A Day of Thanksgiving & Praise

Thanksgiving 1991

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Football game. Roasted turkey, Daddy's Stove Top sausage stuffing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie. Tryptophans. Afternoon nap on the couch. Toss the football. Watch another football game. Put the Thanksgiving decorations away. Pull the Christmas boxes out of the attic.

That has been Thanksgiving at the Zimanek house since the first day of our marriage. Oh, the location or circumstances may change ... A few Turkey Trot runs; Brad's coworkers the year the turkey didn't cook; Thanksgiving at the boss's house eating the best southern food you ever tasted where sweet potato casserole was introduced; the Comfort Food Thanksgiving at the Zimaneks with Poptarts and mac 'n cheese; with the extended family and in-laws in WI; a house filled with Lauritzens and Amorosos another. But typically the schedule is always the same. All the parts work together to make this a fun, friends-family-and-football feast.

Turkey Trot 1993

This is your first Thanksgiving together. You are celebrating with Erica and anyone who wants to join you. I heard about your meal plans - a precious combination of Erica's family Thanksgivings and your own: pre-thanksgiving appetizers and a dinner with all the fixins. You will be mixing your traditions from Thanksgivings past with new ideas from this day forward. While our family will miss you terribly this Thanksgiving, we are so very excited for this adventure ahead for you. We know that our chances of celebrating Thanksgiving with you will be pretty slim as the years go on between our schedule and your own, so we cherish any moments we can have together, but that will never diminish our thanking God for you both.

President Lincoln signed this proclamation on Oct. 3, 1863 about Thanksgiving. It said: "I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." Psalm 100:4 says: "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

Have fun making and creating new memories, remembering to be in thanksgiving and praise of our Lord. We love and miss you.

Discussion: Do you have any plans for future Thanksgiving traditions? What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving?

Prayer: Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord, for everything. Thank you for this day set aside in praise of you. Thank you for our family and friends. Thank you for the food we eat. We ask for your blessings on the year ahead knowing next year at this time, Mr. and Mrs. Goggin will be feasting together for the first time as husband and wife. Glory to you, O, Lord. Amen.