Now, if YOU are the Thanksgiving chef, I know you have a lot more to do today than sit here and practice your counting and reciting skills. But it IS time to pause for a moment and thank God for our bountiful blessings. It?s not about houses and lands, money and material things--it?s about the treasures of heaven that money can?t buy. So get out your calculator and your old alphabet book...and let?s COUNT our blessings and our ABCs!

Let us be thankful for:

• Assurance of salvation
• Blessed Hope of the Church
• Christian faith
• Divine providence of God
• Everlasting life
• Family of God
• God?s Word
• Holy Spirit
• Intercessory prayer
• Jesus
• Knowing Him personally
• Love of God
• Mercy
• New life in . . .

Now, if YOU are the Thanksgiving chef, I know you have a lot more to do today than sit here and practice your counting and reciting skills. But it IS time to pause for a moment and thank God for our bountiful blessings. It?s not about houses and lands, money and material things--it?s about the treasures of heaven that money can?t buy. So get out your calculator and your old alphabet book...and let?s COUNT our blessings and our ABCs!

Let us be thankful for:

• Assurance of salvation
• Blessed Hope of the Church
• Christian faith
• Divine providence of God
• Everlasting life
• Family of God
• God?s Word
• Holy Spirit
• Intercessory prayer
• Jesus
• Knowing Him personally
• Love of God
• Mercy
• New life in Christ
• Overwhelming Evidence of God in Creation
• Peace of God
• Quiet stillness of God?s presence
• Redemption
• Salvation
• Trustworthiness of God
• Undivided attention God gives His children
• Victory in Jesus
• Word of God
• ?Xtravagant grace of God!
• Zzzzzzzzzzzzz--and we can sleep in heavenly peace because God is watching over us all!

Especially for parents & grandparents: You can sleep until Thursday--(sure!); then wake up--and consider doing this devotional activity with your family on Thanksgiving Day. Before--or after--everyone gets STUFFED with turkey and all the trimmings, gather your family around for a recount/recite time of God?s blessings. Begin with the letter "A" and go around the family circle, each one reciting a "thankful point." Conclude with a great family "Zzzzzzzz" silly snore--and a thankful prayer for God?s goodness and grace in your family this year.

Option: Preschoolers who love to "make and do" can have fun using WASHABLE markers to draw and decorate each letter on posterboard. Use blunt-ended scissors to cut out each letter. Play a game of hide-and-seek: hide the letters all over the house; place the "T" inside the COLD oven, for fun!

Now, on Thursday, remember to turn ON the oven (take OUT the fake TURKEY first!), go get that REAL turkey stuffed and place it therein--the fowl, please, not your favorite spouse or kid--grin--Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Scripture: Psalm 136 (A Psalm of Thanksgiving) 

Prayer: Lord, thank You from all of us, all over the world--for the wonderful grace and goodness You have bestowed upon us. Thank You for the things money can?t buy--love, joy, peace, salvation, mercy and a million more! We love You and thank You at this special season, In Your Name, Amen."

All Scriptures are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Copyright 2005 by Peggie C. Bohanon, Springfield, Mo. Used by permission.
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