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Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 

Every day, thankful. 

The Thanksgiving Season is here, and I am excited. Not sure how many people think of Thanksgiving being a season, but I do. It starts sometime the week before, about the time the turkey shows up in the refrigerator, and lasts at least until the last of the leftovers are gone. 

Thanksgiving is a time of family, food, friendships, reflection and above all recognizing all that God has done and has given to us. It is a day of counting blessings and truly understanding how blessed we are. 

In a sense, the Thanksgiving Season should never stop. Paul wrote in the letter to the Thessalonians that we are to give thanks in all circumstances. 

When he wrote, there was no official day of thanks, probably no turkeys on the tables, no stuffing to go around, no gravy to cover it all – at least not in the same sense that we do. 

No, Paul was writing more about a lifestyle of thanksgiving, of seeing the good in everything and recognizing where it all comes from – our Father God. 

It is about being grateful and not entitled, to recognize that we do not deserve anything at all (except judgment) and yet, God pours out His best on us to not only provide what we need but so much more for our enjoyment and enrichment. God is generous and gives to us abundantly. Thanksgiving is simply the day we recognize that and give credit to where/Whom credit is due. 

We have so much. Even compared to 100 years ago, we have so much. Things we take for granted. Things that make our lives better, tangible and real and intangible and no less real – things like love, forgiveness, grace, peace, hope and above all salvation in Christ, all things for which to be fully thankful. 

Giving thanks is God’ will for us in Christ Jesus which means that giving thanks is something that God wants from each of us. It keeps our hearts soft toward Him. It keeps us focused on Him as the source.

Every Day, Thankful is more than a phrase; it is a lifestyle, and the title of the short 2-week series that starts this Sunday at Bridges Church. We hope you will come to celebrate this Thanksgiving Season with us. We can be thankful together for each other.

With so much to be thankful for, it seems like a one-day holiday is just not enough, nor is a couple of weeks of leftovers. No, it takes a lifetime of every day thanks to truly get the hang of what it means to be thankful for all He has done. 

So, let’s live out Every Day, Thankful today and tomorrow and the day after that and even after the last of the gravy is gone. 

Happy Thanksgiving!