By Debby Giusti
I started buying Advent calendars for my kids years
ago when we lived in Germany. Since then, the calendars have become popular in
the U.S., and I always get them for my grandchildren before Advent begins. The little
ones love the chocolate candy “surprise” as they count down to Christmas.
By the way, have you checked out the stores
recently? They’re overflowing with Christmas items to buy, everything from
Jolly St. Nicks to Christmas trees and evergreen wreaths. But what about
Thanksgiving?
I’ve never seen a calendar that counts down to
Turkey Day. In fact, Thanksgiving knick-knacks and decorations—think Pilgrims, Indian corn and cornucopias filled with the bounty of
Mother Nature—are few and far between. Any Thanksgiving items on store shelves
are squeezed between Halloween and the Christmas season that starts earlier and
earlier. This year, in my part of the world, Santas and snowmen were on the
shelves and ready for purchase by mid-October.
You’ve got to admit Turkey Day gets short
shrift, yet I love Thanksgiving. What’s not to like about gathering family and
friends around a table heaped with food. Being together with loved ones is
central to the celebration, but the most important aspect is giving thanks. Remember
the story in scripture about the ten lepers Jesus cured? Luke 7:11-19 reminds
us that only one leper came back to offer thanks. The Biblical account
underscores the importance of gratitude so this year I’ve created my own
Countdown to Thanksgiving.
Day 1 – November 20
Today, I’m giving thanks for this wonderful
blog community, for my Seeker sisters, and for all of you, dear ones, who join
us on this writing and reading journey. I treasure your friendship and your
support, and I ask the Lord to bless each of you and shower you with love.
Day 2 – November 21
As we read in the Book of Ecclesiastes, there
is a time for everything— a time to be
born and a time to die. I give thanks for the gift of my life and for the
gift of my parents, both of whom have gone home to the Lord. I’m grateful for
their love and nurturing, for their wise counsel and guidance, for the part of
them that lives on in me. I also give thanks for family members—yours and mine—who
have transitioned from this life to the next. I ask God’s blessings on our
dearly departed and await the joyous day when all of us can be reunited with
them once again.
Day 3 – November 22
On this day, I give thanks for my health and
the health of my family, for strength, for right judgment and a formed
conscience. I pray for the chronically ill, for those who battle pain,
debilitation and mental anguish, and I beseech the Lord to bring healing,
comfort and peace to all our infirmed brothers and sisters in Christ.
Day 4 – November 23
God comes first; family is a close second. I
give thanks for my wonderful husband, for our children, their spouses and for
our precious grandchildren. They bring joy to my heart. This day, I pray for my
loved ones and for yours. Guard them all, Lord, and keep them in your care.
Day 5 – November 24
I give thanks for the United States of America,
the land of the free and the home of the
brave. My heart overflows with love for this great nation that stretches from
sea to shining sea, for her people, for her beauty, her diversity, her
resources, her abundance of goodness and grace. God bless the USA.
Day 6 – November 25
Our military deserve thanks, each and every
day. They give selflessly, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice, so this
nation will endure and so liberty and freedom will ring not only here but throughout
the world. Lord, protect our military heroes at home and abroad.
Day 7 – November 26
This day, I give thanks for readers—for their
reviews, their kind posts on social media, their sweet notes that come in the
mail, and their words of encouragement when we meet in person. Each comment is
treasured and appreciated as is each and every person who opens one of my books.
I hope those of you, dear friends, who have read my stories can feel my prayers
and my love. As an aside, I just checked my sales numbers and the tally added
up to more than One Million Books in Print. Any success of mine is because of
readers and friends like all of you who fill my heart to overflowing!
Day 8 – November 27
I give thanks to God who guides me along the
right path, who forgives my shortcomings, who loves me in spite of my flaws and
who wants only the best for me and for those I hold dear, which includes YOU. God is good all the time, and I am
grateful.
My Countdown to Thanksgiving brings me to November
28th. On this day, I wish you abundant blessings and much love!
Share your own Countdown to Thanksgiving and
all that fills you with gratitude. Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing
for my November Love Inspired Suspense, HER FORGOTTEN AMISH PAST!
Happy Writing! Happy Reading! Happy
Thanksgiving!
Debby Giusti
HER FORGOTTEN
AMISH PAST
By Debby Giusti
She can’t
remember who she’s running from.
Is she safe with the Amish?
Someone wants Becca Troyer dead, but who or why
is a mystery to her. Seeking refuge at the home of Amish farmer Zeke
Hochstetler is her only hope to stay one step ahead of the killer. With every
clue she finds about her past leading to more confusion, Becca and Zeke must
untangle the truth before her pursuer discovers where she’s been hiding.
Order now at Amazon.
