We intentionally didn’t make big plans for Thanksgiving this year. We’ll do a little traveling during the Christmas season, but for Thanksgiving, we decided to stay home with no plans, and to rest.
Our “no-plan” plan was to just see who needed a place to go for Thanksgiving, and to invite them over. By the end of last week, we had the grand total of one person joining us for the holiday. This was fine, but really, if I’m going to be baking and cooking a big meal anyway, I’d rather be baking and cooking for more than just the six of us plus one.
I mean, you should see the huge turkey Tropical Traditions sent us. (More info on that in a couple of days!) This turkey needs more than just seven people eating it.
Sunday, Matt and I went to church with intentions of seeking out anyone who didn’t have Thanksgiving plans. By the time we left, we were excited to have made plans with several more college students who previously had no plan except for the possibility of ramen noodles on Thursday. One girl was so thrilled to be invited that she texted her mom right then and there tell her that, yay! there was no need to worry because she now had a Thanksgiving plan. Shucks, I wish I could have given her mom a little peace about that earlier.
This afternoon, our list grew by two more.
I know I’m a little silly about this, but as the list grows, so does my excitement. We’ll have a nice big group of college students joining us Thursday to share our huge turkey, and all the other goodies that must be a part of Thanksgiving.
I am so thankful we can be a part of this blessing to the students. Little do they know that their accepting our invitation and joining us on this special day is a wonderful blessing to us as well.
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So fun! I love inviting folks who need Thanksgiving plans to our feast. This year we are headed to my in-laws, so I don’t get that privilege, but hopefully next year. :)
I think that is so great that you will be reaching out to those who didn’t have plans for Thanksgiving. Both my husband and I are usually the ones expected to travel for the holidays, as well live across the state from family. So I’m thrilled that we will be hosting Thanksgiving this year for my family. Many blessings!
My husband and I were in campus ministry for four years, and college students are the best! We loved every minute we spent with them! You’ll have a wonderful holiday and so will they.
Thank you sooo much for having college students over, my oldest is away at college this year and my heart is breaking. I am soo thankful that his basketball coach is having him over. We are 24 hours away and I miss him soo much. I am sooo grateful for families like you that sacrificially give so my child has a “home” to go to for Thanksgiving. I know that family time is valuable to all of us and I pray that you are blessed exceedingly and abundantly for sharing your family……..
Oh, I love it! What a blessing you will be to them as they will be to you.
What a party of praise!
To God be the glory!
Think I accidentally did it twice :/
Anyway, this was a great end to my night! Thanks.
That’s cool! We try to do that at Christmas, but we rarely find anyone who doesn’t have a place to go. I’m so glad you’re able to have a whole group! Sounds fun.
After three long months we get our college son home! We have always tried to make sure no one has to do Thanksgiving alone. As a Mom of a college student, thank you Laura for your willingness to open your home to all the students who have no where to go this Thanksgiving.
We invited our neighbors over to share with us this Thanksgiving. They’re a young couple who we’ve gotten to know pretty well. Unfortunately, we had a sweet family friend pass away over the weekend, so my husband will be traveling to Tennessee Wednesday for the funeral on Friday, so it will be our 2 young boys and I with our neighbors instead. I’m pleased to be sharing what God has blessed us with with our neighbors anyway! Hoping you all have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving!
Today I am grateful for my neighbor who, for some reason, was looking out his window at 4 this morning and spotted the 3 men going through our cars, then called the state police. I am grateful that we’re out only the $40 I leave in the glove boxes for emergencies. I am grateful they didn’t take my GPS, because then I would have had to explain its loss to my father(who bought it for me), and who still sees me as his baby girl who must be protected – even from over 100 miles away. I am grateful that my sister has to wake up at an obscene hour, so when I emailed her she was already on the road to work so I could call to vent since I can’t do that with my son here with me all day. I am grateful that the men didn’t go in the back seats where my children sit, because that, in my mind, would be far more of a violation. I am grateful that the theives did not break anything – they even shut the doors when they were done! I am grateful that all this happened without my children waking up and that they are none the wiser. I am grateful.
I admire your strength. To find things to be grateful for in a situation like that is difficult. You are a shining example of the understanding and forgiveness that we should all feel this wonderful time of year (and year round).
First – Thank you for your kindness, lanalouwho. :)
Second – That would be “thieves” – “i” before “e” and all that. Spelling is hard that early in the morning! :)
Growing up, my parents always invited those folks who didn’t have family around to spend Thanksgiving with us. Consequently, I thought that’s the way things were supposed to be and we have carried this tradition. It makes for a wonderful celebration of thanks.
I love what you do! Thanks for posting such interesting information.
I have always invite people over that I know will be alone for Thanksgiving or Christmas. But this year I am grateful that my parents are having my family over because I have to work(greatful that I have job). But I will have Christmas off so I planning on having a big feast with family and friends. Have great Thanksgiving. I am making a huge breakfast instead of dinner.
I have much to be thankful for this year. As I stated in my blog, truly an abundance of blessings.
That is such a great Thanksgiving idea. Sometimes we get so worked up over making sure everything is done right for Thanksgiving. It’s time to lighten up and bring back the meaning of Thanksgiving.
More of us need to do what you’re doing. Thanks for the idea! That could be a new tradition.
Lindsey
anaturalblog.blogspot.com
Growing up, our house was always the place for strays. And through the years, every Thanksgiving and Christmas we still always get together, and anyone and everyone is invited! I love that we have built such an accepting atmosphere, and such an amazing group of friends. I have spent a few holidays away, and I know exactly how it feels to be alone. It’s such a blessing to know that there are still people out there willing to invite people into their home, and into their lives. After all, togetherness is really what the holidays are about to me. Not just bonding with your family, but an understanding that we are all connected, all going through the same things, all children of the same god.
We had decided to stay home and “rest” this Thanksgiving as well…God had it all worked out, as now my husband has to have surgery the day before Thanksgiving. Another added blessing is that even though the surgery is on a Wednesday, he will not have to miss church (he’s a pastor), because our Thanksgiving service is tonight. Thank You, Lord!!
Wishing you and yours (and everyone here) a blessed Thanksgiving! Rejoice! We have so much to be thankful for!
In HIM,
~Lisa :)
We share, with another couple from our congregation, the wonderful opportunity to have those without family nearby for Thanksgiving to share our feast and it is such a fun day. We eat, watch some football, play lots of games and eat some more. This is also lots of fun for us and the people we share Thanksgiving with.