Happy Thanksgiving?

Happy Thanksgiving. Is it an oxymoron this year?

So many have gone before in such harder, debilitating, desperate times, with so much more thankfulness in their hearts displayed. So much dependence, and gratitude towards God for all He has provided in the hardest of times. The great old hymns tell of it; hearts bursting with gladness for the great things He has done.

I somehow think it’s our pride, our entitlement, our own selfishness, that makes hearts turn against our Creator and dares us to not find gratitude. How dare we sacrifice our comfort, our traditions, our freedom, to benefit the elderly, the feeble, the unhealthy. No one can take these things away from us, tell us what to do, where we can go. How dare anyone try!

We have not been attacked by an enemy—that in itself would put us on one side and create unity; but we are being attacked from within, which will be humanity’s own destruction.

Heaven is weeping for the lack of discipline we show; for where is the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control? If we are to be known by our fruits, our world today is lost.

God help us all.

#happythanksgiving #godhelpus #loveoneanother #thanksgiving2020 

Great is Thy Faithfulness

 It’s been a while since I’ve just written. It’s been a long while, but here I am, doing it!

I’m always caught off-guard by the intensity of fall colors. It turns an errand or a drive into a colorful, joy-chasing adventure. How many trees do I seemingly overlook every other day of the year? I forget how yellow that tree gets, or that the orange of this tall one around the corner looks neon in the sunlight. I chomp at the bit in October thinking that we have been robbed of Fall’s glory, and then am amazed that there’s still so much color in the middle of November. The South is surprising like that.

This is the tree in front of our house. It was planted by the builders, a maple of unknown variety, and most of the homes on our street have them. Oddly enough, ours is one of the last to change from deep greens to speckles of red, to red and orange fire. I know that I will miss its leaves but can’t wait to see how much it will grow over winters’ stillness—cold winds whistling through its bare branches, then pushing roots deeper into the ground while I wait for new buds to form and push out in Spring’s glory. Someday it will provide shade on the front of our house, sweet relief from summer’s sweltering afternoon sun, but for today it’s a splash of color that brightens my vision and my mood—heavenly confetti that God sprinkles and blows.

In a world that is holding its breath for the year to end, the calendar to flip to a new year filled with hope, I’ll put my trust in God’s truths today, in His mercy never failing, in His love unending, in His joy unstoppable. Join me as we celebrate His power over death and darkness—truly, Great is His Faithfulness ...

...

Great is Thy faithfulness, 

O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! (sing with me? Here’s a link for you to enjoy and sing along!)

Where my heart is camping out today in worship...

https://youtu.be/0k1WhFtVp0o

#marinaskitchentable #greatisthyfaithfulness #fall #leaveschanging