A Spirit of Thanksgiving

Halloween has come and gone...I know because the Spirit of Halloween shops are starting to close up and make way for new business...Ushering the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas (my two favorite holidays of the year). I made a comment to my wife the other day that I should start my own store called Spirit of Thanksgiving and Spirit of Christmas. In fact, I saw Christmas decorations and Thanksgiving supplies showing up at Target even before Halloween!

Thanksgiving in the U.S. is commonly traced back to the early American pilgrims who gave thanks for a good harvest. However, the true spirit of thanksgiving goes wayyyyyyyyyy farther back. In fact, the Psalmist David says, "Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song." You can read more in Psalm 95:1-2.

Leah and I dressing as Ellie and Karl from the Pixar Movie UP.

I want to remind us all as we begin preparing for Thanksgiving to not just prepare our stomachs for all the delicious turkey, mashed potato, smoked ham, and pumpkin pies...But, to also prepare our hearts in a spirit of Thanksgiving. We have soooo much to be grateful for this season. We have a roof over our heads. We have a family that lives with us. We have food every night for dinner. Not everyone is so blessed this Thanksgiving. In fact, some people will not be celebrating Thanksgiving this year. So I hope that you will stop, pray, and thank God for providing for you and your family today.

Have you stopped and prayed for the recent victims of super typhoon Haiyan? Did you know we currently support Alex Tan, a missionary in Philippines, who is in the middle of this tragedy? Please pray for Alex Tan and the victims of Haiyan. I want to write a short prayer out loud here on my blog.

"Heavenly Father. Break our heart for what breaks yours. Help us to step out of our own "daily comforts" and see how desperately the world needs you. It is unjust that some people have more than enough to eat because they were raised in wealth and some people never have enough to eat because they were raised in poverty. Please send your comforting presence to those in need this season in the Philippines and with Alex Tan as well as other countries. Our hope is found in your Gospel that you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for all mankind - rich and poor, young and old, and every man, woman, and child. God, I am thankful that you have adopted me as your son and I pray that this day many more will enter your family and kingdom. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Savior and Messiah...Amen."