Blessings

 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

—-James 1:17, NKJV

Gather to Give Thanks

I rarely sit down just to watch TV. But sometimes a story or a sentence or a phrase or even one word catches my attention as I pass a TV. For example, this week, I’ve heard the word Friendsgiving used by different people in various situations. I finally sat down long enough to look it up on the Internet. *

I learned that it was first used in 2007 but wasn’t added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary until January 2020. Basically, it’s the day you choose to celebrate an informal Thanksgiving with your friends. It can be in addition to or in lieu of the traditional Thanksgiving celebration you have with your family on the fourth Thursday in November.

I’m all for celebrating with friends as well as with family. But I hope that Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving gatherings will remind us to thank God for the loved ones and the countless other special blessings He sends into our lives every day.  May each celebration be more than an opportunity to stuff ourselves with delicious food or to show off our homes and cooking skills. May it be a time when all who gather together around a bountiful table gratefully acknowledge the One from whom all blessings come. May He be the Guest of Honor. May all that’s said and done be pleasing to Him.

*   https://www.delish.com/food-news/a33957858/what-is-friendsgiving/

Need Wisdom? Ask God for It.

Since I’m often unsure which option to choose, I turn to this verse again and again:

One recent morning, I reread that verse and then wrote these words  in my journal: 

If I need wisdom--and I do!--I can ASK God for it. Just come right out and ask Him. He's always generous; and, as the Bible says in other passages,* He  gives good gifts to His children. In fact, I think we honor Him when we seek His counsel. Seeking His thoughts on a matter indicates that we believe He will help us by giving us counsel that is "spot on."

If we turn quickly and often to Him, we won't worry nearly as much. We can go confidently through life, facing each challenge that confronts us because we believe He will gladly and generously give us the wisdom we need. We simply ask in faith and then wait--all senses open--to receive His counsel and then set about doing what He tells us to do.

*Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13; James 1:17