Thankful Hearts

For Family Home Evening a couple weeks ago, I thought it would be fun to make a "thankful turkey."  I also thought it would help get us in the thankful spirit.  No, those aren't really Eli's handprints.  He firmly would NOT let me trace his hand.  Luckily we found a baby hand to trace online.

Since it's a little hard to read, I'll go ahead and share what's on our thankful hands--

• The Gospel
• Mama & Dada
• Popcorn and Movie Nights With My Hubby
• A Career
• Peek-a-Boo
• Keeping in Touch With Good Friends
• Going on Walks and Outings With My Family
• Spatulas
• Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe (I've been reading the Anne of Green Gables series for a while)
• The Sausage (what we call the laptop's battery, that Eli loves to pull out)
• The Sweetest Lil' Munchkin
• My Grandparents
• Return Policies
• A Hard-Working Husband
• Cupboards
• A Great Family

I gave a talk on gratitude at this time last year, and as I was looking back on my talk, there were so many thought-provoking quotes and stories I would like to share on my blog.  Instead, you can go here, and read this wonderful talk by President Thomas S. Monson. President Monson has given several talks on gratitude, but this one is a particularly inspiring message.  Please take the time to read it.  We would do well to reflect more on how blessed we are and to truly give thanks daily, especially for our Father in Heaven, and His son, Jesus Christ.  

“It’s so easy in life for us to receive blessings, many of them almost uncounted, and have things happen in our lives that can help change our lives, improve our lives, and bring the Spirit into our lives. But we sometimes take them for granted. How grateful we should be for the blessings that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into our hearts and souls. I would remind all of you that if we’re ever going to show gratitude properly to our Heavenly Father, we should do it with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—because it was He who gave us life and breath. He gave us the opportunity to live as we are and to have the gospel in our lives. As that gratitude is magnified and developed and expanded, it can bless our hearts and our minds and our souls to where we’d like to continue to carry on and do those things that we are asked to do.

                     --Elder David B. Haight