I could hear it in the air today. No, I'm not talking about the sneezes and sniffles, though I heard a lot of that. Today, I could hear the excitement as we all anticipate being out of school for an entire glorious week! My munchkins are counting down the days as I'm sure my students are. I know some of you probably have plans to bask in the sunshine on a beach somewhere--make it known that I dislike each of you--JUST KIDDING! If you are traveling, I pray you have safe journeys and wonderful memories. If you're like me and just looking forward to hanging out in middle Tennessee, I pray you will have time to relax and enjoy the break. We have some little trips planned for Chuck E Cheese, Monkey Joe's, and the movie theater (I know you're all jealous!). I'm also really looking forward to spending time with some Beta members as we prepare meals for the people staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Nashville. Then, my whole family will invade our house for Thanksgiving day before the spectacular Black Friday shopping!
As I prepare for the invasion of my large family, I want to do my best not to lose sight of the blessings God has given me. It's so easy to think about the awesome food we'll eat (for me that is my grandmother's dressing and squash casserole), the football games we'll watch, and the deals we'll buy. However, I want to challenge you to really spend some time thinking about what God has done for you. Find some quiet time to take a walk, to meditate as you realize your life is more than food and shopping :) I plan to spend some time with my children as I praise God for each of my babies, for my wonderful friends, for my health, for great books, for the beauty of the seasons, for my awesome students (sincerely), and for the joy of laughter. Those are just a few of the things I want to reflect upon.
You knew it was coming, so here is the extra credit option for the upcoming week or so. You're going to have to do a little bit of work for this one, though. I want you to find a quote about blessings, thanksgiving, or thanks (You CANNOT use my two listed above). Begin your comment with that quote. Then, explain why you like that quote and how you will use it to help you to be more thankful this Thanksgiving. Your ORIGINAL response should be 3-5 GOOD sentences. Show me you are thinking :) ALL comments must be posted no later than Thursday, Nov. 24--Thanksgiving Day!
"A few years' experience will convince us that those things which at the time they happened we regarded as our greatest misfortunes have proved our greatest blessings." George Mason
ReplyDeleteBlessings are not always meant to be seen right away. God places people and experiences in our life to teach us lessons for the future. By looking back at experiences in my life, I am thankful for the path He has led me down. No matter how hard life may get, I know it will be a blessing in the future. This quote made me realize just how blessed my life has been in the past, and how blessed it will be in the future. Heartaches are sometimes a blessing in disguise. Ashley Tidwell
"'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
ReplyDeleteWhat if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise" Laura Story, Blessings
I know this is a long quote (song lyrics to be precise), but they are undoubtedly rich in meaning. The chorus from this song (above) has helped me recognize some of the many blessings in my life that I have often overlooked. I believe it is human nature to associate blessing or thanksgiving with solely positive things. This is understandable, because that is what we are taught as children and grow up to believe as adults. However, I believe that life's ''bumps (or mountains) in the road'' can also be seen as precious gifts from God. The cliche "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is something I have begun to genuinely know to be true. I believe the best gift that God gives us is the opportunity to grow closer to Him day after day. This may be possible in many ways, including the pursuit through all of life's messes. All in all, I believe blessings are our undeserved gifts from God that He uses as opportunities to grow closer to Him.
"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." ~Edward Sandford Martin
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving is a holiday filled with family and friends who love and care for each other deeply. On this day people give thanks to everything and everyone they have in their life. We remember how grateful we are and how thankful we should be for everything we have. I love this quote because its saying that Thanksgiving should always be on our hearts and we should be thinking about what we have that others may not and the love we have in our life. We should become more aware of the people who mean the most to us and not take them for granted. I will use this quote this Thanksgiving to remind me that i should be thanking God everyday for the family and friends I have in my life everyday and not just one one special holiday.
"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." - W. T. Purkiser
ReplyDeleteActions speak louder than words. This saying is reflected in this quote, revealing that it is what we do with our blessings, rather than what we say about them, that shows our gratitude. It is pointless to say how blessed weare, and then push our blessings aside like they're nothing. True thanksgiving is being aware of our blessings every day, always being grateful and thanking God for them all the time. Many times, I find myself taking advantage of what God has given me. I pray and I live as if I don't care. This quote can remind me to act as if I'm grateful, not just say the words.
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." -Eric Hoffer
ReplyDeleteI feel that this quote describes human beings so well sometimes. We all are so blessed and don't realize how truly good that we have it. Sometimes it's hard to see the many blessings that God has given us because we get so caught up in the world, and all of the things it has to offer. During this Thanksgiving, I want to make sure that I really sit down and think about everything that God has blessed me with, big or small, and sincerely thank Him for it. We all could slow down and be more grateful sometimes.
"Forever on Thanksgiving day, the heart will find the pathway home." - Wilbur D Nesbit
ReplyDeleteAs we grow into adults, we will spend many years on Thanksgiving day with family and friends. We will enjoy great meals and times of fellowship which will form lasting memories that will remain with us our entire lifetime. No matter where we find ourselves in the future or the loss of family and friends those memories will always be in our hearts on this special Thursday in late November.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
ReplyDeleteAlbert Einstein
This quote, spoken by the brilliant Albert Einstein, speaks deeply into my heart. Something I've come to believe is- you determine your own blessings. Blessings are not predetermined events. There are no set rules, no criteria, as to what a blessing is. We have the ability to chose what we consider our blessings. To some, an abundance of fame and fortune is considered a blessing. To others, a small house full of love is equally just as important. Perhaps, if we see a dark world with an optimistic view, the same dark world will seem brighter.
" Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Philippians 4:6
ReplyDeleteI like this Bible verse because it reminds me to not worry about the worldly situations that come up in my life. God will take care of them.When i pray i need to go ahead and thank God because He will answer my requests. His answer may not be what i want it to be, but i need to remember that only God can see ahead in my life, and that He is looking out for me. My Heavenly Father is amazing and i need to thank Him for being there for me in good and terrible times as well.
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
ReplyDeleteOprah Winfrey
I absolutely love this quote because it is so true. This quote is proven to be correct everyday in someone's life. To me, this quote says that having everything you could ever imagine won't ever be enough if you still want more. We have to learn to be content with the blessings God has put in our life. For me, these blessings include a wonderful family, amazing friends, a great place to live, and an incredible school. There's not a lot more I can think of to ask for, and I am completely content and happy with these things. I love God for all of the things He's put in my life, and I'm so thankful for what He's doing for me.
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ReplyDeleteThanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day. ~Robert Caspar Lintner
ReplyDeleteI enjoy this quote because its absolutely true and it makes me think a bit. Thanksgiving day isn't the only day we should thank God for everything he does for us, we should do it on a daily basis.It's kinda like prayer, we shouldnt only pray when we want things or when things are going wrong, but we should pray even when things are going right. We should remember to be thankful for everything God has given us not just on Thanksgiving day, but everyday.
He who thanks but with the lips
ReplyDeleteThanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
~J.A. She'd
This quote is demonstrated on Thanksgiving because many people forget to take the time to truly be thankful. We often get caught up in saying we are thankful for the typical things we are supposed to say instead of actually being thankful for our blessings. Thankfulness requires the contentment of our hearts and not just words. The pilgrims were struggling with losing many family members, but they managed to count their blessings with their hearts. We have so much to be thankful for, but we often forget the true feeling of being thankful.
Peyton Lampley
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ReplyDeleteSo once in every year we throng
ReplyDeleteUpon a day apart,
To praise the Lord with feast and song
In thankfulness of heart-Arthur Guiterman
i like this quote because it reminds me, that if there was no god there would be no thanksgiving. every year i look forward to thanksgiving because our family's reunite just like they would for Christmas. i use this quote to remind me that i should be thankful that my family can gather on that day. we do once a year. its a time for eating and just being around each other. :) so that's my quote i always think of when its thanksgiving time.
We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning. ~Albert Barnes
ReplyDeleteThis quote reminds me that I have it so much easier compared to the rest of the world so when something bad happens to me, I should be thankful that I still have it much better off than most everyone else on Earth. It also remind me that God is in control of my life, and everything in His plan for me has a purpose behind it. When something happens in my life that makes me unhappy, I need to look for the good in it. Although it may not seem obvious at first, God put me in that situation to teach me something; whether that's a life lesson in humility or simply a reminder that I should never take my life for granted, this quote teaches me that, even in my darkest times, I shouldn't feel sorry for myself. Instead, I should be thankful for all that God the Father has blessed me with.
Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. ~William Faulkner
ReplyDeleteTo me, gratitude is a feeling that is far too scarce in America, especially around Thanksgiving. As one of the most blessed countries and blessed peoples in the entire world, we constantly struggle to recognize what God has given us, even though it's everywhere! I think that is what Faulkner is getting at in this quote: gratitude only exists when I express it to someone to whom it matters. Being a science person, I love the analogy he uses here. This Thanksgiving, I am going to strive demonstrate the "electricity" he mentions--to be a little more gracious, a little less demanding, and altogether happier with the things which God has blessed me.
-Daisy
Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants.
ReplyDeleteKevin James
To begin, the quote above makes me giggle. It is so embarrassingly true of Americans. As a culture, we focus more on the homemade cooking of our families than reflecting on all of the blessings in our life given to us by God. Thanksgiving was intended to be a day in which we could take a break from our busy lives and say thanks to the One who gave us everything instead of stressing about the plate breaking from the copious amounts of food on it or going through the newspapers to make a list of all the Black Friday deals. Thanksgiving has been commercialized ad nauseam. During this Thanksgiving holiday, I pray that all of us see the real reason Thanksgiving is such a major holiday and take the time to reflect for what we truly are thankful.
"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you?" -William A. Ward
ReplyDeleteI find this statement to be extremely powerful. I think we get so caught up in our busy lives that we forget to thank God for all the things he's given us including the little things we tend to overlook. Then, to make matters worse, an entire day is set aside once a year to focus on our blessings, and we struggle with that! Even on thanksgiving, we get so busy with the food and family that we forget to be thankful. I am going to try my hardest to be thankful not only tomorrow but everyday! -Natalie Perry
Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.-Buddha
ReplyDeleteBe thankful for everything that you have because you have it for a reason. There is always a reason to be thankful. Even if something terrible has happened, it could always be worse. There are times in life that seem to be out of control, but you just have to keep your faith in God and he will always help you prevail.
"If you can't be content with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped"
ReplyDeleteOn Thanksgiving a lot of emphasis is placed on being grateful for all of our blessings. It's easy to sum everything up by saying "I'm thankful for my family, house, school,etc." We should also be grateful for the things we don't have to deal with. Even if everything goes wrong, be thankful that it's not worse; be thankful for what you have escaped.
Ashley Huntington
A few years' experience will convince us that those things at which the time they happened we regarded as our greatest misfortunes have proved our greatest blessings.--George Mason
ReplyDeleteAs a teenager, I don't always understand the blessings that God has given me. Sometimes I even see them as misfortunes. For example, because my parents are strict I will get frustrated, and I will view them as a misfortune. I know when I get older and have children of my own, I will be just as strict, and I will look back at how my parents raised me. I will realize how big a blessing they really are.
When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ~G.K. Chesterton
ReplyDeleteI think we take to much for granted. God gives us so much and we don't even realize how much He has given us. This quote means alot to me because I take to much for granted and I don't give thanks to God. Today that quote got stuck in my head and it kept reminding me to thank God for all He has given me.