Thanksgiving with the Nations!
We got to celebrate Thanksgiving twice this year: once with the IFC (International Friendship Center - photo above), and once with friends from our church who hosted us and some international friends. 1 Thes. 5:16-18 says: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (NIV). So many of us want to know God's will for our lives, but this verse makes it quite clear that a constant attitude of gratitude is one important aspect of God's will for us all. It was very meaningful to get to give thanks to God in the presence of some international friends, both old and new. In our friends' home, everyone - both kids and adults - participated in telling what they were thankful for in their lives, and it was one of the most meaningful Thanksgivings I've ever experienced. Giving thanks draws us into the Lord's presence (Ps. 100:4), and it is an act of worship and expression of love to our Creator and Sustainer, from whom all blessings flow. Giving thanks with international friends models this type of faith and worship.
