Monday, November 24, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving Week

Hey, friends. Are you all looking forward to this week? We sure are. We are having some family and friends over for Thanksgiving. I guess there will be 20 or 25 people here. Angela and her mom do some radically awesome cooking, and I for one can't wait. I am even thinking about chiming in with some dishes of my own. I have dusted off my famous broccoli casserole recipe. And by "my" I mean "my sister's"...just to clarify. I know that's not an especially original dish, but this recipe has the anointing, for sure. I have also been known to make some mean chocolate peanut butter balls (Hey! You got your chocolate in my peanut butter! You got your peanut butter in my chocolate! I watched too much TV in the 70's.). There will also be much consumption of parades and football. And maybe a few mean games of Nertz and Boggle.

I will be at the Crystal Cathedral this Sunday (I think it will air on TV the next Sunday - the 7th), and then our Christmas tour begins December 4. I hope you will check out our tour schedule, and see if we are coming somewhere near you. I hope you can make it.

As this time of year begins to rev up, it's my prayer that we all will be very purposeful to keep our eyes and hearts and minds focused on Christ. And I pray that we will remember the importance of gratitude...humility...thanksgiving...for the mercies of God, which permeate our every breath. I am thankful for so many things. But my awareness of His perfect and faithful mercy is almost more than I can bear this season.

We thank you, Lord, for Your new mercies every day. And we pray that You would continue to teach us to extend those same mercies to those around us. And we pray that Your peace would abide in us, around us, and through us. We are so thankful for Your perfect goodness. Have Your way in us today. In Jesus' name, amen.

Many blessings to you this Thanksgiving...

Travis
Galatians 2:20

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about something you said the other day about how you get to spend your life being a worshiper of the Most High. You know what a privilage we get to spend our lives here on earth, if we so choose, to worship te Lord Jesus...what an honor! Blessings!

Susan B. said...

May you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE NERTZ!!!! We call it pounce here, but, as we said when it was cool: "Same diff." I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving with family and friends.

fuzzytop said...

Travis.... You say that "it will be on TV..." so casually!!! I don't "know" anyone else who is going to be on TV - ever! You're cracking me up.

I was thinking back to my family's first Thanksgiving. We had moved to the US from overseas, where there was no Thanksgiving holiday. For our first Thanksgiving meal, we were using a 'table' that was basically a sheet of plywood on some sawhorses (no furniture yet) and my sister leaned on the edge of the plywood, it tilted, and the entire meal slid off onto the floor. What a disaster!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for His grace, His mercy, and His unfailing love.

Blessings to you and your family.

Adrienne

Kelli said...

Is the one in Houston for men and women or just geared towards women since Beth is teaching? :) Happy Thanksgiving!

calista said...

Glad to hear you will all be able to be together at home for some down time, and family fun this week. LURVE the Christmas CD and I didn't even WIN mine...LOL....Happy Thanksgiving to the Cottrell Mob!!

Deidre said...

You ARE coming near me, Travis and I cannot wait (December 20th). I am praying nothing happens to keep us away :)

I am SO looking forward to this Thanksgiving with my family. All week I have pondered on Psalm 124 and been oh so thankful God's hand has been on my life. "If it had not been the Lord...." I don't know where I would be! Praise Him Name!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family :)

Daniel Semsen said...

>>>>And maybe a few mean games of Nertz and Boggle.



stop it.



PS--you owe me a nertz game.

Profbaugh said...

The Crystal Cathedral, eh? Pretty classy, Travis and the fact that you have to travel to sunny California isn't too shabby either. I just wish you were touring somewhere near St. Louis!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Eat some broccoli casserole and chocolate peanut butter balls for me. Enjoy!!

Much love,
~Cheryl

jennyhope said...

Take lots of pics!! Loving the Christmas cd that I got on sale for $7.99 at Lifeway. You have a pretty weighty schedule!! You have made it to famous since you will be on the hour of power! They only have famous people!! LOL j/k

Joanne : The Simple Wife said...

Happy Thanksgiving right back!

BTW, I listened to Ring the Bells for the first time today on my way to talk to a MOPS group about simplifying the holidays. (I had to get in the spirit, right? So I had to break my "no Christmas before Thanksgiving"). Anyway...WOW! and Well done!

I turned it up nice and loud to drown out my own voice and sang my heart out!

Ashley said...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Can I just tell you that I haven't had a chance to listen to the rest of your Christmas cd becuase "Let it Snow/Frosty the Snowman" has been on REPEAT in my van for my kids. They know EVERY word. Thanks!

Gran Jan said...

Travis: I have been listening to your new Christmas CD ALL evening and it is so anointed - I was moved to tears of thankfulness as I listened to Jesus Saves. Glory!
I am so grateful tonight for my salvation and the security He brings.

Oh Holy Night is majestic - the variety of songs and styles is amazing. Thank you so much!


Bless you and your family. Enjoy your time together.

Georgia Jan
Romans 15:13

Alison said...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! One thing on my to-do list is go by the Christian bookstore and pick up the great Christmas CD I've been hearing about...something about Ringing and Bells! ;-)

mariel said...

amen! hope ya'll have a very blessed Thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

I'm a big Nertz fan, and while my husband's Navy career has taken us to the state of Washington, I am looking forward to moving back east to be closer to your concert route! (I know, I know, LPL in Portland in April) A friend just moved to Marietta, GA, and is able to see you whenever you visit Woodstock. I'm jealous. Your music really blesses me and my 5 year old daughter loves praising Jesus with you! Happy Thanksgiving.

Fran said...

Have a fabulous day and weekend Travis!! Make some great memories!

Hugs and blessings~
Fran

Anonymous said...

Travis,

I wanted to say thank you for your music. It has been such a blessing for me in the past year. I already have my tickets for your Morristown, TN performance. Can't wait to hear you again.

Karen Milligan
Jefferson City, TN

Unknown said...

K, Now you're going to have to post your broccoli dish...

Lora said...

Happy Thanksgiving to the Cottrells! We are so thankful that your Gloria tour is coming to a town near us (Dec 7)!!!

Your CD has caused me to be a Christmas music rebel and break all the rules I'd set about no Christmas till after turkey.

A Christmas music rebel and lovin' it,
Lora

NNA said...

Hi, I found your blog post through a search for “Nertz”. It is cool to see others that know about the game. I hope you don’t mind but I wanted to let you know about playnertz.com, the site for the National Nertz Association. There is a bunch of interesting Nertz information there and you can also find out how to play Nertz online there. I hope you will check it out. Feel free to join and also let your friends and family know. Thanks

Tami said...

Travis, my daughter and I spent some time today doing "black Friday" shopping. Between stores, and while sitting in traffic, we enjoyed listening to your Christmas CD! WOW! My absolute favorite is In the First Light. I had goose bumps on top of goose bumps by the time it got to the chorus. I thought my skin was going to burst!

Thanks for all you do to bring glory to our Savior!

Anonymous said...

Travis,our family loves Nertz and Boggle as well. We were gifted with Bananagrams last year. You might enjoy adding that to the repertoire.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend...and the Mountaineers won today. It was cold and drizzly in Boone!
Denise in NC

Anonymous said...

Those chocolate peanut butter balls are called "buckeyes" in Ohio. ;)

Bev Brandon @ The Fray said...

Checked your tour schedule and it's a PRAY FOR ANGELA list...
I'll be sitting in your audience on the 11th at Converge or Concierge whatever it is---it will be where you so bring God to us. Your music will rain down on me Deut 32:2. I know, cause I have listened to you just about every day since we moved 2 Austin 3 months ago. My 17-year-old is hoping for new CD's for Christmas!! "In the Sanctuary" has meant more than words can tell. And I keep thinking about how the disciples sang a hymn with Jesus face-to-face then walked out and denied Him. What really changes people? Whatever "it" is, you've got the Spirit of God, a demonstration of His Power, I Cor 2:3-4 and that changes lives. He has so used you in my life and I cannot thank you enough! Praying for your whirlwind tour that you and Angela both find Isaiah 30:15. Can't wait to next Thursday as you bring us what is in your beautiful heart Josh 14:7.