Thanksgiving Blessings-2025

 

Thanksgiving Blessings- 2025

Deuteronomy 8:1-10

This reading for worship for Thanksgiving highlights 

the reminder to the Israelites to remember 

that God provides, disciplines and tests. 

Their daily hunger and dependence on God for food

 helped them to learn to trust His word, 

not just the promise of food. 

Daily miracles week after week,

 year after year provided the framework for providing

 for their needs. It helped them to understand the hope

 to come of the land of abundance in the future. 

The last thing God wanted was a group of prideful

 and self-sufficient people that didn't need Him anymore.

 God's every detail plan even had their shoes and clothes

 that didn't wear out. The 40 year journey 

was to humble the Israelites and fine tune 

their dependence on God. 

"Man shall not live by bread alone"

 is the iconic phrase that God gives more

 to sustain us then just our daily bread. 

There is also the warning that abundance 

and prosperity is dangerous because we tend to forget

 about God when our need is lessened. 

Finally, they are asked to give thanks 

for the land that God is giving them. 

That is paired with obedience 

because of His great goodness.

  So much of this story is a reminder to us 

living in this land of plenty and prosperity 

that we not forget the good God 

who cares for us and provides all things.

So, on this Thanksgiving Day we celebrate the

gift that blesses us for eternity.

Jesus our greatest gift and we give thanks.

                thousand-thousand-thanks-shall-be-hs-by-pat-maier

Supplies:

Visual Church Printable

vcy-graphics-only-november-2025

Magazine Cutouts

Colored Pencils

Vintage Stamp

Distress Ink

Thanksgiving Day- 2023

 A gathering of slices life for Thanksgiving 2023. 

Some vintage postcards from over 100 years ago.

Remembering past generations 

and all the saints in heaven.

Greetings sent by text to friends and loved ones.

The gourds from this fall still look lovely.

 A bit of a turkey tag-along. 

An early blooming cactus.

A simple dinner with scallops, roasted sweet potatoes

and brussel sprouts, and maple bourbon cranberries.

Two big plants still outside in these milder days.

Worship into the Week for Thanksgiving Day.

So many things to be thankful

 for in our very blessed life.

John ad I give thanks for our faith, 

family and good health.

All of these are our very great gift.

Worship into the Week- Whatever

Worship into the Week-

Thanksgiving Day

 Philippians 4: 6-20

Contentment is not Found in Strength.

Contentment is not found in a Perfect Life.

Contentment is found in the Life 

that Jesus Christ  brings to us.

Peace that transcends all understanding.

That is a phrase I use alot when thinking

 of those who have lost loved ones.

 What does that mean?

How does that peace seep into our daily life living?

When life doesn't make sense, 

and will never "be right" again?

Guard our hearts and minds.

Is that really necessary to protect us

 from the force of the evil one?

Absolutely, without a doubt.

Whatever.

The byline of our middle daughter.

That became her blessing verse for life.

"Whatever is true, right, lovely, admirable, 

excellent, praiseworthy, think about such things."

Thanks Paul,

 for meeting us right in the 

challenges of faith life living.

Supplies:

 Visual Church Year Printable

vcy-graphics-only-november-2022

Worship into the Week Printable

worship-into-the-week-november-2022

Magazine Cutouts

 Colored pencils

 Vintage stamps

 

Thanksgiving Blessings

    

                  A simple project to prepare for Thanksgiving.

                                          Made on #8 tags.

                                  A bit of scrapbook paper.

Some Distress Ink.

An O binder ring and some fibers to trim.

Torn edges and a die cut or two.

Words to set before me for devotional time.

Visual Reminders of God's Word.

Praying Scripture.

Propped on a shelf or the corner of a table.

Verses of Thanksgiving from the 

Old Testament and New Testaments.

The Psalms and the Epistles.

The project makes a wonderful way

 to add Scripture verses to a gathering.

Take apart the tag booklet 

and use the verses for prayer time

at a Thanksgiving meal- or after.

The project is here from Visual Faith® Ministry.

thanks-card-verse-project-by-sally-beck

Here is an additional resource:

thanks-verse-card-project-companion-by-diane-marra

The 2022 Thanksgiving Garland

We started this family tradition in 2010.

A jute string with some yarn and a couple of photos.

Sparse but good. Twelve years later 

we have added 3 sons-in-laws, 10 grandchildren,

 and more blessings than we can count.

We have moved to the fluffy category.

Fluffy is good.

 

Each year I get a few photos texted 

to me by my daughters.

I ask for 2 photos of each child, one family 

and one with the child crew.

Maybe a few reminders and a printing deadline later,

 but their help is invaluable for the project.

After all, I am making the tags for very busy 

working moms with littles- as a gift.

The Wilson Crew photos.

The Schumacher Crew photos.

The Meier Crew photos.

I make a set of each of the cards 

for the garland for Papa and Gigi.

The #dengrandloves enjoy looking 

at the photos of themselves and cousins and family.

We have added blessings and gratitudes, Bible verses,

and dinner place cards as tags.

This is the story of the family faith rhythm

 of giving thanks.

We give thanks- in all things.

Rejoice always, pray continually-

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us.

In Everything Give Thanks

 

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

in everything give thanks;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thess. 5:16-18

This simple painted canvas 

with napkin leaves was done in fall 2006.

The hand-lettered Scripture verse with a Sharpie

was the prayer verse that held our 

family together in some very rough seas.

Every fall it comes out to hang on

 the wall as a reminder of the 

blessing of God's faithfulness.

The lettering had faded 

and a few years ago I wrote over it again.

Every time I walk by it, 

I stop and see a part of the verse

 to whisper in a heart prayer.

Pray...

rejoice without ceasing,

in everything give thanks,

pray without ceasing.

The right landing spot for each Spirit-led Breath.

I give thanks for the experiences we never 

wanted, but were allowed in our lives, 

so that we stand sixteen years later-

 still giving thanks to God.

November Roundup

O Favors, every year made new.
O Gifts, with Rain and Sunshine sent.
The Bounty overruns our due
The fullness shames our discontent.

Glimpses and Gleanings 

from around our home.

And the home of Michigan daughters

 on our visit there.

We give thanks with a grateful heart,

for all the Lord's provision.

The Lord has showered us

 with so many blessings.

In Everything Give Thanks.

Thanksgiving Garland 2021

 

The 2021 Meier tags for the Thanksgiving Garland

The garland idea was a great Keep the Faith project

 that began about 10 years ago. 

It started out with leaves, Bible verses and gratitude lists.

  Then the grandchildren started coming,

 so I began to add a photos for them for each year

 and a few words of just what they are doing for each year.

Then more grandchildren came along the way.

  I saw that busy mamas- and busy working mamas of littles-

 would have NO TIME to make the tags

 for each of their own family garlands.

The 2021 Schumacher Tags for the Thanksgiving Garland

So. I asked the mamas for 2 favorite photos of each child,

 a family photo and one with just the kiddos.

I make the tags for each family and leave a space

 for moms to add a note about each child.

 I also added some Scripture verses

 from the Thanks verse project by Sally Beck

 from Visual Faith Ministry. 

It may have been more of an art project ten years ago, 

but now it is assembly line and get them done.

 No need to add much more embellishment

 than some Distress ink.

The 2021 Wilson Tags for the Thanksgiving Garland

Each family adds their own tags

 to their growing tag garland.

The kids love looking at the photos 

from year to year with laughs and giggles.

The grownups can't believe how quickly the changes

 are happening in the little families.

I make a set for our own Thanksgiving garland. 

I put the 2 photos of each child 

on one tag- front and back. 

I added a heart tag that tells a bit 

about them THIS YEAR.

 Another tag for each family has parents

 and children on one side and just the kids on the other.

SO many blessings- and an expanding 

fatter and fatter garland is a very good thing.

Supplies:

Basic Garland Instructions

thanksgiving-garland-project-part-1-by-connie-denninger

Thanks project- Sally Beck

thanks-card-verse-project-by-sally-beck

#8 tags- Express tags

( they come in a box of 1000,

 so great for a group event)

Yarn and scrapbook paper

Various Distress ink 

Ever Thankful

 Wrapping up November

 and some family thankful time.

 We were blessed to hang out

 with some of the Michigan troops.

 These amazing four young boys kept us hopping.

Their dads were with the 

Concordia-Ann Arbor football team. 

They had traveled to Kansas for the 2nd round

 of the playoffs in  the NAIA football after season.

(They lost- but ended with an amazing 10-3 season.)

Inside fun and outside play by the water.

Bunches of snuggles and cuddles.

Art projects and creative fun

and a meal with all sorts of yum.

Giggles and exploration.
Private conversations.
And just contemplation
 of all the great blessings.

Good gifts--
from one generation to the next.
Thank you God.

Oh Give Thanks

Psalm 107:1, 8-9, 14-15, 28-32

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

His love endures forever.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love

and His wonderful deeds for mankind,

for He satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,

and broke away their chains,

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love

and His wonderful deeds for mankind,

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

and He brought them out of their distress.

He stilled the storm to a whisper;

the waves of the sea were hushed.

They were glad when it grew calm,

and He guided them to their desired haven.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love

and His wonderful deeds for mankind.

Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people

and praise Him in the council of the elders.

Dear Lord,

Giving thanks for time with family,

good health,

faith-life living,

a Resurrected Savior,

and food, clothing and shelter.

Be present with all those in this world who do not 

have these basic good gifts.

Father, let me find ways to share more

 from my abundance. Amen.