May today’s celebration remind us to live lives filled with thankfulness. May by God’s grace, each one of us be thankful for those we are with, near, and long to be with. May we take time to share our thanksgiving through conversation, correspondence, actions, and prayer. May we be thankful for the relationships, neighborhoods, responsibilities, and tasks we have been called to steward.

Over the course of the next 30 days, as we engage the holiday season — all too often filled with frustration and frenzy — join me in the 30 Prayers of Thanksgiving (Growing in Gratitude-Praying to God for the Influential People in My Life) beginning with:

Thank You, Father Creator, for creating me as a special, unique personality in Your image, to live for you.