Okay Girls. As you all are working on last week's Bible Study - I know you are - here are some thoughts to hopefully spur some fun discussion for the week.
As we enter into the wonderful holiday season, I can't help but think back on seasons past and all of the fun times I had as a kid growing up.
I want you to think about the most fun and/or memorable Thanksgiving you have had and share that with us. Let us all be thankful together for the goodness and mercies of our Awesome God!
Thanksgiving Memories
Well, I have lots of wonderful and even humorous Thanksgiving Memories. Of course, at my age, memories begin to run together and I wonder if that happened at Christmas, Thanksgiving, or in my dreams! ha!
I guess my most memorable Thanksgiving started out as a sad one. It was 24 years ago, right before Rusty and I got married in December. Because we were getting married during Christmas break of college, we had to both work through the Thanksgiving holiday. We were bummed- we had never fathomed a holiday away from our parents. We were students at Central Bible College in Springfield and madly in love.
We decided we would make the best of our first holiday away from home. I remember getting up in the eerily quiet dorm on Thursday. It felt and sounded like a ghost hall. I called Rusty's dorm and we made our plans for the day. We would meet for lunch wherever we could find an open restaurant and fill our day with play and study before we had to report to work.
Not only was our college campus empty and quiet, but the streets of Springfield were strangely void of traffic. It felt like we were in a sci-fi movie where aliens had abducted everyone.....
We finally found a restaurant open serving the traditional Thanksgiving day meal. We walked in to the most crowded and loudest place we had seen so far. There, other lone stragglers gathered to celebrate a holiday and hide the lonliness everyone had to feel. We ordered our turkey and dressing. Our meager meal was served and I know we both thought about our mom's and grandmother's meals they were serving. What we had before us could never compare. Once again self-pity engulfed me.
I remember Rusty taking my hand and praying over our meal. At that moment, as he prayed for all of our Thanksgivings to come, I knew how thankful and blessed I really was. I had been in the "mullygrubbs" for not getting to celebrate the way that I was accustomed to, but suddenly I saw a wonderful future ahead of me- a future full of Thanksgivings, Christmases, and other holidays with the man of my dreams - the love of my life.
From that moment on the day was magical. We ate, laughed, and went to the park and played football with some other "left behind" students. I guess that was our first time to be our "new family" in our hearts- if that makes sense. We missed like crazy our traditional time with our parents and siblings, but we were in love and were together.
So, share your most memorable Thanksgiving! Funny, sad, silly.... whatever. Gives us your thoughts!
Love ya all! (and I am waiting on you gals to post from the Bible Study!)
Dorinda
4 comments:
I posted something very similiar in my weekly devotion on the WOMEN TAKING A STAND forum. This weeks devotion is on "CONTENTMENT". I thought that what you had to say about your first Thanksgiving experience away from your family was similiar to what I had to share in this weeks devotion. My Thanksgiving story to share would be about the year that we moved to Arkansas from Wisconsin. It was the first holiday that I ever spent away from my siblings. I remember how sad I felt and how empty my holiday felt. But God taught me a valuable lesson that year about being content with what He had given me and where God had brought me. Check out www.wmfirstassembly.org/forum to see the complete devotion if you are struggling with having contentment in your current situation. I believe that Thanksgiving is not only about giving thanks but also about having contentment with what God has given you and being content with where God has placed you.
Thanks.
Laurie
Thanksgiving is both a time of stress and joy. Stress because I go back home to OHIO and we celebrate Christmas. So I have to have presents bought and wrapped, then I must pack (& be sure Tori is packed), and then drive 600 miles. But, it is all worth it to be with my mom, my sisters and brother, & my cousins. (I come from a large and loving family) I am blessed.
Sherry
I love Thanksgiving! It is definetly my favorite holiday b/c it's a time where you spend time with your family and eat your favorite dishes. When I was little I remember going to my great-grandparents and getting to see my aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I was an only grandchild for a long time and got a lot of attention. I remember it seemed to take so long for the food to be ready and I would keep asking my mom if it was almost time to eat. Now that I look back, I really miss that. I remember sitting in the kitchen with the ladies and watch them cook. I would sit on a chair (it was a tall chair) and I would be able to snack on oreo's and m &m's and chocolate chips. My Nana and Papoo always kept oreo's m&m's, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips in contairs on the counter. I would also drink chocolate milk out of an "Albert Alligator" glass. That was so special for me b/c the glass stayed at Nana & Papoos. I also remember Papoo reading the Bible and praying before we ate. I'm so glad I have these memories to look back on.
Another thing I like about the day is when we are at mom and mike's, Mike has each of us to tell what we are thankful for. I love to hear what everyone says. That is a new tradition that I look forward to every year.
I also looking forward to the memories I'm making with Jeremy and Grace. This year will be the first time I won't spend Thanksgiving with my mom and eat her delicious dressing! It's been hard to think about b/c I'm always with her that day. I'm going to my dad's and I know that I will enjoy it.
Grace asked me the other day if I would cook a turkey. I said I would, but then Jeremy asked if he could and Grace said ok. I told her that he makes a great smoked turkey. So Saturday, we are going to have Thanksgiving. I'm going to make Jeremy's favorite side dish and mine and a couple of desserts. I'm really looking forward to it. I told Grace that we would find a Thanksgiving tablecloth and use our China dishes. It's going to be alot of fun and I know Grace will have that memory when she get older.
Beth
I love holidays. They were always such a happy time in my family. We would get together at my Gram's house (my aunt,mom, sis, and me) and have the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Then we would load up in the car and head to my Aunt Peg's. There we were with all of our family (about 30 of us) and I would play with my cousins and explore the woods surrounding her house. However, I was and still am a VERY picky eater so although there was more food than anyone could eat I ate turkey and a salad. So my family decided one year to make my steamed broc and french fries (2 of my fav things!) to add to the holidays. My cousins always had there fries baked and we fried them so everyone got really into it. Even now when I go back to see them on holidays I am now in charge of bringing the broccoli and french fries!
I look forward to creating these memories with my two boys. Although I do not always see my extended family I have learned after moving here that the holidays can also be about the wonderful friends in your life. As our family has spread out from Florida to Cal. we have been able to create wonderful memories together with those who are like family. Today was Ryan's 1st Thanksgiving Dinner (at least to eat at!) and Andy would eat a piece of turkey and start saying "gobble, gobble" (he said the turkey made him do it which sent Ryan into giggles!). It is wonderful to look around and remember how blessed we are with family and friends.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Crystal
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