Today is the national day of Thanksgiving. In October of 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, […]
Thanksgiving
It is wonderful to receive an anonymous gift. I have been humbled by various generous people who decided […]
To have a national day set aside to simply give thanks to God is such a wonderful and […]
We all know that when things are going bad, when times are tough, and when the struggle is […]
The people of God are a peculiar bunch. I really mean that, and I think it has always […]
It has been 157 years since President Abraham Lincoln issued the official proclamation designating the 4th Thursday of […]
I love Thanksgiving. I love the stuffing, the turkey, the pumpkin pie, the leftovers. I love the wine, […]
Many of us will see and have a lot less this holiday season. I’m not advocating that you […]
Turkey on the table, smiles on the faces. Family together and music in the background. And here, now we gather to give thanks. But what is it, then, that we give thanks for? Turkey on the table, smiles on the faces, family together and music in the background. Peace and comfort. Food and drink. Family and neighbors. A slice of annual happiness that we try to conjure up with some sights, sounds, and smells.
I remember getting one the greatest gifts ever when I was 8 years old. It was a Star Wars laser game. It came with a real laser gun and a motorized spinning wheel of storm trooper targets. I could not believe it when I saw it. I ripped open the box and started putting it together. I cannot remember if I even said, “Thanks,” but I knew my parents were pretty happy with my response. As a parent, nothing gives me more joy than to see my kids play and use presents I get them. I do not need any elaborate thanks. Or, another example is when my wife makes her usual wonderful meals, nothing thrills her more than the guests gobbling it down.
By Hillary Asbury –
People are sometimes very surprised to find out that my church has a service on Thanksgiving. I love it though; I grew up with it being a normal thing and for whatever reason I find it to be a very comforting service. There’s something grounding about celebrating a Christ-centered Thanksgiving. Its about something more than gorging ourselves with food, about more than time with family, and even about more than expressing gratitude for the many blessings we have enjoyed that year.
By Paul Koch –
Gathering in our Lord’s house on Thanksgiving Day is an easy thing to do. It is, after all, a national Day of Thanksgiving. And so, if you are to give thanks this is the place to do it. This is a place where you worship our Lord, a place where he gives to you his great gifts over and over again. If we are to take a day to stop working and shopping and running here and there to say, “Thank you” it is good to begin such a day here. In fact, I think it is a wonderful tradition that our country observes such a day as this. In the midst of all the political pandering and fearmongering and finger pointing, it is worth our time to stop and marvel at the blessings that we have in our lives.
By Ross Engel –
Today is the national day of Thanksgiving. In October of 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln decreed that the fourth Thursday of November would be set aside as a day to give thanks. He exclaimed in this decree,
By Paul Koch –
This day is truly a wonderful day. It is a day of family and friends, a day of food and football, a day where everyone gets a little time off from their usual grind and just stops in order to give thanks. And though our days of innocent bliss from our childhood have grown cold, though we no longer want to dress up like puritan settlers or native Americans, we still find value in a holiday like this one. We may have grown more cynical and skeptical about family and our traditions but still there is something that we think is good about taking time to simply give thanks. It is good to give thanks for this great country we live in, to give thanks for those who make our lives better, richer and more exciting, to give thanks for the many gifts we’ve received for our heavenly Father.
By Paul Nelson –
Christians have the Bible. Aspiring singers have The Great American Songbook. Bartenders have a cluster of drinks that never go out of style. Being able to offer one effortlessly and quickly demonstrates that you’ve done your homework. You can do more than just pour Coca Cola and Jack Daniels into a glass over ice. There’s nothing wrong with a Jack and Coke, mind you, but some occasions call for a bit of class, a bit of savoir faire.
Enter the Manhattan. Simple. Classy. Timeless.
By Ross Engel –
As a kid, summer family vacations almost always took us to the mountains. More often than not, we’d load up the station wagon and head for the Smoky Mountains, though there were a few summers when we made the long drive out to the Rockies. I’ve always enjoyed the thin air, hiking, and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation.
By Scott Keith –
10 April 2016
Dearest Esther,
I love you. You were born 7 April 2016, and you were baptized into Christ today. When I first saw you, my heart leaped for joy. I had many of the same feelings looking at you as I did when I first saw your dad, Uncle Josh, and Aunt Autumn after they were born. But, seeing you was, in some ways, different. When I saw you, I not only rejoiced for myself and your Grandmother, but I got to celebrate with your Dad and Mom as well. You are their child, and by that, I am your Grandfather.
By Joel Hess –
Americans eat like animals
“Whoever is slothful will not roast his game.” Proverbs 12:27
What you do around food betrays what you think about yourself and the world, your weltanschauung as the Germans like to say. As Solomon observed above, the fool cannot wait to roast his catch. He just digs right in…like an animal. Don’t be a fool.
By Jaime Nava –
So my wife was at a Trader Joe’s market. Zoey, our daughter, was with her. As she describes it, some guy with mad scientist hair approached her. In a non-aggressive or confrontational way he tells my wife, “You know, your daughter’s condition is correctable”. Zoey, my little three year old, has Down syndrome. She always has. She always will.
By Graham Glover – Last week was filled with four days of some epic eating, drinking, and smoking […]