Thanksgiving 2010

How lucky am I to get to do thanksgiving twice this year. One of the perks of being married is having 2 families to celebrate it with I guess! Even though Andrew was out of town for this one, we still had a very enjoyable time at our Aunt Vicki's and Uncle Jerry's house. My parents were invited along with all of Andrew's siblings and my sister in law Lindsy. I don't know if I'll ever get used to not having Andrew around on this particular holiday, but I am sure grateful to still be surrounded by so many wonderful people.

Today I was reading President Monson's talk from last LDS general conference entitled 'the divine gift of gratitude'. I have been thinking a lot lately about how gratitude can make our lives more happy. I have come to realize that there is always something to be grateful for, more than things to be sad or unhappy about. So I will leave you with some of his words:

"My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love. We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.

This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways.

We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude.

How can we cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude? President Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, provided an answer. Said he: “The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life.” He continued: “Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!”