I love being up before everyone else in the house, especially with these cool, crisp fall mornings. Each day, I start by going to the back porch, where I take deep breaths, stretch, and thank God for another day. Some days, I also take my morning devotional out on the porch. I find that starting my day being centered and thankful sets the tone for the rest of it. Naturally, there are days that don’t start as planned, but I do try hard to include prayer and gratitude in each day.
Counting your blessings and expressing gratitude is a powerful tool. It can really impact your mood and perspective. However, the media wants to make it difficult. We are constantly bombarded with messages that we need the latest and greatest “whatever” hot on the market. This can make raising children to appreciate what they have incredibly challenging. So, how do we model and teach gratitude to our kids? Jan Pierce has a great article in this month’s issue, Growing a Thankful Family in a Want-More World. Jan provides us with practical suggestions of ways we can plant the seeds and hopefully harvest that thankful attitude in our families.
One of the many things I am super thankful for is my family, and with the holidays coming up, I am so excited to spend more time with them. I don’t know what it is, but when we get together, we always end up laughing hysterically. I am not even sure that we are that funny. I think we all just have some weird ability to find the funny in the mundane and laugh at ourselves…a lot! I don’t mean just a chuckle here and there. I am talking full-on tears rolling down our faces, can’t understand what you are saying laughing. We can crack ourselves up to the point we can’t even tell others what we are laughing about. Even as I write this, I am laughing out loud thinking about the “Marie Calendar’s Facebook Burnt Pie” scandal I read at Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. (Do yourself a favor and look that one up). I consider my sense of humor a blessing, too, because laughing puts you in a good mood and has some health benefits, as Kailyn Rhinehart shares in this month’s feature, The Hidden Power of Laughter.
If you are looking forward to a fun holiday with your family, check out the 2023 Holiday Happenings Guide in this issue. This listing is filled with tree lightings, Santa sightings, and all kinds of family-friendly events to enjoy. But don’t stop there; we have even more activities in our Family Calendar!
As we wrap up November, I hope you will join me in striving for an attitude of gratitude, and as you count your blessings, remember also to be a blessing to others. And if you burn your pie this Thanksgiving, definitely do not post it on the pie company’s social media.
From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
Author: Lynn Knighton
Lynn has called the Mobile Bay area home since 2006 with her husband Brad and their 3 daughters. Following the sale of her Abrakadoodle franchise, Lynn still wanted to serve families and help them thrive. Becoming the Publisher of Mobile Bay Parents was the perfect opportunity. Now she invests into family's lives each month by providing the with the area's #1 go-to resource for moms and dads.
