This Thursday is NOT Turkey Day!

I cannot wait to eat turkey and dressing (or stuffing - semantics). I like the sweet potatoes, the pies, the rolls - all of it. I'm getting hungry just thinking about all of the amazing food that I will consume (in some form of moderation) on Thursday. But, I would like to clarify that Thursday is NOT Turkey Day.

We do not gather with our families once a year to celebrate the slaughter of millions of turkeys. For some reason it bothers me that people greet one another with "Happy Turkey Day." Maybe it's because they remove the one word that represents the purpose of this holiday - Thanksgiving. I suppose it's kind of like using the shortcut Xmas for Christmas. Don't take the most important word out of the title. We eat the turkey, but we are supposed to be giving thanks for all of the many blessings in our lives.

I know it has been a difficult year for most. I will be eating my dinner in my home, which is still not repaired from Ike. I still have 7 truck tarps trying to keep the rain out of my house, my daughter still has a hole in her ceiling. My sister is living with her husband and 4 children in a 2 bedroom house, if you can call it that, in a scary part of town because their home was lost in the storm. However, (that's the "but," if you will) we are all safe, happy, and healthy. We serve a God who is bigger than our problems.

We have the privilege of gathering with all of our family to sit down at tables and enjoy a feast that represents God's provision in our lives. Don't shortchange this holiday. It's not just about being thankful for the SUV in the garage or the 46" flat-screen TV hanging on the wall (We don't have one of those, and I know nothing about them so there may be no such thing as a 46" flat-screen.).

This is a day for taking time to thank Papa for our families who love us - whether they be biological or a family of friends. We have the opportunity to thank Him for our larger family. After all, if we have accepted the forgiveness of sins offered to us, we have been adopted by the Creator, the great I Am. He calls us sons and daughters. We are joint heirs with Christ. It just does not get any better than that!

Let's thank Him for being who He is - Papa, Father, Abba. I, for one, refuse to relegate this holiday to the status of a celebratory day of engorgement. Like I said, I enjoy the food as much as the next person, but I also want to teach my little girl that this day is so much more than eating and football.

I never really thought about it before, but as we head into the Christmas season, it is very appropriate that we celebrate Thanksgiving first. Maybe, if we celebrate Thanksgiving properly, we will remember when we are tempted to fill our shopping carts with gifts we can't afford that we have already been given the greatest gifts. Perhaps, it will cause us to shine a brighter light on what Christmas is really all about. Of course, that is just a thought, and perhaps it's a post for another time.

In any case, next time you are greeted or are tempted to greet someone else with "Happy Turkey Day," please remember this: As far as I know, no turkey has ever given his life to save the world. To the best of my knowledge, the Toms currently thawing in my fridge had no part in blessing me with my beautiful daughter or loving husband. There isn't a gobbler on earth that has done anything so admirable that we celebrate Turkey Day.

On that note, I heartily wish you a most enjoyable, blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

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I Need A Spiritual Haircut!

What are you talking about? I'll bet that's exactly what you were thinking when you read the title of this post. Come on, admit it. You know you were. There, now doesn't it feel better to just tell the truth about these things? I'm serious about the title though - I am in need of a spiritual haircut.

Given that you are not mind readers, I'll explain what I mean by that statement. I'll preface my explanation with an anecdotal story, which I suppose is actually the explanation (confused yet?). Buckle up and hang in there, this will be a short trip.

I went to get my hair cut today. Prior to today's trip to the salon it had been 6 months or more since I'd visited. I was in extreme need of some hair therapy. I really thought someone was going to call the hair police at any moment. It was truly that bad!

Now, I seriously have no idea if a haircut has the effect on men that it does on women. For that matter, perhaps I am making rash generalizations about other women based on my own experience. All I know is that when I get a new "do" I feel like a new woman. It gives me a spring in my step and a whole new outlook on life. I actually feel like everything is going to come up roses. I may be indulging in a smidge of hyperbole, but the sentiment is sincere enough.

So, that brings us back to the spiritual haircut. I was sitting here reveling in the fact that I feel so much better after losing those 5 little inches of hair and wondering how much more it would affect me if I allowed God to do a little trimming on me. Uh, oh - I think I just saw some of you close your browsers at that last statement.

Often, we dread those seasons of pruning in our lives. It can be painful at times, but if we heed the words of Jesus in John 15:1-2, we will realize that the pruning and trimming is necessary for us to grow. Besides, you will notice that the scripture says that He only prunes those who are bearing fruit. So, if He's not pruning, you should be seriously concerned at this point.

The pruning process very much reminds me of going to the salon. There is much anticipation about what the end result will look like. You fear losing those locks in a horrible hair catastrophe. You know that it has to be done, you know that it will grow back, but you're still a little nervous. One point in this comparison doesn't hold up - we have nothing to fear when Papa starts trimming. He is gentle, and he cuts perfectly every time.

Now, I'm going to enjoy my new "do" and seek my Father for a while in hopes of a little sprucing up on the spiritual side of life. I love that I can rest in His arms and call Him Abba, Father, Papa. Don't you just love our God?

Blessings!

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Christmas Shopping Edition

OK, I usually don't write this type of blog post, but every once in a while I like to share a few things that have been passed along to me or I've stumbled across. I have been working on my Christmas shopping and have found and been told about some crazy good deals. I would like to share those with you!

First, this one has to be taken advantage of very quickly, but it is a super, fantastic deal. I'm not an Oprah watcher but a friend passed this info along to me. If you go to Oprah's web site and scroll down a little, you will see a link to Snapfish where you can get a free 8"x11" photo book from them. Here's the catch - the dispersal of coupons to Snapfish accounts ends on Friday, November 14, 2008 at 11:59 pm PST. That means, you have to go to the site, click the link and create or login to an existing Snapfish account prior to the cutoff time in order to have the coupon automatically added to your account. Then you have to redeem the coupon by Sunday, November 16, 2008 at 11:59 pm PST. That means you only have a few days to upload your photos and create your photo book. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that if you are signing up on Snapfish for the first time, you also get 20 free 4"x6" prints.Of course, you will have to pay for shipping/handling, but it's still an excellent deal.

OK, next, if you have a little girl and you are looking for the perfect bow to accent her holiday attire or any attire, you should check out Blooming Bows. I have been buying my daughter's hair bows there since she was an infant. They have excellent quality and are consistent in their products. In my experience, their bows are perfect every time! I have had occasions when I found something similar to what I was looking for (but not exact) on their site, and they were able to tailor it to my request. Best of all, they are less expensive than anyone else I've found (even local stores in my area). I cannot recommend them highly enough. They are terrific!! Right now, all of their holiday bows are 20% off - no coupon code required. I'm not sure how long the sale goes, but as of right now, it is valid. Another bonus is that if you have your order shipped via USPS, shipping is free.

Another of my favorite "go to's" for Christmas shopping is Christian Book Distributors. They have lots of great books at fantastic prices. Of course, they also have CDs, toys, DVDs, etc. Obviously, the majority of their stock consists of "Christian" products. Just thought I'd throw that in there in case you were hoping to find a great deal on the latest and greatest books on Buddhism or Kabbalah - you won't find them there. I found some wonderful books (for all ages), CDs and DVDs, which will make my family very happy come Christmas morning. All of the prices were less expensive than I could find anywhere else (even Amazon - although I am a huge fan of Amazon). I was even able to order a really great CD that would have cost me at least $12 or $15 (even at Walmart) for $4 on CBD. Anyway, they have lots of terrific products, they always sell at amazingly low prices, and the shipping costs are very reasonable.

OK, that is all I have to share for the moment. I hope you find one or two things that are helpful for your Christmas shopping. If you know of any fantastic deals, please share them in the comments section. I will be happy to incorporate them into another post if I receive enough of them!

Blessings!

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God Is Still On The Throne!

Am I bummed about the results of the election yesterday? You betcha! Am I sad that our country elected someone who supports the murder of our unborn children? No doubt about it! Am I crying in my coffee and chewing my fingernails to the quick over it this morning? Never!

You may say, "WHAT?" Am I not worried by what the Obama presidency will do to our country? To be frank with you, our country has been headed toward immorality long before Obama ever surfaced on the political landscape. There's no doubt that I am less than thrilled with the choice Americans made yesterday. However, that's the beauty of choice. Sometimes your guy loses.

Let me just say this though - God is still occupying His throne this morning. The election of Barack Obama to the presidency does not mean he ascended to the throne of God yesterday. God did not abdicate the throne of heaven so the media's darling, Obamessiah could set up his kingdom. He is merely a man, and our Father is infinitely more powerful than any man - even the President of the United States. I John 4:4 tells us, "for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

Besides, Paul reminds us in Romans 8:28 "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." It is now our job to continue to pray for our country and for its leaders whether they are the ones we chose or not.

God can and will still work through them. It may not be the way we envisioned things, but then, the Jews never pictured their king being slain upon a cross either. His ways are not our ways. Who are we to question our Father's authority and power in any situation?

My point is this, dear reader. You can rest assured that your heavenly Father still has you firmly in the palm of His mighty right hand regardless of who occupies the Oval Office. Each day His mercies are new. We may look at some situations and count them as impossible. However, Matthew 19:26 says, "But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

So, congratulations, President Obama, I may not have chosen you, but I pray you will utterly shock those of us who doubt you by being a tremendous leader. And, my disappointed friends, turn those frowns upside down because as long as we are children of God we live in a theocracy where Papa still occupies the throne!

Blessings!

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