Peace family, with Thanksgiving several days away, it’s a great time to gather whatever ingredients you will need, and begin cultivating a heart of thankfulness.
I know that planning a big meal can take a lot of energy out of you, so I just wanted to make a little check list. A few things my family tends to forget are ice and Cool Whip/whipped cream. We like to have crunchy snacks available, like a vegetable tray and potato chips with Lipton Onion Soup and sour cream dip. As for the meal, I have the ingredients gathered for green bean casserole, broccoli rice casserole, and I am thinking of making homemade macaroni and cheese this year! My mom is covering the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and the ham. As for dessert, pecan or pumpkin pie is another favorite in my family, and my Aunt Barb has always had a gift with making cheesecake! Also, don’t forget board games that can help draw your family together after lunch. We enjoy Apples to Apples and telephone pictionary.
Today (Monday) is also the day I will let the turkey begin to thaw out in the refrigerator, but you ought to be able to thaw it in a sink full of water a little later with thirty minutes per pound (a 12 pound turkey would take about 6 hours, and a 20 pound turkey would take about 10 hours). If you plan to buy your turkey today, a good rule to go by is to purchase a turkey with about 1 1/2 pounds of meat per person, or 2 pounds per person, if you are hosting folks with a big appetite!
As for our hearts, Peace family, what are you thankful for today? Our lives don’t have to be perfect for us to worship God with our authentic gratitude, which glorifies God. What good things has God placed in your life? Who are you thankful for? What are your material, physical, spiritual, mental, emotional and social blessings? Make a list.
If you aren’t feeling very thankful, sometimes that is the very best time to realign your focus on God, his greatness, and what he has done in your life. Remember, if you’ve invited Christ into your life, he has redeemed you and given you a new name, and is continuing to work out glory in your life, even in the boring everyday moments and the failures. He has healing, victory, and family for you, and will never abandon you. What a thing to be thankful for! And you know what Peace family? You are one of the things that I am thankful for!
May this be the cry of our hearts, as we plan ahead for our Thanksgiving gatherings: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1 (ESV)
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