27 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 7

Overflowing with Thankfulness

This article by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson is a great read. I want to be like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. What about you?

Today’s blessing book entry: Warm weather and sunshiny days.

What are you doing today to cultivate or share a heart of gratitude? Link here to your blog entry!

27 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 6

Wise Words

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you”?
~William A. Ward

Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.
~G.B. Stern

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.
~Meister Eckhart

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.
~H.U. Westermayer

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.
~G.K. Chesterton

If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.
~Frank A. Clark

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

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
~ Psalm 100:4

My blessing book entry for today: Photographs. I’m thankful for photographs. 🙂

What are you doing today to cultivate or share a heart of gratitude? Link here to your blog entry!

27 Days of Thanksgiving – Days 4 & 5

How to Write a Thank-You Note

Have you ever sent a gift to someone, only to wonder if it was ever received? The arrival of a thank-you note would have quickly eased your mind, assuring you that your package did indeed reach the proper recipient, and the few moments that the other person took to jot down a short note of thanks would also have given you the pleasure of knowing that your gift was not only received, but also appreciated. Sometimes, however, even someone with the noblest intent draws a blank on what to write, or even when a thank-you note is appropriate.

When to Send a Thank-You Note

When gifts are exchanged in person, appreciation should be expressed at that time, face to face. While a written “thank you” is always welcomed, it is not expected if the giver was present when the recipient opened the gift; The exception to this is showers, whether it be for a wedding, housewarming, or a new baby. Remember to have someone take note of which gifts come from whom, so you don’t end up sending Cousin Jody a thank-you for the set of pots and pans you received from Great-Aunt Lila.

Other appropriate times to send notes of thanks would be occasions when someone gives of herself and her time. This could include the friend who gives you a ride to work, the sister you visit for a week, your mom handling all your chores while you were sick, etc. Anyone who opens their home to you or offers their service to you deserves to be thanked with a written note.

One often overlooked “thank you” is the “bread and butter” note. This is a note of thanks sent for “small” offerings of hospitality — a friend’s parents allowing you to spend the night, another friend inviting you over for tea, the family that has you over for dinner, etc. If someone serves you “bread and butter,” make sure to thank them for it.

What Do I Say?

It happens to everyone at some point — someone gave you a gift and even though you truly are grateful, you find yourself staring at an empty sheet of paper and the only words that come to mind are “thank you.” How do you express your gratitude when it feels like your entire vocabulary just packed up and left? Or worse, when you’re staring at the loud yellow and orange floral tablecloth you received from your Aunt Jane and all you can think is, “You shouldn’t have . . . you really shouldn’t have”?

First of all, remember to start small. When you’re having difficulty coming up with three sentences to express your appreciation, nothing is as depressing as a large sheet of blank paper. Select an appropriate notecard that has enough space inside that you can write more than the greeting line and your signature, but is still small enough that three or four sentences will fill it.

It is more appropriate to choose a card with a blank inside, rather than one with a pre-printed sentiment. However, if you have a pressing need for a card and that is all you are able to acquire, it is better to use a pre-printed card than to send none at all (and the recipient of your note will be appreciative that you sent one, regardless of whether the greeting card company stamped their own words on the inside). However, even if there is already a message on the inside of the card, find a small space that you can pen out one or two sentences and express your thanks in your own words, rather than simply signing your name.

Now that you have your notecard, what will you write in it? This is where creativity and diplomacy come in. Never lie, even if you aren’t particularly fond of the tablecloth from Aunt Jane. Start by simply thanking her for the gift, then select one aspect of it that you can portray in a positive light. Something along the lines of, “the colors remind me of the popsicles you made for me when I was a little girl,”or “floral patterns always makes me think of summer,” or even, “you send the most unique gifts; they always make me think of you and smile when I see them.” End your note by stating your appreciation that she was thinking of you because, although it is nice to receive gifts that we especially like, it truly is the thought that counts. Short and simple, your note will let her know that you’ve received the gift that she took the time to select (or make) and send to you, and will express to her that you recognize and are grateful for her thoughtfulness. The finished product may look something like this:

Dear Aunt Jane,

Thank you for the tablecloth you sent for my birthday – you never send run-of-the-mill

gifts! The colors in this remind me of the orange and lemon popsicles you used to make when I was a little girl. It was so sweet of you to think of me – thank you for remembering my birthday.

Love,
Sara Jane

Once writing thank-you notes feels less overwhelming, it can actually be fun! You may even find yourself looking for opportunities to pull out a notecard and pen to send a note of appreciation to someone. There’s always someone to thank for something . . . just keep your eyes open for the chance to bless someone else by letting them know that you notice their acts of service.

Article originally published in A Lady in Waiting: Holiday Issue 2007.

November 4th Blessing Book entry: I’m so thankful I live in a country where I have the right to vote.
November 5th Blessing Book entry: I’m grateful beyond words that my God still holds the world in His hands.

I didn’t have internet access yesterday, which is why I’m posting now for both yesterday and today. Please feel free to add links to both your November 4th and November 5th blog posts.

27 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 2

Who are you thankful for?

Are there people in your life that you’re thankful for? Do you tell them so regularly? I know I don’t express my appreciation for the people I love nearly often enough. Take a moment today to give your sister a hug and tell her how much she means to you, or call up a relative you only see once a year to tell her how you appreciate your conversations at family reunions. Send an e-card to the friend who lent her shoulder to catch your tears or write a note to your mom, thanking her for all the sacrifices she’s made for you.

Let’s make a concerted effort this week to show the people we appreciate that we truly are thankful for them.

My blessing book entry for November 2: My parents doing for our family what they believe the Lord is leading them in, regardless of how difficult it may be.

What are you doing today to cultivate or share a heart of gratitude? Link here to your blog entry!

27 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 1

Day 1 – Blessing Book/Gratitude Journal

I used to have one of these and I wrote in it each night before I went to sleep. Over the past several years it’s gotten shuffled around, buried amongst stacks of books, and eventually packed away. Today I’m pulling out a fresh journal and starting over.

So what exactly is a blessing book or a gratitude journal? It’s a blank book, file box with index cards, or something else long-lasting that you can use daily, weekly, or spontaneously to jot down things you’re thankful for, things you’re grateful the Lord has blessed you with.

You don’t have to record something different each time – I think my old journal had several entries in a row that said how grateful I was for my family. Your notes don’t have to be super-spiritual either; One of the things I remember writing was “chocolate chip cookies.” I truly was thankful for them! 🙂 Write what you’re grateful for that particular day, or that particular moment.

In addition to cultivating a spirit of gratefulness, blessing books can be tremendous encouragements on those dreary days when we just feel as though nothing is quite working out. Glancing back through the pages, seeing all the blessings the Lord has poured on us, can lift us out of the depths of despair and remind us: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Now I’m off to grab a fresh journal and begin a new blessing book. My very first entry will be: I’m thankful that the Lord’s mercies are new every morning!

What are you doing today to cultivate or share a heart of gratitude? Link here to your blog entry!

Restaurant.com special – today only!

I just discovered that restaurant gift certificates from Restaurant.com are 80% through tonight if you use the promo code TREATS. Register at Ebates.com and go to Restaurant.com through their merchant list and you’ll get an additional 15% cash back!

27 Days of Thanksgiving

As we’re in the middle of this move I often find myself having to bring to mind reasons why I’m thankful for it. It’s a tough transition and I need the reminders that there are good things about it already visible. Being together again as a family certainly tops the list. 🙂

While I’ve been working towards cultivating a heart of thankfulness towards something that, in the natural, I’m very ungrateful for, I decided to share my process with y’all. And what better time than now, when all of America is preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving together.

Would you care to join me for the 27 Days of Thanksgiving? Beginning November 1, you can link from here to your blog every day through Thanksgiving (November 27th). Share with us what you’re doing to be thankful, or to share the blessing of gratitude with others. You might list one thing you’re thankful for each day, or post various quotes and devotionals on thankfulness. For my photo blog, I will be trying to capture a picture of one thing I am thankful for on each of the 27 Days of Thanksgiving.

I’d love to have you join me as I work towards cultivating a heart of gratitude when I don’t feel thankful.

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18

Frugal Friday – Holiday Shopping Savings with Ebates.com

Have you started your holiday shopping? Sign up at Ebates.com and save money while you shop from home!

Sign-in to Ebates for great online coupons as well as percentage-back rebates for everything you purchase through their affiliates! Here’s just a taste of what you can save by shopping though Ebates:

• Abebooks – 5% cash back
• Blair – 5% cash back
• The Fruit Company – 7% cash back
• F.Y.E. – 2% cash back
• GiftCertificates.com – 4% cash back
• Half.com – 3% back
• Kmart – 2% cash back
• Pur Minerals – 10% cash back

What about holiday traveling? You’ll get 1% cash back by purchasing plane tickets or renting a car through the Ebates affiliates – businesses such as United Airlines and Budget Rentals.

Sign up through this link and both you and I will earn $5! Tell your friends and when they sign up, you’ll make another $5 for each referral!

Prefer to shop through MyPoints or another points program? Sign in to Ebates and get great coupon codes that you can use at various stores, even if you don’t place your order through their site.

Happy shopping! 🙂

Your Input Needed!

I’m putting together the 2008 Holiday Issue of A Lady in Waiting and I need your help! If you have a favorite family holiday tradition or a great recipe you’d like to share, please e-mail it to rebekah@aladyinwaiting.com. (Full-length articles, books reviews, etc. will also be considered.) Hanukkah, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the three holidays we place the most focus on, but other fall/winter holidays may be considered as well.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Labor Day Sale at Amelia’s Aprons

Today only. Save 10% off your entire purchase. Just enter coupon code laborday into the shopping cart and save on everything in our store.

Hurry and get your new apron items today, the sale ends at midnight.