{"id":163,"date":"2008-11-27T08:30:09","date_gmt":"2008-11-27T14:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ldswomenofgod.com\/blog\/?p=163"},"modified":"2019-12-02T14:08:53","modified_gmt":"2019-12-02T20:08:53","slug":"a-heart-full-of-thanksgiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reliefsocietywomen.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/27\/a-heart-full-of-thanksgiving\/","title":{"rendered":"A Heart Full of Thanksgiving"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanksgiving isn’t the only time to be thankful, but this yearly reminder sure helps those of us who suffer from gratitude amnesia.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to thank everyone for hanging in here with me. I\u2019m thankful for all the things I\u2019ve learned as I\u2019ve researched our Relief Society\u2019s history. I\u2019ve thrown in some personal thoughts and opinions, and yet you continue to come back. I hope I\u2019ve caused you to think about things. Maybe you\u2019ve done some experimenting on your own. I\u2019m grateful for our sisterhood; we all have something to offer to move the work forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Relief Society teacher, this past week, shared with us her habit of writing down 101 things she is thankful for.<\/strong> Usually, she waits till the end of every year, but for this Thanksgiving lesson, she went through the entire room and had us all list something we were thankful for. It was really a great experience to share in our gratitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

I challenge all of us to take the time to run up a list of things we are thankful for. You really start getting creative, thoughtful, and deep the more things you come up with. It\u2019s really a wonderful exercise. Here are a few that we came up with on Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n

My Family\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Food<\/span><\/p>\n

My Friends\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Indoor Plumbing<\/span><\/p>\n

The Gospel\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Atonement<\/span><\/p>\n

Music\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Animals<\/span><\/p>\n

Colors\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Books<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus Christ\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lower Gas Prices<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunsets\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Scriptures<\/span><\/p>\n

The Prophet\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Being\u00a0Out of Debt<\/span><\/p>\n

Desserts\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Shelter<\/span><\/p>\n

Education\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Repentance<\/span><\/p>\n

I have another friend who has kept a Thank You journal for years. In a notebook (she graduated to recording on a computer), she writes one thing she is thankful for each day. She began this when she was going through a particularly difficult time, finding it hard to feel grateful for anything. Having to think of just one thing a day helped her get through it. And then she just kept going.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a talk Elder Bednar gave, Pray Always<\/a>, he challenges us to use an occasional prayer to simply thank our Father in Heaven.\u00a0 He promises us that as we communicate with our Father, with a grateful heart, we will recognize more and more of our blessings.<\/span>
\nAgain, as you take the time to list all the many blessings you have in your life, whether on paper, on your laptop, or in your mind, your heart will be filled, your worth will grow, your awareness will peak, and your love will overflow. You will recognize that you love and that you are loved.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanksgiving isn’t the only day to be thankful. Let it be a part of our every day life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!<\/span><\/p>\n