Thanks from a Grateful Heart –– All Year Round
It’s wonderful that we pause every fourth Thursday of November to be thankful. We have a lovely holiday. A time to get together with friends and family. But I’m of the opinion we should cultivate a thankful heart for every day. We hear that we should keep Christmas every day…why not Thanksgiving? It doesn’t mean we eat turkey and dressing every day, it means we remember to be thankful for what blessings we do have. Click to Tweet #thanksgivingeveryday #thankfulheart #gratitudeattitude
Since my hubby and I would be classified as “empty nesters” (even though we didn’t have children, we had a dog and my mom over an eleven-year period back in the 90s and early 00s), Thanksgiving in recent years is just the two of us.
For a while, we’d have my father-in-law and his “companion” for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a lovely, cozy time. But both father-in-law and companion have passed away. Other family members have their own “immediate” family dinners, so my hubby and I go to Cracker Barrel for their sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner. It gets us out of the house and gives us a good meal.
As I grow older, I’m thankful for everything that comes my way…even the ‘hard’ stuff. This year has been difficult, yet extremely satisfying and wonderful in many ways.
You’ve heard about the saga of my teeth and flu this year. Just had another root canal this morning, but I survived, and it’s not too painful. The endodontist hopes it takes care of “referral” pain in the first root canal tooth. Time will tell. It would be nice if it would.
I’m developing an attitude of gratitude for everything, good and bad. Why? Because it’s how we deal with the negative, the difficult, the challenging –– that refines our character and helps us to count our blessings.
Sure––I could complain about all the pain I’ve had this year. But I’m not. I could gripe about having the flu twice this year, but I’m not.
Because, I have so many blessings…family, biological and adoptive, friends, opportunities to serve the Lord, and the greatest husband for me. We’ll be traveling later this week to see both biological and adoptive relatives as a special thirtieth wedding anniversary trip.
And…Meghan’s Choice is coming out later this week! Yay! So thankful to Hartline Literary for believing in me and getting this book in publication.
God is so very good! But earlier this year, in the middle of my tooth pain, my flu, I re-learned how to Praise the Lord in the middle of it. That is the key––to everything. I’d known it before. I learned it again!
Next week, I’m planning to blog from Arizona. Stay tuned for that. The week after, from California.
Have a blessed week, and cultivate that thankful heart! Cultivate that attitude of gratitude! You’ll feel better. Click to Tweet #thanksgivingeveryday #thankfulheart #gratitudeattitude
Donna L.H. Smith 
Hey Donna! If you’re going to be in California sometime next year, I’d love to be able to see you! Let me know dates & times & I’ make arrangements to see you wherever you are.
LikeLike
Next week I’ll be in Fresno for a few days. Can’t say about next year. 🙂
LikeLike