Thanskgiving

Expressions of thankfulness abound at this time of year; its only fitting that we express ours....

Here are a handul of the things that I'm thankful for:

A faith that led me to a surprisingly real relationship with God. It's the thing I am least deserving of and most grateful for.

A plan for my life that isn't entirely dependent on me.

A close family that brings "being real" to a whole new level.

I did some quick searches for Thanksgiving thoughts this morning, here are a few results:

***Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action. ~W.J. Cameron***

***We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder***

Also found some conflicting details about the origins of American thanksgiving;

1. Thanksgiving Day, a function which originated in New England two or three centuries ago when those people recognized that they really had something to be thankful for - annually, not oftener - if they had succeeded in exterminating their neighbors, the Indians, during the previous twelve months instead of getting exterminated by their neighbors, the Indians. Thanksgiving Day became a habit, for the reason that in the course of time, as the years drifted on, it was perceived that the exterminating had ceased to be mutual and was all on the white man's side, consequently on the Lord's side; hence it was proper to thank the Lord for it and extend the usual annual compliments. ~Mark Twain

2. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast -- including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives.

And a final thought:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

Happy Thanksgiving!