Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Children are out of school for a few days, many people do not have to go to work (though some do), and most of us spend at least some portion of the day with extended family members. As we are in the midst of this celebration, it is a really good thing to stop and consider what it is we are celebrating.

We all know a bit about the first Thanksgiving and how the settlers joined with the natives to enjoy a meal together. That is something to celebrate. It was how those settlers survived and how our country found its beginning! But shouldn’t we be celebrating something more?

Bible verses about thankfulness

Psalms 95: 2-3  says Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.

1 Timothy 4: 4-5 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,  because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Our God is great, and above all other gods. His Creation is good! We are to receive it with Thanksgiving, as it has been consecrated by Him.

What does thankfulness mean to you?

I asked some of my friends what thankfulness means to them. Here are some of the things they had to say.

Crystal says, “To me, thankfulness is about choosing to focus on our blessings and not our troubles. It’s a way of life.” Get these free printable gratitude cards to use with your children.

Stephanie offers two of her favorite quotes from others.

“If you never learned the lesson of thankfulness, begin now. Sum up your mercies; see what provision God has made for your happiness, what opportunities for your usefulness, and what advantages for your success.” ~Ida S. Taylor

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. “ ~ W. T. Purkiser

Learn more about Stephanie’s thoughts on thankfulness via  her post 30 Quotes About Thanksgiving and Gratitude.

Michelle is thankful for,”The closeness in my family and the dogs that drive me crazy.” Be sure to head over to visit with Michelle and read Thanksgiving Grace.

Pattis says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, and sometimes the best medicine for a complaining spirit is speaking thanks.” Read her entire post, When the Complaining Creeps Back In.

For me, thankfulness is walked out in how I react to my children and family. It is in the way I serve others. Am I thankful for the opportunity I have to teach my children to be thankful through my actions? Am I serving with a thankful heart?

Here are some quotes from others that I found online.

O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.
~ William Shakespeare

We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is “good,” because is it good, if “bad” because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.
~ C. S. Lewis

No people on earth have more cause to be thankful than ours, and this is said reverently, in no spirit of boastfulness in our own strength, but with the gratitude to the Giver of good who has blessed us.
~ Theodore Roosevelt

Thankfulness Resources & Activities

Encouraging an Attitude of Gratitude

Last Minute Thanksgiving Fun with the Kids

one thousand gifts, about being thankful, gratitude, Eucharisteo. Ann gives a wonderful new perspective in her book; a practical view of how to remain on our knees and thank God, even through the most difficult things in our lives.

What is it that you are thankful for? Share in the comments!