A holiday season can feel like a sprint, but what if the secret is gratitude that slows the heart and sharpens our eyes? We start with familiar rhythms—Thanksgiving routes, the parade playing while breakfast sizzles, and the great debate over early Christmas lights. From C9 bulbs and Christmas villages to why nostalgia matters, we explore how simple traditions anchor families when life gets busy.
We then open the December calendar at DeSoto Hills. Carols by Candlelight returns at our regular service times, the TNT Christmas dinner needs advance tickets, and a compassionate Loss of a Spouse gathering offers space for grief during the holidays. Families can join caroling at the living home, and the gingerbread house party comes with a smart update: register and request the number of houses so every child gets a fair shot at frosting. We rally the church around missions with the Lottie Moon offering and aim for a clear goal of $15,000, with envelopes and online giving available all month. Country Christmas brings a biscuit fellowship at 4:30 and a 45-minute program at 5, packed with carols kids can shout and classics everyone knows, followed by a special Sunday with guest cello.
The heart of our time leans into a devotion on thankfulness. Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863—right in the middle of the Civil War. That bold choice reframes the holiday for us: gratitude isn’t a reward after peace arrives; it’s a practice inside the mess. Psalm 92 calls us to proclaim God’s love in the morning and His faithfulness at night, and we unpack how daily thankfulness nurtures joy, humility, peace, and trust in God’s leading. We offer simple ways to bring this posture to your table and your week, turning a crowded season into one marked by presence, praise, and hope.
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