Thanksgiving - part of what we're destined for

Revelation 7:9-12 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 
The final use of the word "thanksgiving" in the Bible gives us a clue on where we're heading.  We will bow before the Lamb and proclaim, among other things... thanksgiving to our God.  It is right in the middle of these 7 characteristics that pertain to God.  All of the other 6 are things that are an attribute of God, which He choses to share with His people.  The one in the middle is the one that should proceed from us as we respond to Him - Who He is and what He has done.  Let us not leave Thanksgiving behind. Rather, let us continue to practice what we one day will do right - Thankgiving!

Thanksgiving changes everything...

1 Timothy 4:1-5 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 
Paul warns Timothy, and us, about every form of human religion.  For one from pagan religion, food can be tied into perverted worship; for the legalist it can be something taken in that can defile you.  And for the one who totally ignores God, food is part of a life lived for self.  For one who has a heart of thanksgiving to God, it is received with joy.   Hopefully we all had such a heart yesterday and still today, because our hearts are in tune with God.  Thanksgiving is a heart response to God that changes everything in life.

What to pray for Thanksgiving

 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6 ESV)
Thanksgiving and prayer, in Paul's mind, are almost always related.  As we celebrate today, may we pray for our leaders and our testimony in this land so the Gospel will flourish.

Thanksgiving: The Right Thing to Do...

II Thessalonians 1: ³ We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,^[a] as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. ⁴ Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.
Whereas Paul usually says that he gives thanks to God whenever he is praying and remembers the people he is writing to, here he says "We ought" and that it "is right."  It's just plain the right thing to do.  God is at work, whether we see it all the time or not.  We are blessed, even in times of struggle and suffering.  People are being faithful, just not always in the ways we really want them to be.  God is great; God is Good, and he deserves our thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving ... and yearning... for you...

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 
As often is the case with Paul, thanksgiving and prayer go hand in hand.  When he prays, he prays long enough, and intensely enough, to remember with joy those God has placed in his life, and he is thankful.  Yesterday, on my birthday, I had many well-wishes - on Facebook and through cards.  This made me long to share time with people - some across town, some across the country; some whom I saw just the other day, some for whom it has been years.  For each of you, I am thankful, and praying God's blessing on you this Thanksgiving, and during another year of my life.

The honey of thanksgiving...

Colossians 4:2-6 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. 
Again Paul joins praying and thanksgiving in the same thought - they are inseparable.  When we are thankful believers, and others see it and hear it, they are drawn to watch us and listen to us, and to ask us why. Therefore, we need to be prayerfully prepared to know how to answer them. The honey of thanksgiving attracts them to Christ; we need to be ready to relate our relationship with Christ.  So, like Paul, I ask that you would pray for me to be thankful and ready.

Thanksgiving as evidence of true Christianity...

⁶ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2
The Apostle Paul elsewhere refers to a number of qualities as "evidence" of one's true conversion as a follower of Christ.  Here, in the midst of a warning to not be led astray by other false philosophies, traditions and viewpoints.  It's all about Christ - receiving Him as Savior, walking in relationship to Him, establishing our lives upon His, trusting in Him, and then, as if it's the final result having a life that is characterized by thanksgiving. The picture here is that we are not only full to overflowing with thanksgiving, but that it gushes from our lives.  May thanksgiving not only flow out of our lives, as we have received Christ and His continued blessings, but may it "Bounce Out", if you will, so others will see and know that it is "Christ in me."

Taking the time to get to Thanksgiving.

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, ⁷ just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf ⁸ and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.  Colossians 1:
Paul had a habit of praying for the believers in whose lives he had invested. Whenever he did, his heart and mind moved into a mode of thanksgiving.  He would think about their faith, love, and hope in Christ, and how God was changing their lives. And often he would think of those saints who were really making a difference.  This all took time, to let his heart and mind go that direction. Thanksgiving is not a quick or automated response.  It requires us taking the time to get there: in prayer and meditation, dwelling on the Grace of God in our lives and the lives of others. It means thinking enough about others to appreciate the blessing God has made them in our lives. Take the time today to get to thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving: Part of the package deal...

Philippians 4:4-7 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. 
Twice in this letter Paul combines prayer and joy with thanksgiving.  We should be thankful that The Lord is near; He hears our prayers and cares about our requests; He gives peace despite our circumstances.  What is there not to be thankful for?

Thanksgiving as Vocabulary Therapy

Ephesians 5: ⁴ Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Many people need to "clean up their mouths."   Through the course of any given day, we hear all sorts of bad language, extreme sarcasm, proud talking, and just plain crude and rude conversation.  Such should not be the case in the life of a believer.  Of course, God changes us from the inside out, so the lack of thanksgiving, and the presence of such negative speech, is just a symptom of an inner problem, but "correcting" our speech - choosing Thanksgiving over all other forms of speech - can be part of the process of addressing the inner cause.  What is going to come out of your mouth today?

Run-on Thanksgiving...

¹⁵ For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love^[f] toward all the saints, ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²² And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1
The Apostle Paul was a master of run-on sentences.  This paragraph is made up of only two sentences.  He seems to have finally had to come up for air to finish the last two lines.  What begins this overflowing of words? His thanksgiving.  Whenever he thought of these believers in prayer, his heart and mind would move to meditating on the Word of God and Spirit of God working in their lives to become more like Christ, Who would then been the focus of His thoughts, and Christ is a endless source of rejoicing and thanksgiving.  Giving thanks is like pulling your thumb out of the dam - it all just gushes out.  Try it. Try just giving God thanks in prayer for someone or something and see the chain reaction it sets off.  Start giving thanks to God for Christ - all He is and all He as done.  It will be more than a mood-changer; it will keep you going. 

The Thanksgiving of Giving

2 Corinthians 9:10-15 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! 
Something happens when we get into right relationship with God - We want to Give. That is because He is so gracious and giving. As a result, we become more aware of the needs of others and want to give to that need.  When they ask why, we have an opportunity to share the grace of God in Christ.  They in turn, will have thanksgiving, not only to us, but to God, and we will have thankful hearts that God has been willing and able to use us to be a blessing. There is thanksgiving flowing all over.  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

The Thanksgiving Cycle...

¹³ Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵ For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. II Cor. 4
Paul was a man that poured out his life to spread the Good News of Christ to others.  He believed in Christ exhaustively - without reservation, so He was willing to speak of Him to others.  The result was that more people came to know the grace of God in Christ as he did.  This brought thanksgiving to God, which gave more opportunity to share why the was thankful, which lead to more people coming to faith in Christ, and on the cycle goes.  So let's get the cycle going. Let's give Him thanks!

Thanksgiving from the belly of a fish...

⁷ When my life was fainting away,
    I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
    into your holy temple.
⁸ Those who pay regard to vain idols
    forsake their hope of steadfast love.
⁹ But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!"
Jonah 2
While Jonah was still in the belly of the fish, he was giving thanks to God. Why? Because he had prayed to God and knew that he would be delivered.  We don't have to have already experienced full release from whatever trial we may be in to have a reason to give GOD thanks.   He is the GOD Who saves. He is our only Hope.

Reasons for thanksgiving

Jeremiah 30:18-19 “Thus says the Lord:Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacoband have compassion on his dwellings;the city shall be rebuilt on its mound,and the palace shall stand where it used to be. Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving,and the voices of those who celebrate.I will multiply them, and they shall not be few;I will make them honored, and they shall not be small. 
Jeremiah was NOT living in fun times, yet he could look beyond the misery of the day to what The Lord can and will do.  He will restore His people out of His compassion; He will rebuild them and give them a cause to rejoice, and He will reproduce them so they will have significance.  It happens when we return to Him.  May He give us causes for rejoicing today!

Go to the One who brings thanksgiving...

Isaiah 51 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
    you who seek the Lord:
look to the rock from which you were hewn,
    and to the quarry from which you were dug.
² Look to Abraham your father
    and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
    that I might bless him and multiply him.
³ For the Lord comforts Zion;
    he comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like Eden,
    her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
    thanksgiving and the voice of song.
The Psalmist here calls on us to look to the Father of Faith as an example.  He trusted God, even when they were barren and God blessed and comforted him.  If we cannot find a reason for thanks, it says something about our faith or lack thereof.  He is great. He is good. He is our solid Rock.  Go to Him, seek Him, trust Him, and you will find a reason for thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving for outcasts

Psalm 147:7-11 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;make melody to our God on the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds;he prepares rain for the earth;he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food,and to the young ravens that cry. His delight is not in the strength of the horse,nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,in those who hope in his steadfast love. 
In the opening stanza of this psalm, the psalmist talks about the outcasts, the brokenhearted, the humble.  These are the ones chosen last during gym class - they have no strength or speed, yet God delights in them, because they fear Him, trust Him, and give Him thanks.  For those of us who find ourselves in this category, we have good reason to thank Him. He provides for us and takes pleasure in us.  As the psalmist goes on, we find God gives us strength and His Word runs speedily through our lives, transforming us. No matter what our lot in life, we have good reason for thanksgiving.  So let's stop making excuses and give Him thanks!

Thanking God in the tough times...

Psalm 116:15-19 Precious in the sight of the Lordis the death of his saints. O Lord, I am your servant;I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord,in your midst, O Jerusalem.Praise the Lord! 
This psalm is a special psalm.  I have preached on it at some special funerals, including those of my parents.  The writer has been involved in some critical, painful, near-death experience, yet he choses to give God thanks. He knows that God is in control, and has demonstrated His grace toward him.  He sees God at work in his life, even and especially in tough times, and gives God thanks. Do we?

Thanksgiving for former fools...

¹⁷ Some were fools through their sinful ways,
    and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
¹⁸ they loathed any kind of food,
    and they drew near to the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
²⁰ He sent out his word and healed them,
    and delivered them from their destruction.
²¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
²² And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,    and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!  (Psalm 107)
This psalm begins: "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" It then reviews the history of God's people.  Even though we keep messing up, He keeps showing His grace, mercy and love. This is what should elicit our thanksgiving - that despite our consistent and constant failures, God demonstrates His love toward us.  It is not who we are or what we do - it is responding to Him.  In the last verse of the psalm, he leaves us with this to ponder: ⁴³ Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
    let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
Let us consider the steadfast love of the LORD and give Him thanks!

Thanksgiving salad... It's good for God's people

Psalm 95: Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
³ For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
⁷ For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,    and the sheep of his hand.

We are reminded here that as God's people we have double reason to be thankful: first, because God is a great creator; second, because He is a great Deliverer, our Deliverer.  Everything that is, He has made and has willingly shared with us.  Beyond that, He cares for us as a loving shepherd, Who saves us from ourselves and our going astray.  The psalm goes on to call us to correction - for all our failures to be and live thankfully.  We need to have more of this thanksgiving "let us" - thanksgiving and praise, for Who He is and all He has done.

Thanksgiving: Do it for others!

Psalm 69:30-33 I will praise the name of God with a song;I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an oxor a bull with horns and hoofs. When the humble see it they will be glad;you who seek God, let your hearts revive. For the Lord hears the needyand does not despise his own people who are prisoners. 
This is a psalm that begins "Save me, O God," and that in the verse just before these says: "but I am afflicted and in pain."  David is hurting here, big time!  But as He is winding down this prayerful song to God, He says "I will magnify Him with thanksgiving."  And what really lifts him up is the knowledge that his thanksgiving will bring joy and revival to his people.  Our thanksgiving, or lack thereof, is not just about us; it is about God and His people. He is listening and watching, and so are they. What I do and say matters, and it can make a difference in my family, my church, my workplace   and my society.  Let's make a difference. Let's give God the thanks He deserves and lift the hearts of those around us.

Are we using our mouths for thanksgiving?

Psalm 50: 23: “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    and your tongue frames deceit.
²⁰ You sit and speak against your brother;
    you slander your own mother's son.
²¹ These things you have done, and I have been silent;
    you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

²² “Mark this, then, you who forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
²³ The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
    to one who orders his way rightly
    I will show the salvation of God!”

This last verse is the final one of the Psalm.  It is the bottom line. What we do with our mouths reveals our hearts.  That is what God is looking at. So if out of our mouths come evil and deceit, that is what is inside, and we should expect Him to respond in similar fashion.  If however Thanksgiving is coming out of our mouths, that's because that is what is inside, and that is what He is looking for. Doe He see - and does He HEAR a thankful heart from me? 

 

Thanksgiving says... "I need you God."

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you,for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bullsor drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble;I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Psalm 50:12-15
This psalm is written from God's perspective: He as owner and judge of the world does not need us. He owns everything and has all power an authority.  Therefore, He does not need our sacrifices and offerings to feed Him or make Him right with us.  Thanksgiving is about our attitude toward Him.  If we are going to call to Him in the day of trouble, it would be consistent for us to come to Him on a day to day basis with thanksgiving and praise.  We do not just need Him in the day of trouble; we need him EVERY day.  To call on him only in a crisis says: "God, I don't need you most of the time." The truth is, we need Him all of the time, and should be thankful for his consistent, daily blessings.  Have you given Him thanks today???

Why don't we give thanks more???

Psalm 26:6-7 I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. 
Here is one of those verses that makes me uneasy.  Throughout the Psalm, David is calling out to God for His deliverance, based upon his integrity - he loves worshipping in God's house and does not run with evil men.  Maybe this is why we do not "proclaim thanksgiving aloud" more often - we do not have the integrity David did; we are not free to let loose, lest we look like hypocrites. But rather than refrain from thanksgiving, something we are commanded to do, this should move us to develop our integrity, to sanctify our lives - to give people a reason to believe us when we give thanks to the Lord

Sought-out Thanksgiving

²⁷ And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. ²⁸ And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; Nehemiah 12
445 B.C. Want Ad: "Immediate Openings: Levites to return to Jerusalem to lead God's people in Thanksgiving." 
2013 A. D. Want Ad: "Wanted: Believers to arise in the church to lead the way in Thanksgiving - to celebrate with Gladness all that God has done."  We need to be those people, giving thanks to God, rebuilding a sense of trust and security found in Christ, and Christ alone.  Let us give Him thanks!

Thanksgiving: A privileged position...

And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brothers was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. Nehemiah 12:8
During the revival of Nehemiah's day, God took time to list many involved, including those who were in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.  It is a place of honor, and it was also one of the marks of that revival. When God's people get right in their relationship with Him, thanksgiving comes out. Is it coming out of us?  Are we experiencing the privilege of thanksgiving?

No Half-hearted Thanksgiving

2 Chronicles 33:16-17 He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God. 
During the reign of King Manasseh there was one of several "quasi-revivals."  Some things he did, like restoring sacrifices and offerings, gave the impression that renewal was taking place in the heart of the king and his people.  But rather than putting God first, He was merely a peer among many of the ones to whom the people gave allegiance.  True Thanksgiving is recognizing and demonstrating that God and God alone is the one to whom we are thankful.  It's not just a meal and a prayer - it's a matter of the heart.

Thanksgiving - make it heard!

2 Chronicles 5:11-14 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions, and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord,“For he is good,for his steadfast love endures forever,”the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. 
I love how God's Word puts this: "it was (their) duty... to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving."  As a kingdom of Priests, it is no less our responsibility to make our thanksgiving heard to the world around us - not in an obnoxious way (I was known as the loudest kid in my mom's children's choir, and it wasn't a good thing...), but in a way that demonstrates the presence of The Lord. People show know how real He is in our lives by the thanksgiving in our lives?  So, let's go out and make it heard!

Thanksgiving: Schedule it in!

1 Chronicles 16:7 Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers. 
It would be easy to skip over this verse and go on to the long song of Thanksgiving David had his choir sing. And it is a classic worth reviewing - all the reasons we as God's people have to give thanks.  But I find it important to note that David appointed this - He saw such value in thanksgiving that He made it part of the ongoing program.  If we don't, we'll forget to do it.  And that is the universal forgetfulness of mankind, including, sad to say, believers - we forget to give thanks to Him. Let's stop forgetting; let's schedule it in.

Day 1

Psalm 100:1-5 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness!Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God!It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving,and his courts with praise!Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good;his steadfast love endures forever,and his faithfulness to all generations. 

It's finally over!!! All the buildup to last night to haul in lots of candy, which will be on clearance this morning.  It has already been replaced with the decorations and presents for the next big holiday. But there is a day in between.  Thanksgiving.  We need more thanksgiving.  Let it begin.  Not just for a day, but a month.  Let the thanksgiving begin in my heart, with a song in my heart, because He is God. we are HIS! He is Faithful to us. He loves us forever.  There. We've begun. Let the thanksgiving begin!.