THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

November 25, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving!

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

Recently, I was changing my 2-year old niece's diaper after getting her up in the morning. When I finished, she said, "Thank you, Retta!"

Both she and her brother are being taught to say please and thank you. The little boy has been a little slower talking than his sister, so his parents started working with him to make him say, "Down please," when he finishes eating and wants out of his chair; which he does quite well now.

When I offer my niece a snack or something to eat, if she doesn't want it, she will wave her hands and say, "No, thank you!" Or when I want to change her diaper and she doesn't want it changed, she will say, "No, thank you!" She is polite about it! When I tell her thank you for doing something, she will often answer, "You're welcome, Retta."

They are learning manners and being taught to say, "Please," and "Thank you." It's really cute when they do so. Hopefully, those good manners will stick with them throughout life.

When I was a supervisor all of those years in banking, I found that saying please and thank you to my employees made for a much better relationship. How I worded instructions, even when I was giving orders for them to do something, determined their attitude and willingness to cooperate. By showing kindness to them, they gave me respect in return.

Having good manners and saying, "Thank you," is not the same as being thankful. You can say the right words and have good conduct, but have an ungrateful heart. You can know when to be polite, but have a bad attitude and be critical and negative. You can be bitter and angry and be easily offended, but know when to say please and thank you. You can even say, "Thank you, Lord," or speak the right words at the right time of what you think people expect you to say, yet not truly feel thankful.

There are many scriptures regarding being thankful and giving thanks! It's when we truly choose to live a life of thankfulness, that we will have peace, regardless of our situation. We learn to focus on God, not our circumstances. Our Father knows the importance of giving thanks and being thankful, therefore, He gives us His Word to guide us and teach us how to do so.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High." Psalm 7:17

"I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds." Psalm 9:1

"I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5

Being thankful is more than saying the right words, but it's an attitude and mindset. It's knowing God and living a life of worship. Worship comes from a grateful heart. You can't truly worship God with your whole-heart if you are ungrateful. But out of your innermost being flows worship when you give thanks to the Lord; and praise His name and glorify Him with thanksgiving.

I'm thankful for my relationship with Jesus! I'm thankful for a godly husband who loves me and is faithful to me. I'm thankful for having a loving family and wonderful friends. I'm thankful that I'm healthy and strong. I'm thankful that neither Jon nor I have been sick this past year and neither of us have had to go to the doctor. I'm thankful that Jon has a wonderful job with a godly employer; and thankful that I get to babysit and do what I love. I'm thankful for a good church with an awesome pastor. I'm thankful for a good, safe home; and that soon Jon and I will have our mortgage paid off. I'm thankful for two dependable vehicles. I'm thankful that all our needs are met and we have money in the bank. I'm thankful for food in our pantry and freezers, and that I know how to cook delicious meals. I'm thankful, grateful, and blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving! Take time to look up scriptures on being thankful, and meditate on them. Think about prayers that God has answered for you this past year, and give Him thanks. Think about your family and what you have, and be thankful. May you truly feel as if you are, also, thankful, grateful, and blessed!

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

Loretta mentioned how people can say "Thanks" without truly feeling thankful. I've known quite a few people who can say "I'm sorry" without an ounce of sincerity, too. And that's something very different from repentance. God calls us to repentance, not simply lip service.

Love is the same. We can say "love ya". But if we don't truly feel it, it means nothing. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love others, not just to claim we do. We are also commanded to be thankful, and to be repentant for our past sins.

All three work together. And if we truly embrace one, the others should come easily. If one is harder for you to feel, try focusing on one or both of the others, then come back to it. Eventually, we can be truly thankful, repentant, and loving all at the same time.

ON THE MENEWE:

Sweet Potato Casserole

(This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes!)

Canned sweet potatoes can be used in this recipe; just remember to drain the juice off.

Fresh sweet potatoes are much better. Bake at 400 oven for about an hour, until soft. Allow to cook enough to handle, then peel and mash.

Add all ingredients together and pour into a 9x13 pan.

Topping:

Melt the butter; add all ingredients of topping together. Add evenly over the top of casserole.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

Many of us have Thanksgiving traditions that we cherish; and most of those likely revolve around family. Even if those traditions have changed over the years, due to life circumstances and changes, we still have memories of Thanksgivings from previous years.

I have spent Thanksgiving with family every year, except for one. It's always been a time of sitting around the table eating a big meal, visiting, laughing, and spending time with those I love. There are certain foods that I associate with the day, and some that I only have once a year on Thanksgiving. Turkey, dressing, gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, broccoli & rice casserole..... just to name a few. Actually, those foods stand out to me much more than the desserts do. Pie isn't my favorite (I know.... I'm weird!), so pumpkin pie or pecan pie isn't something that I look forward to. I'd much rather fill up on the "real" food.

This year, with COVID and quarantine, I know that this holiday will be much different for many families. Some are disappointed to not be able to spend the day with family. There are those who normally travel, but are having to stay home this year. Some families may still be getting together, but have some members missing, due to sickness or quarantining. My heart goes out to each family who are having to make adjustments to how they celebrate Thanksgiving this year; and it will be a lonely year for some.

However you may be spending Thanksgiving this year, take a few moments to read a Psalm and give thanks to God for blessings that you have experiences this year. There is always something that we can be grateful for. Don't allow your disappointment to overwhelm you. Count your blessings and be encouraged!

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

No matter how stressed you are, never lose sight of how blessed you are. - unknown

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org