Give Thanks

   Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I hope y'all have a blast tonight! Remember to keep God at the center throughout the night, and don't forget to share what you're thankful for :D

   This year, I am especially thankful that we have freedom of religion in America. With a Christian blog and a Bible study, I am blessed to be able to do those things without living in fear of getting arrested, unlike other countries. I am also grateful for all the people God has put in my life. I love all of you and I want you to know that you are not forgotten!! ​
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    Sometimes we can forget to be thankful. Sure, we say all these words of thanks on Thanksgiving Day, but are you remembering to be grateful throughout the year? God gave us everything- our home, our life, our school, our work, our world, and so much more- and He even gave us His Son! We should be thanking Him throughout the entire day! In the book of James, it tells us that "every good and perfect gift is from above." Every! All things that are good come from the Lord- whether it's something huge like closing a deal or getting married to the small things like getting a good score on a test or eating ice cream! 

   But don't forget to thank people, too. There was someone close in my life who was always asking me to do tasks and favors and things but without ever saying thank you. It got pretty discouraging, I can tell you! This, however, has taught me to always express my thankfulness. And beyond just saying thank you whenever I received a gift or someone did something nice to me, I have a desire to live for Christ because of how thankful I am that He died on the cross and rose again for a sinner like me!! 

   Last Friday, my volleyball team lost in the semi-final game by one point, which also meant that that would be our last game of the season. It was devastating for us, and almost everyone was crying. I went home with a heavy heart, knowing I'd remember that loss forever. But lying in bed that night, thinking, I realized I had forgotten to count the good things that had happened, the things I could be thankful for. We had played our hardest, and though we had come up short by one point, I knew we had nothing to regret. It was an amazing season, and it just wasn't part of God's plan for us to win. He had better things in store for us, and I had to embrace it. After doing that, I then fell asleep peacefully, focusing on the positive things because the Holy Spirit had reminded me to be thankful. 

   Also, many many months ago, I decided to make a list of all the things I was thankful for and to add to it every day until it was so long my iPod broke or something. I made a reminder on my device so that I would remember every single day. Sadly, after I reached a hundred something or so, I neglected doing it. Now I see that partly because I forgot to stay thankful, complaining has become an every day occurrence for me.

   But today, I think I'll add that reminder back and continue that list. Maybe in a couple years I'll reach one thousand.

   So, since today is Thanksgiving, I encourage you to start your own list of the things you are thankful for. Put it in a room you're often in so you'll be reminded to add to it. Don't forget to thank your Heavenly Father constantly, and also the friends and family who've helped you in any way. And if you're not in the habit of saying thank you, today is a good day to start. And when Thanksgiving is over, don't stop! Keep going.

​   Today's challenge isn't for just this week- it's for this year and beyond: To stay thankful throughout every season- to GOD and to everyone. 

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