Thanksgiving Greetings

Happy Thanksgiving to our Calvary Circle of Friends!
I trust you are all celebrating with family or friends. The Turkey is in the oven, greens cooked -- that's another story, cole slaw cooling, potatoes ready to be mashed, table set. There will be fourteen here today -- four grandchildren, six children, and three church family who have no family in the area. Family, food, fun and fellowship.

This Thanksgiving we have so much to be thankful for -- three new grandchildren!!! WOW! What a blessing! Tyler and Taylor arrived in March as Aaron and Jen are adopting the twin two year olds. All boy, active, curious, cute as can be and fearless they still take time for lots of hugs and kisses. I love that about them. Maielle arrived May 12 and is six months now. She is just too cute. All girl, smiles, bright eyes, high pitched squeals of happiness, curly black hair -- she's a delight. Chloe just turned eight this month and is getting more beautiful every year. She's doing great in school, loves to read and scrapbook and help take care of her new brothers.

Six children are such a blessing to us -- yes, our two daughters-in-law and son-in-law are our children. It's great having them all close to home and able to be with us for most holidays as they juggle special days with their in-laws. Grateful that Sean is not overseas this year. Grateful for all the military who are on the front lines for us.

We're grateful also for a church family who loves and supports the work of God in Dover and around the world. Thank you for your prayers, servant leadership, encouragement and help in ministering to our church family and community.

Below is a devotional I read today from Kathryn Robbins of Personality Principles:

I was reading a daily devotion and a new thought came to me, now this may not be new to you, but it was to me. In John 12, we are given a glimpse of another kind of a thanks-giving meal.

Six days before Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany. Lazarus, whom Jesus had brought back to life, lived there. Dinner was prepared for Jesus in Bethany. Martha served the dinner, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus. John 12:1-2 (GW)

"Lazarus was one of the people eating..." Wow, this is such an understatement! Only a short time before this, Lazarus was dead - three days dead and now he is eating with Jesus. I think the Passover meal would have been as routine in this culture as our holidays are today - something you just have to do, but this one would have had a special kind of thankfulness to it. One friend, who was dead, is now alive and breaking bread with the man who ordered him to "come out" of the grave. What a meal that must have been. What do you think was on Lazarus' list to be thankful for? I'm thinking - LIFE!

I am so thankful for life. The desire to live is a gift from God in fact; life is the gift, not just this mortal life, but eternal life. The Gospel of John gives us a wonderful word picture about Jesus being our bread of life - eternal life.

I can guarantee this truth: Every believer has eternal life. "I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert and died. This is the bread that comes from heaven so that whoever eats it won't die. I am the living bread that came from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever." John 6:47-50 (GW)

As we break bread with friends and family this year, lets ponder the thought of Jesus being our bread of life, with the power to raise us up to new life, to call us out of the grave and into eternal life. What a rush to think of sitting with Jesus at the banquet table prepared for us who believe at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

Then the angel said to me, "Write this: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the lamb's wedding banquet.'" He also told me, "These are the true words of God." Rev 19:9 (GW)

Be Blessed -- Angela