Among Friends

[gloriajean]

Happy Thanksgiving to  you, one and all!! Here's hoping you all enjoy the day and remember to give Thanks to our God Who gives us all!  

There is much wisdom in knowing what to overlook.  Lord, may I take

every opportunity to praise and choose carefully when I feel the need

to criticize.

S C R I P T U R E   F O R   T H E   D A Y  

"So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love,
and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them."
~John 4:16

M E D I T A T I O N   F O R   T H E   D A Y  

A consciousness of God's presence as one who loves us can make all life
different.  The consciousness of God's love can promote the opening of
our whole being to God.  It can bring wonderful relief from the cares
and worries of our daily lives.  Relief can bring peace and peace can
bring contentment.  We can try to walk in God's love.  We can have a
contentment that no one can take from us.  We can feel sure of God's
unfailing love and care for us and for all God's children.  There is
freedom and serenity in those who walk in God's love, held safe in God's
loving care.

P R A Y E R   F O R   T H E   D A Y  

I pray that I may walk in God's love.  I pray that, as I go, I may feel
the spring of God's power in my steps and the joy of God's love in my
heart.

The I Am´s of Jesus

JOHN 6:35 
JESUS SAID: "I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE; 
anyone who comes to me shall not hunger, and anyone who believes in me shall never thirst. 

JOHN 8:12 
JESUS SAID: "I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD; anyone who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 

JOHN 8:58 
JESUS SAID: "Truly, truly I say to you, BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM." 

JOHN 10:11 
JESUS SAID: "I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." 

JOHN 11:25 
JESUS SAID: "I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE; anyone who believes in me, even though they die, yet shall they live." 

JOHN 14:6 
JESUS SAID: "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; no one comes to the Father, but by me." 

JOHN 15:1 
JESUS SAID: "I AM THE VINE, 
and my Father is the Vinedresser." 

JOHN 18:4 
"Then Jesus, knowing all that would befall Him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." JESUS SAID to them, "I AM". When He said to them "I AM," They drew back and fell to the ground.

God's Other Blessings 

- by Deborah Simmons

When we gather 'round the table--on the Thanksgiving Day, As you share a meal with loved ones, and bow your head to pray...Thanking God for all His blessings, for the bounty He bestows, For His wisdom and His kindness, and for sharing all He knows...As you praise His loving guidance and take stock of all His gifts, Take time to look beyond wealth--And allow your thoughts to drift.

Don't overlook your struggles, or forget your daily strife, Don't thank God for just the good times in this frantic earthly life. Take note of all the worries that you've faced along the way, Recall your tribulations and your stress from day to day... Remember all the cares and woes you've conquered in the past, Reflect upon the tears you've shed and troubles you've amassed.

For all those woes and worries--why, they're merely stepping stones, And troubles--they're just bricks along the path to Heaven's home... The tears we've shed are Life's sweet rain; its flowers spring from strife. And trials and tribulations are the mortar in this Life. The stress and strain upon our souls unite to make us strong, Cares and struggles light the way--when our road is dark and long.

So thank Him for His bounty, for our families and our friends, And for granting us forgiveness--when we must make amends... But recall God's other blessings--for their merit's oft untold, Praise God for loving you enough--to help you build the road... For giving you the tools you'll need--mortar, bricks and stones, For the path that leads to Heaven and the stairway to His home.

The Lord is My Shepherd

Lord, we are Your people, the sheep of Your flock.
Heal the sheep who are wounded,
touch the sheep who are in pain,
clean the sheep who are soiled,
warm the lambs who are cold.
Help us to know the Father's love
through Jesus the Shepherd and through His Holy Spirit.
Help us to lift up that love, and show it all over this land.
Help us to build love on justice and justice on love.
Help us to believe mightily, hope joyfully, love divinely.
Renew us that we may renew the face of the earth.
Amen.

God's Hand

Sometimes...

We must be hurt in order to grow;
We must fail in order to know,
We must lose in order to gain.

Some lessons are learned best
Only through pain.

Sometimes...

Our vision clears
Only after our eyes are
Washed with tears.

Sometimes...

We have to be broken,
So we can be tender,
Sick so we can rest and think better;
On things more important
Than work or fun;
Trip near death,
So we can assess how we've run.

Sometimes...

We have to suffer lack,
So we can know God's provision,
Feel another's pain,
So we can have a sense of mission.

So take heart, my friend,
If you don't understand today,
Instead of grumbling,
Ask God what He means to say,
In order to learn you must endure,
And learn to see the bigger picture.

In order to grow, you must stand;
Look beyond the hurt
To God's loving hand
That takes what is good,
And gives what is best,

And on this blessed thought, rest:

As your anxious heart,
With questions, waits,
God's hand only gives
What His loving heart dictates.

Sometimes the Lord calms the storm;
Sometimes He lets the storm rage...
And calms His child.

Better the storm with Christ...
Than smooth waters without Him.

Pass this encouragement on...

- Author Unknown

WORDS TO LIVE BY...

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you
concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.
Oprah Winfrey

You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it
will be too late. Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all
the others. Cicero

Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things
turn out. John Wooden

Be the change you wish to see in the world. Gandhi

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.
Charles Dickens

Let US Make This The BEST Week Of The Year!!!

Be What You Are

Once there was a snake who was not happy because he seemed to upset
everyone.  He never did anything wrong, and yet, everybody ran away from
him, or else they threw sticks and stones at him.  He figured out that it
must be because of his personal appearance and so he made up his mind to
change that.  He place his tail in his mouth and formed himself into a
perfect circle.  He then stiffened himself and seemed perfectly wooden.

Soon some children found him, pounced on him eagerly and screamed, "Oh, what
a pretty green hoop."  And taking a stick, they began to roll it along he
ground, every now and then giving it a smart smack to keep it rolling along.

The poor snake stood the punishment as long as he could.  At the first
opportunity, he rolled off into the bushes and slipped back into his former
shape and slithered away safely.

"I have learned my lesson," he said to himself, "that no matter how
unfortunate my lot, I don't gain anything by pretending to be someone else."

November 25 - Jesus Calling

Thank Me frequently as you journey through today. This practice makes it possible to pray without ceasing, as the apostle Paul taught.

When your mind is occupied with thanking Me, you have no time for worrying or complaining. If you practice thankfulness consistently, negative thought patterns will gradually grow weaker and weaker. Draw near to Me with a grateful heart, and My Presence will fill you with Joy and Peace.

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
—1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 kjv

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
—James 4:8

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
—Romans 15:13

[Puzzle Piece]

Hello to All!

The Best of this Holiday is sent to all!

[brii]

Thank you for this daily thread and sharing His blessings with all of us.

Happy Thanksgiving. 

[lovestopaint]

Wishing everyone  very Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.

Harlene(lovestopaint

[MarLoCat]

[gloriajean]

Thanks everyone!  Here are some Thanksgiving posts for today:

Today I Give Thanks

The one sturdy rose bloom left alone
In a garden where scarlet leaves have blown.
The crisp freshness of the morning air;
The bright gold of mums so fair.
The warm fireside that glows
As outside the North wind blows.
The aroma of turkey, yams, and cakes;
The spicy pumpkin pie that bakes.
The love of family, friends so dear,
The laughter of my children near.
The church's steeple rising high,
The songs we sing, the prayers we sigh.
For all the little things in life,
The Love that overcomes all strife,
These are the things for which I say,
"I thank You," to my Lord today.

Thanksgiving Prayer

My Heavenly Father, as we approach this day set aside to give thanks for all the blessings that You have given to us, help us to remember the most important blessings...The blessings of Family, The strength of Friendship, the joy of Life, and the Peace in You. Help us to remember to give thanks not only on this day, but everyday. Help us, also, to remember that the gifts You have given to us were meant to be shared with others. Lord, I love you and I thank you for my life.

A Thanksgiving Story 
By Andrea Nannette Mejia 

It was the day before Thanksgiving – the first one my three children and I would be spending without their father, who had left several months before.  Now the two older children were very sick with the flu, and the eldest had just been prescribed bed rest for a week. 
  
It was a cool, gray day outside, and a light rain was falling.  I grew wearier as I scurried around, trying to care for each child: thermometers, juice, diapers.  And I was fast running out of liquids for the children.  But when I checked my purse, all I found was about $2.50 – and this was supposed to last me until the end of the month.  That's when I heard the phone ring. 
  
It was the secretary from our former church, and she told me that they had been thinking about us and had something to give us from the congregation.  I told her that I was going out to pick up some more juice and soup for the children, and I would drop by the church on my way to the market. 
  
I arrived at the church just before lunch.  The church secretary met me at the door and handed me a special gift envelope.  "We think of you and the kids often," she said, "and you are in our hearts and prayers.  We love you."  When I opened the envelope, I found two grocery certificates inside.  Each was worth $20.  I was so touched and moved, I broke down and cried. 
  
"Thank you very much," I said, as we hugged each other.  "Please give our love and thanks to the church."  Then I drove to a store near our home and purchased some much-needed items for the children. 
  
At the check-out counter I had a little over $14.00 worth of groceries, and I handed the cashier one of the gift certificates.  She took it, then turned her back for what seemed like a very long time.  I thought something might be wrong.  Finally I said, "This gift certificate is a real blessing.  Our former church gave it to our family, knowing I'm a single patent trying to make ends meet." 
  
The cashier then turned around, with tears in her loving eyes, and replied, "Honey, that's wonderful!  Do you have a turkey?" 
  
"No. It's okay because my children are sick anyway." 
  
She then asked, "Do you have anything else for Thanksgiving dinner?" 
  
Again I replied, "No." 
  
After handing me the change from the certificate, she looked at my face and said, "Honey, I can't tell you exactly why right now, but I want you to go back into the store and buy a turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie or anything else you need for a Thanksgiving dinner." 
  
I was shocked, and humbled to tears.  "Are you sure?"  I asked. 
  
"Yes!  Get whatever you want.  And get some Gatorade for the kids." 
  
I felt awkward as I went back to do more shopping, but I selected a fresh turkey, a few yams and potatoes, and some juices for the children.  Then I wheeled the shopping cart up to the same cashier as before.  As I placed my groceries on the counter, she looked at me once more with giant tears in her kind eyes and began to speak. 
  
"Now I can tell you.  This morning I prayed that I could help someone today, and you walked through my line."  She reached under the counter for her purse and took out a $20 bill.  She paid for my groceries and then handed me the change.  Once more I was moved to tears. 
  
The sweet cashier then said, "I am a Christian.  Here is my phone number if you ever need anything."  She then took my head in her hands, kissed my cheek and said, "God bless you, honey." 
  
As I walked to my car, I was overwhelmed by this stranger's love and by the realization that God loves my family too, and shows us his love through this stranger's and my church's kind deeds. 
  
The children were supposed to have spent Thanksgiving with their father that year, but because of the flu they were home with me, for a very special Thanksgiving Day.  They were feeling better, and we all ate the goodness of the Lord's bounty – and our community's love.  Our hearts were truly filled with thanks.

[LIG1]

[LIG1]

[PamfromCT]

Thank you for sharing your faith every single day. Your postings mean more than you will ever know.  May God bless us all, each and every day.  And I wish us all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

[gloriajean]

Thank you all so very much for your posts and I appreciate it so much!  And Pam, that was such a sweet thing to say, I am so honored to do this for you and all.