THANKSGIVING

TODAYS SCRIPTURE: HEBREWS 12:28

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

THANKSGIVING

I am writing this Wednesday evening, but by the time you read this, the left over turkey will be in the refrigerator. The dressing will be waiting to be eaten for lunch and I will still be wondering why Bill likes Mincemeat Pie. Thanksgiving is Bill's favorite holiday and I do love fixing the meal.

This year we had an added surprise when a beautiful centerpiece was delivered. One of our farm management families sent it to thank us for years of service. Bless their hearts. Every woman loves unexpected, fresh flowers.

I started on Wednesday baking and getting ready. The piecrust stuck to the counter and I ended up patching it. The Jello turned out just right. Then I made a peanut butter cake. (I know that is not traditional, but our son and I love peanut butter cake.) The cake was going good until I realized I did not have quite enough brown sugar. No problem. I just added a little white sugar. Then I realized the cake batter was thicker than usual. I checked the recipe. Right there it said 1/3 cup of peanut butter. Below that was one cup of something. Guess why the batter was thick. You are right. I had put in one cup instead of 1/3. A problem? Not sure. The cake looks okay and it baked fine, but I guess the taste test will come tomorrow. I put on extra icing just in case the cake is only fair.

If this is a normal year, the turkey will look like the picture in those cooking magazines, but will fall apart when we cut it. I guess we like ours actually cooked all the way through. Bill will mash the potatoes and I will make the gravy. The cranberry Jello salad will be eaten by some and some will turn their noses up.

I have the table set and it looks pretty. I had planned to use the everyday dishes that could be stuck in the dishwasher, but then the flowers arrived I changed my mind. The table is set with our 43-year-old wedding china (a gift from my parents), the good glasses and coasters that belonged to Bill's uncle. When we sit down to the table, we will miss having our daughter and her family, but will welcome our son's friend and her children.

I can see why Thanksgiving is Bill's favorite holiday. It is a day to enjoy family. It is a day to reflect on blessings. The big ones we notice -- Health. Family. Friends. Home. The small ones we almost forget and take for granted -- Electricity. Water. Laughter.

Today my biggest blessing is faith. I had religion a long time and I found there is a big difference between faith and religion. I will take faith.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

What were you thankful?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

Friday morning: A note before I post this: The cake was tremendous. I will put extra peanut butter the next time too. The turkey was drier than usual. The dressing (stuffing to you city people) was very good this year. And Bill was the only one to eat the pie. Know what? Dry turkey or not - IT WAS A WONDERFUL DAY. Of course, I will have to write about the kids saying someone is at the door and finding a police officer ready to ring the bell. And no, he was not going door-to-door for charity.

LET US PRAY

Today, please offer a prayer of your own. Use simple words. Or exquisite words. Offer a prayer thanking God for all He has given you.

A DRIVE ON A DARK MORNING

TODAYS SCRIPTURE: ISAIAH 35:8

And a highway will be there; it will be called the way of Holiness.

(Please read Isaiah 35. This is a wonderful chapter.)

A DRIVE ON A DARK MORNING

On my November 7 blog, I wrote about talking to God while I was driving. Today I want to tell you about an early morning drive I had. For those of you who do not know it, I cashier auctions and those auctions are not always close to home or easy to find.

In the fall and winter, thanks to our Indiana legislature, we experience dark mornings because of Eastern Time zone/daylight savings time. Bless their hearts. (Sarcasm there.) Early one morning. A dark morning. I left for an auction. Did I tell you it was dark? And early. That meant the deer would be meeting in the fields for their breakfast and morning gossip. That meant I had to watch out for deer.

Being dark also meant I had to dim my lights for oncoming traffic and I had to squint when those same cars were not as considerate. Bill had made me a map and I was sorta confident as to what towns I would be going through, where to make turns and how to get to the auction.

What I found, as I drove, were a few unexpected curves that looked like straight lines on the map. I also found I appreciated the reflectors down the center of the road and the white line on the edge of the road. These helped keep me in my own lane on that early dark morning.

Know what? That drive is like traveling the road of life. Life is not always sunny and bright. Sometimes it is dark and danger starts early in the day. The deer and bright oncoming headlights are like sin, ready to step in front of you at any moment or blind you to the truth. The other side is that God is like the reflectors and the white line. He has laid out a path for you - yes a path that has many curves and unexpected turns, but he does have a road for you to travel. The headlights on your own car? The light of God showing you the way. And the map? The Bible.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

As you travel, what is trying to distract you? What light is shining in your life? What do you use as a map?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

A highway will be there; it will be called the way of Holiness. My God, I want to be on that road. As I travel through life, light my way. Protect me as sins and false gods try to distract me from my destination. Let my eyes see the reflectors and white lines so I do not veer off your highway. Give me wisdom so I can understand your map - the Bible. .… Amen

HAVE AN EXTREMELY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I WANT IT NOW

TODAYS SCRIPTURES:

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Colossians 1:10-12

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-13

I WANT IT NOW

Do you watch commercials? I try not, but you cannot avoid them. Some are not too bad and if I were looking for an advertising agency, I would find the company that represents Target. Their ads are good. Bright. Active. Gives Target a good image. I would also find out the ad agency that Volkswagen uses. Now just how stupid are their commercials that say, "They got pregnant so they could buy a Volkswagen." Brooke Shields may look good in those commercials, but I would not hire that agency to advertise my product. Is that really the best they could do? Volkswagen needs to talk to Target.

Have you seen the ad where the guy is watching television and the picture goes out? His wife then says, "You are right. We need a new TV." The next shot is of this guy in a store saying, "I want it all. I want it now."

That is one ad I do not like and would love to see taken off the air. The trouble is that is the attitude most people have now days. "I want it all. I want it now."

Remember when you loaded film into a camera. You took pictures. Then waited with great anticipation for days until they were developed. Now you can get same day prints. Or better yet, one hour. Oh, that is right. Now we have digital.

I will take a picture of one of the grandchildren and they instantly say, "Let me see it." (I want it all. I want it now.)

Fast food restaurants. Instant mashed potatoes. Frozen meals. Meals in a bag. Instant coffee. (I want it all. I want it now.)

Overnight shipping. Faxes. Email. Instant messaging. Text messaging. Cell phones. (I want it all. I want it now.)

DVD's that tape one show while you watch another. The newest Wii. The latest video game. A really, really big screen TV. (I want it all. I want it now.)

And heaven forbid if we have to wait in line. Do people not know how important I am? I have places to be. Things to do. I do not have time to wait. (I want it all. I want it now.)

Patience. Waiting. Okay, I am not always good at the patience part. But I do try. I think we lack patience and the ability to wait because we are putting so much "activity" into each day.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Are you in an "I want it all. I want it now" mode? Are you short on patience? If you have to wait just a few minutes, does it throw your whole day off? Are your days so full of "activity" that you have no time to live?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

To my glorious God and Savior, I come before you and for this brief time retreat from a hectic world. I come asking for the strength to live my life in such a way that it is of worth to you. I do need patience. Patience to live in a hectic world and not to forget what is truly important. Lord, teach me to wait. To wait and not develop an "I want it all. I want it now" attitude. Allow my eyes to see all the blessings I have and the patience to wait for all of the blessings you have in store for me. … Amen

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday dear Mary, Happy Birthday to me.

Did you guess that it is my birthday? I am 62 today and counting. I love birthdays. It reminds me that I am special. That God made me. Is that not the most amazing thought? God made each of us -- each unique.

When it is your birthday, celebrate. Enjoy. We are God's sons and daughters. Now how much better can it get? Enjoy today's blog, Mary

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE

TODAYS SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 6:9

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be they name.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE

Sometimes I enjoy driving by myself. I can listen to the music I want. Or listen to a sermon. I can drive in silence. Or I can talk with God. That is what happened the other morning.

It was early. Barely daylight. I said, "Good morning God."

I wondered how many people were praying at that very moment. I wondered what that would sound like.

"O Lord. What does it sound like? So many prayers being said at one time. So many people asking for help. So many people sending up praise. So many languages. What does it sound like?" -- And I thought, "I can only imagine."

"What is it like to see your children turn from your way? What does it feel like to see even one of your sheep lost?" -- And I thought, "I can only imagine."

"What does it feel like to see a child born? To see new life and then to see that life taken in anger. Or neglect." -- And, with tears in my eyes, I thought, "I can only imagine."

"As you look at this great world, what does it feel like to hear words spoken in anger? To see your sons hungry? To see your daughters thirsty?" -- And I thought, "I can only imagine."

"What did it feel like to watch your Son nailed to a cross? To watch your Son die?" -- And, thankfully, I thought, "I can only imagine."

"What did you feel as your Son rose from the grave? To see Him alive and coming home?" -- And I thought, "I can only imagine."

"What does it sound like to hear thousands of voices singing? Joyfully singing songs of praise. Declaring You the Most High. The One True God. What does it sound like? Is it music to your ears?" -- And I thought, "I can only imagine."

"What does it feel like to see one of your treasured children come back to you? Like something missing has been returned?" -- And I thought, "I can only imagine."

"God, what do you feel when you -- See tears of joy? Hear the laughter of a child? See people reading the Bible? Watch someone slip from earthly life into eternal life? How does it feel when one of your children opens their heart to accept your offer of peace, comfort, hope and grace? God, what do you feel when you see one of your children reach out their hand to another?" -- And, with a humble heart, I said, "I can only imagine."

(Today there are no questions and no beginning prayer. Take time to talk to God. He will listen. He is waiting for you.)