"My little vessel is as full as it can be..."

We met with my family this past Saturday to celebrate an early Thanksgiving together.  It was so good to be with everyone; it's been since Christmas last year that we were all together!  

I read somewhere last week about the idea of taking a series of pictures during a family meal, and I thought it might be fun to try a time lapse video of our Thanksgiving meal.  It was fun, and I think I learned some thing that would make the next experiment a little more successful.  I'm a novice at video production and just grateful when I can get the settings right so I can upload it!  And I'm also really thankful for these Thanksgiving images.  I hope your Thanksgiving is full of good food and light saber battles, too.  And thankful hearts, of course.  I read the perfect Thanksgiving prayer yesterday in the Valley of Vision.  It covers all of our good things in the most beautiful language.

O my God, Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,

my heart admires, adores, loves thee,

for my little vessel is as full as it can be,

and I would pour out all that fullness before thee

in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee

ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,

ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,

ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,

crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,

for adorning it, sanctifying it,

though it is fixed in barren soil;

for the body thou hast given me,

for preserving its strength and vigour,

for providing senses to enjoy delights,

for the ease and freedom of my limbs,

for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;

for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,

for a full table and overflowing cup,

for appetite, taste, sweetness,

for social joys of relatives and friends,

for ability to serve others,

for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,

for a mind to care for my fellow-men,

for opportunities of spreading happiness around,

for loved ones in the joys of heaven,

for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language 

to express,

for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity. 

Murphy Thanksgiving 2013 web from KJ Pugh on Vimeo.