A Mother’s Guide to Celebrating Thanksgiving

by Cynthia L Simmons | Nov 23, 2018 | Thanksgiving Holiday

Celebrating thanksgiving falls to moms.

Here’s my problem:

If I give in to my tendencies, I’m like a kitten, fluffing up my pillows and getting comfortable. So naming off my blessings takes effort. Putting together meals takes effort, and cleaning up takes effort.

A brown jar sits on my desk that says, “Things I’m thankful for.” I have put several slips of paper in there, which is good. But I have to work hard at celebrating thanksgiving.

I am glad we have one holiday that calls for us to sit down and thank God. 

 I suspect that most of us see Thanksgiving as a bridge to Christmas, and we almost miss the importance because we get caught up in the work, the guests, the meal, and the mess. 

Let’s check out what the Bible says.

Did you realize Scripture uses the word praise 250 times, and the word thanks appears 117 times, so clearly, it’s important.

Not all of those are commands. A few are statements by the psalmist or by the author, however, we have lots of commands to pray.

 Here are some examples:

Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

 (Col. 4:2 ESV)

1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5:18 ESV)

Karen Whiting is my guest today. Like me, she has five grown children and she overflows with tips on the Bible and practical tips. She’s going to help make celebrating Thanksgiving fun.

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