Holidays. People love them…people hate them. For my family, we fall in the “love ‘em” category. Thanksgiving always means getting together, sharing laughter and great food and playing all kinds of games. We bake and decorate and spend time watching football. Even the challenging Thanksgivings become a source of fun. Like the first time I fixed a turkey for Don and me. I made a huge bowl of stuffing, but the only place I saw to put it was this small indentation at the back of the turkey. I shoved and smashed that bowl of stuffing into that indentation, only to discover when I went to pick up the painfully stuffed bird that there was a huge cavity at the front! Holy cow! Turkeys have two holes!! I immediately called my mother, sharing my discovery. We still laugh about it.

For some, though, Thanksgiving and other holidays hold more stress than fun. Struggles and conflicts seem to steal any joy. For those folks, and for those who love the holidays, I wanted to share a couple of Thanksgiving songs. Today, as you prepare yourself for Thanksgiving, whatever it means to you, take just a minute to stop, rest, listen to the songs below, and think about what you have in your life that makes you thankful.

For me, it’s my faith, my wonderful family and friends, my challenging and rewarding work, my darlin’ four-legged “kids,” the beauty of nature all around me, and so much more. But most of all, I’m thankful for the One who not only gave me these things, but who gave His all that I might be restored.

Thank you, Lord.

Love the song in the first video, and the message in the second. Whether your Thanksgiving is perfect or…not so much, know that there is One who loves you without reservation. And that’s something we can all be thankful for.