Thankful

Thanksgiving (on the United States calendar) was celebrated early here in Sevilla as I joined my cooking with that of my American friends (about 20 adults plus kids) for a most special time of feasting, fun and sharing a worship service together! Below are Andrea, Francesca, Darby and Megan (Andrea & Megan are doing a 3-month internship in Sevilla area).

Celeste gave us certain assignments so things would flow and be interactive,

such as to talk about what we were thankful for,

or a time when we were not thankful, or to read the story of the first Thanksgiving, etc.

I was invited to read Psalm 100 and to talk about how I celebrate when I AM thankful-- I shared 2 things: 1) about our family tradition of singing an old hymn, "the doxology,"

while holding hands, when we get especially good news! And 2) of listening to some hip-hop type, praise music and dancing around my living room, when I'm celebrating my gratefulness at home! (For an example of a song I really like on you tube, click HERE!)

I was proud of my homemade pecan bars-- and Jake ran over before we left town for the "burbs" (or pueblo- village!) for the dinner, and helped out, too!

Maybe you'd like to read the Psalm I shared with them in a different, modern version, called "the message":

A Thanksgiving Psalm

^1-2 On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.

³ Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn't make him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.

⁴ Enter with the password: "Thank you!"
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.

⁵ For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever.