Happy Thanksgiving Friends!

Thanksgiving

I wanted to take a moment to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends!

This week is set aside throughout our nation, as a time of giving thanks. Although it seems as though many people may have forgotten the meaning of this special time, we need to cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving in our hearts & homes, not just on this special day, but every day.

To the world around us, Thanksgiving has become:

– Food (turkey day)
– Football
– Macy’s Day Parade
– First day for Christmas TV specials
– The day before black Friday – or the onset of the Christmas shopping season!

*** Although we can enjoy these different traditions, may we never forget that small group of believers, who came to this new land in search of a place to share their freedom to worship. Even in the midst of sickness, many deaths, and a future that was still unknown, they took time to give thanks.

I’m sure, that when you think of Thanksgiving in your home, your mind is flooded with many memories!

I’m sure that I could ask all of you to share a special memory about Thanksgiving around your table, and we would hear so many different kinds of stories!

Here’s a childhood memory of Thanksgiving in my home.

In our home, we grew up not having a lot, but having everything – if you know what I mean! I am truly so very thankful for my mom, dad, and brother, & I would never trade my childhood for anything! I grew up very thankful for all of God’s blessings in our lives, and I got to watch as God came through for us every time we had a need!

Thanksgiving in our home… I remember my dad going out to hunt on Thanksgiving morning. I thought it was wonderful… how our dad was going out to gather the family goose for our special meal. Little did I know, that the real reason dad was going hunting was that we weren’t able to go out & buy our turkey. But, in my little mind… I didn’t see our lack… I saw God use the skill of my father, and provision of the hand of God!

Mom & dad were always up very early so they could start preparing the family meal.

We would sit down & dad would give God praise for His blessing in our lives, and for providing the bounty that was set before us.

He cultivated an attitude of gratitude in our home.

Although we no longer have to hunt for our family meal, the attitude of gratitude that was “cultivated” in our home has only grown as our little family of 4 has now expanded to need a much larger table to fit our family of 14!

Never forget…

Thankfulness is something that we must “cultivate” in our hearts & homes, because we can only reap what we have actually sown! I don’t know about you, but I want to have an attitude of Thankfulness in my grandchildren – and great-grandchildren – and those that will come long after I’m gone. It’s never to late to start… and today is the perfect time 🙂

I hope you have a very blessed day!

May your table be…

– filled with the wonderful bounty of the harvest
– overflowing with thoughts of thankfulness
– and encircled with many friends & family!

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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13 thoughts on “Happy Thanksgiving Friends!”

  1. Happy Thanksgiving to you. As you wrote, each of us have so much to be thankful for. I’m so glad you mentioned that we must cultivate an attitude of gratitude in ourselves, and it is critical that we help our children and grandchildren develop that attitude also. I was so saddened yesterday when I read that teachers in one of our western states were told that Thanksgiving is actually a time of “mourning” since it reresents “500 years of betrayal.” They were instructed to help their students deconstruct the myths of Thanksgiving. I’m so thankful that we don’t have to wait until the fourth Thursday of November to be thankful and confine it to that. Our blessings are new “every morning.”

    “Is not sight a jewel? Is not hearing a treasure? Is not speech a glory? O my Lord, pardon my ingratitude and pity my dullness who am not sensible of these gifts. The freedom of thy bounty hath deceived me. These things were too near to be considered. Thou presented me with thy blessings, and I was not aware. But now I give thanks and adore and praise thee for thy inestimable favours.” Thomas Traherne, 1636-74.

    Reply
  2. Words can never fully express how grateful we are for our children and grandchildren (including our Son-in-law and Daughter-in-law who are our children), and for the many blessings they are to our lives. We are thankful and truly blessed. Every kind word and sweet illustration is an added joy. Thank you Pearl!

    Love Mom & Dad

    Reply
  3. Beautiful post. I have wonderful, beautiful memories of Thanksgiving as well..the sights, sounds, smells, and most of all the family gathered round the table…truly thankful for God’s provision for us. Hope yours was lovely.

    Reply
  4. What a lovely post–I love the story about your Dad going out for the goose. I would like to try and instill that kind of positive outlook on my family, and I’m working on it, but it’s hard coming, sometimes. Thank you for the inspiration.
    ~Angela 🙂

    Reply
    • Angela,

      You’re right about the “time” involved with teaching our family to share a thankful heart! It takes a lifetime (and sometimes – a few hard times). When it comes to my parents, they always brought our focus back to God, and how thankful “they” were for His help in their lives. Which in turn… helped my brother & I to know, that it was God that helped our family through all of our “issues” … through the faithfulness of my parents to believe that God would be there for us. Now my brother & I, and our mates are teaching our children to focus on God for His help in their lives. That is in turn causing them to be thankful to Him when they see the answers to their prayers!

      Now… if I can turn out to be half the parent that my parents were to us… I will be forever grateful 😉

      Reply
  5. This is a thoughtful and inspiring article! What a nice memory to have! Here in Southern California, people have to travel a ways before they can do any hunting. My Father doesn’t hunt, but my Grandfather did in North Platte, Nebraska.

    We get so distracted, don’t we? And, it seems that there are assignments and agendas in place to see that we stay that way. Thank God for Jesus!

    Merry Christ-mas!
    KJ

    Reply
    • KJ,

      Thank you for your kind words!

      I’m sure that even though you are not able to hunt in your area, that there are probably many things that can become “wonderful” memories for you! In my situation, “hunting” became a necessity if we were going to have a nice Thanksgiving meal together.

      I don’t know how your family is, but in my little family, we are always making new memories & family traditions! I think I’ll write about some of those real soon 😉

      Reply
  6. Thank you for a special post, it really brought home the reminder of what’s important in life. Your thoughts and insights really made me smile.

    Reply

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