Overflowing With Thanskgiving

A dear friend described it this way, "My life is so full at times I feel my heart is going to explode." David wrote in Psalm 23 that his cup was running over. This is what I am experiencing as Thanksgiving approaches. The anticipation and preparation and even memories of the past are wonderful beyond words.

I love my family. I love being together. Although we live within walking distance, because of the time and our schedules we live in we seldom get to spend a whole day together. But on Thanksgiving we stop everything and give thanks and eat and play games and do puzzles and laugh. It is always a wonderful time.

I have started to make lists of things I am thankful for and usually get to cover one subcategory before I realize I need to make an appointment or something else. Bottom line is there are simply too many blessings to ever count. That is true of most of us, probably all of us.

I am thankful to LORD for all His blessings, that William Bradford, the governor of the Plymouth colony recognized it back in 1623, That President George Washington proclaimed it in 1779 and that President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation in 1863 for the third Thursday of November be a day of Praise to a beneficent Father Who dwelleth in the Heavens.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Many thoughts run through my mind as we approach Thanksgiving. It is a National Holiday here. It is about our story as a nation, how God was involved in our history and how blessed we are.

I have thought about the people God has placed in my life recently, how blessed I am by them and how thankful I am for them.

Food and Clothing is something here in the United States that we take for granted. The Pilgrims on the Mayflower did not. They gave thanks to Almighty God for what they called the treasures of the sea, the clams they were able to dig up from Plymouth's shore and eat to sustain themselves. That first winter they lost half of the people who came with them. Yet they gave thanks.

So strong was our nation's sentiment 150 years ago that President Abraham Lincoln signed a Proclamation stating that the fourth Thursday of each November be a day set aside for giving thanks to Almighty God for His blessings upon this land.

This will be my 55th Thanksgiving. Each year the number of blessings grow. About 20 family members will be around the table this year, my greatest blessings. We give thanks to the LORD for He has been good to us and His mercy endures forever!

Old Man Winter

With the unseasonably cold today many folks have been speaking of winter. I am used to being called crazy so here goes. I love winter. I enjoy bundling up and going out in the brisk air. The enjoy the winter holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day and birthdays of loved ones. I love sleigh riding. Hot weather and I don't get along. I dread the heat. I love snow. I love going out on a crisp winter's day and shoveling the white stuff. I have gone a number of times to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. I am a kid at heart. I love New York at Christmas.

When I was in High School I ran winter track. We were called all kinds of names by fellow students. They thought we were out of our minds. Running in freezing weather must have acclimated me to the cold because I love it. I just had to speak a few words for Old Man Winter. He has taken quite a beating today.

Horn of Plenty

Like no nation on earth America has been blessed. It is the month of Thanksgiving. Today I hung our Horn of Plenty Banner out on the lawn. It represents the overflowing harvest from this year. I heard my good friend Bobby Lloyd say yesterday, "Just travel outside this country. Go to some third world country and you'll see how blessed we are here in America. You'll come back and want to kiss the ground." That has happened to me. I realize how blessed I am to be an American.

Tomorrow I'll vote. It looks like tomorrow will be an historic election. We choose our leaders. We, the people...

My family was together last night and we will be together later this evening to celebrate a birthday. Just being together is wonderful beyond words. I am blessed to have a family like I do.

I was at church yesterday morning. Our church is not large in numbers or money, but it has a heart as big as any church I have ever been to. Watching the congregation care for each other like they do without any program or prescribed strategy to push them or drive them is a blessing to me as their pastor. We are not perfect; rather far from it. We are sinners saved by grace. Love covers a multitude of sins.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I prefer to call it a holy day. If you look at the history of it you will understand why.

This evening my heart is very full with blessings. I am thankful for my country, my family my church and my friends, many of whom are reading this now. God bless you!