“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His loves endures forever.”  1 Chronicles 13:34

November 2019

Dear Friends,

With the holidays at hand, it is my heartfelt pleasure to offer you The Gift of Gratitude, full of ideas for celebrating with our families and loved ones.  I hope some of the thoughts and ideas within will inspire you to weave the Gift of Gratitude into your life.

Blessings,

The Team at Legacy Planning Advisors, LLC.

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The Gift of Gratitude

One of the very first and most powerful expressions we teach our children is composed of just two tiny words:  Thank You.  Those words hold a certain emptiness when we are little though because most children just mimic or say what adults tell them to say. 

But as we grow older, saying “Thank You” starts to come from the heart and fills us with feelings of love and appreciation toward the person or thing for which we are grateful.  We long to show him/her how much he/she means to us, and recognize that being grateful comes in all shapes and sizes:  the letter you write to a friend, the hug you share with your brother, the wink you give to the neighbor boy or the shrieking delight that results from a surprise gift. 

This month, we turn our focus not only to remember the things we are grateful for but also the ways in which we show the Gift of Gratitude to our loved ones.

The apostle Paul urges us, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus:”

 

Experience The Gift of Gratitude

 

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”  Psalm 107:8-9

The Golden List

It is said that people are likely to complete a task if they write it down.  They are even more likely to finish the task if they make an appointment with another person to share a completed project.  While we shouldn’t have to be reminded to write down all the things, we are grateful in our lives, the reality is that our list of “grateful” becomes more real when we share it with someone else. 

Making a Golden List will give you and your loved ones a great activity to do together this month.  What is a Golden List?  It could be called a Thankful List. Have each family member create their own Golden List and agree on a time when you will all meet together as a family to share what is on your Golden List.  Adults can help the little ones. 

At that family gathering, take turns describing the things on your lists.  Post the lists in prominent places.  It is likely to become a favorite throughout the year as you are reminded daily to celebrate the things in life that are grand and glorious to you!  

 

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”  Psalm 100:4

 

More Ways to Weave The Gift of Gratitude Into Your Lives

Leaves of Thanks

We can never show enough gratitude toward each other, and the purpose of this simple tradition is to add to the meaning of a holiday meal.  Place a paper leaf on each plate and ask everyone to take a quiet moment before the meal begins and write at least 2 things he/she is grateful for on the leaf. 

Have everyone then hang the leaf on a small tree used as a centerpiece or pile them in a small bowl or basket.  Just before dessert, share what is written on the leaves.

 

"Share the Gift" Note Card

Break out the stationery for this task!  Send a note of gratitude to someone that you all appreciate because of something he/she did for your family.  Describe why it meant so much and how it made you feel.

 

Make a Family "Our Life is Wonderful" Collage

Sometimes we need a visual to remind us of how blessed we truly are.  A simple collage that you can make together as a family just might do the trick. 

The collage can be like a scrapbook, with each member filling his/her page with pictures and words that represent what they are grateful for.  Once finished, the collage will help your family be thankful daily for the wonderful gifts God has given you.

 

Certificate of Gratitude Dinner

This is a month where we think about everything and everyone, we are grateful for, and what a wonderful opportunity to plan a special meal where you invite all the people your family truly appreciates; the ones without whom your lives would not be complete. 

Plan well in advance for this extra special event.  Plan the menu together and create a Certificate of Gratitude for each attendee.   During the meal, proudly present the certificate to each person, complete with an explanation of what he/she brings to your life and how your life is better for it.