“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. I’ve always loved the story of the Pilgrims traveling by the Mayflower to America. I especially like how the Native Americans helped the Pilgrims to survive that first devastating winter—it was a time of peaceful coexistence before trouble started between these two groups.

To celebrate Thanksgiving of 2011, Mary and I are having a Thanksgiving contest. We’re giving away a prize to one adult and one student who leave a comment on this blog. All you have to do is share with us in the comment section about something you are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Even if this has been a difficult year for your family, think of one thing you’re thankful for and tell us about it.  By focusing on the blessings God has given us, we can change our attitudes about our circumstances. We’ll randomly choose one adult winner and one student winner from the responses we receive. Be sure to leave your name. We’ll announce the winner on the blog, and then the winner will need to e-mail us your mailing address.

What are you thankful for this year?

Happy Thanksgiving and pray on!

(The painting is called “The First Thanksgiving” by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris, courtesy of commonswikimedia.org.)

“My soul waits silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” Psalm 62:5.

As we prepare for Easter, we thought we’d start another contest. The rules are simple:

In a few words, tell us what God is doing in your life right now. It’s always encouraging to hear what God is doing in each others’ lives. It may be small, it may be big. How is He at work? Anyone who answers this by commenting below will be entered into a drawing to receive a prize. We’ll post the winner on the home page at the end of the month. So, check back because if you’re the winner, we’ll need to get your address to send you your prize.

Happy Easter and pray on!