"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"
-Psalm 107:1 This blog may take different forms and my guess is that it will certainly evolve, especially as I get better at figuring out what I'm doing. But today, in this inaugural post, I want to highlight the short but important time of thanksgiving. As in keeping the with purpose of this particular website, Faith Formation 24-7, I'm first including a fully developed web offering all about thanksgiving from the good folks at Building Faith. They have many helps and suggestions about ways to interact with the Judeo-Christan foundation of our American Thanksgiving, but the ideas they have put out there are really doable at your house. They include some traditional simple graces (10 of them), some crafts to do together, a prayer stick activity (a year round possibility), and a helpful article by Sharon Ely Pearson. Sharon talks about reading particular books together, creating some prayers, and more. See all of this at www.buildfaith.org/thanksgiving/. One of the things we have done throughout the years in our family has been to create a Thanksgiving Tree. Make it out of a bare tree or shrub branch which is secured into a floral oasis (those green styrofoam blocks that florists use), put into a clay pot, and cover the foam with Spanish moss or other dried plant material. Then, cut out lots of leaf shapes from orange, red, and yellow construction paper or cardstock, but be sure it is pretty sturdy and thick. These should be 3-4 inches at least. At Thanksgiving, ask each person present to write something for which they are thankful on the leaves using pens or markers. Of course, people can write on several leaves. Then, using a hole punch, make a hole and put yarn through the hole, and string the leaves onto the branch. This is not only a pretty fall decoration, but is a vehicle to help people tune in to the purpose of the day. Enjoy a turkey dinner, family and guests present, football, and more but remember to give praise and thanks to God this Thanksgiving, as the psalmist writes in Psalm 107. Have a happy day! |
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