Saturday, November 26, 2011

Giving Thanks with a Grateful Heart

What a great time of the year!  Even the calendar reminds us that Thanksgiving is a day to express and give thanks.  This week, I recalled the Sunday School and school writing assignments and pictures drawn that depicted that for which I was grateful.  I remember tracing my hand on paper, making it into a turkey and then writing on the “feathers” the things I was thankful for.  The boys did that as well.  I asked Mom if she ever drew the turkey when she was in school and she commented, “Yes, and I can see my hand on the paper right now.”  Whether it is on a drawn hand turkey, in a note of appreciation, in words or music, the practice of expressing thanks is definitely worth passing down from generation to generation.

When Brad and Chad were in 2nd grade, they learned about the Pilgrims and Indians at Thanksgiving and even learned a song in sign language.  They assured me that they could sing it much better at home than at school if they looked more like real Indians.  They spent quite a bit of time “painting” each other for the presentation.  What a treasure!




I’ve already decided that I would have to have more “fingers” on my turkey to list my blessings today and this year…God’s faithfulness and love…Jesus’ sacrifice… salvation…family…friends…answered prayers…hope…home…church…food… medical possibilities…doctors…walkers… infusion of stem cells…gym……

 I pray that my personal calendar will show every day as Thanksgiving and that it will express itself in Thanksliving.

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his;
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations.

I Chronicles 16:8
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Psalm 106:1
Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Ephesians 5:19-20
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Thessalonians 5:18
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:32
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Revelation 7:12
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

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