I have been blessed repeatedly by the wonderful e-books and resources offered through Graham Family Ministries. As I prayed about celebrating Thanksgiving purposefully this year, I stumbled upon Shari Graham’s 30 Day Thanksgiving Journal. This is a very simple e-book for individual or family use to really focus on being thankful, offering a verse for every day in November, and a few simple questions to meditate upon and put into practice a thankful heart this month.
Sheri describes this e-book as follows: As I thought about the holidays approaching and the temptation for my children (and myself) to focus on ourselves, I wanted something that we could do over the month of November that would turn our hearts more toward the Lord and toward serving others. For each day of November there is a verse to copy, memorize, and/or journal about, a place for you and your children to record things you are thankful for that day, and a place to record ways you can GIVE to others that day. It seems like we always focus on giving “thanks”, but then do we turn around and GIVE to others as we have been richly blessed? I hope these journal pages will challenge you to look for ways to give to others this holiday season.
I love Sheri’s focus not only on cultivating a thankful heart, but also focusing on the “giving” aspect of ThanksGIVING. We have been given so much, how can we in turn give to bless others this month? I have been using this journal over the past few days during our family devotion time in the morning. We read the verse and discuss it’s meaning and application in our lives, and then we share one thing we are thankful for. It has been so simple and yet rich! This e-book is very basic (only 37 pages), and yet draws our hearts to the Word of God and all the glorious riches He has bestowed upon us.
Click here to visit Graham Family Ministries.
Do you have any good Thanksgiving resources to recommend? How do you prepare your hearts for this holiday?
I have been searching for a simple book with pictures and a Christian perspective on the story of Thanksgiving to use with my 2 and 3-year-olds. Do you have a good source??? I would even love to use a flannel board story – do they still make those? lol
Here is one of our favorite fun thanksgiving traditions: http://onelittlewordsheknew.blogspot.com/2009/10/our-thanksgiving-tree.html
Can you recommend any other ebooks you’ve read by Sheri Graham? I was going to order the Thanksgiving one but several of the others looked of interest to me…. any recommendations?
I have used and love the Holiday planner (not sure if you saw my review here), and I am currently reviewing the Intentional Planner, Learning for Littles and Season of Giving. I really like all that I have seen thus far.
The week before Thanksgiving we eat only the “Sustenance Diet” which is plain oatmeal for breakfast and beans and rice (sprouted
) for lunch and dinner. I have a 2, 4 and 6 year old and we talk about how thankful we are because alot of people only get to eat once a day or less often and we check out lots of books from the library about developing countries and pray for them and that we would always have a grateful heart….and then we have a massive Thanksgiving feast…
I also always read the World Vision and Compassion International magazines with them. When each child turns 3 we pick out a sponsor child for them that is their age and pray for them and write letters together. Compassion organizes trips to visit their children and we plan to take each of our kids when they are 10 (the minimum age). We really want our kids to have a good perspective of the Global Church.
Amy,
I love that idea.
Just before I opened up your website…I have a verse on my desk here at work that I was reading. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Phil 4:3 – How many times I have read this verse and just this morning it was standing out to me how we have to say our requests with thanksgiving, not just requesting them or demanding them.
Sorry it is Phil 4:6
Nancy Lee DeMOss has a small booklet on being purposeful about Thanksgiving…also…I am reading the BEST book right now, not necessarily about Thnaksgiving as a holiday, but developing it as a way of life, called “Radical Gratitude”..by Ellen Vaughn. I think Noelle Piper has a book about the holiday as well. Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday because of how incorporating thankfulness into my life and my relationship with God has brought amazing changes. What better way to celebrate it!? For years now, I have sent out Thanksgiving cards to my friends and family, thanking them for how they have enriched my life, instead of Christmas cards. No one expects it and it’s such a great time to tell them how loved and appreciated they are! I also bought one of those trees that go on the wall (from a teaching supply store) and me and my family decorate it with “leaves of thankfulness”…it’s fun to see the tree fill up with so many things to be thankful for!