Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and there are so many magazines and blogs about how to make your table beautiful. I absolutely love a beautiful dining experience. Yet, what value does a beautiful table have if the relationships of those around it are broken and the conversation stilted? There is no time like the present to mend broken relationships. Thanksgiving is a time when we humble ourselves, reflect and thank God for our blessings. Family, friends – new and old. Sitting around a beautiful table though and seeing a hostile face is something else all together.

Every family has its issues. As parents, we need to model conflict resolution for our children especially when it comes to family. In twenty years, it may be them in our shoes — broken and stilted. Show them how to reach out and be a peacemaker. Family problems have a tendency to be cyclical unless we change the pattern. We all need forgiveness, therefore we all need to walk in forgiveness. This season, I urge you to reach out and make the first effort.

There is still time to make a phone call before Thanksgiving. If we are truly going to create an atmosphere of beauty, sometimes we need to go deeper than a table setting.

Pray for them

It seems the definition of wisdom changes with every new ideology promoted within our society. Proverbs 8 says that before God created the world, he brought forth wisdom. Wisdom witnessed the creative power of God establishing the earth and by this wisdom alone that we can unlock and discern truth. Let’s pray for the wisdom of God to lead us instead of the ever-changing whims of the culture around us.

Father, according to James 3, I ask for your heavenly wisdom and understanding to be upon (Name) all the days of (his/her) life.  “By [his/her] good conduct let [him/her] show [his/her] works in the meekness of humility.” I ask specifically for the “wisdom from above [which] is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness [to be] sown in peace by [(Name), who makes] peace.” In the name of Jesus, I ask these things, Amen. — James 3:13, 17-18

Prayers taken from the daily prayer on the BiblicalPrayers mobile app. Download today on the App Store or Google Play store.

Painter’s Cake Recipe

• 1 Cake Mix
• 1 Homemade White Frosting Recipe (or two cans)
• 1 Box Assorted Color Fondant (Ready to roll)
• 1 Paint Brush

Divide and bake cake in 9″ and 6″ round pans. Let cool completely on a rack. Layer cake and spread frosting between the layers. Add the white frosting until covered, refrigerating between each new layer until completely covered.

Roll out the different fondant colors and use a cookie cutter shape to create paint splotches.

You can create a paint brush out of fondant, however for the sake of time I used a new one we had on hand. Gabe loves to paint so for him, it was special.