thanks-living

It's a big holiday celebrated with lots of good food, family and friends. It's a great time to reconnect with loved ones and to reminisce about past times. It's a sports fan's delight--this year there are three NFL games on Thursday! It is a time when we stop for a moment, hopefully, and express our thanks to God for His goodness and faithfulness.

It is Thanksgiving! And I can't wait to join our church family in serving the needy of our community and then rush home to eat a delicious home-cooked meal (Bev is a super cook!) with my wife, four of our children and eight grandchildren!

But then--all too soon--it will be over. That food that took hours to prepare will disappear in a matter of moments! yes, there may be some leftovers to munch on the next few days, but it will be gone with alarming quickness.

And we will wait another year to celebrate..and to be thankful...?

I hope not!

The easy transition from a day to a lifestyle is to think of "Thanks-living", not "Thanks-giving". That requires the dsicipline of reminding myself that every day truly is a day to be thankful and then determining to live my life as an expression of that thanks each day.

How can I do that?

1. Begin each week with an expression of thanks for something specific in your life, i.e. family, food, clothing, work, health, etc.

2. Think of someone who is needy in any or all of those areas.

3. Do something for them that week. Pray for them, call them, visit them, give to them.

As we live out our thanks by giving to others, "Thanks-giving" and "Thanks-living" are merged together.

And this holiday becomes more than a quickly-passing day.

It becomes a way of life. Thanks-living!