Thanksgiving Grace

Freedom from Want by Norman Rockwell

I found this lovely prayer online. I would love to give credit where credit is due, but I can't locate where I found it originally. When I read it to Russell, he agreed that it is, perfect!

Lord, bless this gathering of our family, a circle of strength and love.

We are a close-knit group of fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and more. With every birth and every union, the circle grows. Every joy shared adds more love. Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger.

Help us realize how much we mean to each other each and every day and guide us so that our bond of love lasts eternally.

Look down on us Lord and surround us all with your divine guidance and love so that we may continue to be blessed by our children. Grant us the wisdom to embrace their innocence and see the world through their eyes with simple wonder so that we might not take for granted one single moment of the miracle that is life.

We thank you for the many blessings and great abundance in our lives. As we gather to celebrate this Thanksgiving, let us remember to share with others and keep the spirit of giving ongoing throughout the year.

We Thank Thee, Heavenly Father, for all things bright and good. Please bless this loving family… our lives, our health, our food. We ask these things in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

It's all about the stuffing

One of the hot topics of discussion before and after thanksgiving is stuffing. Newspapers are stuffed with Grocery store ads the week before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving, newspapers are stuffed with ads for "black Friday". When it comes to the actual Thanksgiving feast there is talk of stuffing the turkey an of being stuffed ourselves. This brings me to my main point.

You would think that the stuffing we use to stuff our turkey would be a fairly basic. However, it seems, that (myself included) are often passionate about what kind of stuffing they prefer. There are all sorts of varieties of stuffing! Many people shudder at the thought of actually stuffing a turkey, and they make it completely separate from their turkey! Others stuff the turkey, and then even make extra.

There are many varieties of stuffing:

Oyster Stuffing

Cornbread Stuffing

Box Stuffing

Box Stuffing doctored so that it is absolutely delicious

Bread Stuffing

Sausage Stuffing

This list expands significantly when you realize that there are dozens of recipes an varieties of each kind listed. People are passionate about their favorite stuffing. Those who are "traditionalists" are often emphatic about "what is the best stuffing". I know I am! After marrying, I rarely have been able to enjoy the stuffing from my childhood... my family's "recipe" has been use for decades.

It's gotten to the point that my Mother, sister and I refer to it with a sort of reverence that can only be compared fans of NASCAR, or Fans of the NFL, NBA or MLB. My sister brings a dish of stuffing to my Mother every year. My Mother is in a nursing home, and when asked if she would like us to bring her a plate, she says... just bring me some stuffing. I totally get that, an always feel a bit petulant when I on't get any!

So this year, I'm gonna stuff a turkey and save it for myself. My husband's family will have their traditional stuffing, which is delicious in it's own right. And I'll have mine.... and maybe I'll share!

What kind of stuffing do you like?

Thanksgiving Blessings

After a tumultuous year, filled with a broad spectrum of emotions, blessings and fears... we are incredibly blessed. God is loving and merciful, and in the spirit of true Thanksgiving, I came across this Thanksgiving Prayer (author unknown) online. I feel that it is absolutely perfect:

Lord, bless this gathering of our family, a circle of strength and love.

We are a close-knit group of fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and more. With every birth and every union, the circle grows. Every joy shared adds more love. Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger.

Help us realize how much we mean to each other each and every day and guide us so that our bond of love lasts eternally.

Look down on us Lord and surround us all with your divine guidance and love so that we may continue to be blessed by our children. Grant us the wisdom to embrace their innocence and see the world through their eyes with simple wonder so that we might not take for granted one single moment of the miracle that is life.

We thank you for the many blessings and great abundance in our lives. As we gather to celebrate this Thanksgiving, let us remember to share with others and keep the spirit of giving ongoing throughout the year.

We Thank Thee, Heavenly Father, for all things bright and good. Please bless this loving family… our lives, our health, our food. We ask these things in Jesus’ name.

Amen

I share this with you, your loved ones and not so loved ones.... in the spirit of true Thanksgiving. Love one another.. no matter what. Cherish each day. Keep the faith.

God Bless each and every one of you....

Annie