Thanksgiving Day Love

​In the days of the Pilgrims who first settled here in America, Thanksgiving Day was a time when the colony would celebrate the harvest and other blessings they received in the past year.

Today, we get together with our family and friends and we celebrate the love we have for each other. We stop and pause for a day to celebrate the blessings we received throughout the year.
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I look at the many blessings I have and even though it feels like I am the one who pulls it all together and makes things happen, deep down, I know that my blessings come from my heavenly Father, God.
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Right now I am reminded of James 1:17 which says, 

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Thanksgiving Then and Now
There was a time when families lived close together and each year, Thanksgiving Day was a time when everyone came together to spend time to celebrate their blessings together. Over time, families moved apart from each other and each segment of the family developed their own individual rituals and time of celebration with the people who were close to where they lived. Thanksgiving Day celebration now includes family, friends, and co-workers who people feel a close connection to.
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This year, my husband and I are empty nesters. Our children are grown and we have given our children the liberty of developing their own ritual for celebrating Thanksgiving Day. This year, our family is dispersed across the states, doing their own individual Thanksgiving celebration with their family and friends.  It is the same with our friends who are also empty nesters. So, we decided we would get together and enjoy our own Thanksgiving celebration with each other. We will enjoy each other’s company as we prepare this year’s Thanksgiving meal.

Traditional Thanksgiving Menu
This year, my friends and I will prepare a feast that represents a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal. According to Food Network, the classic Thanksgiving menu consists of the following foods:

• Soup: Squash Soup
• Main Dish: Turkey with Stuffing
• Side Dish: Velvety Mashed Potatoes
• Side Dish: Green Bean Casserole
• Side Dish: Glazed Carrots
• Side Dish: Cranberry Sauce
• Side Dish: Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread
• Sauces: Gravy
• Dessert: Pumpkin Pie

My friends and I will not be preparing everything on the list, but we will prepare those things we enjoy eating the most on Thanksgiving Day.
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Our menu consists of:

• Main Dish: Turkey
• Dressing: Cornbread Dressing
• Side Dish: Velvety Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
• Side Dish: Peas and Carrots
• Side Dish: Cranberry Sauce
• Dessert: Pecan Pie

Part of the fun in cooking with family and friends is the time spent together preparing the meal. Our friends are a couple who are among the most amazing people we have ever met in our lives. We will surely have fun preparing our Thanksgiving Day feast together.

Happy Thanksgiving
To you all, I wish for you to have a great Thanksgiving Day. I pray that your day is filled with love and an abundance of happiness. I am grateful for family and friends and I am happy that God placed you in my life.

​History of Thanksgiving Resource:
Silverman, David J. Thanksgiving Day: Holiday. August 03, 2018. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Website URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day. Access Date: November 20, 2018.