Let us Give Thanks

A Time of Thanks

With Thanksgiving being a week from today, I would be hard pressed to not visit with you about the holiday.

Thanksgiving—How often do we hear people talk about the thanks they plan to give on this day?  Or plans to attend a Thanksgiving worship service?  Or even plans to be with family and friends?

On the other hand, how often do we hear people talk about groaning after eating Thanksgiving dinner?  Or loosening their belt after dinner?  Or maybe we’ve heard people talk about sleeping their eating binge off while the TV blares a football game?

President George Washington proclaimed the first American nationwide thanksgiving celebration, marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours [sic] of Almighty God".

Ah, there is the meaning of Thanksgiving—giving thanks where thanks is due—to God.  “Give Thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:15, NIV).

In spite of our knowing this holiday is intended to be a day of giving thanks, for those of us for whom over indulgence can be problematic (and even, on this day, for those who seem to be able to place food in its rightful place), our focus can be on the feast and not on giving thanks.

So what can we do about the temptation to overindulge on this day?  Two weeks ago Gloria gave us a major tool we can use—Plan ahead.

Let’s plan to enjoy the day—to enjoy God’s love, the Holy One’s blessings, family and friends.  Before the feast, let’s fill up on veggies—carrot sticks, celery, radishes.  Perhaps we can be the one who brings these items to the feast--best not to come to the Thanksgiving table overly hungry.

Let’s plan to partake of the food we particularly enjoy.  I don’t think we have to deny ourselves any foods, but we need to be careful to take small portions.  During the feast, let’s enjoy conversation—whether we’re eating with one other person, at the Salvation Army or with 20 persons at the table.

 Let’s plan to stop eating when we are full.

Most importantly, let’s plan to use the strongest tool in our toolbox—PRAYER!  Let’s pray before we gather—pray the Holy Spirit guide and strengthen us.

Let’s plan to give thanks.

                                                                                                            Sharon Witty

                                                                                                            November 15, 2018

P.S.  Gloria and I pray you, our readers, a Blessed Thanksgiving.

The Importance of Planning

It’s 10:30 a.m. and I’m hungry. Craving something; I’m not sure what. I look in the refrigerator and then the cupboard, waiting for something to jump out at me. And something does. And it isn’t healthy.

One key tool I’ve learned over the years is to plan meals and snacks. It is a tool I should use more often but it is a matter of making time to do it and the food preparation. Food preparation and planning changes my focus from what I can’t eat to what I can. There are hundreds of good, healthy choices for me to make, if I just keep them conveniently available. 

Many people recommend taking one day a week to do the meal preparation. It works well to plan the grocery list and meals (including several snacks for each day) at the same time. I work in a meal of fish two or three times a week. As soon as I get home from the store I wash and prepare the fresh vegetables and fruit. I clean and slice veggies so I can have a crunchy snack any time of day, or toss them into a stir-fry or soup in a minute flat. It is time very well spent.

I need to keep the healthy snacks at eye level in the frig so they are the first thing I see. I boil a batch of eggs every week to keep handy for a great protein snack or salad addition. I stock snack spots with nuts and fresh fruit. And, this is important: I remove those highly-processed treats from the house.

“Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred,” (Proverbs 15:17 NIV).  

Planning gives me a guideline that makes the day go better. I can look forward to what is on the menu and I can relax in knowing things will work out well.