Thanksgiving


Today I read a lovely post about why Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for so many people.  

If I were to boil the article down to its essence, it claimed that when Thanksgiving is done "right" it has the ability to take us right back to our roots when times were simpler, and life didn't move quite as quickly as it does now.  Because at its core, Thanksgiving is about tradition, and food, and family, and friends, and taking the time to remember.  

So what are the elements of a Thanksgiving done "right"?  I'm glad you asked!

First - when it comes time for dinner, make a rule - NO PHONES at the table.  I am amazed I even have to say that - but I also have a teenager and two 20-somethings, and more and more I watch as their lives are consumed by time spent on their phones.  So, for Thanksgiving, I'm making a rule - and anyone who breaks it has to do the dishes!

Next - PRAY.  Now at least at my house, not everyone who comes to Thanksgiving has a connection to God.  And for some, being asked to start our meal this way may feel a little awkward.  However - since the day is all about GIVING THANKS, it is important to acknowledge the One to whom we are thankful, with a prayer.

Then, REMEMBER BY NAME those loved ones who are no longer with us at the table.  Speak their names out loud, and remember their place in your hearts and lives. .

Next, take a moment to individually TELL EACH PERSON at the table how much you love them and why they are special.  There are no guarantees that everyone will be together again next year, so don't put off until tomorrow what you could be saying today.

SAVOR and ENJOY.  Too many times we rush from one "to do" on our list, to the next item we have to conquer.  However, Thanksgiving is a holiday that should be done slowly and with intention.  Taste your food.  Put your fork down between bites.  Talk to those around the table.  Share stories.  Forget the diet.  Have the slice of pie.  Enjoy the time together.

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." - Psalm 107:1

"I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving." - Psalm 69:30

---

This Thanksgiving will be our first without Dad, and I know that will make it difficult. However, the day has always been about counting our blessings, and I am thankful and feel deeply blessed to have had him in my life for over 60 years.

I am also thankful for YOU - my friends who have encouraged me to keep writing and to continue sharing the thoughts God puts in my head most mornings.  Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Petition for Prayers

Image
Hi there - today is my 400th post and I am wrestling a bit... so I'm asking for your prayers. I started this blog o ver a year ago, convinced it was something God wanted me to do.  It was way out of my comfort zone, and certainly not something I’d have done 10 years before, but  I had hoped that i n some way, it might help people get closer to Him. I knew that once I had finally given my life to God, EVERYTHING in my life changed, and  I desperately wanted people to experience the same JOY and PEACE I have felt since making that decision.   As they say, “I was like a poor beggar telling others where they could find food”. For months, the posts flowed easily and I would feel the Holy Spirit's inspiration…the words on the page practically writing themselves.  However, I'm not sure that is still the case.  Sometimes I feel as if I am struggling to hear His voice, and I honestly don't want to be writing MY thoughts - I want to be sharing HIS. So, I'm going to t...
Read more

The Journey to the Cross (Day 4 - THE LADDER)

Image
In the city of Jerusalem stands a church called  The Church of the Holy Sepulcher.   It has been proposed as the place of both the death and resurrection of Jesus, and it has been a place for pilgrimages since the 4th century. Considered holy, the site is cared for by no less than six denominations including Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Roman Catholic, Coptic, Ethiopian and Syriac Orthodox.  As such, it has been carefully parsed out into sections.  And sadly, arguments and violent clashes are not uncommon. Jim visited the church once on a trip with Northridge and told me about "The Immovable Ladder".  Apparently the ladder is a " bizzare outcome of religious stubbornness pushed to extremes. " For " Sometime in the first half of the 18th century, someone placed a ladder up against the wall of the church. No one is sure who he was, or more importantly, to which sect he belonged.  The ladder remains there to this day.  No one dares touch it, l...
Read more

The Journey to the Cross (Day 3 - ONLY JESUS)

Image
Today’s Holy Week post has me thinking about the 12 disciples. ONLY JESUS Can you name Jesus' 12 disciples?  If you've been watching The Chosen or reading your Bible regularly, you might be able to.  However - there are some, who - at least for me, are a bit in the shadows. Sure I know Simon/Peter, and his brother Andrew .  And then there was James and John, the sons of Thunder (or Zebedee to be exact).  There was Matthew, and Thomas, and Judas Iscariot.  And there was Simon the Zealot, and another James...but...but...a nd here is where my mind isn't as good at remembering.   So I Googled it. There was also Philip - a Jewish man from Bethsaida who apparently was the one to tell Nathaniel (another lesser known disciple) that "The One" Moses and the prophets had foretold in the Old Testament, was here.  Following Jesus' death Philip became a missionary in Greece and for his outspoken faith proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God - Philip was stoned and...
Read more