My Thanksgiving Gift to You

I have created a Thanksgiving graphic set for you to use on web pages or any purpose you like. You'll find the whole set HERE.

Spiritual Meaning of these graphics:

The LEAF, a symbol of Fall, is torn and withered as it separates itself from the tree to endow the waiting earth with life giving nutrients. It will rot there and leave vital compounds for the new growth of Spring. How like our loving Savior who willingly gave His precious life that we may live. His body was torn for us. His spirit withered and writhed in agony in Gethsemone and on the cross at Golgotha. All done out of His endless love for us and because of His incredible sacrifice we are nourished with the Holy Spirit and with life eternal.

The leaf is the largest and most central element of the image as Christ must be the largest part of our lives and central to all we are, do or become.

The THORN-like seeds bear witness to the awful price God paid to claim us as His own. For we are a treasure to Him and one seldom obtains the heart's desire without first dealing with some thorns.

Our Lord wore a crown of thorns. It was meant as a humiliation but has endured the centuries as the highest and most honorable crown any man has ever worn. Let us be willing to rejoice over the thorns we bear for our faith and celebrate with thanksgiving the thorns our Lord has borne on our behalf.

The TURKEY is a sign of the earth's bounty placed here for us and over which God has given us dominion. It is a symbol of the constant care and provision we receive at the hand of our Father to whom we oft forget to even say thanks.

The CHURCH with its sheaf of grain in the foreground reminds us that the fields are ripe for the harvest and we must be ready workers. A lost and dying world awaits, and the days grow short. God's time of gleaning is at hand.

The three STEMS stand for the three crosses at Calvary, and the one BRANCH symbolized the one and only God of the universe, a God to whom we owe everything and without whom we can do nothing.

Life's Little Lessons
Submitted by Margo Bentzler

These little stories really touched my heart, especially the fifth one. Read them all and enjoy.
Margo

*****
The Important Things Life Teaches You...
1 ~ Most Important Question

During my second month of night school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Obviously, this was some kind of joke... I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before our next class we asked if the last question went toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your lives, in your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant.They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2 ~ Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her - generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole

3 ~ Always remember those who serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?"

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.

~ 4 ~ The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

5 ~ Giving Blood

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood.

The Will Of God
Submitted by Cheryl Johnson

The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

"Everything happens for a purpose. We may not see the wisdom of it all now but trust and believe in the Lord that everything is for the best."

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Revised: September 03, 2003.