Grace..God's empowering presence! His presence is so real and tangible today.Bill Johnson writes "the church gathers weekly around a sermon, but Israel encamped continually around the Presence. Perhaps when we return to that priority, we, the church, will learn what it means to be a holy nation." I am sensing His presence in a way I haven't experienced.I am sensing a keen awareness of Him hovering over us like never before.  Perhaps its because chaos and darkness are drawing too close. Isn't that what a parent would do when knowing of an approaching storm?  Gather her children closer, staying in close proximity to protect them .Jesus laments in Matthew 23:37" O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" I sense His presence wanting to gather us under his wings of protection;letting us know He is there as the Father/Mother God, El Shaddai, the many breasted one .Psalm 61 :3 reads" For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of your wings". The key is camping continually around His presence close enough to know when Father is hovering over us .Keeping  covenant with the One who is our shield and buckler, our strong tower, our fortress and our strength is our part with the One who will gather us like chicks under His wings! His Grace, His empowering presence is part of the covenant.We must  stay in it continually, not just weekly.

I awakened this morning with memories of Thanksgiving from my youth and I could hear my grandmother quoting a poem "when the frost is on the pumpkin..." and I remember the potlucks at the church fellowship hall and all the kids playing outside getting dirty in the grass until the grownups called us in to eat..Cornucopia's filled each table with apples,oranges and nuts...hot rolls  filled the hall with amazing aroma and all the ladies of the church brought in delicious pies,cakes, and cookies to go later with hot coffee. A huge turkey and ham with all the fixings decorated the large table and then we circled the room holding hands until the blessing over the food was prayed. Usually on Thanksgiving Day my grandmother and mother cooked together and sometimes we had relatives drop in for a yearly visit and a plate of turkey and a slice of pie. Stories, laughter and the ballgames on TV were always what dominated the day with the grownups and my sisters and I usually played outside , riding bicycles or playing with the neighbor kids. Life when looking back seemed so simple and I remember it like it was yesterday. We try now to do the same thing with our family because of the wonderful memories we hope to leave with our grandchildren and to remember this day with thankfulness.
."Enter into His gates with thanksgiving... be thankful unto Him, and bless His name"
Psalm 100:4

Thanksgiving Proclamation by
Abraham Lincoln

"Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the last Thursday in November next as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow-citizens, wherever they may be then, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe. And I do further recommend to my fellow-citizens aforesaid, that on the occasion they do reverently humble themselves in the dust, and from thence offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the great Disposer of events for a return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and harmony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling-place for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations."

Blowing, leaves falling, drizzle, grey sky., the feeling of anticipation, shifts, changes, smiles, pumpkins, baking, smell of refreshing in the air..land crying for a drink. God supplies later in season than usual. Wonder why?  Sometimes the wait is for a reason. Our land cries for a fresh baptism, but He sometimes is a God who hides himself desiring to be sought after, to be chased , to be found.  Father's seasons are sometimes different from ours. His times are written on His calendar. That's why we are to be instant in season and out because we may be called upon according to His calendar,not ours. Issachar knew the times and seasons. The tribe who must have had His ways, His clues, His signs written by the Spirit on their hearts. They knew even as the  stork in the heavens knew her appointed times, and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their migration, Jeremiah 8:7. We draw closer, Father to become more attuned to your clock and calendar, to your ways , to keep in step with your movements. We  want to breathe with you, move with you   Lord. We want to be ready at a moment's notice.