by C. S. Elston
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)
2020 has been a crazy, difficult year. Is there anyone on the planet who disagrees with that statement? I doubt it.
Still, I have so much to be thankful for: a roof over my head, food to eat, a car to drive, an educated background, friends and family that I love and who love me back (including the most amazing wife a guy could ever dream of,) and, most importantly (yes, even more so than that beautiful, gracious wife,) the hope of eternity with my Creator. A lot of that probably sounds like obvious stuff but, it’s good for the soul to express it anyway. The Bible instructs us to give thanks for many reasons, but I will briefly focus on two.
First, it honors and glorifies God.
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Revelation 4:11 (ESV)
Second, it puts our focus on the blessings in life and gives us a more positive outlook.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
Quite simply, giving thanks is a healthier way to live than the alternative.
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)
It’s important to remember these things as we head into what might be the most difficult Thanksgiving holiday we’ve ever experienced. With that in mind, please allow me to end this on a lighter note and one of my favorite subjects: food.
We all look forward to the turkey. Well, most of us do anyway. A lot of people look forward to the desert, too. Of course, you don’t have to pick just one item to look forward to about the greatest American meal of the year (yes, even 2020.) But, if I was forced to, mine would have to be a side dish. No, it’s not the cranberry sauce or even the mashed-potatoes and gravy. The latter is high on the list, however. My favorite would have to be my mom’s Sweet Potato Casserole. So, I got special permission to share the recipe. It’s so good, it just wouldn’t be fair to keep it to ourselves.
Ingredients
2 cups of mashed Princella canned Sweet Potatoes — drain the syrup before mashing
4 tablespoons of softened butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Dash of salt
2/3 cup of sugar
Directions (part one)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine above ingredients. Mix well. Place in greased casserole dish and bake for approximately half of an hour. Remove from oven.
Topping Ingredients
6 tablespoons of melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup of chopped nuts
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of flour
Directions (part two)
Combine topping ingredients. Mix well. Cover casserole with the topping mixture and place back in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove and serve. This dish should take care of about 8 people. But, if you love it as much as my family does, you may have to drop that number to 6 . . . maybe even lower . . . I actually prefer this to most of the pies. Enjoy and have a happy Thanksgiving!
This is a nice recipe! Do you think pumpkins would work in place of sweet potatoes?
Thanks for asking! I know my mom is very particular even about the brand of canned sweet potatoes that she uses so, I would be nervous to do so. But, if you’re brave, it’s worth trying. If you do, you may want to consider adding a little extra sugar and reduce the amount of milk a bit because I think pumpkins tend to be a little less sweet and higher in water consistency. I hope that helps!