A Thankful November: A Blog Vacation

 

Yes, I’m thankful that I’m going to be taking a couple of weeks vacation from blogging to concentrate on other things. Blogging is hard work, you know, and a bit of a break is a good thing.

Kim from Hiraeth has kindly agreed to step in and collect links to thanksgiving posts on her blog so that you can all continue to be thankful in my absense.  Could you do me a favor, though, and send the links to your thanksgiving posts to Kim if you want them included in the links on her blog?  You can contact her here.

Other thankful folk 

• Don Sands is thankful for “schools, from elementary through college. God grants us teachers to teach us to read and write, and develope our intellect.”
• Kim is thankful for “the change of seasons and the beauty of God’s creation.”
• Rosemary shares a George Herbert  poem about being grateful.
• Connie is thankful that her husband is a handyman.

A Thankful November: Fresh Snow

If it’s going to be winter, snow is better than no snow.  We got a soft layer of snow last night and it certainly makes things less dreary. There’s nothing gloomier than dark winter days without white snow to brighten things up.

It also makes things more hopeful for those who are waiting impatiently to ski or skijor.

So I’m thankful for God’s gift of fresh snow.

Other thankful folk 

• Staci is thankful for weekends off.
  
• Connie is thankful for “dear friends who consider (and bless) our family when they need to get rid of something or donate something!”
• Kim is thankful for “Bible Study, for commentaries that challenge and instruct, for friends who take the study of God’s Word seriously, and especially for the Gospel.”

To participate in this month’s theme of thanksgiving:

• Mention something you’re thankful for in the comments here, and I’ll include it in one of my thanksgiving posts, or
  
• Email me to tell me what you’re thankful for and I’ll include it in one of the thankful posts, or
• You may post your thankful thought(s) on your own blog and send me the link(s), and I’ll link to your post.
• If you’ve posted something thankful and I missed it, please remind me.

Giveaway Time Again at Challies.com

Important update below!

 

 

This month Tim is giving away audio resources sponsored by Fellowship of the Performing Arts. Here are the prizes:

• First prize: One copy of The ESV Listener’s Bible on CD (as read by Max McLean) and one copy of Classics of the Christian Faith CD collection. The retail value of this prize is over $150.
• Second prize: One copy of Classics of the Christian Faith CD collection.
• Third prize: One copy of Classics of the Christian Faith CD collection.

Click on the banner above to enter your name in the draw. No blog necessary, just an email address.

Update on Friday, November 16, 2007 at 12:09PM by rebecca

The giveaway is now closed, and the winners have been notified, but Tim has announced good news for nonwinners, too, like a free downloadable copy of His Christmas Story, McLean’s recording of the Christmas story and a 20% off coupon code.

Theological Term of the Week: Suspended Until Later

 

 

I’m going to be busy with some projects other than blogging for next few weeks, so I’ve decided to put the weekly theological term posts on hold until shortly after Christmas.  I’ve finished (I think!) all the terms dealing with scripture that I planned to define. (If you can think of one that I obviously missed, please let me know.) When I start things up again in January, I’m moving to the subject of God. I have a couple of terms suggested to me that fit that category and I’m open to lots more suggestions.

A Thankful November: Books

Copyright © 2006-2007, Andrew Stark.

All rights reserved.

 

I love it when a package with a book arrives in the mail, like one did today.

 

What would I do without books? I keep one handy in my purse for passing time while I wait for service, like this morning when I had my winter tires put on the car. I keep several around the house for passing time during the commercial and the boring spots while I’m watching television.

 

Once in a while, I even read one when I’m not just passing time. They’re good for that, too.

 

Other thankful folk

• Ann is thankful for acts of kindness.
  
• Kim is thankful for assurance and meetings that go well.
• Carla is thankful for the critters.
• Connie is thankful that organizations like Desiring God are getting involved in adoption related ministries.
• Kim is thankful that her brother is going to be okay and that she can usually take some things (like thumbs) for granted.
• Tulipgirl is thankful “that the Lord has given me peace to just be in each day, loving my family, not speculating about the future.”  I say amen to that one: When circumstances are tough, peace to cherish each day is one of the great gifts from the Lord.

To participate in this month’s theme of thanksgiving:

• Mention something you’re thankful for in the comments here, and I’ll include it in one of my thanksgiving posts, or
  
• Email me to tell me what you’re thankful for and I’ll include it in one of the thankful posts, or
• You may post your thankful thought(s) on your own blog and send me the link(s), and I’ll link to your post.
• If you’ve posted something thankful and I missed it, please remind me.

Cranberry Salad

This is one of the dishes we have on the two turkey holidays. It came from my aunt, who brought one of these pretty pink (and delicious) salads to a family holiday dinner when I was a child. I use frozen Yukon wild cranberries, but go ahead an use your supermarket ones.

1. Grind 1/2 package cranberries. My aunt used a hand food grinder, but I just throw my frozen cranberries right in the food processer and whirl them until most of the pieces are small. And since my cranberries don’t come in packages, I use 2 cups. Put the ground cranberries in a small bowl and mix in 1 cup sugar. Let the mixture stand overnight.
2. Dissolve 1 package Knox gelatine in water according to directions given. Add water to make 1 cup.
3. Prepare 1 package Dream Whip  as directed. Mix 1/2  Dream Whip, berry mixture, gelatine mixture, and 1 small can crushed pineapple with juice, and pour it all into glass bowl or salad mold. Let set.

Other cranberry holiday recipes:

• Cranberry muffins
• Cranberry apple pie
• Cranberry cake with brown sugar sauce
  

See other holiday recipes at Semicolon. The actual date of this month’s Round Up is next Monday, the 19th, so you still have plenty of time to join in the fun by posting your favorite holiday recipe and adding your link to the list.

November's Recipe Round Up

…has been postponed until next Monday, the 19th. See the details at Semicolon.

I won’t be able to post next Monday, so I’ll be posting my recipe and linking it in Mr. Linky ahead of time. You can do that too, and Sherry encourages it:

Leave the links NOW. I’ll do a post with commentary and links on Monday the 19th.

If you post your recipe early and link it to the Round Up page at Semicolon, it’ll be excellent advertising for this month’s Round Up, too. Let’s make this one the biggest ever!

A Thankful November: Providential Care

Yesterday flew by without a thankful post from me, so to make up for lost time, I’m going to be thankful today for providential in general and two providences in particular:

• I’m thankful that youngest son made it home safely from his trip to Edmonton over the weekend. I’m thankful, too, that his trip gave him a little better perspective on his own life.
• I’m thankful that the horrid squealing sound my car started making when it was cold turned out to have a simple fix.

Other thankful folk
(Okay, that I skipped a day means I am even more likely than usual to have forgotten to include your thankful post, so help me out by sending me any missed links. Please!)

• Carla is thankful for hymns and inspiration. (Using the word inspiration next to hymns makes it sound as if its inspiration of the God-breathed sort. It’s not. But I’m not going to tell you what sort of inspiration it is.)
  
• Connie is thankful for “over-the-counter medicine, extra SLEEP, my crock pot, and my bread machine!”
• Kim is thankful for many things surrounding her father-in-law’s successful surgery.
• Columbine is thankful for her home church.
• Rosemary is thankful for tested faith.
• Ann B is thankful for a day to rest up.
• Kim is thankful for creative pursuits.
• Update: Elaine is thankful for what she has.
  

To participate in this month’s theme of thanksgiving:

• Mention something you’re thankful for in the comments here, and I’ll include it in one of my thanksgiving posts, or
  
• Email me to tell me what you’re thankful for and I’ll include it in one of the thankful posts, or
• You may post your thankful thought(s) on your own blog and send me the link(s), and I’ll link to your post.
• If you’ve posted something thankful and I missed it, please remind me.

Sunday's Hymn and a Thankful November: God's Providence

One stone, two birds.

Continuing with hymns that fulfill the admonition to teach one another with our songs, this week’s doctrine presented in a hymn is the doctrine of God’s providence, which tells us that God is always involved in everything that goes on in his creation. He sustains and directs everything so that it all fulfills his purposes.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

—-William Cowper (Listen)

 Here are a few previous posts on God’s providence: 

• God’s Sovereignty
  
• Getting Your Theology on Track
  
• On Preparing for Suffering and Evil from D. A. Carson: Part 1, Part 2

I’m thankful for God’s providence. It gives order to the universe and meaning to all of life’s circumstances. It means we can be thankful in everything. Nothing is too trivial for our thanksgiving, since God works in the minute details of his creation, managing and ordering it for his good purposes. And even in adversity, we can be thankful, because our difficult circumstance are part of his plan for us and have his good purposes behind them, or as today’s hymn says, “Behind a frowning providence, [God] hides a smiling face.”

Other thankful folk

• Columbine is thankful that “We made it home safe and sound to Colorado…. I am also thankful that last night both my husband I and were able to get in over 5 hours of sleep.”
• Candyinsierras is thankful for her leatherman knife.
• Kim is thankful for the talents God has given her son, “the willingness he has to share his work, the way he asks for and receives feedback and his wonderful imagination.”
• Carla is thankful for godly leaders.
• Connie is thankful “for the living hope [God] has given me through Christ Jesus! Only Christ satisfies this thirsty soul.”
• Lana G is thankful for her camera.
  

To participate in this month’s theme of thanksgiving:

• Mention something you’re thankful for in the comments here, and I’ll include it in one of my thanksgiving posts, or
  
• Email me to tell me what you’re thankful for and I’ll include it in one of the thankful posts, or
• You may post your thankful thought(s) on your own blog and send me the link(s), and I’ll link to your post.
• If you’ve posted something thankful and I missed it, please remind me.

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• O Thou from Whom All Goodness Flows at joythruChrist
• The Collect for the Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity at Magic Statistics
• There’s Just Something about that Name at The Happy Wonderer
• Lord’s Day 45, 2007 at The Thirsty Theologian
  
• The Church’s One Foundation at Hiraeth
• Revive Thy Work, O Lord at Seasoning of the Heart
• In the Cross of Christ I Glory at Thoughts from the Teahouse
• Our God, Our Help in Ages Past at Whatever Things…
• Blest Be the Tie That Binds at Lux Venit
  

Have you posted a hymn this Sunday and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.

A Thankful November: Tools

We  have lots and I’m thankful for them. When it comes to doing projects, we usually have all the tools we need. Quite frequently, we have friends who come over to use our tools for projects they are working on, and I’m thankful we can help people out that way. When youngest son painted the garage last summer, he used our scaffolding to do it, which meant he was safer than he would have been without it. It’s a blessing to have what we need to be safe and do our work without having to worry about it.

 
Other thankful folk 

• Ann B has a list of thanksgiving verses.
  

Why don’t you participate in being thankful with us? Here’s how:

• Mention something you’re thankful for in the comments here, and I’ll include it in one of my thanksgiving posts, or
  
• Email me to tell me what you’re thankful for and I’ll include it in one of the thankful posts, or
• You may post your thankful thought(s) on your own blog and send me the link(s), and I’ll link to your post.
• If you’ve posted something thankful and I missed it, please remind me.