Thanksgiving Thanks! 2013

Our ONLY decoration.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sometimes ideas come to us at the last minute. Today I decided that we'd read some "thankful" verses at each meal and give thanks for something different.

Breakfast 

We gave thanks for something physical (stuff we got & we had two cousins with us):

Alex - this house
Elijah - Dodge
Ava - food
Autumn - house
Josiah - Lego People
Lora - clothes
Jorja - dogs
Jacob - Daddy & Mommy
Destiny - toy cars
Dakota - air soft
Mama - soap
Daddy - hot coffee (he had just come in from hunting)

"We give thanks to you, O God; 

we give thanks, for your name is near. 

We recount your wondrous deeds." 

Psalm 75:1

Dear heavenly Father, We thank you for this beautiful, clear, cold morning. 

We thank you that you have blessed us with everything that we need. No need has gone unmet. 

We thank you for the thins we have blessed us with that make life easier. 

And we thank you for blessing us with things we enjoy, things that just make life fun, things we can play with. We thank you, Lord, for how you have bountifully blessed us. 

Thank you. In Jesus name, Amen.

A boy cousin

some girl cousins

Lunch 

We gave thanks for something relational (yes, I had to explain that):

Alex - Grandparents
Jorja - Cousins (who had just gone home)
Josiah - Toys
Lora - Mama & Daddy
Jacob - Bicycle 
Ava - Friends and Family
Elijah - Pets
Autumn - Brothers and Sisters
Daddy - Family
Mama - Homeschooling 'cause we all get to be together

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 

You are my friends if you do what I command you. 

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; 

but I have called you friends."

John 15:12-15c

O Lord, we are thankful that you call us friend. 

And we are dearly beloved. 

We thank you that you love us so much you gave your life for ours.

Lord, thank you for these children you've blessed us with and the time we get to spend with them.

Thank you for a godly marriage. Continue to strengthen us for battle. 

Thank you for all our many extended family members. ALL of them.

Mamas, Daddies, Aunts, Uncles, Brothers, Sister, Cousins, Nephews, Nieces, the fringe folks. 

 All of them.

Thank You for placing godly friends in our path to share life with.

Thank You for our ancestors and service members who made 

this day of freedom and giving thanks possible.

Thank you for Your love from above and loved ones down here.

Help us, Lord, to show Your love to others.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Supper 

We gave thanks for something spiritual (and we agreed that spiritual has a lot of vowels in it & we had to not allow "Holy Ghost/Spirit" unless they could give a reason why):

Ava - Home in Heaven
Autumn - Salvation
Elijah - Everlasting life
Alex - A saved life
Lora - Jesus
Jorja - Church
Jacob - A house
Josiah - "AAARRRRGGGHHHAAA" & making faces
Mama - The Comforter, the Holy Spirit and all that He does for us and through us.
Daddy - The Word of God

 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers,

by the mercies of God, 

to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, 

holy and acceptable to God, 

which is your spiritual worship."

Romans 12:1

Then the Daddy prayed.

Thankful that we are gathered together

We can study Your Word

Help us to truly be thankful for what we have

And that we aren't getting what we truly deserve.

Amen!

We did our giving thanks stuff at the table then gathered in the living room for some worship - we mostly followed The Family Thanksgiving Worship Time guide found at Raising Arrows. It includes links to the verses and hymn.