Thursday; November 28

          I really enjoy Thanksgiving – I mean how can you go wrong with food, friends, food, family, food, football and food?  It doesn’t get much better than that! 
          In reality, there is another reason I like Thanksgiving and it has nothing to do with the meal(s).  What emotion is more deserving to be celebrated than the decision to give thanks?  We spend so much of our lives wanting more and hoping for things we don’t have, so when we get the chance to reverse that trend and focus on being appreciative, we should not only practice it, we should enjoy it! 
          There is yet another reason I like this day – it is one of the few days of the year when religion gets to come into the spotlight.  I realize that Thanksgiving is not traditionally listed as a “religious holiday”, but think about it ... it is designed to be a time when we (as people) are invited to give thanks to the God who sustains us.  Even some of the least spiritual people we know will stop for a prayer of thanksgiving at some point during the day.  It may merely be because they won’t get a chance to start eating before the prayer is said – but, at least for that moment God will be praised in an open and unashamed way.
          While it is great to take the time to thank God for what He has done, I would like to ask us to do one more thing today.  At some point, identify someone close to you and express your thanks for what they do – not just in the generic “thank you”, but in a specific way.  (If you need help figuring out how do this, start with “I want to thank you because you ...” and then finish the sentence with a heartfelt comment.)
          I hope you have a great Thanksgiving ... and, by the way, I want to thank you because you have allowed me to be a part of your lives and have been instrumental in providing me with a fulfilling life.   Thanks for all you do!
         Think About It!

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