I have so many things swirling in my head this morning, as many of you do as well! This time of year is a mix of excitement and stress. It reminds us both of what we have to be thankful and sometimes, reminds us who we are missing around the table. I found some very thoughtful words by Abraham Lincoln in his Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1863, which delcared Thanksgiving a U.S. holiday (although there are of course Purtian roots to Thanksgiving). The whole thing is definitely worth the read but here are some words I would like to share with you today,

"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."

Thanksgiving started as a national holiday to truly stop and thank God for all that he has given us! It is good for us to take stock and do this. We hustle and bustle through many days without giving thanks for the many things we have been given. Join me this week in thanking God for all he has given this week!

If you find yourself in hard times, I share with you words from Nancy Guthrie,

"When you come to the place where you recognize that everything you have and everyone you love is a gift, it becomes possible to enjoy those gifts - not with an attitude of greed but with one of gratitude. You and I know...that God gives and God takes away. And when he takes away, if we are able to focus on the joy of what was given, if only for a time, we take another step down the pathway to the heart of God." - excerpt from Holding onto Hope

Emily Troutman Photography