Happy Thanksgiving to you all! May you experience God's love and mercy on a day like today where we can offer our thanks to the Lord for everything He has given to us.

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Pilgrims. I'm fascinated with them! Always have been really. Even as a child, I found these people so interesting. I remember in 3rd grade we did a whole unit in Social Studies based upon the Mayflower and the pilgrims. I loved it! My curious mind was enthralled with learning about them. Who were these people with the buckled shoes and hats, bonnets and aprons? Why was I so attracted to their way of life? So curious and enthralled was I that I even dressed up as as Pilgrim for Halloween that year! (Sort of an oxymoron with the pagan holiday and all but I was only 8 and I'm sure God had a big smile on His face due to my interest.)

As an adult I'm still so eager to learn more and more about the pilgrims and their way of life. In hindsight I now see that the seeds were planted at a very young age. (Pretty cool how God works huh?)

I've come to learn that far from being the strange people with strange clothes, the pilgrims were godly Christians who saw God in absolutely everything they did! They were people who knew what true thankfulness was all about. They were the ones who persevered in their faith despite horrible circumstances and pressures. They were the men and women who had such vision for future generations that you know it had to have been solely given by God alone. They were not perfect but they were genuine God fearing people who paved a path so beautiful that their legacy lives on even today.

I wonder what it would be like if our country today would live with such dedication, love and thankfulness to the Lord. I wonder what the discussions around the Thanksgiving table would be like.

One thing is for sure, I want to be able to live with such fervent love, and devotion for God as the pilgrims did. I want my vision to be as far reaching as theirs was.

I'm still fascinated with the pilgrims and their story. I think it's because ultimately their story is God's story, and they knew that too. They knew that everything they had came from God above. You can see that in their actions, in their thankfulness and in their lives.

May this Thanksgiving be full of thankfulness to the Lord and love for His provision. After all we are all in a very spiritual sense "pilgrims" on this journey together.

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Learning to be thankful at all times and in all circumstances has been a much needed lesson. After realizing my own sin of complaining and grumbling I've repented and turned to God for help in this area of my life.

I recently began the 1000 Gifts challenge (see Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts)  and have already noticed a huge difference! I feel joyful, content and fulfilled even during difficult moments and tough days.

Joyfulness always follows thankfulness along with contentment, the abundant life and a greater view of God.

The Bible has lots to say about being thankful and voicing our thanks to God. Here are eight beautiful Scriptures on thankfulness!

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psalm 95:2

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

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It was just a moment. A quick moment during dinner when everything felt surreal. I gazed at my dinner in front of me. The haddock I had chosen for dinner was now mid bite. Lights flashing, music playing, people chatting.

My cousin, the third of the six grandchildren on my father's side had gotten married. My cousin, the one whom I played with, made up dances with and had sleepovers with was now married. How and when did this happen? Weren't we just little girls giggling about the latest celebrity cutie on Disney?

I had to snap myself out of the moment by taking another bite of my meal and tuning back in to the conversations happening around me.

Some days when I feel like time is flying by, I long for a do-over. I want to go back and relish those childhood memories with my cousins. Those long held traditions that I took for granted I wish to live over again. What if I'd only been more content back then? What if I'd only stopped and smelled the roses more?

But I can't turn back time and living in the past is a sad and dangerous way to live. I can't go back and relive those times, but I can relish in the moments given to me today. I can be grateful for what I have now and learn to be content.

Is it any wonder that God has been teaching me thankfulness? Is it any wonder that I found myself ordering Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts?" No it's not a coincidence. God is helping me to live fully, today! He's showing me the power of gratefulness and living in the moment. It's not an easy lesson, but it certainly is what I need.

I'm learning how powerful gratefulness can be. It takes what we have now and helps us to relish in the moments we're given. Gratefulness turns an ordinary life into an extraordinary one.

Seeing my cousin get married was amazing. She looked so happy! And while I still am praying that the remainder of the three grandchildren will also get married, I'm also learning that the abundant, filled life promised to us through Christ doesn't happen only when marriage does; the abundant, fulfilled life happens now. We shouldn't let it pass us by.

I don't want to come to the end of my years and look back with longing on today wondering why I didn't stop and smell the roses, relish the moments and live in the present. I want to look back and realize that I made the right choice by choosing to live each and every day given to me. I have a choice to make today!

Thankfulness is a way for all of us to realize the abundance that is right before our very eyes, in this very moment, living for today.

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