Thursday, November 15, 2012
On Thanksgiving Day millions of Americans will gather with loved ones to celebrate our blessings. This year I created a Thanksgiving branch arrangement as a reminder of the blessings of friends and family. When guests come to my home during the season, I ask them to write a blessing or two on a card and then I hang it on a branch in the arrangement. It’s been a great addition to my holiday traditions and I enjoy reading what my friends and family hold dear. Most people list their relationships and their faith. We could all fill a Thanksgiving blessing branch to overflowing with our own list of blessings. My blessings seem to fall into these categories: faith, family, friends, favor, and focus.
Faith in a God that is good – always good.- Family that makes me laugh and loves me in spite of myself.
- Friends who loyal and loving and funny and kind.
- Favor given by God who calls each of us his “favorite.”
- Focus on my life’s purpose.
"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his faithful love endures forever!" Psalm 107
Another Thanksgiving idea….
2 cups Bugles brand corn snacks
2 cups small pretzels
1 cup candy corn
1 cup dried fruit bits or raisins
1 cup peanuts or sunflower seeds
1 cup M&Ms-brand chocolate candy
16 Hershey's-brand chocolate kisses
Instructions
In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except Hershey's Kisses.
Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup Thanksgiving Blessing Mix in small cellophane treat bags. Add one Hershey's Kiss to each bag. Close bag with chenille stem or twist-tie.
Makes 16 Blessing Mix gift bags.
Thanksgiving Blessing
Bugles: Shaped like a cornucopia or Horn of Plenty, a symbol of our nation's abundance.
Pretzels: Arms folded in prayer, a freedom sought by those who founded our country.
Candy corn: Sacrifices of the Pilgrims' first winter. Food was so scarce that settlers survived on just a few kernels of corn a day.
Nuts or seeds: Promise of a a future harvest, one we will reap only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence.
Dried fruits: Harvest gifts of our bountiful land.
M&Ms: Memories of those who came before us to guide us to a blessed future.
Hershey's Kiss: The love of family and friends that sweetens our lives.
