Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15
Taking a short break to be with family. I pray you all have a warm and happy Thanksgiving! God bless.
Feel free to download the Thanksgiving picture to your desktop. To do this, right-click your mouse on the picture. Then left-click on the set as desktop background link.
Picture courtesy of Pixabay. Public domain
Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice. Deuteronomy 16:15
For the coming holiday, I thought it would be fun to share some interesting facts about Thanksgiving. For example, although Thanksgiving is often described as an American holiday, its roots can be traced back to the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese. And it doesn’t stop there.
For centuries, Israel has celebrated a harvest festival. It’s a time set aside for rejoicing and giving thanks for God’s blessings throughout the year. The holiday Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorates the 40 years in the wilderness after the deliverance from Eygpt. Today, Sukkot begins five days after Yom Kippur and last for eight days. During this time, the people build small huts and hang fruits and vegetables inside. These harvest-filled huts reminded me of a cornucopia.
The cornucopia is a horned shaped basket filled to the brim with grains, vegetables, and fruits. Its roots can also be traced back to the Greeks and Romans. Cornucopia means horn of plenty from the Latin term cornu copiae. To those searching for freedom in the new land, the cornucopia became the symbol of America, the land of plenty.
Another famous symbol of the holiday is the turkey. Ben Franklin thought the turkey to be a bird of courage, unlike the eagle, a bird of bad morals. (Read the article here.) Whether the turkey is a courageous bird or not, its popularity is linked to the Thanksgiving holiday. And while the sides depend on family favorites, the turkey is always the main attraction. Unless your family doesn’t like turkey. Oh, my! What to do, then?
The truth is traditions surrounding this autumnal feast can vary from house to house. As children, my husband and I both ate turkey. It didn’t matter whether we liked it or not. Our moms were traditionalists. On Thanksgiving, you ate turkey. Period. But when my kids came along, we changed that tradition after we’d cooked the traditional bird every imaginable way known to man. Fried, baked, roasted, or barbecued, they still refused to eat it. Now, we have chicken and dressing along with the “must have” side dishes.
Blend brown sugar, softened cream cheese, and condensed milk with mixer until smooth. Combine grapes and pecans. Pour in a lidded bowl. Chill. Serve. Enjoy!
Note: The amount of fruit used is according to individual taste. I prefer fewer grapes for a creamier salad. Pssst…the fruit is just an excuse for me to eat the brown sugar and condensed milk. 🙂
No matter how you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, grab your neighbor’s hand and gives thanks for His bountiful blessings!
Are you a traditionalist? What is on your list for must-have side dishes
Pictures courtesy of Pixabay. Public Domain.
I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 2 Timothy 1:3
Someone is Praying
When writing to Timothy, Paul said, “I have remembrance of thee.” The word remembrance means to remind, bring to, call to, and put in. In the Greek, remember has the same root word as the word tomb or sepulcher. The idea is before we can pray we must dig past the current circumstances.
For example, when overwhelmed we find it hard to think of anything but the present situation. Such was Timothy’s case. But Paul said, “I put you in remembrance” commanding Timothy to dig, get past, removing all that stood in his way.
Likewise, there are times we must dig past the mental anguish, the physical pain, and the spiritual battle to remember where God has brought us from and what He is doing at present. It is one of the hardest things to do when facing trials.
I have several friends and family who are facing stressful situations at this time. I wanted to remind everyone that God hasn’t forsaken us and to share a couple of my favorite verses.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. Jeremiah 30:17
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luke 4:18
In the coming weeks, as you press through this season, I pray you will find comfort in God’s Word and remember people are praying for you.
I would love to hear from you. When going through difficult times, what scripture comes to your mind?
Gail Johnson 