Thanksgiving and Grace

 Are you preparing for the Thanksgiving Holiday,  and Advent immediately after?  This week I need grace.  Grace that replenishes, restores, revitalizes! In adoration this time last year, God spoke to my heart with these words below. It was a reminder that when I give of myself to others out of love for God and neighbor, and they do the same, it will come back to me through someone. It's a circulation of the Love of God.

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

I cannot feel fully restored with a hot bath, a new dress, or cup of coffee. It is within the community that I place myself, if it be holy and blessed with charity, that I will find refreshment. I'm so very thankful for all I've been granted through the will of my Father. I'm so very thankful for all blessings I know He will continue to provide. Shortly after reflecting on God's words to me in adoration, I read the following prayer in our church bulletin that confirmed it.

Amen. Though I must admit I'm feeling consumed more with what I need to do of my own making,  and not enough about what he's wanting to do through me. Prayerful discernment is prudent these next few weeks for myself and most busy parents. Oh the plans I have made, knowing very well I must be flexible and count it all joy if there are changes. It was just last year our whole family was sick for Thanksgiving on through all of Advent. It made for a unique experience for the season, and reminded us about it being a penitential time similar to Lent.

If I grow weary, I put this image I found onto my phone screen for a time which quotes Galatians.

"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

The USA Thanksgiving is a great kickstart for the holiday/Advent season, as we give thanks for all the grace God has given us. How He's a generous giver if our eyes and hearts are open to recognizing it, especially if we are also generous with our time, talent and treasure. SO my gift to you is a short list of ideas what we do on Thanksgiving Day!

WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU

Here is a sample template for making place cards for your guests. Write their name on each and decorate with your own marker or watercolor paintings. Cut out and display on the table settings. Let them write what they are thankful for on the back.

We have a banner we bought a few years ago and each year we sign it and add anything we are grateful for. It has been a lovely keepsake to put up each year with whomever visits, or even if it was just us. I've seen others do this with a linen table cloth. 

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

GOBBLE GOBBLE

The traditional meal is a Turkey Dinner, with all the fixings of stuffing, potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, rolls and butter, and pie for dessert. 

The meal where you feel more stuffed than the turkey. So of course a lot of childrens' crafts include turkeys and food, so of course inspired by some art I found online, I made this coloring sheet for my children to watercolor.

They chose if they wanted to redraw it onto watercolor paper, trace it, or simply use the coloring sheet printed on cardstock. Overall, they enjoyed this simple project. Here is the sheet if you'd like to print it out.

This was enjoyed by our 7 and almost 4yo boys.

Thanksgiving Activities in our home might include:

Paper Football Game (table runner)

Crossword Puzzle Team Challenge

Stuff the Turkey - CornHole/Bean-bag Toss

Shake Your Tailfeathers

Roll-A-Turkey dice (drawing) (cut and paste) (w/M&Ms)

Cornicopia Catch (Blindfolded)

Thanksgiving Pictionary

Ping Pong in the Goblet

Table Talk Cards (or Would You Rather)

Turkey Baster Relay (blow feathers)

Traffic Yam Race (roll a yam on floor)

Hunting Turkeys (darts)

Settlers of Catan Board Game

many ideas can be found online, especially through Pinterest.

Thanksgiving Pictionary was so easy to create. I bought wide wood craft sticks that are precolored. On one side I wrote the words and the other side drew feathers,  as pictured. They are in a small pot feather side up. Everyone will choose a feather when it's his or her turn, draw the word,  and we all guess.  Whoever guesses correctly is the next drawer. What other words would you add?

In a hilarious effort,  we had to ban the drawing of a bowl first,  because otherwise people would simply guess a list of foods until they right. Here's a few examples of how much was drawn before the word was guessed.  

Friendship

Cranberries

Mayflower

Charity

My sister guessed "Plymouth Rock" before my brother had even put his marker to the board! It was the best laugh we've all had in awhile. 

This is a classic game that everyone can find enjoyable if they aren't a genuine scrooge. It was also one of those moments I was glad to have a classroom/dining room, ready with a whiteboard. 

We have a box of feathers, for the game "Shake Your Tailfeathers," whereby you fill an empty rectangle tissue box with feathers, tie it around your waist and see who can empty it the fastest. Of course, these goofs think the feathers also make good mustaches! hehe

The other day, my youngest daughter (who likes Little House on the Prairie) surprised me with this pilgrim costume she put together from the dress-up box. It brings me such joy that she still enjoys little girl things, pure things, untainted by the world today. My girls love modesty, simplicity, creativity, and I think we've only begun exploring their talents. I think dressing up modestly, or as a pilgrim or native, would be appropriate.

PRAY A ROSARY TOGETHER!

I wanted to get this out quickly, so I'm sure I'll revisit this post after the holiday and refresh with new photos of what we did, and any new ideas that emerged. We wish you all a grace-filled Advent and a blessed Thanksgiving Day. Peace be with you! O Come Emmanuel!