It’s Thursday, so don’t forget to pray for Jo and the folks in PNG.
Anyone else have something to share?
And since it’s Thanksgiving, feel free to share what you’re thankful for this year as well.
Psalm 100:4
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Wandering Views 
I posted my thanksgivings on the Daily Thread. But I was reading Psalm 149 earlier. An appropriate Psalm of praise. But I noticed 149:5 “He commanded and they were created”. I have known that forever. But I wonder just how God commanded that there be a system where billions of bacteria are created to keep everything in balance. Everything in nature has to be in balance. And God said, let there be wolves with sharp teeth, and are fast enough to keep the rabbits in balance.
Interesting.
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Chas, I think about that in relation to folks who believe the earth is millions/billions of years old due to “age testing”. If God can make a rock, He can make a million-year-old rock and, indeed, would have had to for the whole system to work. If He’d created everything brand new, it could not have been sustained. Similarly, He created a grown man and woman – not two babies.
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Prayers for my family, please. There has already been quite a bit of drama…and we’ve only been here for about 14 hours…
I slept all of four hours last night. Spent a lot of time in prayer.
My mother shows many symptoms of alcoholic Polyneuropathy. It is very sad. I predict this will be her last Thanksgiving — at least as host. Her health is deteriorating rapidly now, after forty years of daily excessive bourbon consumption. I so desperately wish things were different.
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I’m so sorry, Ann. You have my prayers.
A prayer request for me, please. I have much for which to be thankful, and I heard a very uplifting sermon last night at church that was a real blessing that spoke to me in a situation in which I can definitely relate.
Yet this morning I find myself thinking those old familiar thoughts that I don’t measure up, and that my earthly efforts will never be enough. I’m not trying to “get right with God” — I know I can’t do that with my own reason or strength. I just have a hard time when there is ingratitude around me in an earthly sense, if that makes any sense.
Maybe I am expecting too much of certain humans and this is my cross to bear?
Thank you for your prayers. I am grateful for this praying community I have in you. Blessings to all of you today.
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We love them and we want the best for them.
The answer, for me, has been to let them go. They know who I am, they know I love them, they know I will help them, but I leave them alone, now, and seek to find peace in my relationships.
I stopped calling one of my children for almost three years because I realized one day I only added stress to that relationship with my questions. Delighted to chat when he called me, but I no longer went after him like a hound of heaven. Always cordial, saw him on holidays, but I left him to his life.
Except, I fasted for him.
He’s fine now. His life wasn’t what I expected, but he’s a wonderful husband, great dad and works hard to provide for his children, as well as tends his role at church. Yesterday he took family photos of homeless families at the Redwood Gospel Mission feast. And our relationship is wonderful.
One of my relatives is as far removed from me spiritually and politically as you can get–particularly on the abortion issue. I decided one day that I’d been viewing her through that stereotype for too long and I needed to focus on what we have in common: love of family, concern about our kids, books, language, travel.
I still don’t agree with her, but I love her, and life is better. Some days I even remember to pray for her.
That’s what I felt God called me to do about my family. He may tell you something different.
Love looks different, sort of, but it’s the greatest thing and what most people will respond to–if they can trust you not to hurt them.
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Ann, I am so sorry for what you are going through. Part of me is intolerant, but the other part of me knows that after 40 years of alcoholism she really can’t help it and if she is in the condition you say it would probably kill her to try to quit. The way I dealt with it was to say my mother was dead. The body my mother lived in was still alive. I can’t say I know how you feel, I only had to deal with my mother for 11 or 12 years as an alcoholic…I can’t imagine how 40 years of it would have felt. I love you, Ann, and am praying for you today.
Michelle, as always you say just the right thing at just the right time for me. I appreciate your wisdom and am thankful you share it with me. Love you.too!
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Praying for my neighbors today who are having their first Thanksgiving without their husband/father who died unexpectedly over Memorial Day weekend this past year.
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I can’t “like” any of the responses as I can’t remember my password…But, I do like all of them above this post today. I have tears in my eyes from reading y’all’s compassionate responses. Thank you.
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Thank you for your prayers. Things improved after that rough start to the day. And the extended family gathering we had at our home went mostly quite well. I was so busy, though, that I didn’t have a lot of time to chat, and I didn’t notice that my mom was a lot quieter than usual. (There were 26 of us, and there was a lot of noise in our small house.) Someone remarked after Mom & Dad left about how quiet Mom was, and how unusual it was to see her lying on the couch for a bit.
Apparently she had said her head and neck hurt. Prayers for my mom would be appreciated. Thank you.
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