Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year! This holiday welcomes the next few months of celebration as we end out one year and begin another. We begin this celebration season with the most important part: being thankful.

“Thank you! Everything in me says, ‘Thank you!’ Angels listen as I sing my thanks. I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: ‘Thank you!’ Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness; Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word.” Psalm 138:1-2 MSG

As we begin to prepare for this festive time of year, it’s important to take this day to celebrate all that God has given us. One way I do this is to use the things I have around my house to set my Thanksgiving table. Digging through my fall bin this year, I was excited (as always!) by the things I found in there. There are bags full of pinecones that I’ve collected from the different towns and houses we’ve lived in over the years. I found some acorns from the first wedding I ever helped design floral bouquets for, nearly four years ago. Each piece reminds me of a special time in my life that I am thankful for. I try to add a special piece each year so I can mark a new special something in my life.

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After the table is decorated and the mood is set, I like to add a special flare to the actual day of Thanksgiving. Each place can be set with the name of a person coming to dinner. As you set their place, thank God for them and pray that he will bless them over the next year. I love to help set the tone for the meal by taking time to say a thing or two that we are thankful for while around the table. One way to do get your guests thinking on this is by placing a small paper (I used craft paper) at each place with, “I am thankful for…” written on it. I loved this when I found it on Pinterest this year!

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There are so many more pieces I will add to my table on Thanksgiving Day, but I find setting the tone before the guests arrive to be the most important part of celebrating this day. Let’s fix our attention on God and be thankful for what he has done this year.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1 NLT