Remember...

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you…Deuteronomy 8:10.

I have fond memories of Thanksgiving Day!

As a child, we usually spent Thanksgiving Day with my mom’s family!  And either the Sunday before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we spent it with my dad’s family!

I loved both events!

There were several cousins…of all ages…that came to my dad’s family’s Thanksgiving!  My brother and I were some of the younger cousins, so I had lots of cousins to look up to!

I was kind of shy, but as the day wore on…I was soon running, laughing and playing with my cousins!

Sometimes we played board games!  Sometimes there was an exciting game of Twister!

And if the weather permitted, we often headed outside to play football!

And Thanksgiving Dinner was amazing!  My mom, grandma, great-great grandma and several aunts and great aunts brought a variety of dishes, which provided a feast for the family!

And of course, there was the kid’s table!  This table was usually set up nearby the adult table, but it was where all of the cousins sat for dinner!

Much laughter erupted from this table!

And the one food item that I always wanted on my plate was my grandma’s homemade noodles…they were the best!

I remember watching her make those scrumptious noodles!  Eggs, salt, water and flour were the only ingredients!

Whipping the eggs, salt and water briskly, she eventually folded in the flour…. enough to form a ball of dough.

Next, she would knead the ball of dough on a floured surface.  I remember my grandma telling me the key to making good noodles was making sure you kneaded in the flour thoroughly! 

I watched my grandma perform her magic with that ball of dough!

Eventually, she would grab her rolling pin and roll the dough into a flat large circle!  I was always amazed by the transformation.

Lastly, she would cut the dough into long strips, stacking each strip on top of the other!

When all the strips had been cut, she would cut thin noodles from the strips!

When the strips had been cut, she would place the noodles on a cookie sheet to dry!

I am thankful she passed this recipe on to me!  And though I’m not sure my noodles are quite as good as hers, my children have enjoyed them for many years!

It’s a recipe and tradition that I hope to pass down to my children!

Last Sunday, our pastor preached from Deuteronomy 8 (www.firstdecatur.org - November 22, 2015 sermon)

Our pastor reminded us to remember what the Lord has done for us and to share those stories with our families…our children…our future generation.

Deuteronomy 8:2 states…Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and o test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Our pastor encouraged us to do just that…to remember what God has done for each of us!

He encouraged us to share stories around the Thanksgiving table!  Some stories would be silly and make everyone laugh…some may be of a precious family member who had passed on…causing us to pause and remember the impact that individual had on our lives!

So, as I reflected on his message, I was reminded of how my family spent Thanksgiving Days as I was growing up!

Not only did I think of all of my cousins, the delicious Thanksgiving feast and how my grandma made noodles, I remembered my great Uncle Glen…my dad’s uncle!

As the cousins got older, Uncle Glen would always start a card game!  Many of the adults and cousins would gather around a large table, playing whatever card game my Uncle Glen was starting!

It was usually a new game to many of us…learning the game as we played!

But what I remember most…was the twinkle in my uncle’s eyes…the smile on his face…as he taught each of us the new game!

He thoroughly enjoyed this time with family gathered around the table…and so did each of us!

And though Thanksgiving and Christmas was often the only times all of the families could get together…they were special…leaving fond memories in my heart!

And I remember…leaving after a full day feeling a little tired…but more importantly…completely satisfied and thankful!  Thankful for the gift of family!

So this year…as I anticipate Thanksgiving Day…I will remember God’s word… When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you…Deuteronomy 8:10.

My desire is to praise God for all HE has given me…for all HE has blessed me with…and to praise HIM for who HE is…my loving Father!

Dear Heavenly Father…thank you for family and fond memories…thank you for the abundance of food that I have enjoyed each Thanksgiving…thank you for my family and friends today!  Help me to remember the rich heritage you have blessed me with…and help to me share that heritage with my family!  And I just praise you for all the good gifts you have blessed me with!  I love you, Lord!