Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming! Food and family and fun. But also a time to express Thankfulness. I'm not sure who others express the thankfulness to, but for me, it's all about thanking God. Everything has come from Him. 

Here are words from Abraham Lincoln, as he instituted Thanksgiving as a federal holiday:

"I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea, and those 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. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of this nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union."

So, to paraphrase, let's set aside the Thursday of next week as a day of thanksgiving and praise to God. Let's thank him for our blessings, repent of our (personal, as well as national) sins, and pray for others!

Successful Clothing Repair!

Somehow I did not inherit my mom's sewing skills. She taught me well, so I know the basics, but for some reason it doesn't come easily to me. I'd rather pick up a crochet hook. 

So whenever I have a sewing "success", it's something to celebrate. 

Last weekend my hubby's work threw a holiday party. Fortunately I tried on my outfit in the morning - fortunate, because I discovered that both strap adjusty-thingys (that's the technical sewing term) were broken. 

Here's the dress:

For some reason, I can't rotate this picture. And it's not a very good picture. But it's a pretty dress, really! My grandma bought it for me.

So, I dug out an old, worn out bra. I cut out the strap adjusty-thingys, put them on the dress, and sewed the straps shut again. 

Look:

Because of my handy repair work, the dress was saved! And I was saved from any embarrassing dress-falling-down incidents. 

God is Worthy of Our Worship

Today in Sunday School we tried to teach 27 wiggly, talkative children about how God is Worthy of Our Worship. As is frequently the case, God was also trying to teach me the same lesson. 

The words aren't coming today to describe everything I'm processing through with God. But I can borrow some words from Louie Giglio (from his Indescribable sermon): 

"Sin has a way of shrinking God down in our minds and puffing us up in our own estimation. But just a glance into the universe God has made re-sizes everything in a heartbeat."

And:

"You are small. But it's significant insignificance. Because as tiny as we are, we are known and prized by majesty, who sent for us, and loves us, and knows us, even though we are teeny, tiny, little bitty people on a little bitty speck floating through the vast cosmos that He has made." 

Thank you, Lord. You are worthy of our worship because of who you are, first and foremost. And also because you made the universe, because you made each one of us, because you gave yourself up to set us free, and because you give us new life with you.