Giving Thanks

Thankful Thursday

November is one of my favorite months.  And, yes, as I sit to type this, I am sipping my afternoon coffee out of a pumpkin-shaped mug…

I love that it is finally beginning to feel like Fall.  I love that the “scary-face pumpkins” (that is what Hannah calls jack-o-lanterns) and skeletons have disappeared from store shelves and front lawns.  Of course, they are being replaced with Christmas trees and Santa…. On Monday – October 31st – there were men putting up a fully decorated Christmas tree in the parking lot of our grocery store.  October!

Have we really become so selfish and consumer-minded that, aside from the gluttony (yes, I said it!) and over-indulgence of “Turkey Day” (Ugh.), we can simply overlook Thanksgiving?

I hope not. Thanksgiving is one of the things I love about November.  I love that there is a dedicated time to intentionally reflect on all that we have been given, all that the Lord has graciously done for us, and in us… And to realize that we don’t deserve any of it.

So, we will be enjoying the Autumn-themed decorations for a few weeks more.  And, I love that my fall decorations are constant reminders to be thankful!

(This picture is from last year…I have yet to take one for this year!)

In Novembers past, I have attempted to post about something for which I am thankful each day.  But, this month, I am going to do something a little different.  I am joining with some others and dedicating Thursdays in November (and perhaps beyond) to thankfulness.

I realize that this practice of “counting your blessings” has become something of a fad in pop-Christian-culture recently.  But, contrary to what current trends, mommy-blogs, and the bookstores might try convince you, this concept is not new.  It was not created in some best-selling work of human prose.

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”
~Psalm 9:1-2 (ESV)

Today’s list of thankfulness:

  • Regular kicks, movements, and hiccups…precious reminders of my son’s constant presence.
  • Modern medicine and technologies.
  • Though brought on by symptoms that I would prefer not to have experienced, and concern for his well-being, I am thankful for another glimpse of our son…as he is growing, and being “knit together.” (And, thankfully, yes, at this point, all is well!)
  • Generally good health, and a fairly uneventful pregnancy.
  • Reminders, difficult though they may be to accept, that I am only human.  And, that I need to slow down, and to ask for help…occasionally.
  • Friends and family who are ready and willing to help.
  • Pumpkins.
  • Cooler temperatures.
  • Coffee and hot chocolate time with my sweet girl on a chilly, fall afternoon.
  • The joy of reading realized…the reward of hard work and perseverance.
  • School days…and learning that continues, even when mommy can’t.
  • The generosity of new friends…who show up at your door with buckets of baby clothes for our little boy!
What are you thankful for today?

7 Comments

  1. May His name be exalted! Praising God with you!

  2. Amy

    No, no-it gets worse. My husband said there was a Christmas display in Home Depot in early October. A few years ago I started calling Thanksgiving “the forgotten holiday”. Poor, poor Thanksgiving….

    1. Amy,
      We were in Costco in September and they already had Christmas decorations up, and Christmas music playing!! Yes, the “forgotten holiday” indeed!

  3. I, too, really dislike how we’ve forgotten Thanksgiving. I don’t know if it’s the reason for or the result of our tendency to think we’re responsible for all of our blessings (therefore, no thanks are necessary).

    Like you, I love November because we can enjoy all the beautiful non-Halloween decorations. I love Autumn!

    So glad your precious son is healthy!

    1. Melissa,
      Probably a combination of both – the reason and the result. 🙁

  4. I’m a recent follower of your blog through the RSS feed … and really enjoy your writing. I too love the precious decorations of fall and this season that reminds us to continually have a thankful heart. Thanks for what you shared.

  5. I can remember as a little girl that Christmas wasn’t mentioned or thought upon until AFTER Thanksgiving! Now it seems as though it gets earlier and earlier.

    We LOVE the Thanksgiving season and because we don’t honor or celebrate Halloween, we starting talking/preparing for Thanksgiving in early September…loving fall, harvest and the essence of being “thankful” and telling the Lord so!

    I too am VERY grateful that all of the “darkness” of October 31st is now behind us for another year!

    I would admit though, seeing all of the beautiful Christmas decorations in Hobby Lobby today made my heart skip a beat as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus!

    Blessings to you~
    Mendi

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