[wonderplugin_audio id=”3″]
Before the big day of giving gratitude and taking turkey and pie arrives, may you ask God to make grace the biggest dish served.
When you sit down at the Thanksgiving table, may you sit down to a feast of kind words and welcoming behavior.
May those around you offer you a sense of warmth and acceptance.
Regardless of the turn dinner conversation takes, may you know your strengths far outweigh your weaknesses.
When you give something–be it the gift of your cooking or companionship–and receive nothing in return, may you simply be thankful for the opportunity to give.
As you look around and feel acute sadness for those who can’t be at your table this year, may you know it’s okay to lament their absence. As your loved ones are far away, may you know the goodness of God is not.
If people are ornery, may you commit to making the environment better, not worse.
If feathers or feelings get ruffled and twisty, may you enter a nearby bathroom and shut the door behind you. And over an altar-sink, may you pray for Jesus to redeem the day. Because no day is so far gone he can’t turn it around.
If you find yourself needing real deal fresh air, may you unapologetically step outdoors and let the crisp breeze and crunchy leaves renew your spirit.
When you reach for a double helping of pumpkin or pecan pie, may you know the sweet tune of the song your singular life sings–and how we need to hear it.
May you lay down your own desires to impress and embrace the impressiveness of what God gives you right now.
And throughout your day, may you know God’s invisible made visible. May previously unseen hope show up for you in thrilling, just-for-you ways.
Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends. You are wildly loved. xo
Sometimes holidays shine a spotlight on the loss change brings into our lives. Missing loved ones, feeling alone in a crowd . . . so many feelings rush toward us on weeks like these. As we move toward Thanksgiving, may we remember loneliness and loss are not unfamiliar places to Jesus. And may we know even here, we *will* taste and see that the Lord is good. If you or a loved one could benefit from seeing a life change in a more hopeful light, consider gifting yourself or that person with my newly released book Girl Meets Change: Truths to Carry You through Life’s Transitions? Right now, it’s only $8.49 on Amazon and $8.65 online at B&N. Free gifts–including a small group companion guide and various custom prints–are available with your book purchases. Find those here.
Hello friend. I won a copy of your book and the tea cups in your last giveaway and was so very excited!!! I’m leaving soon to spend Thanksgiving with my husband. One of those tender few days together we have before months and months of being apart. And truthfully, God is catching a whole lot of tears from me. I plan to bring your book with me for the plane ride and look forward to reading. Any prayers would be appreciated as I’m struggling. But God is so incredibly good!!!
Much love.
xoxo
Oh Beth, so he’s deploying again? Or leaving for training? I feel like he just got back from his last deployment. ((Beth)) Many hugs and prayers from me to you, dear one. xo
Beth,
Prayers for the time you have with your hubby! May it be sweet and loving! I pray blessings on him as he’s deployed again!! May God sustain you during the holidays and always while you hubby is out serving our country! God bless you all!
Blessings 🙂
Thank you for this lovely Thanksgiving gift! God bless you and yours as you celebrate His abundance! Enjoyed the music as I read your thoughtful words – very nice!
We actually celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday. We are moving my parents later this week, so it got moved up. We had grace all over the place and it was good. My dad accidentally bought a smoked turkey (a little saltier than we like, but not too bad). He didn’t intend to buy raspberry cranberry sauce since we didn’t know such existed, but he did and it was pretty good too. We also had store bought mashed potatoes and pies. But, being with family was what we really were celebrating.
Kristen,
Love the music! For the ninth year now my mom won’t be with us…she is in Heaven with God. For the second or third year my dad won’t be with us. He is in assisted living and has dementia. I miss them. We will host my in-laws and one of hubby’s nephews. I chose a few years ago to handle most of the cooking. My in-laws are in their 80s and have health issues. Our local grocery store is cooking most of the meal with a few casseroles added in. My mother-in-law will make 1 casserole and a dessert-she insisted on bringing something.
I enjoy doing this for them. God has blessed my family immensely and it is my turn to share those blessings 🙂
Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!