Thanksgiving preparations

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm in the midst of baking pies and potatoes, and mom has set out the cornucopia o'er flowing with fruits and vegetables and nuts. Something I didn't know about the cornucopia, or horn of plenty: it is a symbol of food and abundance dating back to the 5th century BC! It came from Greek mythology. I looked it up because I knew it has become a symbol of our ancestor's thanksgiving for God's blessings, but I didn't know if that was the origin of it or not. Now I do! Very interesting. I love Thanksgiving. I'm rather glad that it hasn't really become a huge commercial holiday, even though it deserves to be one. I hate that it is sometimes called "Turkey day", but what can you do. Everything has to be PC nowadays. It's a shame, but at least we have the choice not to fall into the same rut. A friend said "Have a happy turkey day" to me, and I corrected them. What makes me laugh is that last week there where 5 houses with Christmas lights up on my street. The week before Thanksgiving! Talk about premature. I have been starting to look into Christmas carols, myself. But I have an excuse: I'm practicing for a friends and family performance. I've been singing Thanksgiving hymns too, though. We have two we always sing, and they are dear to me.

Come, ye thankful people, come

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.


We gather together

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!