Thanksgiving is a special time of year when we gather around with family and maybe even close friends and enjoy a great meal or two. Thanksgiving is much more than stuffing our faces with mom’s turkey or grandma’s pecan pie. Thanksgiving is a time of year we should be especially thankful for all we have.

In the world we live in, it is often easy to forget all we have been blessed with. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t be thankful all year round, however. Thanksgiving often brings out the gratefulness in many people.

You can see it in the Facebook posts especially. If you’re a social media user, you know that each day in November a lot of people decide to choose one thing they are thankful for. Some of the things I saw on my Facebook newsfeed today were: family, friends, and, yes, someone was honest enough to admit they’re thankful to be able to attend school.

We sometimes don’t realize how blessed we are until something is taken from us. Take being healthy for example. Many people don’t walk around through the day thanking the Lord that they feel well that day unless they know what it is like to be unhealthy or sick.

A lot of us travel to work, work all day, come home to our families, and maybe even complain that we have to do it all again the next day without even once stopping to be thankful that we’re able to do all of that. Many people who can’t even leave their homes would love to be able to go to work every day.

This isn’t to say everyone isn’t thankful, though. I’m sure there are people who wake up every morning and automatically thank God for waking them up that day. Society has started making it harder for people to be thankful for anything, and those that stand up strong and do it anyways are truly people to look up to.

So as you and your family gather around the table this Thanksgiving, the men run off to watch football, and the women gear up for Black Friday shopping, make sure you take time out in your day to be thankful for everything you’ve been blessed with. Be thankful for even the smallest things that you never take time out to appreciate. You never know when what you have can be taken from you.

We’re all SO BLESSED!

May everyone have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving this year!

A few weeks ago Mark Nea was announced as the 2012 PigSkin Pick’Em Challenge Winner.

It was a close competition, but Mark Nea pulled ahead in the end with a total of 170 points.

In honor of winning the challenge, there is more than just bragging rights involved. The 2012 winner was promised an iPad Mini and Mark Nea was delivered his prize today.

We would like to give a special thanks to the sponsors for making the PigSkin Pick’Em Challenge possible. The 2012 sponsors are as followed: A Cut Above Lawn Care, Allen Christian Inc., Audibel Chris Warren, Bank of Advance, County Wide Insurance Agency, Dexter Queen Restaurant, D&S Drug Store, First Commercial Bank, First Midwest Bank, Hair Lingo, Holden Pallet Company, Kris Willis RV, Metro Gallery, Montgomery Bank, Real Living Young Realty, Rob Mayer for Circuit Judge, Terry Swinger.

In the photo, Mark Nea is shown holding his new iPad Mini he received today for winning the challenge.

From an early age, Maggie Thorn has loved singing. Not only did she realize her love for singing, but she also caught the performing bug at an early age.

Thorn has been singing since she was two years old and could always be caught performing at family functions. Not only did she just perform for family, however, she was also known to sing in church and school plays quite frequently.

After being very active in choir and special concerts, Thorn started to play the guitar more seriously when she was in eighth grade. Maggie Thorn has always been more directed towards country music. “I’ve always loved old country. Such as Patsy Montana, Patsy Cline, and Tammy Wynette,” Thorn commented. While on the subject of country music, Thorn notes that she taught herself how to yodel from watching various YouTube videos.

One of the biggest turning points thus far throughout Thorn’s singing experience has been winning the Midsouth Fair. For the victory, she sang Cowboy’s Sweetheart and yodeled.

Amidst many things going in the right direction for Thorn, she got a huge opportunity with winning a $3,000+ trip to Hollywood to audition in front of CBS Executives and to tape the Craig Ferguson Show.

After that, Thorn began performing at local wineries, restaurants, and charity events. “It’s great to have a job that I love,” said Thorn.

Thorn once applied to NOISE, a vocal music camp put on by MUZAK for sixteen talented teenage musicians across the US, and got accepted. Thorn also won the National Beta Talent Competition where she sang lead in a trio of girls this past summer. Winning National Beta Talent was not only a huge accomplishment for Maggie, but for Bloomfield School as well.

Thorn applied to Belmont University in Nashville and got accepted. This is where she attends currently and is majoring in Commercial Music Voice. “I’m having the time of my life surrounded by others whose passion is music. Despite the studies being difficult, the rewards of friendship and amazing opportunities to perform far outweigh any hardships,” noted Thorn on her time at Belmont thus far.

Maggie Thorn will soon be getting to experience something she has wanted to be a part for a while as she performs in Christmas at Belmont. “I’ve watched the past few years and really wanted to be apart of it. It will be televised and aired nationally Sunday, December 21^st at 9:00 P.M. and locally NPT on Christmas Eve at 9:00 P.M. I’m so excited,” commented Thorn on this wonderful opportunity

Thorn’s goal is to continue to improve her musical skills and eventually make her career in the music business, wherever that may lead her.

Maggie Thorn does not take the support of the people around her lightly. She says they are the reason she is able to continue following her musical dream. “One of my dreams is to be able to thank them from the stage of the Grand Ole’ Opry,” said a very hopeful Maggie.

Thorn currently has a new original video on YouTube called “Gravel Road.” She asks that everyone check it out at: http://youtu.be/mabNCn8DIIg

Maggie also has a Facebook page that you can like. Just search “Maggie Thorn’s Music Page.”

Maggie Thorn has a busy and bright future ahead as she continues at Belmont University, and also she hopes to have a CD out after the first of the year.

Many people around the local area are aware of Maggie Thorn’s amazing talent. With the continuation of your support and love for her, one day the whole world could have the chance to hear Maggie’s voice. We wish Maggie the best of luck in all she hopes to accomplish!

American Wasteland Entertainment, LLC. is a production company focusing on online entertainment, film, and corporate commercial/infomercial production that is owned and operated by Jason Brasier and Brittney Greer. Jason is a graduate of Willow Springs, Missouri, and Brittney is a 2004 graduate from Dexter High School.

Brasier and Greer met while both being enrolled in screenwriting classes at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.

Brasier comments on the creation of American Wasteland Entertainment, “I had wanted to start my own production company since I was in high school. I knew I wanted to do it, but couldn’t do it alone.” It was after much discussion that Brasier’s wife suggested him asking Greer to get involved with him on this idea. “It made absolute sense.”

Greer jumped on board with this idea with no hesitation.  Brasier and Greer had already done a few small projects together through their classes, so the talented minds of the two were easily meshed together. “I’m happy she agreed to come along for the ride,” Brasier said.

When asked why most everything with American Wasteland Entertainment starts online, Brasier answers, “Things are just going in that direction with entertainment and everything in general. I noticed this back in 2004.”

The goal of American Wasteland Entertainment is to become a micro studio. In other words, they write, produce, direct, edit, and or distribute their own content/productions and make a living doing what they both love.

“We know it’s not going to happen over night and will take time just as anything in the entertainment business does, but we’re more than willing to do the extra leg work to make it happen,” Brasier notes on getting started with the business.

Some of the side projects for clients that have been accomplished by the company include: online promos, infomercials, commercials, how to, or corporate videos.

Two of the biggest projects under the production of American Wasteland right now are: Drifter: Broken Road and Stage Fright.

Drifter:Broken Road is written and directed by Jason Brasier and is a series of episodes than can be viewed at: www.drifterseries.com. You can also follow Drifter: Broken Road’s twitter feed by following “@DrifterSeries”

Stage Fright is written by Brittney Greer and Jason Brasier (also directed by Brasier) and is a series of episodes that can be viewed as well by visiting: www.AmericanWastelandEnt.com/StageFright

Both Brasier and Greer would appreciate it if you would take a few seconds to “like” their Facebook page. Just search for American Wasteland Entertainment and hit the like button!

By watching their series, hitting the like button, and even just a few words of encouragement, you are encouraging these two small town Missourians to continue chasing their dreams!

Earlier this year, Brett Dorton of Dexter found out that one of his friends from college has a child that is a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

Ingram Dismuke is the three-year old son of Craig and Ashley Dismuke. Ingram has been diagnosed with Anaplastic Ependymoma, which is a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Ingram has completed eight weeks of radiation therapy, and is currently receiving his chemotherapy treatment at St. Jude’s.

Brett Dorton has joined “Team Ingram,” and he will be running in the St. Jude Half Marathon. The marathon will be taking place on December 1^st, 2012. Dorton hopes to show support for Ingram and to also raise funds for the hospital that is going to help him conquer his illness.

Dorton has set a goal to try and raise $10,000, but with the help of the caring people throughout the community, he has already raised nearly $7,000 to his St. Jude fundraiser.

When Ingram Dismuke was two-years old, his father gave him the nickname of “Ingram the Conqueror.” The nickname come about because Ingram loved to conquer towers of blocks while playing.

Recently the nickname of  “Ingram the Conqueror” has brought on new meanings as he is conquering many things that most three-year olds would never know about. Ingram’s parents say that they pray with God’s power that Ingram can conquer this battle.

In order to make the donation process a little easier, Brett Dorton has set up an online fundraising website. Visit http://heroes.stjude.org/brettdorton if you are interested in making an online contribution using your debit card.

Another way to contribute is to make a check payable to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and mail it to Brett Dorton at:

PO Box 574

Dexter, MO 63841

Keep in mind that the deadline for fundraising is November 15^th, which is this Thursday. The deadline may be vastly approaching with time running out to get your donation in, but with your help, the treatment and research of childhood cancer and other deadly diseases can continue to be improved.

If you wish to learn more about Ingram Dismuke’s story and his progress, you can visit www.ingramdismuke.com and read the blogs that his parents have been posting online. You can also visit www.heystjude.org in order to watch new St. Jude video that features Ingram’s image at the beginning.

All previous and future donations are much appreciated and Brett Dorton thanks everyone for their support while he joins “Team Ingram” to help Ingram and many other children conquer the battle of cancer.

Pictured in the above photo is Ingram Dismuke, age three.