Give Thanks

Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday.  In comparison with other major holidays, its focus remains simple - a time to give thanks, a time to connect with loved ones.  In our family, we try to find new ways to show our gratitude every year. We started a tradition a few years back of writing our blessings on a table cloth.  We take it out every year and add more for which we are grateful.  (Note, if you want to do this make sure you have plastic or cardboard underneath the cloth.  Permanent marker that bleeds through the table cloth onto your mother-in-law's table doesn't go over so well.)

One year we wrote down what we were thankful for on leaves made out of paper, and then placed the leaves on a branch we found in the yard.  M was 4 years old and it was the first time she sounded words out in writing.  She was thankful for "BORBE" (translation - Barbie).  Nice, huh? Last year the children made turkeys out of pine cones - each tail feather listed a blessing.  This year we are making a paper chain - each link lists a reason to give thanks.  I gave M and C an assignment - each day they needed to come up with one new thing they were grateful for and add it to the chain.  I thought they'd get tired of it after the first day or two, but they been so excited to do this each day that instead of listing one, they've listed multiple things they're grateful for every day.  In the past week they've spent hours thinking about and writing about the blessings in their lives.  Here's one thing that our 5-year-old wrote that completely melted my heart:

In case you can't read the phonetically spelled message, here's the translation:
"I'm thankful for my new sister."

Our chain is now 7 feet long and growing.  We'll take it to Grandma & Papa's farm this week and more blessings will be added.  Our lives are so rich with blessing.  My life is blessed with the sound of laughter and tears of children.  I'm blessed with a husband who works diligently to support our family.  I'm blessed with a loving family.  I'm blessed with friends who challenge me, sharpen me, and laugh with me.  I'm blessed with Christian brothers and sisters who encourage me and lift me up in prayer.  I'm blessed with the ding of the washer - what a blessing to have clothes to wash and a family that wears them.  I'm blessed by God's faithfulness - he answers prayer and draws us closer to Himself.  There are so many reasons to give thanks.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?