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True Thanksgiving is not centered around a month of the year or a holiday season. It does not depend on good food and family gatherings. True Thanksgiving is an attitude of the heart that we express all year through ThanksLIVING.

What is ThanksLIVING?

ThanksLIVING is living like we are thankful rather than just saying we are thankful or posting about thankfulness on social media.

ThanksLIVING  in Action

Are you thankful for your friends and family? Thank God for them, tell them, and treat them with love and thoughtfulness.

Are you thankful for your health? Praise God and used your body to serve Him. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Are you thankful to live in a free country? Thank God and veterans, then exercise your freedom to vote, practice your religion, petition the government, and use the other American privileges men and women bought with their lives.

Are you thankful for a job? Work like you are working for God instead of your boss. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Are you thankful for your home? Use hospitality and make others feel at home. (Romans 12:13, Hebrews 13:2)

Are you thankful for your salvation? Thank Jesus and share the gospel with others.

A few years ago, our Sunday School lesson focused on thanksgiving. Of course, we discussed having an “attitude of gratitude” and always being thankful for all God has done for us, but specifically talked about living like we are thankful. After class I went home and wrote this poem.

ThanksLIVING Exercise: An Exercise to Encourage Thankful Living All

Try this personal exercise or use it with your family. Work together with younger kids, but encourage older children to make their own lists.

• First, make a list of things for which you are thankful.
• Then, beside each item on the list write at least one way to show you are thankful for that blessing. (See my list above to help you get started.)
• Next, challenge yourself and your family to put those ideas of true thanksgiving into action all year.
• Finally, post the lists where the whole family will see them regularly.

We all have those hard, overwhelming days when we forget to be thankful; however, anytime we stop to really focus on our blessings instead of our current problems, we can be overwhelmed with thanksgiving instead, even in the midst of sorrow. Remember to give thanks always, for even on our worst days we are blessed beyond measure.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV