Thanksgiving

As we prepare for another Thanksgiving in the US, Charles Morris is returning to two conversations he had with two special people who have done tremendous work in helping children learn about Jesus: Sally Lloyd-Jones, bestselling author of the Jesus Storybook Bible, and Phil Vischer, creator of VeggieTales, the What’s in the Bible? DVD series, and the new Laugh and Grow Study Bible.

In this episode that originally aired in 2020, Sally and Phil talk about the history of Thanksgiving and what it means to them. Rather than celebrating the gift of food and excess, they challenge us to draw our attention to something greater … the gift of knowing Jesus.

Though these interviews were recorded well before entering a pandemic, the message of giving thanks to the Lord in good times and bad is especially poignant as travel and safety restrictions hinder the opportunity for families to get together this year.

Going Deeper

  • To watch Phil Vischer sing an impromptu ukulele Christmas song to Charles, click here.
  • You can also read the transcription of his interview here.
  • To watch Charles and Sally Lloyd-Jones walk around New York City, telling the story behind The Jesus Storybook Bible, click here.

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We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
—1 Thessalonians 1:2,3

How often do we overlook the words of thanksgiving that the Apostle Paul writes to the churches in Asia Minor? Bob Bowman and Charles Morris believe that we too often race past them. And so as we approach Thanksgiving in the United States, we’re bringing back a classic conversation from 2004 on giving thanks.

For anyone who has been around Haven any length of time, Bob Bowman is a name you’ll be very familiar with. A founding member of the Haven Quartet and founder of Far East Broadcasting Company, Bob was also the Friday Speaker for Haven from 1967-1984. On this episode, you’ll learn more about this history, as well as what both Bob and Charles were thankful for in 2004.

This episode also serves as a window into the past. Haven Today sounded much different in the early 2000’s. From the opening jingle to the quartet music that Bob hand-selected for this episode, this is truly a Thanksgiving blast from the past.

As you ponder what you’re thankful for this year, we hope this episode points you to all you have in Christ.

 More on Bob Bowman

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The holiday season is often a time for families and friends to gather around the table to give thanks and celebrate the joy of each other’s company. But how do you give thanks and celebrate joy when there’s an empty chair that would have been filled by a recently deceased loved one?

We don’t often discuss grief during the holidays, but it is certainly the time when the loss of a spouse, parent, child, or friend is especially painful. Holiday grief is also something that’s experienced more often than we might like to think.

On today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, Charles Morris returns to a conversation he had in 2007 with Dr. Norman Wright. A Christian counselor, Dr. Wright spoke to Charles not long after losing his wife to cancer. With Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching, we pray this raw conversation will be a balm and a resource for anyone facing their own empty chair this holiday season.

More on Grief During the Holidays

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We at Haven Ministries are so thankful for you, dear readers. Thank you for listening to Haven Today, thank you for reading the Anchor Devotional, and thank you for reading the All About Jesus blog. Your support for us helps keep the programming going so that we can explore and share the person of Jesus Christ. 

As a small thank you this Thanksgiving, we’ve partnered with Keith Getty and Stuart Townend to share the lyrics and sheet music to the hymn “My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness.” 

Download, print it out, and start a new tradition at dinner this year of a Thanksgiving hymn. (Need help getting started? Listen to and download the MP3.)

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. —Psalm 95:2-3

Happy Thanksgiving, from the Haven team. 

Lindsey M. Roberts is the editor of the All About Jesus blog. After seven years in secular journalism, she is thrilled to explore in words how everything—from taking a walk to doing the dishes—is an opportunity to meet and glorify God. Lindsey lives with her husband and newborn son in Virginia.