i love it that Thanksgiving is officially defined on Google as an expression of gratitude, "especially to God," first, and by the "traditional meal including turkey" second.
wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone could get on board with this definition? wouldn't it be even more wonderful if thanksgiving wasn't confined to a month or a week or a day on the calendar? if we could live thanksgiving? if it has to start somewhere, with someone, i am raising my hand high. i don't have much power as far as holidays go, or telling people how to live their lives, except right here with my husband in our home with our children.
this is a favorite time of year around here- visiting family, the lawn covered with leaves, fires in the fireplace, festive decorations, great holiday music, and delicious foods. we trace hands, list things we're thankful for, and look for opportunities to give. we live thanksgiving leading up to Thanksgiving, and i pray we learn to live this way year-round.
one way to nurture a grateful way of living is to continually count blessings. count gifts (they're all around!) and acknowledge the Giver. count high and vow to count higher! spend some time here, with her, and discover eucharisto. learn to recognize entitlement, greed, and work with your family on how to battle those feelings. teach children how to express gratitude.
i want thanksgiving to be our dialect, our prayers overflowing with expressing gratitude to God. let thanksgiving roll off the tip of our tongues and forever be beating in our hearts.
define thanksgiving and live thanksgiving. it's a happy life worth celebrating.
And give thanks for everything to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20
May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father.
He has enabled you to share in the inheritance
that belongs to his people, who live in the light.
Colossians 1:11-12
