Monday, November 21, 2011

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving Squared?)

A grateful spirit should ever be cultivated by the Christian; and especially after deliverances we should prepare a song for our God. Earth should be a temple filled with the songs of grateful saints, and every day should be a censor smoking with the sweet incense of thanksgiving (Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Morning, November 20).
Whether you are celebrating American Thanksgiving this week or not, may God grant you a heart full of song and weeks full of that "sweet incense of thanksgiving."

(If you are not feeling particularly grateful right now, this post on Ecclesiastes and Thanksgiving might interest you.)

God has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ," but He has also given so many gifts in the here and now. This week I'm returning thanks to Him for the following and more:
~a grateful heart
~implant finished at last and mouth adjusting well
~oral ulcers responded very quickly to treatment and weren't caused by lupus
~unexpected grace
~half-inch rain (twice!)
~mourning with mourners
~challenging words calling to growth
~husband enjoying new friendships
~first batch of cranberry sauce
~my grandmother's quilt
Ebony apparently likes it too.
~peppermint Oreos
~earworms, when they're pleasant ones
~kind inquiries and prayers
~mud-happy, cat-chasing canine "fun" outside
~hot tea on a chilly day
~prayer updates, some hard eucharisteos
~enjoying new BookSneeze review book
~husband's counsel to troubled sister
~sad trials made harder for friends, trust
~dissatisfaction making ready for growth
~laughing together over an old Cosby Show episode
~Christmas presents for my little Longhorn nephews
No spoilers here. They don't even know what a blog is. :)
~"Pioneer Spirit" rose still budding with beauty

~an amazing answer to prayer for a cancer patient's release from the hospital for Thanksgiving
~two meals' worth of husband-grilled chicken
~quiet weekend with no overtime for him
~celebrating a friend's good news
~you lovely crumbles!
(gratitude journal, #2216-2243)

{If this proves my only post for the week or I seem quiet in the comments, please don't worry. I'm trying to behave myself and rest before family time Thursday.}


Linking to dear Ann at Holy Experience: