It’s one of the first things we teach our children.
Businesses are encouraged to thank their patrons.
We send thank you cards.
We send thank you cards.
Thanking others is powerful; there is nothing like
the feeling of being appreciated. (Click to Tweet)
Instead of focusing on a day set aside to give thanks and spend time with family, we get bombarded by Black Friday ads.
If I get analytic about this, I would say that
Thanksgiving isn’t promoted for two big reasons:
1. There isn’t any money to be made (other than your turkey and
fixings).
2. There needs to be someone to thank for the many blessings we
have.
Without gratefulness we become entitled. (Click to Tweet)
As a parent, I know how much it means when one of my kids
says thank you. It may be as simple as, “Thanks, Mom. Supper was delicious.”
But those words warm my heart because I want to do nice things for my kids.
Celebrating Thanksgiving is a way to express a grateful heart
for everything we have received in the last year. We realize that every bit is
a generous gift.
And when we see God is a Heavenly Father who gives good things to His children, how can we not give thanks to Him for everything.
And when we see God is a Heavenly Father who gives good things to His children, how can we not give thanks to Him for everything.
Giving thanks gives us a grateful heart, one that seeks to find something good in everything. And, appreciating what we have is the beginning of contentment.
A thankful heart pleases God. (Click to Tweet)
So, for the month of November I am taking a Grateful Heart Challenge.
Every day I will note something I am thankful for—will you join me?
Share what you’re thankful for in the comments or on my Facebook Page
What are your thoughts about being thankful?
Do you have ways of making Thanksgiving Day special in your home?
Appreciating Every Day and Every Thing,
Jeanne
Giving thanks:
Do you have ways of making Thanksgiving Day special in your home?
Appreciating Every Day and Every Thing,
Jeanne
Giving thanks:
Images courtesy of www.morguefile.com
Thank You Jeanne! For your ministry of gentle yet solid words that get to the point in an uncomplicated way!
ReplyDeleteI think the importance of family, family time and meals has been watered down and under attack over the years. The way you described the value of Thanksgiving reminds me how important thankfulness is to the foundation of whatever our situation is. Thank you for popping my "feeling sorry for myself" bubble and reminding me to look around me at God's blessings in my life. I will take on the challenge!
I don't think thankfulness is necessarily our default setting, Tammy Sue. We all struggle with giving thanks in the midst of the tough stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the challenge with me.
Imagine if we were to keep a thanks journal all year, what next Thanksgiving could look like!!
Yes, I accept the challenge to think of something new every day this month to be thankful for. Thanksgiving Day has always been my favorite holiday as a grown up, though it was second when I was a child. Thank you for your blog posts.
ReplyDeleteYay, MJZimmer. I understand the favorite as a grown up too - simple without all the trappings of materialism. Wonderful food. Surrounded by the people we love. The best!
ReplyDeleteYou have the talent to express the truth in such a elegant, simple way, Jeanne.
ReplyDeleteI must confess, I love Black Friday, but I try to focus all of my energy on my family and my blessings on Thanksgiving Day. The people I love are precious and the blessings from God are more than I can imagine. The rest of it is just stuff!
Thank you for your thoughts, Sherry. This post isn't meant to make anyone feel that they can't go shopping the day after Thanksgiving/Black Friday. It is more a check to keep our focus on the season and to point out that Thanksgiving has somehow been lost in the mist.
ReplyDelete