Oh No - Not Another Thanksgiving Post! (Oh, Yes!)

Among the hundreds of things I am thankful for, one that comes to mind over and over again is my “small group” from church.  The church I attend is rather large, with an attendance upward of 5,000 on any given Sunday, just at our main campus!  These small groups allow us to connect with other people in a more intimate way outside of attending church on Sunday.  We basically “do life” together.  It is always God-centered; this is a place where we are able to share our highest highs and our lowest lows without fear of being judged or ridiculed.  We are supportive and encouraging of each other, and speaking truth in love to one another is ever-present.

I recently sent out an e-mail to the group as part of a thread that was circulating, and one of my sisters encouraged me that its content would make great blog material, so I took that as a prompting from the Holy Spirit to share this message.

Even though we are only a couple days away from celebrating Thanksgiving, giving thanks is something that goes beyond one day out of the year.  The message is short(-ish), so I hope you’ll continue reading.  I would love to know your thoughts…

I got a little curiosity going in my brain and looked up the words "thanks" and "give" - this may not be new to anyone else, but I know for me there are so many words/phrases I use daily that I really don't even think of the meaning behind them.

Thanks - 

to express gratitude, appreciation or acknowledgement to

Give -

to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation

Did you get that?  

"without expecting compensation"

I know that I have been guilty of giving Him thanks out of a sense of obligation, AND in the hope that if I do so He will compensate me with the "desires of my heart" (which aren't necessarily in line with His will for me). 

But that's not how it's supposed to go.

We are to be thankful in ALL things. 

Check this out from scripture:

Not just when we get a prayer answered.

Not just when we are blessed with something awesome.

Not just when things are going our way! 

In ALL things.

In the hurt and pain; in the pit when we are there.  Yes, especially there.

Because although it is unpleasant and sometimes almost seems unbearable, we who belong to Him know He is working it all out for good - for HIS good. And THAT is the *ultimate* thing to give thanks for (in my opinion). Knowing that He is all powerful and working everything out for GOOD. 

On that note, I do sincerely hope you all have a beautiful, blessed Thanksgiving celebration with your families and friends. I pray that it will be Day One of the next 365 that you will continually give thanks to God. 

{{P. S. - I have a favorite blog writer and author, Ann Voskamp, who has written a book on the very subject of giving thanks in all things. Visit her blog here, and read about her book here.  I don't think you'll regret it.}}

Things November: Nov. 10, 2010

Life is full of surprises, and today I received a very nice one.  I am the iFellowship "featured friend" over on Seeds of Faith Women today!  I don't remember exactly how I stumbled across it, but I'm telling you...I could spend all day over there getting dose after dose of encouragement from my Christian sisters!  Please do go check it out (just click the button below)!

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And now for today's fun facts for November 10th:

The Few, The Proud…

The US Marine Corps celebrates its birthday on November 10th each year. This year in particular the Corps is celebrating its 235th! Hoo-Rah!

MS Windows released

Although it wouldn’t actually ship until 1985, Microsoft Corporation unveiled MS Windows on Nov. 10, 1983. Our lives haven't been the same, don't you agree?

Sunny Day, Everything’s A-OK!

In 1969, Sesame Street premiered on public broadcasting stations. If you think about it, this was pre-school teaching before pre-school was cool! My favorite character is, of course, Big Bird. He is big and lovable and always kind. Who's your favorite character? (Below is a picture of the original cast!)

Famous Birthdays: Martin Luther, Miranda Lambert (my personal favorite female Country singer!)

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I love traditional Thanksgiving foods, but sometimes it's fun to just mix it up a little bit.  Here is a recipe for a Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake that I made a couple years back for a party at work.  I like this one because you don't need a springform pan. Yum-O! (Photo borrowed from Kraft Kitchens, since we have long ago eaten ours!)

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

1-1/2 cups crushed ginger snaps 

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1-1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

HEAT oven to 325°F

MIX crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom only of 13x9-inch pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 1-1/2 cups batter. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.

SPOON half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Repeat layers; swirl with knife.

BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours.

I cut this into approximately 1" squares and put them in mini cupcake liners to make it more festive looking.

Things November

In reading poetry about November, one would think that the world is in an apocalyptic state during this time of year! All the talk about it being somber and dreary – how depressing! I don’t believe that November is either of those things.

"Even if something is left undone,

everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."

- Elizabeth Lawrence

Early November is often beautiful and golden, and then the days slowly give way to the crisp coolness that ushers in winter.

There is excitement in the air at the thought of gathering with friends and family. There is food – oh, MY…there is definitely food!

November is a month in which many of us turn our focus onto thankfulness. We become more aware of our blessings, and very often feel led to reach out and bless others. In this spirit, I am going to embark on my first “series” of sorts. Throughout the month, I will post about “Things November”. You may find a variety of things including interesting tidbits of history and trivia, thoughts on thankfulness and blessings, and maybe even a recipe or two.

I hope you will join me on this journey and share with me your own thoughts. So, until we meet here again tomorrow, dear friends, I wish you love and happiness.