With Thanksgiving

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,"     (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV).

Thank you, God, for the sunshine before the storm. Thank you, God for the leaves that blew away yesterday. Thank you, God, for a warm home and a refrigerator full of food to prepare. Thank you, God, for good health for our family. Thank you, God, that I am able to prepare a meal, (and an extra day since our family gathers tomorrow). Thank you, God, for our two sons who make us so proud. Thank you, God, for eight beautiful grandchildren who delight us in every way. Thank you, God, for our extended family. Thank you, God, for friends who touch our hearts.

Lord, may You be with each and every one today, blessing them with wellness and safety. You have given us so much to enjoy! May we never forget the sacrifice of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, our greatest Thanksgiving of all. With humble and thankful hearts, we worship and adore You, Amen.

His Love Endures Forever

With hearts filled with anticipation, we enter the week of Thanksgiving. Along with the pumpkin pie making and turkey baking, there will be precious conversations and joyful reunions. Our grandchildren are nearly all adults (plus three teenagers). Gathering is so interesting as we catch the interactions of the cousins. They are not all like-minded, but individuals with a plethora of interests and studies. Thank You, God! 

So often I am in the kitchen so I miss the conversations that happen downstairs in the family room, or around the pool table. But what a delight to hear them banter in the living room or at the dining room table. Food always brings us together. Thank You, God!

There are favorites at the Thanksgiving "buffet". Most would say the homemade noodles are number one, followed by the Stewart family tradition of lamb that will accompany the turkey. There will be other favorites like a bing cherry salad my mother always made, an overnight lettuce salad, and a pistachio pudding dessert that my sons love. Thank You, God, for our food.

There was also a tradition (for only a couple of years) of a Stewart Thanksgiving race, down our cul-de-sac's street. Grandpa provided an incentive for the winner ($) the second year, but there were no takers last year. We have two former cross-country runners in our midst and one middle school speedster ready to take on any challengers. Most of us just watch the race, thankfully no one has been injured. Thank You, God!

Our meal always begins with a prayer of Thanksgiving, with the youngest to oldest order of filling our plates. Dessert usually happens a few hours later after dinner has a chance to settle. There will be pumpkin pie, of course, an apple pie, lemon ice cream from Ev's in Marshalltown, and the pistachio dessert. Thank You, God!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.  Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.  Give thanks to the Lord of Lords. His love endures forever. to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever." (Psalm 136:1-4 NIV).

Thank You, God, for all things, especially families this week. We are thankful that Your Love endures forever! We thank You for time together, and we especially pray for our family members who can't be with us this Thanksgiving. Please keep families safe as they travel, and bless our families with peace and Your enduring love. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Never Changing God

I was reminded of Thanksgiving activities of school days when I noticed a colorful turkey on my sister's chest of drawers this week at the nursing home. I remember using hands and fingers to draw a turkey when I was a child and again when my boys were young. Some crafts never grow old, they just get updated at Hobby Lobby! There were Pilgrim hats and Indian headbands with feathers. The story we listened to included a big table spread with meat, potatoes and maize to share.

As our preparations continue for Thanksgiving I remember a harvest song that we often sang in church when I was growing up. "We Plow the Fields, and Scatter" by Matthias Claudius, 1782, and Johann A.P. Schulz, 1800.

"We plow the fields, and scatter The good seed on the land, But it is fed and watered By God's Almighty hand; He sends the snow in winter, The warmth to swell the grain, The breezes and the sunshine, And soft refreshing rain. All good gifts around us Are sent from heaven above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love. He only is the Maker Of all things near and far, He paints the wayside flower, He lights the evening star; The winds and waves obey Him,  By Him the birds are fed; Much more to us, His children, He gives our daily bread. All good gifts around us Are sent from heaven above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love. We thank Thee then, O Father, For all things bright and good, The seed-time and the harvest, Our life, our health, our food; Accept the gifts we offer For all Thy love imparts, And what Thou most desires, Our humble, thankful hearts. All good gifts around us Are sent from heaven above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love. Amen."

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows," (James 1:17 NIV).

Heavenly Father God, We thank You for all the blessings in our lives. Remind us to pause and record the myriad of gifts You have placed in our lives, as evidence of our great thankfulness to You. We are so thankful that You are never-changing. You remain the same from generation to generation. We can count on You from birth to death and everything in-between. We thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to earth to save us from our sinful mistakes. In all things, we pray in Jesus' holy Name. Amen.

Thankful for Everlasting Encouragement

Somehow, somewhere this week, the Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17, spoke to me.

"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17, NIV).

The words "everlasting encouragement" or "eternal encouragement" as the NIV says above, ministered to my soul. I also read The Message's contemporary language translation.

"So friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech," (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17, The Message).

I guess I needed the encouragement. It's been a rough week. Sometimes we need The Lord's touch to help motivate us for the next step in our journey. This scripture promises everlasting encouragement! It doesn't get any better than that.

Lord God, we are so thankful for the unending help and confidence You provide. We need Your encouragement when our hearts are broken and weary. We turn to You, alone, for the restorative care You give us. We seek Your love and grace to heal us. Gift us with new energy and a fresh heart to do and say all that You require of us. We are so thankful for Your blessings of everlasting encouragement. We pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

#1150 gds 

With Gratitude

October 23,2025

It has been a beautiful fall in Iowa.. The colors were the best I've seen in many years, it seems. It has been a good harvest season. Iowa even experienced amazingly vivid northern lights this week. The weather is warm again for a few days so we can finish up any outdoor cleanup we need to do. There is so much to be thankful for. What surprised me was how fast the colorful leaves fell from the trees. We have a view of a lovely maple tree that shed its leaves almost overnight. Those who have deciduous trees will have a bountiful raking job. We only have one oak tree in our yard and it holds most of its leaves until spring. It has been a lovely bronze color this fall. God's artistry is amazing!

"We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy," (Acts 14:15-17 NIV).

November 12, 2025

There is a simple song by Brandon Lake called, "Gratitude" that expresses the way we can offer our praise to God for all He has done.           

All my words fall short
I got nothing new
How could I express
All my gratitude

I could sing these songs
As I often do
But every song must end
And You never do

Chorus
So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah, hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a king
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah

I’ve got one response
I’ve got just one move
With my arms stretched wide I will worship You

Bridge
Come on my soul
Oh don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song
‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord

Heavenly Father, You alone are worthy of our praise. We are surrounded by beauty Your hands created. Thank You for the blessings that overflow in our lives. Hear our gratitude and Hallelujah's from thankful hearts. We pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Compassion For Our Veterans

Tomorrow is Veterans Day. It is a day to be thankful for every person who has served his/her country. I am not privileged to be from a family of Veterans so I have never had the personal connection that others who have lived with the separation time, the fearful times of war, or the painful loss of someone dear.

Although it is fiction, the book, "The Women" by Kristin Hannah, (one of my favorite authors), presented a powerful story of the women who served as nurses during war times. Her research gave the story a true life feel and perspective that was gut-wrenching at times - just as war times must be.

I can only imagine how difficult it must be for servicemen and servicewomen to be far from home and family, facing danger every minute, not knowing if they would be going home. Our Vietnam War Veterans also faced an angry public backlash when they did get home. Some of those Veterans still suffer the torment of flashbacks from a terrible conflict. 

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God," (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV). 

Only God can help those who served, by being side-by-side with them in battle, in their bunks, in the dark, when they are alone years later. It seems like it has taken us 50+ years to find ways to help these men and women return to the living.

Lord God, I lift up our Veterans, asking that You touch their broken hearts with Your comfort. Heal those who still suffer the memories that tear them up inside. Help us reach out to our Veterans with compassion and appreciation for protecting our freedoms around the world. Give wisdom to those who help them endure their past. Bring blessings over our Veterans who have served so faithfully. In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen.

A Season of Gratitude

This harvest season is one of gratitude. How can we not be grateful when lawns and gardens are decorated in pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, acorns and falling leaves?

Life often reflects the change of seasons. There are seasons of thankfulness and seasons of sorrow. Many writers have realized how beneficial it is to list ways we are grateful. To have a heart of gratitude is to lift our spirit toward heaven. 

“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,” (Psalm 100:1-5 ESV).

Taking time to write down what we are thankful for brings us closer to Jesus. Some suggest journaling three things we are thankful for at the end of each day. It will not only help us sleep better, it will change our attitude for tomorrow.

“Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things,” (Psalm 107:8-9 ESV).

Every day we are blessed in countless ways. When we are down or feeling sad, the fastest way to restore our joy is to list our blessings…A good meal, time with grandchildren, a call from a friend, no bills in the mail, snuggle time with a pet, time to study the Bible and pray, our spouse, items checked off the ‘to do’ list, a sunny morning, a blue bird sighting, colorful leaves, acorns under the oak tree, a squirrel dashing across the lawn, a warm house, hot coffee, fragrance of something baking, running water, an indoor bathroom… the list goes on and on. 

This season of thanksgiving and gratitude is a perfect time to draw closer to the presence of God, for nurturing our relationship with Our Savior. Try a gratitude journal for this season of thanksgiving. Or try writing down three things you are thankful for every night.

The directive comes from the words of John, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” (John 3:30 ESV).

Good morning, Father God: thank You for the full moon shining overhead. Thank You for the sun that will rise in the east. Our hearts are full of Your blessings. Even when we are sad You wash over us with blessing after blessing. God, You are so good! Thank You for sending Jesus to teach us and to save us from our sinful lives. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

 

Give Thanks

Did you notice that the Halloween candy aisle turned to Christmas candy overnight? It always amazes me how early the Christmas displays appear in stores. I usually just ignore it. I know several people spent the weekend getting their Christmas decorations out and putting up their trees. 

I set out my Thanksgiving decorations. I like to spend the month of November in thanksgiving mode. I'm not opposed to decorating for Christmas because I love the beauty of red and green and sparkles but I have so much to be thankful for that it takes me all month to express it.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things," (Philippians 4:6-8 NIV). 

Thanksgiving is late again this year so I expect many will have their Christmas trees up for Thanksgiving so they can enjoy them longer. Whatever you do for the end-of-the-year holidays, let's remember to give God our thanks in as many ways as possible.

I doubt if I'll see many turkeys on display in yards, though I know where to see real wild turkeys on lawns nearly every day here in Ankeny. A big blow-up gobbling turkey might be fun to see in someone's lawn!

Dear God, Thank you for this season of thanksgiving ahead of us. Help us remember to pause and give thanks to You for all that You do for us. We anticipate the season of the birth of Jesus, Your Son, and raise our hands in worship for this wonderful gift of Salvation. Lord, we know that all gifts come from You and we come to You in gratitude and praise. Show us Your mercy and grace, we pray, Amen.