On Thanksgiving Day

       Here are some ideas for giving thanks this week as you gather as family.
       Celebrate Thanksgiving Day, fix a meal together and share it with family and friends, remembering the meaning of the day.  It came about as a time to give thanks to God for getting through hard times, for bountiful harvests, and working and learning together with other people.  I invite you to take this day and make it a time of gratitude and sharing. 

Some activities for the day of Thanksgiving:

(** 2 stars indicate child friendly activities)

            **  begin the meal with prayers such as:

                 Come Lord Jesus, Be our guest, And let these gifts to us be blessed.

                 Blessed be God who is our bread, That all the world be clothed and fed.  Amen

            **  decorate a 3”x5” card on the blank side with stickers, or stamping, or pasting fall leaves.

            **  Set a card at each plate.  Have people write down things for which they give thanks.

                 Share them out loud, include them in prayers, and/or take them home as reminders.

            *   If you use Grandma’s jello bowl, or mom’s recipe for pumpkin pie, etc…, share those memories around the table.  Even better, write them down and make copies for everyone!

            **  Before or after the football game, turn off the TV and share family stories.

                 Starters: funniest thanksgiving, most embarrassing moment, most favorite, best food, worst food disaster, biggest storm…

            **  Buy blank cards and envelopes, set out markers, stamps, stickers, ribbons, etc…; decorate cards and send them to relatives who weren’t able to join you or for service men and women deployed overseas.

            **  Involve as many people as possible in making the meal from bringing dishes to share, peeling potatoes, setting the table, folding napkins… give thanks to the cooks by having the non-cooks clear the table and clean up after the meal.

            **  Take a post-dinner walk together, taking time to enjoy all of the natural wonders you find.  If walking isn't an option, take a slow and scenic drive and look for the same things.

                Variation: make a game of being the first to spy something we thank God for: a bird, pretty leaves,  a tree, animals, etc…    Bonus win to the person who spies a wild turkey!

           **  At the end of the day, take a moment to read Psalm 100 and pray a prayer of thanks.

                May God bless you all and keep you safe in your travels.