November 24, 2011; Thanksgiving Day. I love everything about this holiday. Autumn is my favorite season. Preparing to spend time with those I love and share a delicious meal, there’s almost nothing better in life. And the mere thought of taking time to be intentionally thankful brings a smile to my face.

But this week, and many other times of the year, it can be challenging to actually feel thankful when the circumstances of life take an unwanted turn. Personally, this week I find my mother’s heart heavy with concern over the safety of my son, a prodigal. I just finished an email conversation with a friend who signed off with, “Thanksgiving is a big mess for me right now.” And it is. My cousin is facing her first holiday without the man she has walked decades alongside.

Thankfulness can be tricky.

So it seemed timely to share some thoughts from a book I just finished. The book is called, One Thousand Gifts and is written by Ann Voskamp. She wrote the book as the result of a challenge made by a friend to record 1000 gifts and express thanks for them. This challenge sent...

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