Diamonds and Spider Webs

Diamonds and spider webs  really don't seem to fit together. This morning was so terribly foggy that we could not even see the lake which is very close to us. As the fog lifted, the dew and left over moisture from the overnight rain  remained on the yard, making the grass sparkle like diamonds of every color. As we walked to church, there were spider webs everywhere - and I mean many of them. They too were covered with dew, and as the sun would shine on them, they would sparkle like the most expensive diamond ever.  Every intricate part of the web was covered with diamonds, sparkling in the early morning dew. What wonders God creates for us if we would only take the time to stop, look, and put them in our memory bank.

Tonight's blog is later because Great Oaks Community Church had a Harvest Feast - a huge Thanksgiving dinner complete with all the trimmings. I made Southern sweet potato casserole, thinking I would have enough to freeze for later eating - we have only enough to eat at home for a meal and a half. The first sweet potatoes of the season taste so wonderful. All of the food was delicious - including the ever present corn, cheese, mayo, hot sauce the Mexican love to eat (so do I ). It was an amazing evening of food, fellowship as we thanked God for all the many blessings He has bestowed on all of us.

waiting to eat

the dessert table

rolls, eggs, potatoes, sweet potatoes, salads, all of this in addition to the turkey and dressing

one of the many beautiful table decoration

This week we received an answer to prayer - Fred and I have been praying for pinto beans for about 2 years now (yep-pinto beans). We got a call late this week that there were 1000# of pinto beans waiting for us, and we needed to pick them up by Friday!!! I had visions of a truck load of beans that we would have to shovel out of the truck, but they were all in bags. We scrambled around and found someone who had a truck to help us haul them to Great Oaks Food Pantry (Thanks Leonard Fulk!). We actually wound up with 400# of beans and 450# of rice all in large bags. These life saving food items will be packaged in smaller bags and distributed to those in need. God does answer prayers - sometimes it takes awhile.

 

beans and rice - ready to be repackaged

 the food pantry is well stocked and ready to distribute next Sunday

the Lord has blessed the pantry with a lot of items for those who desperately need it

Chaplain Bill had such a great sermon this morning concerning Thanksgiving. Why do we thank someone??? There are lots of reasons. We need to just thank someone for who they are - just because we appreciate them as a person. Bill passed out spots for us (tiny stickum dots) to put on our watch faces, cell phones, the corner of our glasses, even on our fingernails (then cover with clear coat) to remind us every time we see the spot to thank God for just being God, for just being there for us always, for forgiving us for our sins as we are mere humans, and for all the many blessings He has bestowed on us. In time, after the dot has worn off or fallen off we will be in the habit of always thanking God.

 

During this Thanksgiving week, try to thank someone every day for something  (a cashier, a co-worker, your mail person, a neighbor - the possibilities are endless) and do it with sincerity and love. The first Thanksgiving (which lasted 3 days) was indeed a time to thank God for all He had done for the Pilgrims, even though they struggled to stay alive that first year in America . They still were thankful to God despite all the hardships they endured.

 

Give thanks for God is good and His mercy endures forever.