Bless You

“Thank God! His love never quits. Thank the God of all gods. His love never quits. Thank the Lord of all lords. His love never quits.” [i]

Trade thankfulness (gratitude) for worry on Thanksgiving Day (and always):[ii]

“An objective look at the facts would likely confirm that ninety-five percent of the things we worry about never come to pass…Trading worry for thankfulness allows us to observe God’s track record instead. And what we see in stark contrast. Even in suffering we find His reliability flawless and unfailing.

Thanksgiving helps us look to the past with appreciation, filling our hearts with awe at what He’s done in our lives, even when worry was convincing us He wasn’t.

Gratitude keeps us attuned to the positives of what He’s doing in our present circumstances, rather than being defeated or side-tracked into believing the worst. Thankfulness is not a trick to ignore the pain of reality. It keeps worry from interpreting life through a faulty lens.”[iii]

Here are three fun facts about Thanksgiving (for discussion at your “Turkey Day” table):

1.     In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

2.  It has been celebrated as a federal holiday every year since 1863, when, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens", to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.

3.    In 1924, the annual Thanksgiving parade started by Louis Bamberger in Newark, New Jersey at the Bamberger's store was transferred to New York City by Macy's. In New York, the employees marched to Macy's flagship store on 34th Street dressed in vibrant costumes.[iv]

This celebration should be one of encouraging others (in service). God bless you (and those you love) with abundant hope straight from the Advice Blogger [v] and his family: Robert, Bobbi, Allena, and the Chihuahuas (Chico, Rosco, and Lola).

Bobbi, me, and Allena

Lola

Chico and Rosco

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[i] Psalm 136:1-3, MSG

[ii] The expression “bless you” is used to wish a person blessing in situations like a sneeze or in expressing and writing a farewell speech (valediction). The German word for this phrase is “Gesundheit.”

[iii] Adapted from The Love Dare: Day by Day by Stephen and Alex Kendrick, “Day 86:  Love Is Thankful”

[iv] This was taken from Google Question and Answers.

[v] Did you know this fun fact? According to the New Dictionary of American Slang, a “kinker” is a circus performer, which explains why the craziness in my home belongs in a circus  (or a zoo).