Journey with other mothers and build more joy into your Thanksgiving season this year!
Help Club for Moms
Day 1
Scripture: Psalms 79:13
Bountiful Harvest
by Mari Jo Mast
Precious Mom,
When I think about Thanksgiving, two words come to mind: Bountiful harvest. Bountiful means a large or abundant quantity. Harvest is the product or result of an action.
Often, we highlight Thanksgiving as a one-day affair inviting family and friends over and adorning our tables with wonderful delicacies and succulent dishes. It is wonderful, but the day comes and goes by quickly. We easily forget the importance of staying thankful all year long. We have so much to thank God for!
This year, God is stirring inside me as I meditate on the many blessings He has bestowed upon me—they are too numerous to count! I want to exercise gratefulness daily, so much so that my children notice. I want them to know I would not be who I am, were it not for God’s abundant blessings, and my children are one of the main dishes! All the other sides are great, but they are the most flavorful, colorful ones of all! They are a large part of my harvest, and I want them to live thankfully, too.
As you lovingly parent and faithfully investing in your kids, don’t forget that little things lead to big things. A bountiful harvest awaits in your not-too-distant future if you patiently continue with the small things. Your children are growing, and you only have a few short years to make the most of every day.
We do our very, very best when we keep the blessings God has given us in the forefront of our minds, moment by moment. Our hearts stay humble and soft, and our children notice. Thank God in all things because He’s the One who is worthy to be praised!
Blessings to you this Thanksgiving,
Mari Jo Mast and the Help Club For Moms Team
“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.
Day 2
Scripture: Philippians 4:6
In Everything Give Thanks
by Carmen Brown
I love autumn! The crispness in the air, the falling leaves, and the pumpkins arriving in stores all leave me in excited anticipation for the entire holiday season! I enjoy the simplicity of the good food and fellowship that Thanksgiving brings. But in all of this, there are a lot of expectations that can leave a Mama feeling tired, overwhelmed, and even anxious. That is why I love our verse for today! It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Do not be anxious about anything? Does that feel impossible to you? Without the fullness of Christ in you, it is impossible. But as Matthew 19:26 says,” with God all things are possible.” This verse does not simply tell you not to be anxious. Instead of stewing in anxiety, it tells you to pray with Thanksgiving about every situation. Are you facing seemingly impossible situations with family coming into town, or are you struggling financially and anxiously wondering how you are going to make the holidays special this year? Remember to focus on thanking the Lord for the blessings of family and the things that you do have. Ask Him to help you with those things that are causing anxiety. He will give you a new perspective! If you can’t find any thanksgiving in your heart, ask Him for that too! He will answer you! When you are feeling anxious, pray with Thanksgiving!
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Giving thanks in all circumstances is another seemingly impossible task without God. But, this verse says that it is God’s will for you, in Christ Jesus! In Christ, we can face all of the holiday preparations and life expectations with Thanksgiving. But we can’t set Jesus aside. We need to take time to sit quietly at Jesus’ feet both in solitude and in the middle of our tasks to focus on Him and seek Him for strength and for a thankful heart. Jesus told Martha when she was getting flustered and upset about all that she had to get done, “Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her” (Luke 10:42). Your heart can be in a place of rest and gratitude as you fill up with His love and care for you. Then you can go forth in Thanksgiving, doing all that is required of you!
That heart of thankfulness will come as you pray without ceasing. Pray over your preparations. Pray while you bake and cook and clean for the upcoming festivities. Put Jesus at the central focus of all that you are doing, and you will find peace. But also make sure that you are not taking on more than is required of you. Seek the Lord for what He wants you to do. Let go of any traditions and expectations that are stealing your joy. And as you practice more constant prayer and Thanksgiving, Philippians 4:7 (ESV) promises that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
My prayer for you this Thanksgiving and as you head into the holiday season comes from a quote by Charles Spurgeon, “Let gratitude be awakened; let humility be deepened; let love be quickened.”
Day 3
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1
Embrace this Moment in Time
by Melissa Lain
Oh, how lovely is fall: a change in season, the glow of golden light casting its warmth on all that it touches. The joy of entering this time brings us the great anticipation of the celebration of Thanksgiving and its charm! Since it is my personal favorite time of year, our house transforms into a harvest of warmth, with pumpkin scents and festive florals and fabrics. In the past, I packed my kids’ lunches with seasonal napkins and tasty festive treats. Now, as they return home from college, we all share in the memories that flood back from fall seasons of the past!
My perspective of truly abiding took root years ago while sharing a parenting issue with a mentor. She recommended that we savor the phases of a struggle with our child, whether, in happy or frustrating chapters of parenting, those times equip us to rejoice in this daily grind.
Living on the Texas Gulf Coast has fed into our anxiety when awaiting the shift to the fall season. The season ushers in family, memories, and an attitude of gratitude that prepares us to embrace loved ones. Unfortunately, individuals rush through Thanksgiving to put trees & lights up in preparation for Christmas, all the while missing the opportunity to abide in the consciousness of this point in time.
“Such a time as this…” Esther 4:14. Moms become aware and present.
Time vanishes, the stage of life you exist in now, most likely, will never happen again. Little hands and feet to clean, bottoms to wipe, but stop for a moment and reap the beauty of the mundane, the routine, because in the blink of an eye, dear one, it is gone! God has given you a calling, cherished mother and wife, to set the tone, to practice and evolve into a role model of all things good in your home. The impressionable young lives you have an impact on every day are watching. When you look back on these days, these precious crazy moments in time, how do you want to be remembered?
How often do you pause, busy mom, in your daily routine to reflect on the riches of “this moment?” We rush from one event to the next only to forfeit the blessing of what that occasion or reality offers. Why don’t we remain in the now, just for today?
During this Thanksgiving holiday, practice embracing all things dear: health, homes, family, and traditions, without rushing or expectations. Expose yourself to the pleasure of the here and now (Psalm 46:10)!
“The remarkable thing is, we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.” – Charles R. Swindoll
Dear one, apply this truth in every area of life. As a child of the Almighty God, where you are, right now, it is no coincidence!
“A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. “ It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance on His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.” ~ John Mac Arthur
Day 4
Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7
A Joyful Heart
By Christina Jones
I am blessed with eight wonderful children, and I thank God for these precious gifts. In the Bible, God says that He makes “the barren woman to keep the house and to be a joyful mother of children,” (Psalm 113:9 KJV), yet sometimes I feel tricked into thinking that my children are burdens. My thinking takes a wrong turn, and I find myself complaining about how loud they are or how messy they can be. They are my precious children, but sometimes I forget to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is where beginning to praise God and thank Him for everything in my life changes everything!
When I wash the piles of dirty laundry, I have a choice; I can think, “Oh, the dirty laundry is neverending, and I can’t keep up with it.” Or I can think, “I am so thankful for my family and that we have clothes to wear.” The first thought gives in to self-pity, and the second thought allows my heart to flow with thanksgiving for God’s bountiful blessings. When one of my children spills his milk, I can choose to complain and ask him why he wasn’t more careful, or I can say, with a joyful spirit, “That’s okay! We’ll clean it up!” It’s all about choices, and the choices are up to me.
When my heart is full of thankfulness, I cannot complain! This goes for all areas of my life – cooking, cleaning, homeschooling, child-training, being submissive to my husband, and all the other responsibilities I have. My responsibilities are blessings, not burdens.
When I choose thankful thoughts, my heart becomes thankful, and I keep my focus on God. I love Ephesians 5:20, which says, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” God has shown me a way to fight negative, complaintive thoughts by using positive affirmations. It is powerful to claim the positive!
Here are some of the positive affirmations I claim:
• I love to do the laundry!
• I love to make meals for my family!
• I enjoy washing the dishes!
• I love teaching my children!
• I love tying my little ones’ shoes!
• I love changing my baby’s diaper!
• I love getting up in the middle of the night to nurse my baby!
Try it. It works! It is easy to get off track and start having stinking thinking when we are at home all day long every day with our precious children, and that is where reading our Bible each day helps our thoughts stay positive and hopeful. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things and the peace of God will be with you” (Philippians 4:8).
There is power in reading the Word of God. It stimulates positive thinking and a thankful heart. 2 Peter 3:1 says, “Beloved, this is now my second letter to you. Both of them are reminders to stir you to wholesome thinking.” This is exactly what reading my Bible does for me; it stimulates me to have wholesome, positive, thankful thoughts.
“It’s not happy people who are thankful; it’s thankful people who are happy!” ~ Unknown
Day 5
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Happy Holy Days
by Mary Frieg
With the Lord’s help, we can keep the holy days that are upon us from being just holidays.
The word “holiday” originally meant “holy day.” Sadly, the term “holidays” now simply means the period from November to New Year’s, and has become a blur of the materialistic call to “celebrate the holidays.” While there is nothing wrong with making our homes festive and cheerful, we must be careful not to exhaust our time, resources, and energy on less important things.
Proverbs 17:1 says, “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.” Last Christmas, my wonderful brother visited my family during an unusually busy season. In the month of December alone, my husband and I traveled out of town, our youngest son got married, and we hosted many family members and friends staying in our home. Needless to say, there was much stress and busyness!
There was one particular incident that stands out in my mind that I would like to share with you. My brother was helping me around the house and asked me where to put various items in an effort to help me tidy up. (I have a great brother!) I was feeling unusually burdened with my workload, and I snapped at my dear, sweet brother. I felt terrible! I realized later that I had allowed myself to become overwhelmed with tasks I wanted to accomplish, rather than loving my family.
Have you ever been inside a perfectly decorated home that was lovely to look at, but the fruit of the Spirit was not in it? Showing love and being like Jesus to our loved ones is much more important than having “House Beautiful!” Your family cares more about having a happy mom than they do about having a perfect house. This Christmas, while the magazines and catalogs call upon us to try to do everything perfectly, may we do fewer and simpler things, with love and kindness. As Jesus said to Martha, “You are worried about so many things, but Mary has chosen the better part.” May we all choose the better part by resting in the love of Jesus this Holy-day season!
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” ~ Helen Keller
Day 6
Scripture: Psalms 92:1-2
A Heart Overflowing with Thanksgiving
By Samantha Mast
A wise Christian woman once told me that, in life, God comes first, family comes second, and everything else after that. My struggle in this busy season of life with young children in our home is making time for God, but it’s such an important investment of my time. I always know that my heart will be softened and encouraged after I sit at His feet.
I write about putting God first because I know it is key to a heart of thanksgiving. God has so much to give. John 4:14 says, “But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” We have to make time for Jesus and receive all that He has to give to us each day.
When we put our focus on Jesus, He reminds us of all that we have. Spending time with Jesus and getting to know Him is how we nurture a heart of thanksgiving and joy. He fills us up and gives us what we need.
If I were being completely honest, it has been hard for me lately to have a heart of thanksgiving. This past season of my life has been refining because I have had a difficult time being grateful. I have fallen into the trap of focusing on what our family doesn’t have instead of being grateful for what we do have.
In this season, I have compared my life with the lives of other women way too many times to admit. I have looked at what other mothers and wives or families possess and have wanted it for myself. Focusing only on what I need and don’t have has simply made me mad and anxious, but recognizing the goodness of God and speaking His promises and love over myself and my family has allowed me to give thanks for all that we do have right now.
That being said, we all have our struggles, but the Lord wants to take our burdens.
I know in my heart that the Lord wants us to be joyful and give thanks always despite our circumstances and I do believe that living a life of thanksgiving can become standard and part of everyday life for you and me.
Please know, sweet mother, that you are not alone in your struggles. God rejoices over you, He loves you, and wants to give you good gifts. Seek Him first, and He will enable you to recognize your blessings and foster a heart that is overflowing with thanksgiving. We are all praying for you today.
Happy Thanksgiving!