This coming Sunday is Thanksgiving! Is anyone else surprised that we are in October already? And as I write this, there are only 82 day until Christmas. Yikes! We will talk about Christmas another time, today I hope you take time to stop and just take it all in. Take in the beauty of the landscape as the thick green leaves break way to brilliant hues of yellow, orange and red. It is truly breathtaking. Also take time to give thanks for the blessings of the past year.

When you look in the Bible, it says:

Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good. God’s love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1 NIV)

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what God has done. (1 Chronicles 16:8 NIV)

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17 NIV)

One day hardly seems enough to thank an amazing God for God’s incredible goodness. And yet it’s so easy to get distracted with the stuff of life isn’t it? How many times do we experience God’s blessings in our life, but then look at some other situation and start complaining instead of praising and thanking God? It happens all too often.

Perhaps this week, with friends and family or in a moment of solitude, list all the blessings with an attitude of gratitude. This year let’s not our thankfulness begin and end at the dinner table. God is good every day, not just on the second Monday in October —but all the time!

So give thanks - anywhere and all the time.