Tag / Thanksgiving

symbols of thanksgiving
by Karen Twinem

Write Down Your Blessings This Thanksgiving

Parts of the world are at war. We may be missing loved ones. And the cost of Thanksgiving may be much higher than last year. Nonetheless, the Lord has been so good to us.

Today, let’s look with intention at what’s right and how God has blessed us. Listing our blessings helps us to stay focused on what is good in our lives. You can write it on a piece of paper, a computer screen or a pumpkin!

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

For example, I am thankful to the Lord for:

  • MRIs and CAT scans that finally show what’s wrong that can be fixed.
  • Our marriage that has remained solid despite everything.
  • Food, water and a warm house.
  • My granddaughter and the miracles of technology that allow us to spend time together.
  • My wonderful kids.
  • A more consistent Christian mindfulness practice.
  • My spiritual director, small group leaders and pastors.

And there’s lots more on my list. Please make one yourself and spend time thanking God for what you have. You will feel much better.

It might be fun to keep it, so you can compare it to next year’s list.

You also can create a list of unanswered prayers to compare. This year I am praying for healing, increased understanding of God’s will and visiting my family.

by Karen Twinem

More Thanks, Less Stuffing

Thanksgiving is America’s greatest unique contribution to celebrations. Ideally we stop, reflect and give thanks for all the blessings we’ve received. More often, we stuff ourselves and watch football. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Long ago, I decided to turn Thanksgiving into a 10-day celebration of gratitude. More thanks, less stuffing. This brings a dose of mindfulness and generosity into the holiday. It’s an easy plan, and it’s made a big difference for me.

10 Days Before Thanksgiving: Thank the people at home, pointing out their best qualities.

9 Days Before: Send thank you cards to people who have been especially important in your life this year. Think of relatives, special friends, authors, ministers, doctors and service providers.

8 Days Before: Put up your Thanksgiving decorations. Start a gratitude pumpkin, as pictured above.

7 Days Before: List your blessings this year and thank God for them.

Saturday Before: Watch a movie about Thanksgiving or one that celebrates gratitude. We often watch Thanksgiving episodes of TV shows. Our favorites are “Turkeys Away'” from “WKRP in Cincinnati” and “Giblets for Murray” on “Mad About You.” (Both involve airborne turkeys.) For a list of 10 great episodes from USA Today, click here.

Sunday Before: Contribute to a food pantry or charity serving the hungry.

Monday Before: Spend 30 minutes thanking God for answered prayers.

Tuesday Before: Make a place card for each person coming to your dinner, stating why you are thankful for them.

Wednesday Before: Pray to God for things you haven’t received yet.

If you have the opportunity to attend a church service for Thanksgiving, put it on your calendar!

Gratitude is a key component to a happy life. And it’s essential to the Christian walk. I would love to hear any other traditions that you use to fill the Thanksgiving holidays with more thanks. I might even adopt some of them!

thankful grateful blessed in script
by Karen Twinem

This Thanksgiving Write Down Your Blessings

Parts of the world are at war. We may be missing loved ones. And the cost of Thanksgiving may be much higher than last year. Nonetheless, the Lord has been so good to us.

Today, let’s look with intention at what’s right and how God has blessed us. Listing our blessings helps us to stay focused on what is good in our lives. You can write it on a piece of paper, a computer screen or a pumpkin!

For example, I am thankful to the Lord for:

  • MRIs and CAT scans that finally show what’s wrong that can be fixed.
  • Our marriage that has remained solid despite everything.
  • Food, water and a warm house.
  • My granddaughter and the miracles of technology that allow us to spend time together.
  • My wonderful kids.
  • A more consistent Christian mindfulness practice.
  • My spiritual director, small group leaders and pastors.

And there’s lots more on my list. Please make one yourself and spend time thanking God for what you have. You will feel much better.

It might be fun to keep it, so you can compare it to next year’s list.

You also can create a list of unanswered prayers to compare. This year I am praying for healing, increased understanding of God’s will and visiting my family.

You also can make a gratitude pumpkin for your table! Just list your blessings on a pumpkin. It’s fun.

by Karen Twinem

Prepare for Advent

The first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It’s a great time to make sure you have your supplies, books and ideas ready for the season.

Having a mindful Christian Advent is a time of joy and wonder. It’s a quiet time spent intentionally concentrating on the miracle of Jesus’ birth rather than the commercial version of Christmas. This kind of Advent is build peace instead of panic.

two books for Advent

Some ideas for Advent prep include:

  • Get or make Advent candles. (We are doing beeswax candles from a kit this year. You can find the kit here.)
  • Purchase an Advent calendar or stock up one if you have a reusable model.
  • Get the Advent wreath out of storage … or buy one.
  • Order a new Advent devotional or order new ones. This year I’m using two favorites: “Preparing for Christmas” by Richard Rohr and “Living in Joyful Hope” by Suzanne M. Lewis.
  • Get out your Christmas music.
  • Organize children’s Christmas books.
  • Pick the name of a saint or devout Christian. You can study their life during the season. I’m doing Henri Nouwen this year.
by Karen Twinem

Make Blessing Bags

Making blessing bags for homeless people is a nice addition to your Thanksgiving holiday. We all know Thanksgiving should be much more than turkey, football and family close-encounters. An approach based on Christian mindfulness turns the day into a celebration of gratitude and a chance to help others.

Blessing bags can be in your car or your bag (if you take a train or bus around town) all year. When you see a homeless person asking for money, you can ask them if they would like the bag.

A Blessing Bag

Use a see-through container – either a large ZipLock bag or a see-through plastic bag. Then fill it with items to feed and help the homeless, such as:

  • Warm socks
  • Gloves
  • Hat
  • Face masks
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Beef jerky
  • Trail mix
  • Granola bars
  • Peanut butter crackers
  • Mints
  • Lip balm
  • A washcloth
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Single-dose packs of pain reliever
  • Band-Aids
  • Comb and brush
  • Bottled water
  • Hand warmers
  • Deodorant
  • Soap
  • Shampoo
  • Tampons for women
  • Fast food restaurant gift cards
  • A few dollars
  • A note of blessing (You can buy a pack of blessing notes at Hobby Lobby.)

If you keep a place in your home for blessing bag materials, you can put packages you get at the dentist and other freebies in the bag. Assembling these bags can make a great Thanksgiving activity for kids and other family members.

Other aspects of a mindful Christian Thanksgiving can include:

  • Send thank you cards to people who have made your life better this year.
  • Create a gratitude pumpkin for your table.
  • Spend time writing down your blessings.
  • Thank God for answered prayers.

by Karen Twinem

Let’s Build the City of God

Hildegard of Bingen … a woman so far ahead of her time … gives us good advice for today. As we stay in our homes, she urges us to build the City of God.

We can do it in Christian mindfulness. We can do it when we cling to Jesus and his vision of eternal peace on Earth.

Hildegard believed that God is generous toward those who, in good times and bad, faithfully work to build the City of God. These people avoid destructive quarrels, hatred and envy. They work with a calm attitude doing good for others.

Being kind of everyone at home. Being patient with pandemic restrictions. Spending free time in prayer and spiritual reading. All this can help us to build the City of God at home.

by Karen Twinem

A Brief Prayer for Thanksgiving 2020

Give us, Lord, a love that is greater than our fear.

Thank you for Earth, our loved ones and all your creation.

Amen

by Karen Twinem

Think the World Needs Prayer?

To walk into Thanksgiving with Christian mindfulness, we need to remember two things:

  1. Our purpose on Earth is to glorify God.
  2. God says prayer is important.

Today, on the day before our pandemic Thanksgiving, take some time to go before God with your unanswered prayers. The nation, the world, the sick and the healthy all need our prayers today.

I feel we also need to pray for healing of our image of God. He is loving, never vulgar, never hateful. He wants to spend time with us. He wants us to give him time in gratitude and praise, so He can work on our minds and our ways.

The image of God and the church has been blackened for too many in recent years in the United States. We have linked political expediency to God’s will. God is not shy about telling us that He expects us to love our neighbors, not to view them with suspicion and hatred.

It’s time to see what God says to us about our role in resolving these unanswered prayers. We can only do that through time for prayer and thanksgiving. May peace come to our hearts and to our nation.

by Karen Twinem

Prepare for Advent

The first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It’s a great time to make sure you have your supplies, books and ideas ready for the season.

Having a mindful Christian Advent is a time of joy and wonder. It’s a quiet time spent intentionally concentrating on the miracle of Jesus’ birth rather than the commercial version of Christmas. This kind of Advent is build peace instead of panic.

two books for Advent

Some ideas for Advent prep include:

  • Get or make Advent candles. (We are doing beeswax candles from a kit this year. You can find the kit here.)
  • Purchase an Advent calendar or stock up one if you have a reusable model.
  • Get the Advent wreath out of storage … or buy one.
  • Order a new Advent devotional or order new ones. This year I’m using two favorites: “Preparing for Christmas” by Richard Rohr and “Living in Joyful Hope” by Suzanne M. Lewis.
  • Get out your Christmas music.
  • Organize children’s Christmas books.
  • Pick the name of a saint or devout Christian. You can study their life during the season. I’m doing Henri Nouwen this year.
thank you signage
by Karen Twinem

Use the Mail to Say Thanks

The U.S. Postal Service has been a great blessing in pandemic life. This Thanksgiving, use it to bless others.

Sit in prayer and contemplate the people who have made your life better during this year. Then send them a card or a hand-written note to tell them how much you appreciate them.

Remember to thank doctors, nurses and health care providers, as well as those who work in senior care facilities.

It’s special to get thanks through the mail, especially when you don’t expect it. Spreading love and gratitude is godly this season. So extend your Thanksgiving by reaching through quarantine to give your thanks.