A prayer for Thanksgiving

Here's the kind of Thanksgiving dinner many of us dream about:

And here's the kind of dinner we have nightmares about:

For most of us, the truth is somewhere in between.

Pro tip: Carve the turkey in the kitchen, and serve the meat on a platter—much simpler for everyone!

(By the way, if you need simple directions for how to roast a turkey, click here. Results guaranteed!)

For all of us, here's a Thanksgiving prayer written by a dear friend of mine. I hope it'll inspire you as much as it inspires me.

For friends who listen, for opponents who challenge, for companions who love, we thank You, O God. For the gift of laughter, for the warmth of embrace, for the release of tears, we thank You, O God. For dawning and dusk, for the cycle of seasons, for elephants and daisies, and for bodies so wonderfully made, we thank You, O God.

For seedtime and harvest, for nourishing food and pure water, for the luxury of taste and smell, we thank You, O God. For the inspiration for music, for the beauty of the arts, for the fulfillment of human creation, we thank You, O God.

For the miracle of conception and birth, for the ongoing miracles of daily life, for the promise of the life to come, we thank You, O God. For the love and grace we receive, for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, for the constant direction and care You provide us through Your Holy Spirit, we thank You, O God.

In this Thanksgiving season, we take a moment to ponder, to remember, and to number our blessings, knowing that it is through Your divine providence, O God, that we live, and move, and have our being. Amen.
                                                                                                                  - G. Skramstad

A blessed Thanksgiving to you!