Oh, how I love Thanksgiving! It’s such a special time of year, families and friends getting together sharing with each other fond memories of times past. What a wonderful moment in life to stop and join with the people we love, to give thanks to God for all the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us. And of course, don’t forget the best part: the dinner! I always remember to wear loose clothing on Thanksgiving; probably you do too!

You know we talk a lot about diet, exercise, and disease. But our total health depends on a balance among our physical, mental, and spiritual avenues. And giving thanks is a part  of that overall balance that promotes wellbeing. It’s important for our health to commune with God and to give Him gratitude and recognition for our many blessings.

So, in light of this wonderful holiday I thought we could share some beautiful songs, quotes, and scripture passages to uplift our hearts and give thanks for our health. Here’s a fantastic hymn thanking God for our harvest. The lyrics were taken from thanksgiving.com, but you can also find it in your churches hymnals too.

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God's own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God's own field, fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.

Here are some lovely quotes about giving thanks and thanksgiving that I hope you will enjoy. They are taken from quotegarden.com.

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The unthankful heart . . . discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!  ~Henry Ward Beecher

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.  ~W.T. Purkiser

If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily.  ~Gerald Good

O Lord that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.
~William Shakespeare

So once in every year we throng
Upon a day apart,
To praise the Lord with feast and song
In thankfulness of heart.
~Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving

In closing I want to share with you the most moving words about thanksgiving. They’re found in a very special book called the Bible.

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Psalms 28:7

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalms 100

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalms 107:1

I wish for each of you a bountiful Thanksgiving. May your hearts and minds be renewed with gratitude and appreciation for all the many blessings in your life, no matter how big or small. Happy Thanksgiving!