Changes are Coming- and a note of Thanksgiving
I have been hard at work on a new project and can’t wait to be able to share with everyone. Just a few more days/week and the news will be out. My oldest daughter calls me out on this behavior all the time when I buy her Christmas gift early and then spend the next few months asking her if she wants to open it now knowing full well that she will get it on Christmas Day!
I am beyond thankful for my community , especially in recent days. This community patiently read through my writing submissions and ideas and not only provided encouragement, but candid feedback that just makes it better. They are also the ones that push me and challenge me to dig deeper and grow in this space. They remind me to seek discernment from God and to trust Him on this journey of unknowns that I am trekking. They allow me to throw ideas at them and bring it to a different level when something I write leads them on a path that I didn’t even imagine when I originally wrote the words. Who knew that a few tips on prioritizing would lead to a ministry in sharing food around the table and having intentional time together? Godwink- I saw the news this morning talking about how recent generations are seeking communal eating and the need for connecting with others.
So-before my blog shuts down for a bit during a time of transition, I want to focus on food and fellowship. Rob and I started over ten years ago with having not one, but multiple Thanksgiving Dinners. We would host one for our military soldiers, another for neighbors and friends, and finally one for family. These dinners grew to the point that we would need to have at least three every year and the size quickly grew from less than 10 to over 20-30 every meal.
As the girls grew older, the lists of guests grew longer as we first invited their friends and then added their friends’ parents and siblings. We no longer separate our groups and just offer days where anyone can come on the date that works best for them. We begin every meal the same. We gather around the kitchen, hold hands and start with prayer. This has easily become my favorite part of the year. It brings together people that would have never met and who, ten years later, have become friends themselves.
“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” (Luke 10:40, NIV). God reminded her that Mary chose what is better by sitting at his feet. Martha was worried and upset about the wrong things.
As the years have gone by, I have learned to be more like Mary than Martha. I don’t fret over the dishes and making sure everything is perfect and lose the time of fellowship. My husband and I can do meal prep in our sleep now and the stress level is almost non existent as we bring things together. Many of our guests now bring their favorite dishes which help provide even more relief. I don’t worry about having a spotless kitchen that night, but instead, take the precious time we are given to catch up, share stories, and kick off our holiday season.
Today, I pray that you be more like Mary and not Martha. I pray as you head into this wonderful Thanksgiving week that you sit at each other’s feet. I pray that you focus on fellowship and not fret about the perfectly clean house, and perfectly set table. Spend time laughing at the messy kitchen and spending intentional time with each other.
One response to “Changes are Coming- and a note of Thanksgiving”
kennethwhite
Nov 24, 2025 at 9:02 am
Here’s a testimony from one who was blessed by Cristina and Rob’s Friendsgiving dinner this year. Like Cristina, this time of opening up their home is one of my favorite times of the year – especially since my family lives a good distance away. Thank you two for continuing to operate in your God-given gift of hospitality. I’ve found when we take up the mantle of our giftings we unleash possibility.
For instance, I’ve been tapped by my church to participate in the development of a discipleship program. My church has a HUGE international community representing 55 countries. At your Friendsgiving dinner I had the privilege to share the meal around your dining room table with your cousin, I believe, from Puerto Rico, and his family. Right there during our dinner conversation God began to download ideas around approaches to discipleship of my church’s international community then activating them to reach out within their spheres of relationships to “be the light.”
Oh, and I almost forgot. I am so thankful for the 3 containers of leftovers I brought home (oink-oink). Woo-hoo!!
