Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

We celebrate Thanksgiving Day with food, fun and family. Yet, today is not the only day to show your thanks and appreciation for your many blessings. Give thanks every day!

Wishing you a safe Thanksgiving Day!

Attitude, Gratitude and Overall Thanksgiving

Although we will celebrate the national holiday of Thanksgiving Day on Thursday November 22, 2012 may we always be reminded of giving thanks every day of the year. Many people expressed their beliefs about not celebrating Thanksgiving Day, because this particular day is not in the Holy Bible. If they were to read their Bibles however, and ask God for revelation and understanding, then they would know that “thanksgiving” is clearly defined in The Word.

Unfortunately, the comprehension of what thanksgiving means has been overshadowed by much commercialism. We have our meals with our families, but by the time we finish with our deserts, then we are off to other activities where those heartfelt moments of thanksgiving are lost before the day is done!

I was listening to a Thanksgiving message this morning, “Overflowing with Gratitude” by Dr. Charles Stanley, that put into perspective the reason why we should be thankful and give thanks every single day we breathe! Being thankful is being grateful. He outlined the characteristics and evidence of a grateful heart, which made me do a self-examination of my gratitude. I would like to share those points with you.

1. Positive attitude
2. Aware of God’s presence
3. Have a humble spirit
4. Have a sense of peacefulness even in the midst of a storm
5. Be thoughtful of others
6. Have a generous spirit
7. Be unselfish
8. Be expressive about your gratitude and feel free to share your story
9. Be friendly
10. You will be contagious. Your heart will connect to the heart of others.
11. Be motivated to give, serve and share.
12. Have a servant’s spirit
13. Have a high level of faith
14. Have the spirit of fruitfulness
15. Be joyful

Last year, I made a commitment to keep a Gratitude Journal for an entire year and posted it: "What Keeps You Grounded." This made me stop and avoid sweating the small stuff. When I did this, I found the beauty of the things that were right, instead of harping on the things that were wrong. When I found things that were wrong, I tried to find a solution to making it right, instead of making a big deal about how wrong and crazy it was. If it was not in my power to make it right, then I had to walk away and not allow it to take away my joy and gratitude.

So yep, I will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day this year as I always do, because I do it naturally every day of the year anyway. There was a song we used to sing in church when I was growing up that was called “Count Your Blessings, See What God Has Done!” There were far too many for me to name and far too many for me to count one by one. I will never be able to keep up with them, because the blessings are happening even when I am not aware that they are. The blessings are infinite and until it’s time for me to depart this life as I know it here on earth, I will continue to keep an attitude of gratitude and truly know from where my help comes from. This keeps me grounded, humble and gives me peace! 

This Thanksgiving Day, it’s not all about the food, the Native Americans or the Pilgrims, but about how sincerely grateful I am! Have an awesome Thanksgiving Day everyone!

“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.”

- 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)

Thanksgiving Day Wishes!

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”
- Psalm 95:2 NIV

Up all night preparing your Thanksgiving Day feast? Well, before you take a bite out of any of those delectables, be sure to really reflect on the true essence of what the word thanksgiving means. There are so many people in our communities and around the world hurting and hungry right now trying to find a soup kitchen in order to get a meal today or any other day through the week.

Let us not take for granted the things that so many would consider a luxury, which includes overcoming hunger and homelessness. Stop and look at your holiday spread, look at your loved ones who you are surrounded by, examine your surroundings and remember that this day and any other day is not about your selfish pride, but about how you can be the servant and contributor to society that God needs for you to be. Thanksgiving is not about one day of the year, but about every day throughout the year.

Have a Safe, Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
- Psalm 100:4 NIV