ONE TURKEY SAVED

When you think about Thanksgiving dinner do you see a pilgrim chasing a turkey? Axe in hand, ready to do the poor fellow in. Or do you see the Norman Rockwell painting of the lady sitting the perfectly browned turkey on the table already straining under the weight of potatoes, cranberry salad, green beans and dressing? Or do you see ---

Ham?

Next week, we are off on a Thanksgiving Adventure. Six adults and seven children will be celebrating together in a cabin in Gatlinburg. This has required the strategy skills of at least a Three Star General (aka me).

We had to reserve the cabin more than a year in advance. Our children had to inform the in-law sides of their family they would not be around for Thanksgiving. This in itself can be a tricky maneuver with the potential for minor repercussions. Pulling the grandchildren out of school a day early also takes some smooth talking to those in charge of the attendance chart. These were the easy decisions.

The General's Aide (aka hubby) decided to leave Tuesday afternoon instead of Wednesday morning. That meant the General had to determine the best pick-up schedule for the two grandchildren riding in the command vehicle and arrange for Tuesday night accommodations.

The General then began assessing the grocery list. What to take from supplies on hand and what to purchase at the local commissary. Easy task? NOT! Numerous emails later, the General now knows that one family prefers strawberry jelly to grape. The Sergeant in charge of breakfast strongly expressed disdain with the hash browns on the list. Real potatoes will be served, thank you. The other Sergeant added that her army, of four boys, would consume a bit more milk and eggs, so those numbers were increased.

Have you been wondering about the ham? After taking into consideration the comments from the "But what is Thanksgiving without turkey?" supporters and the "Ham doesn't have to be thawed, taken off the bone and is a lot less work" side, the General pulled rank and said: "We shall eat ham."

Did you really read all of this? I do have a point. Time with our family is valuable. Our Thanksgiving Adventure has required planning. It has required co-operation. It will require patience pills for the General's Aide. But it will be worth it.

The reward of our year long planning will be the joy of being together as a family.

The reward of working for the Lord will be the joy of receiving an inheritance from God and being together with our family for eternity. Now that is something to work for!

TODAYS SCRIPTURE:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. Colossians 3:23-24

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

What is something you have really worked for? Do you work equally as hard for the Lord?

LET US PRAY (Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.)

Thanksgiving. What a beautiful word, Lord. Fill my heart with Thanksgiving and wrap my soul around the blessing I hold dear. My eyes behold such wonders. Trees. The night sky. Promises in the Bible. My ears hear sweet sounds. Water filling a glass. Music. Prayers. My blessings surround me. They begin when I wake. They cover me when I sleep. Thank you for ........................ Amen