Thanksgiving

I've been putting off writing a general "giving thanks" post. I don't know why. I know I am blessed with so many things, but I just haven't wanted to verbalize them. I guess I've not been in a very thankful mood. Shame on me!

We had planned, and are in the process of, putting out the Christmas decorations today instead of Friday. While cleaning up all the Fall decorations last night, I felt like I was cheating myself out of Thanksgiving. It felt wrong to be putting away the symbols of Fall before Thanksgiving Day. I thought to myself, "So what? Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of our Savior! What's wrong with hurrying to celebrate that?"

And then I realized that as a Christian, Thanksgiving should be about celebrating the birth of our Savior too! Shouldn't we use this time not only to be thankful for all the material things we've been given, but for the eternal life God offers us through Jesus Christ? Without the gift of Jesus, we would have nothing for which to be thankful! And most of all this Thanksgiving, I want others--my husband, daughter, family, and friends--to see Jesus in me.

Thank you, Lord for blessings you give!
Thank you, Lord for letting me live
In a country that's free
With my family.
Thank you for sending Your only son
To die in my place; for victory won!

Happy Thanksgiving!