I love Thanksgiving and all that it represents.  It is a day filled with love, family, food, and GRATITUDE.  It is a time to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives.  I strive to live every day of my life in a state of thanksgiving because I truly believe that the attitude of gratitude always brings happiness.  Turning my focus to the blessings in my life is something I strive for each day, and I try to remind my family to do the same.

This beloved turkey has become a favorite Thanksgiving tradition in our house.  He returns each year around this time to remind us of how blessed we truly are.  This weekend my kids asked if we could take it out, and they were all really excited to help put it up.

Each year we ask our Thanksgiving guests to fill out a feather and write what they are thankful for.  When we take it out each November, it fills our hearts with love and wonderful memories of past Thanksgivings and reminds us of how blessed our lives have been and all we have to be thankful for today.  Occasionally we are reminded of people or things that are no longer in our lives, but that just reminds us that nothing really belongs to us and we need to take nothing for granted.  Everything in our lives right now is a gift and blessing from God.  We need to focus on the present and try to recognize and appreciate all the gifts in our lives today.

May you recognize and appreciate the gift of every person, every thing, and every experience you encounter today!  Peace and blessings! 🙂

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances;” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

(For complete directions on how to make our “Count Your Blessings Turkey Decoration,” check out the full post on my blog Stacy Loves… here.)