Well tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. It is a day set aside on the calendar for us to give thanks in a formal way. For some that means traveling to visit family and having a houseful of food and laughs and games and more. It's a default family reunion without the t-shirts where family from near and far converge on one or two locations in the family for the purpose of cooking, eating, talking, laughing, playing spades or Uno, reminiscing about the good times, lamenting over any not so good times, meeting new boyfriends/girlfriends, holding new babies, making plans for Christmas and the list goes on. My own Thanksgiving traditions have varied over the years. Sometimes cooking myself for my family; sometimes Clarksville with the Tennessee family; sometimes Louisville with the Kentucky family; sometimes St. Louis with my hubby's family and other times I have just hopped from house to house in the Metro-East with family and friends. This year I am cooking at home. I have invited only a couple of people over to join us but nothing formal - just sort of an open house and open counter with the food out so we can come and go and make plates all day long.
That's Thanksgiving. That's what it means to me. Giving Thanks however means something different. The bible says In Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I love these verses because they give us great instruction about Giving Thanks. Being grateful or giving thanks is an everyday possibility. When I am purposeful about "finding something to be grateful for" it lifts my spirits and changes my mindset! When we find ourselves anxious or with an "attitude" for no real reason, think about what you HAVE and not what you lost. Think about where you ARE and not where you aren't yet. Take that anxious thought process to the Lord in prayer instead of to your good girlfriend. Call on the name of Jesus in prayer and supplication WITH thanksgiving instead of calling on your social media following to co-sign your temper tantrum. Because it is THEN that peace which is what comes when you adjust your thinking to a grateful place (surpassing the understanding of those around you) will guard your heart and mind in the meantime. It's not to say that the meantime is not a MEAN time, it just means that when you fix your thoughts on what you can control and give up the rest of that control then Gratitude is allowed to make an Attitude correction.
If you are reading this (still reading I should say) I want to THANK YOU for your support of my blog. Thanks for supporting me in all the ways you do so - praying for me, supporting my businesses (MaryKay, ValUAdded Coaching/Consulting, Books and Merch), loving on me - I don't take it for granted. This is me Giving Thanks to YOU!
Much Love,
Dagne