I love Thanksgiving! It is a time of family, resting, celebrating God's goodness, feasting and reflecting on all that HE has done faithfully in our lives. After gigantic cinnamon rolls, and lounging in our pj's, we will all take a few moments to make a list of all the things we are thankful for--then Daddy will read whatever Psalm or praise is on His heart and we will spend time thanking and praising the Lord together.
Then comes the feasting. We have not had the privilege of having much family in our lives over the years, so we have spent some Thanksgivings alone. But, I am always so grateful when we can fill the house with friends, new and old, who also need a home for celebrating.
On our menu will be turkey, of course; apple, pecan, and cranberry bread dressing; celery, onion, cornbread and sage dressing; sweet potato casserole; a congealed cranberry salad; fresh cranberry sauce; yellow squash and onion casserole; peas; green beans; lots of potatoes and gravy; 4 dozen homemade rolls (great for leftover sandwiches); pumpkin chiffon pie; upside down gingerbread apple-caramel cake, pumpkin cheesecake’ pecan pie'; and whipped cream and ice cream to top it all off. We always have a variety of sparkling juices. I think I will go do my 2 mile exercise video and sit ups to prepare for the time--or I might just take it as a day of rest!
In the Old Testament, feasts and celebrations were commanded by God--He is a celebrating Father. May you all have a wonderful day with your precious ones. And may He bless you with a peaceful day.
Sing for joy in the Lord, oh you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright. For the word of the Lord is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.
Psalm 33: 1, 4
As I turned my heart to praise Him this morning in the dark hours of the early morning, my heart was deeply touched and so deeply grateful for His sustaining and loving presence.
Verse after verse flooded my heart. He deserves all our worship and thanksgiving. He is working in and through all of us in this moment in history, bringing us closer to the time when He will cast satan away and rule as our righteous Judge forever. He is preparing a place for us. He has promised never to leave us. He works all things together for good to those who are called to Him. He loves us with an everlasting love. He hears our prayers and He even prays for us. He is with us, always, everywhere.
As I ponder so many of these truths, I see His wonderful faithfulness through all the busy years of my past, so I can say with David, "I have been young and I have been old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or their seed begging for bread." Even when I didn't know how things would turn out, He was at work, in faithfulness and love.
I am reading this Thanksgiving Liturgy on my podcast today so that you may ponder it, savor the words, pray it back to God. You might even want to use it to read before your Thanksgiving meal. It heartened me so much. Blessings to you.
A Thanksgiving Liturgy
God eternal and righteous One,
Who created the heavens and the earth,
we gather to give you thanks.
For breath that fills us with your life,
For love that softens our hearts,
For beauty revealed at every turn.
Christ redeeming and forgiving One,
Who is always faithful and merciful.
We gather to give you thanks,
For renewal, transforming our lives,
For peace calming the chaos of our souls,
For hope restoring our faith.
Spirit sustaining, and compassionate One,
Who calls us into relationship with the living God,
We give you thanks,
For caring when our hearts are aching,
For friends supportive in times of need,
For generosity lavish and overflowing.
God who created the earth and the heavens,
Eternal, Redeeming and Sustaining One,
We gather to give you thanks,
We come with hearts full of gratitude,
For all things good,
We give you thanks for You.
From God Space
May we all bring a smile to God's face today, because of the appreciation in our hearts and on our lips and in our deeds for His faithfulness, righteousness, generosity and love. I pray you have the happiest of Thanksgivings!
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