I cannot begin to tell you of the numerous times Jill and I were carried through many a rough time because of the prayers and care of these dear fellow Christians. PLus, the Scripture is given without any watering-down, and that's what I need. ------------------------------------------------------
Hard to believe, but my book, Fireside Psalms, sold out of its first order! If you'd like to get a copy of this Advent devotional, please click on Barnes and Nobles' website here:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=fireside+psalms&z=y&cds2Pid=9481
or Amazon's website here:
http://www.amazon.com/Fireside-Psalms-Thanksgiving-Christmas-devotional/dp/0595415318/sr=1-1/qid=1164066841/ref=sr_1_1/103-7845402-8092646?ie=UTF8&s=books
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Please make sure that you stop by our house during this Thanksgiving vacation! I love it when friends , family and former students come by for a coffee and conversation.
It's finally here - can you believe it? Today school will have an abbreviated schedule and I'll be heading home to help prepare for the guestsd who will be coming. We'll be having Jill's parents, Robert and Marlene Livesay, heading over from Oak Ridge. We'll also be hosting the Skurtu family from just down the street. Perhaps if anyone else wanders by, we'll throw out an extra plate for them as well. Nicholas is coming home from ETSU for the holidays, and I imagine he's ready to chow down.
Peter and I are trying to pace ourselves as far as how much to eat. There's a reason, and we take it very seriuously around here (okay, maybe not too seriously): You must not eat too much on Thanksgiving Eve or you'll not have your stomach sufficiently ready for the feast on Thanksgiving.
And here is what we'll be sharing during the opening parts of the feast. Maybe you'd like to copy this and read it aloud before your opening prayer.
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (KJV) - "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name."
Psalm 107:1 (NIV) "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Psalm 31:19 (NIV) "How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you."
Psalm 95:1-6 (KJV) "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."
