Being Thankful

During our bedtime prayers with the kids tonight, we were talking about being thankful. Instead of the usual routine of each one praying, we decided to be thankful in a different way. We went through the alphabet and each person had to say something that he was thankful for or thank God for one of His attributes.
I thought I would share what our kids found to be thankful for.
God is Almighty. God is Beautiful. God is our Creator. God is Divine. God is Eternal. Thankful for Food. Thankful for Gramps and Grammy. Thankful for our Home. God is Independent. Thankful for Jesus. God is the King of Kings. He is Lord. God is Magnificent. Thankful for Nathan. God is Omnipotent. God is Powerful. God is Quick to hear our prayers. God is Righteous. Thankful for His Steadfast love. Thankful for the Truth. God is Understanding. God is Victorious. Thankful for Water. EXceeding great and precious promises. (yeah, mom and dad helped with that one) Thankful for the Yellow sun. Thankful for the Zoo where we can see God's creatures.
The holiday we celebrate called Thanksgiving, should not simply be a day filled with traditions, feasting, and spending time with loved ones. This day is a wonderful time to be thankful for the many blessings God has given us. But why should we only be thankful one day of the year? We should begin each day with a time of thanksgiving. Isn't our every breath a gift from God? Then shouldn't every breath we take be filled with prayers of thanksgiving?
I want to share a tradition with you that my family had when I was growing up, and still practices today. Usually when we think of the first Thanksgiving, we think of the pilgrims and Indians and all the food they shared. We like to remember the year before that time. A year where food was so scarce that the food had to be rationed out. Only 5 kernels of corn per person. When our family gathers around the table to eat, we first pass out 5 kernels of corn to each person, and then we pass a basket around to collect the corn, one kernel at a time. Each time the basket passes by, you drop one kernel in and say something that you are thankful for. The basket is passed around until each person has used up all of their kernels.
These time have been so rich for our family! Tears are shed as we realize just how much we have to be thankful for! I would encourage you to try this in your own homes. Don't just have one person be thankful right before you eat. Let each person be thankful again and again!

Here is just a small list of the many things I have to be thankful for:
My salvation. My husband. My 8 children. My extended family. My health. My home. My heritage. My needs met above and beyond what is necessary for living. The gift of music. God's Word. Many wonderful friends.

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."
Psalm 100:4-5