Thankfulness … or an Attitude of Gratitude!

There’s a Christian praise song whose opening line is “Give Thanks with a grateful heart,” … which truly rings close to my heart!

Should I say privileged, should I say fortunate or should I say blessed? Regardless, my first thought upon waking each morning is how thankful I am for what we have been blessed with as the years have rolled by. Or, as financial counselor Dave Ramsey likes to say on his daily radio show, “better than I deserve!” And I am thankful every day … not just one day of the year.

Hence, my prayer at this Thanksgiving time is that you find yourself sufficiently blessed so as to feel the same way each morning of the year as well.

During the 1970s, our Bonneville Broadcast Consultants organization provided holiday messages for airing by our more than 100 affiliated radio stations across the United States. Written by an unknown author, let me share this message which was heard on one Thanksgiving Day:

“As we celebrate this Day of Thanksgiving here in the United States … let us sound the horn of plenty, and give thanks for the cornucopia that is America. Join in the feast of plenty and be thankful. Certainly, none of what were the Pilgrims’ perils …when they celebrated the very first time of thanksgiving in this new land nearly 400 years ago in 16-21 … remain for us today. Time has moved us far along the path of progress from Plymouth Rock. Our harvest has been bountiful. There is so much to be thankful for today. There’s the freedom to dream of futures and then work toward those goals using technologies unheard of fifty years ago, some even just 10 or 20 years ago. There’s the freedom to clasp hands around our table and say ‘thank you, God’ … and ask for His continued blessings, guidance and love. And, let’s not forget the little things of life … like bread, laughter, sunshine and rain . . . and friends!”

And, speaking of Friends . . . here’s a portion of what my broadcast industry friend, Jerry Del Colliano, recently shared in one of his DayStarters regarding Thanksgiving. Today, Jerry is a college professor at New York University … this is what he wrote after querying his students about their plans for the holiday, which he titled FRIENDSGIVING:

There is a great interest in “chosen family” – people in our lives who are not genetically related but who have earned the right to be considered friend or ‘family’.

A move away from less traditional gatherings – even a totally different menu – would you believe pizza is one item (that sounds good to me!).

However it is celebrated, adding new meaning to an old holiday is often welcomed.

Then, author and musician Douglas Wood reminds us of this fundamental truth:

The heart that gives THANKS is a happy one …
for we cannot feel THANKFUL and unhappy at the same time!

Now, get ready to begin counting all that you have in your life to be thankful for, maybe even grab a pad and write some of the bigger ones down — if you have any trouble, watch the screen for a great list of prompts!

As you continue to tally up those blessings, let me leave you with this quote from the self-made, highly successful businessman who donated hundreds of millions of dollars to worthy charitable causes, and who lived to the age of 100 … W. Clement Stone:

If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share!

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