This year the Thanksgiving holiday in America falls on November 26th--a mere ten days from now. As Christians it is my hope that we are thankful to our great God every day of the year and not just on the fourth Thursday in November. The following thoughts on gratitude come from the pen of Edd Sterchi, a faithful gospel preacher and friend (with some minor editing on my part). May we all take his excellent words to heart!

I went home for lunch the other day and had a sandwich and leftover potato soup--and let me tell you that soup tasted really good! Now, normally I do not mind leftovers, but it is rare for me to rave about them. I'm sure you're wondering what it was that made it taste five-star restaurant good. Had my wife done something different in the way she prepared it? Nope, it was just like she always makes it (which is very good, by the way). Was it because potato soup is my all-time favorite dish? Hardly. Then what was it that made it taste so fantastic?

That soup tasted especially good that day because I was genuinely thankful to have it. Without going into personal detail, something had happened earlier that week to make it so I was happy to have any food before me that day. And that attitude led to gratitude. When the church first began, Acts 2:46 says of the disciples that daily they broke bread from house to house and "ate their food with gladness." They were so thankful to be a part of God's family that something as common as a meal together brought great joy.

For too many Christians, life has become mundane. And sad to say, some try to "spice up" their life with actions that are sinful (e.g., drinking, drugs, selfish spending, pornography, affairs, etc.). But the real answer is to be truly grateful for what you have. With a thankful attitude, even the ordinary becomes extraordinary (including potato soup!).

Dear friends, what about your attitude--does it need improving? Is your daily attitude and approach to life what it needs to be? Are you struggling in some way at work, at school, or at home? Examine your attitude and center it upon gratitude. A good, positive attitude always helps! Try it for a while and you'll see that it is true. God has blessed us all so richly in manifold ways, but it is up to us to focus on the blessings and not the struggles of life. The right attitude cannot lead anywhere but to a spirit of gratitude toward Jehovah.

Let's close with some exhortations on being grateful from the word of God:

• "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (I Thess. 5:16-18).
• "Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is...giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 5:17,20).
• "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful" (Col. 3:15).