So Much To Be Thankful For.

While many of my close friends may know that "Grinch Megan" often surfaces around the winter holidays, it may also be common knowledge that Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday. 

And this year was no different. 

Here are a few reasons I love Thanksgiving:

I love food. I love being reminded to be thankful. I love being with people I care about. I love dining with friends. I love eating food. I love knowing I am surrounded by people who care about me. I love eating. 

This year was a special treat. Our whole house was invited to the worship director at our church's house for dinner. We not only got to eat delicious food, we also got to meet her generous family, caring mother, and hilarious and friendly mother-in-law. It was such a blessing. 

In the short time I have been here in Philly, I am already noticing all the little things I am blessed with and thankful for. 

I hope your holidays were delicious. 

Children's Prayers

Yesterday at HPCA was our Day of Prayer. During chapel in the morning the students learned how to pray in the ACTS format [Adoration (I love you), Confession (I'm sorry), Thanksgiving (thank you), Supplication (please)]

Every hour or so a student would walk through the halls ringing a bell, signaling specific times throughout the day to stop and pray.  Each time the bell rang the students would focus on a different aspect of the ACTS prayer. 

During the supplication time of prayer the older grades partnered up with a younger grade and students would pray together. And instead of simply just asking God for things that they wanted, the students focused on praying for our leaders in our nation.  They prayed for our re elected President. For those in government. For their principal and teachers. For their pastors. 

I loved walking through the halls and not only hearing the whispered prayers of students, but also reading some of the students written prayers.

I pray for homeless people and familys

I pray for our President

I pray for people who are homeless and who are sick and who are dieing in the name of Jesus. Amen

Can you prey for my grandma because she needs medicen almost every week. I am very serios

I pray for hope

Dear Heavenly father. I pray that I can be nice with my sister.

I want to pray for my grandpa, because he's not feeling good & he's living alone, by himself in a bad neighborhood, so I want to pray for his safety & protection and I want to pray so I could do better in science.

Dear God, I pray LORD that my father would come back to church.

May we learn to pray like children. May be we bold in our prayers. Fearless. May we be honest. May we repent and love. May we be learners. May we write our prayers down. May we pray together. May we be intentional about loving God and loving people.

Dear God, As you draw me ever deeper into your heart, I discover that my companions on the journey are women and men loved by you as fully and as intimately as I am. In your compassionate heart, there is a place for all of them. No one is excluded. Give me a share in your compassion, dear God,so that your unlimited love may become visible in the way I love my brothers and sisters. Amen
[With Open Hands- Henri Nouwen]