Staying Thankful During Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has become anything but thankful. It’s the holiday about food and not fighting with family and watching football and then shopping, shopping, shopping….getting ready for the bigger holiday where we eat more, attempt to keep the peace in our families for yet another holiday, and open the gifts that we’ve spent hours stressfully shopping for.

Don’t let that be your Thanksgiving this year. I’m attempting a few small changes in my daily routine this November to keep gratitude and thanksgiving at the forefront of my mind and heart.

Here are some simple ways to stay thankful during Thanksgiving this year. Try one or two of them out with me!

• Write a thank-you note each day leading up to Thanksgiving to people that you’re thankful for. 
• Spend 10 minutes at the end of the day making a list of things/moments/relationships that you were thankful for throughout the day. 
• Begin your day by reading and meditating on Psalms of Thanksgiving. Psalm 103 is a great one. 
• When you’re shopping for your Thanksgiving feast, buy double the number of things on your list and donate them to the food pantry so that others can feast, too. 
• Be intentional at your Thanksgiving meal and have each person around the table share something they are thankful for.