What Thanksgiving is for

“Whatever you appreciate and give thanks for will increase in your life.” 

~ Sanaya Roman, Writer/Mystic

I am not a believer in seed faith and the popular prosperity gospel that has almost completely taken over modern Christianity in this country.  These TV and other preachers who tell you that if you give a seed gift of $1,000 you will be changed forever and God will send you a harvest of money rolling endlessly into your life is just old fashioned circus barking.  

I do, however, believe there is something to appreciating life and showing gratitude for the gifts we are given.  I think Roman's quote above is good but it needs another line.  One that says the increases in the things we appreciate and give thanks for come from our personal acts of appreciation and gratitude.  In other words, when we show that we are grateful, the things/people/circumstances we appreciate, most often respond in good and receptive ways.

In this Thanksgiving season, find ways to demonstrate your appreciation and gratitude for the people you love, for the gifts you have been given, for life itself.  Skip the easy e-card route and send an actual greeting card with a personal note to someone you appreciate.  Give a thoughtful present.  Pull out your cell and make a call.  Stop by and visit an old friend or a lonely person.  Order someone flowers.  Make an anonymous contribution to a charity.  Share a smile with a passing stranger or one of those tired sales associates at the end of the grueling lines at the mall. 

Just being glad and showing it, for what poet Mary Oliver called "a little cup of sun," is what Thanksgiving is for.

(c) 2011 Timothy Moody

Planning Ahead Can Reduce Back-to-School Stress

Starting school or returning to school for children can sometimes be a bit overwhelming after a summer of fun and no fixed schedules. Here are some ideas to help you prepare your child for going back to school. Be sure to click on the "back-to-school" link at the end of the article for more very helpful information. See the article here: Health.com

Book Review: The Shadow Effect

The quest for perfection is failed from the start for all of us. There is no perfect life. All of us are a mixture of all that we have experienced, all that has traumatized or hurt us, all that has informed us, all that has inspired and healed us. Our growing up years. Our college days. Our career or work choices. Our marriages and divorces. Our parents, lovers, and friends. It's all a part of who we have become and who we are now.

The Shadow Effect: Illuminating the Hidden Power of Your Self, written by Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford, and Marianne Williamson, is a fascinating book that explores all we have been, are now, and can still become once we understand and accept our own hidden power under the layers of all that we are.

Read a review of the book here: The Shadow Effect

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I've Learned That I Still Have A Lot to Learn

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~ Maya Angelou, Author/Poet