posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2018
What's Your Favorite Thanksgiving Memory?
Think about that question. My initial thoughts went right to the food. All the great things like turkey, dressings, gravy, rolls and stuff you only get a couple of times a year. Thanksgiving at our house was always a family day. The day began with the women preparing the food while the men solved all the world’s issues. Then we would overeat, recline, nap/watch football, and then repeat the process.
I really appreciate all of those traditions that our family has had. However, the initial question becomes a challenge. Think about it. An official holiday where many people get the day off work and school to give thanks. I don’t know about you, but I could do better. The old saying, “We all have something to be thankful for,” is true for many of us. It’s a day to show appreciation. If faith is part of your life, it should be easy to make sure you give thanks. You don’t have to be religious to show appreciation. We might all ask ourselves the following question: “What in our lives have we truly accomplished solely by ourselves?”
Thanksgiving is also the perfect time to think about those who have been challenged with great adversity. We see fires raging in the west, recent hurricanes in the east, along with all of the other adversity people face daily. Think of all the people who don’t get to hug their loved ones this Thanksgiving because they lost them to tragedy. The words of my father may not be 100% true but they ring true to me. He often said, “If you look, there’s always someone who has it worse off than you do.”
If you like, you may use the following link to watch Ed Thomas give one of the greatest messages about showing appreciation that I’ve ever heard.
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"
Psalm 107:1
Your Challenge:
This Thanksgiving, count your blessings and share your thanks.
Respectfully,
Al Kerns & the Ed Thomas Family Foundation
This post is written by Al Kerns, a long-time friend of Ed Thomas and a team member with the Ed Thomas Family Foundation. Al coached with Ed for 30+ years at Aplington-Parkersburg.