Giving Thanks in November

 

It's hard to believe that November is nearly over and that we are on the brink of December already.  I like November; it's like the calm before the storm that December has become for all too many of us.  I'm thankful for the slow passing of the month and the time to concentrate on the many, many blessings in my life and to deliberately give thanks to the One Who has given each one to me.

Some things I'm thankful for on this last day of November:

 I'm thankful for my husband, my boys, my daughter-in-law and the new grandchild that will arrive in June. Our family is close and loving and our home is truly a haven of peace (and fun!) There's no place I'd rather be than with my family.

I'm thankful for my extended family and I'm looking forward to going home soon to spend time with the people I love that live so far away.

I'm thankful for my church and my friends.  I haven't shared this yet, but we've joined several other families with the hopes and dreams of starting a new church. We've been meeting in homes since September, looking forward to joining the OPC as a church plant soon.  The petition for membership was drawn up and signed last Sunday and this Sunday we will be meeting in our new, rented location for the first time ever!  I'm thankful for God's guidance, protection, and provision as we've grown and developed and for the vision He has given us to establish this  church on Christ and His Gospel.

I'm thankful for my furry friends, too, Eve and Ivy and of course, Buster, our cat.  I can begin to see Eve aging before my eyes--her face is nearly all white now, her eyesight and her hearing is failing, and she seems confused sometimes. It's beginning to really come home to me that we won't have her forever, so I'm grateful for every day that she's still here with us--a part of our family.

I'm thankful for God's sustaining grace, His patience, and His forgiveness.  This has been a year full of stress and heartache and deep sadness.  And yet, even in the trials--no, especially in the trials, He has given us strength and courage to get through each day and in His mercy He has given us a measure of peace and comfort that can only come from Him.

I'm grateful for the study of His Word, most especially for what I've come to call the aha! moments when He opens up a passage of scripture (or sometimes my heart) in an extraordinary way.  I'm grateful for the insights but more than that I am grateful for His presence during those times.

I've been listening to some Desiring God conferences while I've been working at my drawing board the past few weeks.  I've listened to speakers addressing the lives of such godly and influencial men as Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, John Owen, and of course my favorite, Jonathan Edwards. I owe so much to the writings of these men and others and I'm thankful for their continuing influence in the church and in my life.

Speaking of my drawing board, I'm thankful for each person who has visited Bookworm Bookmarks and placed an order for a bookmark or two, a poem, a quote.  It's been a good start and I've had great fun working with so many of you.  It's a very satisfying feeling to know that literally hundreds of my bookmarks are scattered all over the US, Canada, and even in Australia, doing their jobs and holding places in favorite books.

I'm also thankful that my friend, Rebecca, will soon be back and blogging again after her blogging break.  It's been fun collecting the thankful posts in her absence.  I've met a couple of new blogging friends through this month of thankful posts.

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Here is my last installment of thankful links:

Connie, from Practicing Theology, writes "This morning I've been reminded afresh of God's endless and matchless forgiveness, for which I am not only in great need of, but so very thankful for."

My new friend, Annie B, from Whatever Things, is thankful for the gift of a Christian friend.

O Give thanks to the Lord!  Call upon His Name!  Make His deeds known among the people! 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

November 30
God Is In The Front Line

The Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed - Deuteronomy 31:8

In the presence of a great work or a great warfare, here is a text which should help us to buckle on our harness. If Jehovah Himself goes before us, it must be safe to follow. Who can obstruct our progress if the Lord Himself is in the van? Come, brother soldiers, let us make a prompt advance! Why do we hesitate to pass on to victory?

Nor is the Lord before us only; He is with us. Above, beneath, around, within is the omnipotent, omnipresent One. In all time, even to eternity, He will be with us even as He has been. How this should nerve our arm! Dash at it boldly, ye soldiers of the cross, for the Lord of hosts is with us!

Being before us and with us, He will never withdraw His help. He cannot fail in Himself, and He will not fail toward us. He will continue to help us according to our need, even to the end. As He cannot fail us, so He will not forsake us. He will always be both able and willing to grant us strength and succor till fighting days are gone.

Let us not fear nor be dismayed; for the Lord of hosts will go down to the battle with us, will bear the brunt of the fight, and give us the victory.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Giving Thanks in November

I have permission to share what has been a secret joy and thanksgiving for some weeks now:

 

 We're going to be grandparents! 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

November 29
Know How To Wait

He that believeth shall not make haste - Isaiah 28:16

He shall make haste to keep the Lord's commandments; but he shall not make haste in any impatient or improper sense.

He shall not haste to run away, for he shall not be overcome with the fear which causes panic. When others are flying hither and thither as if their wits had failed them, the believer shall be quiet, calm, and deliberate, and so shall be able to act wisely in the hour of trial.

He shall not haste in his expectations, craving his good things at once and on the spot, but he will wait God's time. Some are in a desperate hurry to have the bird in the hand, for they regard the Lord's promise as a bird in the bush, not likely to be theirs. Believers know how to wait. .

He shall not haste by plunging into wrong or questionable action. Unbelief must be doing something, and thus it works its own undoing; but faith makes no more haste than good speed, and thus it is not forced to go back sorrowfully by the way which it followed heedlessly.

How is it with me? Am I believing, and am I therefore keeping to the believer's pace, which is walking with God? Peace, fluttering spirit! Oh, rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him! Heart, see that thou do this at once!

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Giving Thanks in November

Annie from Whatever Things is thankful for the minor prophets.  I felt a little nudge when I read her thanksgiving post.  She's reading Micah.  I've decided to read Malachi this evening before I go to bed.

Lisa, from Lisa Writes, is thankful for her home and friends.  Me, too.  We had friends in our home tonight for prayer and dinner and fellowship.  Our home is small, but it's frequently filled with people we love.  That is a great blessing for which we are thankful.

Ellen is thankful for God's response to our confessions and for being at home in Washington for the month of December.

Living with Vizslas

Yes, it's true. Living with vizslas can be just like this.

Ivy and Eve with our neighbor, Mike

UPDATE: OOOooops! I need to clarify; the dogs in the video are not mine--they just ACT like mine (and every other Vizsla I have ever known. . .)

New Christmas Offerings at Bookworm Bookmarks

 

A Christmas Carol Collection 

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November 28
Doing What God Can Bless

The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto - Deuteronomy 28:8

If we obey the Lord our God He will bless that which He gives us. Riches are no curse when blessed of the Lord. When men have more than they require for their immediate need and begin to lay up in storehouses, the dry rot of covetousness or the blight of hard-heartedness is apt to follow the accumulation; but with God's blessing it is not so. Prudence arranges the saving, liberality directs the spending, gratitude maintains consecration, and praise sweetens enjoyment. It is a great mercy to have God's blessing in one's iron safe and on one's banking account.

What a favor is made ours by the last clause! "The Lord shall bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand unto." We would not put our hand to anything upon which we dare not ask God's blessing, neither would we go about it without prayer and faith. But what a privilege to be able to look for the Lord's help in every enterprise! Some talk of a lucky man: the blessing of the Lord is better than luck. The patronage of the great is nothing to the favor of God. Self-reliance is all very well; but the Lord's blessing is infinitely more than all the fruit of talent, genius, or tact.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Giving Thanks in November

 

Isn't the blogging community amazing?  A week or so ago, we were discussing the proper pronunciation of Hiraeth.  Joel, who blogs at On the Other Foot and teaches the Welsh language, weighed in and helped us out.

This evening he has posted the Welsh hymn, Hiraeth, for me on his blog.  You can see both the Welsh words and the English translation.

I am thankful that such a generous person has taken the time to scan the hymn from his gymanfa hymnal just so that I could see it!

And speaking of generous blogging friends, Karen from Simply A Musing Blog, shares her thanksgiving for God's providential provision through the provision of a friend.  A heartwarming story. 

God is good.

 Connie agrees.  She is thankful for "creature comforts"--the simple daily blessings that God bestows.

Have I missed any?  Please do send me your link and I'll update! 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

November 27
Rest In All Thy Goings

And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest - Exodus 33:14

Precious promise! LORD, enable me to appropriate it as all my own.

We must go at certain times from our abode, for here we have no continuing city. It often happens that when we feel most at home in a place, we are suddenly called away from it. Here is the antidote for this ill. The Lord Himself will keep us company. His presence, which includes His favor, His fellowship, His care, and His power, shall be ever with us in every one of our marchings. This means far more than it says; for, in fact, it means all things. If we have God present with us, we have possession of heaven and earth. Go with me, Lord, and then command me where Thou wilt!

But we hope to find a place of rest. The text promises it. We are to have rest of God's own giving, making, and preserving. His presence will cause us to rest even when we are on the march, yea, even in the midst of battle. Rest! Thrice blessed word. Can it ever be enjoyed by mortals? Yes, there is the promise, and by faith we plead it. Rest comes from the Comforter, from the Prince of Peace, and from the glorious Father who rested on the seventh day from all His works. To be with God is to rest in the most emphatic sense.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Giving Thanks in November

Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas decorating has officially begun!  I had to navigate through the Christmas boxes this morning as I made my way, coffee cup in hand, to plug in the Christmas lights.  Hopefully, by the end of the day the decorating will be finished and all the boxes will be returned to the attic.

I seem to get up earlier in December and I think it's because I love when the house is dark and quiet and only the Christmas lights are lit.  I love to sit in the semi-darkness and think about God's goodness to me.  That Christ has come to this earth; the Infinite God in the likeness of man, to live the perfect, sinless life and to give that life a ransom for many.  That the Son of God has returned to Heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father and ever lives to make intercession--for me. . .Christmas, Easter, Pentecost. . .they blend together as I sit in the dark, thanking God.  Jesus Christ, Light of the World.

John 1: 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness. . .

I'm thankful for Christmas and Christ, the Light of the World.
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Doug, from Godward Thoughts, has a great post this morning, "In Preparation for Christmas." 

Tulip Girl has posted another Thanksgiving Psalm, Psalm 65.

Carla is thankful for encouraging friends. 

 Naomi has bleary eyes and a thankful heart.

Update on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 12:28PM by Kim from Hiraeth

Connie, from Practicing Theology is thankful for her church

Annie B is thankful for the Bible.

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November 26
Heavenly Alchemy

Your sorrow shall be turned into joy - John 16:20

Their particular sorrow was the death and absence of their Lord, and it was turned into joy when He rose from the dead and showed Himself in their midst. All the sorrows of saints shall be thus transmuted, even the worst of them, which look as if they must forever remain fountains of bitterness.

Then the more sorrow, the more joy. If we have loads of sorrow, then the Lord's power will turn them into tons of joy. Then the bitterer the trouble the sweeter the pleasure: the swinging of the pendulum far to the left will cause it to go all the farther to the right. The remembrance of the grief shall heighten the flavor of the delight: we shall set the one in contrast with the other, and the brilliance of the diamond shall be the more clearly seen because of the black foil behind it.

Come, my heart, cheer up! In a little while I shall be as glad as I am now gloomy. Jesus tells me that by a heavenly alchemy my sorrow shall be turned into joy. I do not see how it is to be, but I believe it, and I begin to sing by way of anticipation. This depression of spirit is not for long; I shall soon be up among the happy ones who praise the Lord day and night, and there I shall sing of the mercy which delivered me out of great afflictions.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

Anne Welsh

Quote of the Week:William Temple

Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, the nourishment of the mind with His truth, the purifying of the imagination of His beauty, the opening of the heart to His love, the surrender of the will to His purpose.

William Temple

Sunday Hymn:O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

O the Deep, deep Love of Jesus 

O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free;
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of thy love;
Leading onward, leading homeward,
To thy glorious rest above.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Spread his praise from shore to shore;
How he loveth, ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore;
How he watches o'er his loved ones,
Died to call them all his own;
How for them he intercedeth,
Watcheth o'er them from the throne.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Love of ev'ry love the best:
'Tis an ocean vast of blessing,
'Tis a haven sweet of rest.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
'Tis a heav'n of heav'ns to me;
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to thee.

Trinity Blue  Hymnal

#453 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

November 25
Mountains Turned To Plains

Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it - Zechariah 4:7

At this hour a mountain of difficulty, distress, or necessity may be in our way, and natural reason sees no path over it, or through it, or round it. Let faith come in, and straightway the mountain disappears and becomes a plain. But faith must first hear the word of the Lord--"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." This grand truth is a prime necessity for meeting the insurmountable trials of life.

I see that I can do nothing and that all reliance on man is vanity. "Not by might." I see that no visible means can be relied on, but the force is in the invisible Spirit. God alone must work, and men and means must be nothing accounted of. If it be so that the Almighty God takes up the concerns of His people, then great mountains are nothing. He can remove worlds as boys toss balls about or drive them with their foot. This power He can lend to me. If the Lord bids me move an Alp I can do it through His name. It may be a great mountain, but even before my feebleness it shall become a plain; for the Lord hath said it. What can I be afraid of with God on my side?

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Giving Thanks in November: Catching Up

 Thank you for your patience!  I'm finally getting caught up with the Thanksgiving posts.  I know I've missed some, so please do let me know and I'll be sure to include any posts I've missed.

Pam, from a rustling of leaves, has posted a thanksgiving card and poem.

Carla, from Reflections of the Times, is "thankful for all of it."

Elle, from A Complete Thought, is thankful for all of it, too!

Brenda, from The Family Revised, is thankful for her husband.

Lisa, from Deo Volente, posts a Thanksgiving Poem.

Barbara H. sent me a list of thankful links:

Thanksgiving quotes   
Thanksgiving poems  
Thanksgiving devotionals  
Thanksgiving Bible Study
Thanksgiving Funnies
Thanksgiving List
   
Pam, from a rustling of leaves, shares a Thanksgiving poem

One of our Canadian friends, Kathie, joins her American friends in thanksgiving.

Kim, from Lifesong, shares a beautiful song for the season.

Connie, Practicing Theology, is thankful for yummy smells and a daughter's help.

Carol,from She Lives, is thankful for suffering.

Tulip Girlis thankful that the Lord has changed her heart, replacing stress with peace.  She also shares Psalm 100.

One more link for you.  Seasonal Delights Quarterly has some wonderful recipes to share!

Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving!  Don't forget that the whole month of November has been set aside for Thanksgiving posts and that each and every day should be a day of Thanksgiving to our God and King!

Now Thank We All Our God! 

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November 24
Pardon And Forgiveness

He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever - Psalm 103:9

He will chide sometimes, or He would not be a wise Father for such poor, erring children as we are. His chiding is very painful to those who are true, because they feel how sadly they deserve it and how wrong it is on their part to grieve Him. We know what this chiding means, and we bow before the Lord, mourning that we should cause Him to be angry with us.

But what a comfort we find in these lines! "Not always" will He chide. If we repent and turn to Him with hearts broken for sin and broken from sin, He will smile upon us at once. It is no pleasure to Him to turn a frowning face toward those whom He loves with all His heart: it is His joy that our joy should be full.

Come, let us seek His face. There is no reason for despair, nor even for despondency. Let us love a chiding God, and before long we shall sing, "Thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me." Be gone, ye dark forebodings, ye ravens of the soul! Come in, ye humble hopes and grateful memories, ye doves of the heart! He who pardoned us long ago as a judge will again forgive us as a father, and we shall rejoice in His sweet, unchanging love.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

An apology

In the hurry and flurry of Thanksgiving preparation and in my haste to shut down the computer before my guests arrived, I failed to properly save the notepad document with all the links and descriptions the to Thanksgiving posts that I had collected for yesterday's Thanksgiving post.

 I will try to search them all down again, but that will take some time (there were a lot!!) and I won't be able to get to it for awhile, so I ask for your forgiveness and your patience.

Feel free to leave your links in the comments of this post; it would help a lot!

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November 23
Acquiring Perseverance

The Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little - Deuteronomy 7:22

We are not to expect to win victories for the Lord Jesus by a single blow. Evil principles and practices die hard. In some places it takes years of labor to drive out even one of the many vices which defile the inhabitants. We must carry on the war with all our might, even when favored with little manifest success.

Our business in this world is to conquer it for Jesus. We are not to make compromises but to exterminate evils. We are not to seek popularity but to wage unceasing war with iniquity. Infidelity, popery, drink, impurity, oppression, worldliness, error; these are all to be "put out."

The Lord our God can alone accomplish this. He works by His faithful servants, and blessed be His name. He promises that He will so work. "Jehovah thy God will put out those nations before thee." This He will do by degrees that we may learn perseverance, may increase in faith, may earnestly watch, and may avoid carnal security. Let us thank God for a little success and pray for more. Let us never sheathe the sword till the whole land is won for Jesus.

Courage, my heart! Go on little by little, for many littles will make a great whole.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon