The Lost Holiday...

I love holidays, maybe this is part of the reason that Fall is my favorite season, because there are lots of them crammed into a few months, and each one is fun and special in its own way. I love cook-outs and end of Summer fun on Labor day. I love pumpkin patches and dress-up and the candy that comes with Halloween and I love sparkly lights, the smell of pine and the celebration of the birth of our savior that comes with Christmas, but one of my favorite holidays of the Fall season seems to be getting lost in a sea of red and green retail madness.
    Thanksgiving....I love Thanksgiving. It is one of my very favorite holidays. Thanksgiving is the Macy's parade, the smell of pumpkin pie, the kitchen full of activity, family. It is one of the only holidays where no one expects a gift, you don't have to buy anything, wrap anything or feel pressured to have more or do more. There are no expectations to live up to. You can decorate as little or as much as you like. You can cook a huge spread or head to a local restaurant and eat out with no prep and no clean-up. You set the expectation, you get to choose what and how to celebrate it. The only requirement?... be thankful.
    I have enjoyed the 30 days of Thankfulness that Facebook friends participate in, it is one of those Facebook fads that I normally wouldn't be a part of, but it helps Thanksgiving to not get lost and forgotten. I love reading what others are thankful for, and what they consider their blessings to be. I thank God, everytime I pray, for the many things that He provides for me. I list things out to Him everyday that I am thankful for from the little things like heat on a cold morning, to the big things like answered prayer in my life and in the lives of others, but having to stop and think and focus in on one specific thing everyday and share it with everyone, helps me remember what is truly important. I am thankful for so many things in my life from my salvation through Christ to family and friends, my health and my children's health, the list could go on and on and on. We should be thankful everyday of our lives for the many blessings we have, but Thanksgiving helps us to remember not to take things for granted, to think about what is truly important. The whole intention of Thanksgiving is to be thankful to God for the blessing he has poured out on you over the past year, no matter the difficulties, no matter how things have gone for you this past year, good or bad, there are always things to be thankful for (like the fact that you have the sight to read this post), we can always find things to praise God for and we should never let that get lost. In the middle of the shopping, decorating and running around, just stop, be still, enjoy the little things, like a good meal with family or friends and a good nap and most of all, give Thanks to the one from whom all blessings flow!
"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 thessalonians 5:18