Barren Beauty

Barren beauty of the trees

Reminds me now of Calvary

Where You bled and died for me

Upon that awful, barren tree

Before this day, I oft would dread

When all the leaves the trees laid bare

I’d long for snow to cover them

And laden white, they’d look so fair

You opened my eyes to see the gift

The bereft trees are to my faith

For reminders are needed every day

Of that Day of Day of grace

So now I’m thankful for the trees

Though plain and stark; their beauty deep

That speaks a better word to me

Of life and death and eternity

Thanksgiving: glorifying to God and so good for my soul!!

The other day I was struggling with weak faith. As I cried out to the Lord, alone in my room, just Him & me, I read about the thorny soil in Luke 8. The thorns represent the concerns of this world, which choke the word and make it unfruitful. The Lord showed my this was my problem-my worries were choking my faith. He also gently showed me my lack of thankfulness.
Right about the same time a dear friend came to the door to drop something off. Paul was downstairs to receive the item. I came down soon after she left to find an anniversary gift-a beautiful wreath made with sand dollars. I thanked God for Lisa’s thoughtfulness and their incredible family that’s such a blessing to our whole family and church. As I contemplated God’s goodness and my serious lack of thankfulness of late, I gazed out my bedroom window to see our friend Christopher chopping wood for us. He was working hours, serving our family with joy. He is here with the Catalyst program to serve our church in outreach as well in other ways like this day. He enjoys doing stuff on Paul’s to-do list!!! This is no small blessing to our family! I was overcome with tears of thankful joy to my gracious God. He has blessed us so much and I realize that thankfulness is the opener of my eyes and the softener of my heart.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Phil.4:4-7

My faith was built up greatly as I exercised the grace of thankfulness. I want to grow in this so much more!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Abe Started It (Official Thanksgiving Day, that is!)

Proclamation of Thanksgiving
by the President of the United States of America

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the field of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than theretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony wherof I have herunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

[Signed]
A. Lincoln