First, Give Thanks

Don't you just love this time of year?! 

First we get loads of candy (that I steal from my siblings), then we get to gorge ourselves on homemade food & spend time with family, & then we get to open all the presents!!

But that's really not what this season is about, is it...?

I love the holiday season. Despite the fact that the cold weather sets in, I love the feeling it has. The connotation that comes with "fall." The sweater weather. Crunching on leaves. Family get togethers. Hot cocoa. Cuddle puddles. I just love it all!!

With Halloween I get to be a little crazier than usual & express myself with strange costumes & makeup. Thanksgiving is all about being grateful & doing it with my family all around me. And I LOVE how much Christ comes into play at Christmas time. That's what it's really all about. 

And with Thanksgiving coming up oh so soon it's only suitable we talk about giving thanks!! 

I've been reading in 1 Nephi & I've noticed this trend in Lehi's family. Everywhere they go, no matter how far they travel, once they've stopped they automatically give thanks. They build an altar & give thanks to the Lord for getting them to their destination. 

1 Nephi 2:6-7 
"And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water.

And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God."


Now this isn't saying their travels weren't hard & they didn't have bumps & bruises along the way. Maybe Sam ran through poison ivy or Laman & Lemuel argued the whole way & Sariah couldn't use "Don't make me turn this camel around" because that's exactly what they wanted. I'm sure they had so many issues getting from stop to stop!! BUT FIRST, they gave thanks.

Now I'd like to relate this to our lives. Everyday we pray (or we should be praying) for help & strength. Our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us. But another thing He wants to hear from us is how grateful we are. Nothing we have on this earth is ours except our agency. No, life isn't easy. No, life isn't fair. Do we want God to turn our lives around sometimes? ABSOLUTELY. But there is so much joy in the journey. There is so much to be thankful for despite the negative. So FIRST, give thanks. 

As we go throughout this holiday season, there is going to be so much hustle & bustle. From buying food & gifts, to finishing school & finding time for friends & family. Just know that there is a reason for the season. Something to be grateful for at all times. 

Don't forget to love your neighbor & serve a little. Don't forget to spend a little extra time with family & friends. Don't forget to eat all the food you can. But also FIRST, give thanks. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

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