crust.
To make the topping, place the apples in a bowl, and toss with 1/2 cup brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon until evenly blended.
Bake in preheated oven until center is almost set, about 55 minutes. Cool, and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.
Before cutting, allow the cheesecake to sit 30 minutes at room temperature, then lift from the baking dish using the extended aluminum foil sheets, and place on a cutting board or serving plate. Remove the aluminum foil, and cut into 16 squares.

Apple Pecan Pie Recipe - Allrecipes.com