Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

The best prayer is Thank You

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“‘Thank you‘ is the best prayer that anyone could say.  I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.”
~ Alice Walker 

As we begin the week of  Thanksgiving in America, it is important to remember, respect and show compassion to all those who do not have the luxury of a warm meal, a place they call home, or the safety net of a regular income stream. It’s a time to remember to be grateful for the blessings that we have. In many instances, what we take for granted are often luxuries to the less fortunate. 

It’s a time to reflect and think about how you could make a difference, a dent in this insidious epidemic that is Hunger.

Check out the Humanitarian Efforts page of my blog if you are interested in learning more about how you can help fight hunger in your community. And see what wonderful work is being done by three well-respected hunger relief organizations in the United States, Canada and around the world.

Gratitude (a prerequisite for happiness)

I, for one, bow my head in thanks for the sweetness and light of my family, friends and my beloved “children” (my pets). 

Humility (not always palatable for many)

There are those who are, by nature, humble. Then there are others who have learned how to be humble. I fall into this latter category.

I guess we are all a ‘Work in Progress’ …  

Thank you for stopping by.

 

Image via landypf.blogspot.com.

A Thanksgiving Prayer: Remember the hungry, the jobless, the homeless and the suffering

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A Thanksgiving Prayer

O God, when I have food,
 help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen.

– Samuel F. Pugh

Images of praying hands and Thanksgiving dinner via Wikimedia Commons.

 

The Spirit of Thanksgiving

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 “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. I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and new.”    

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

May you and  yours have a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving!

Cheers,

heatherfromthegrove

Image via Shutterstock.

On Gratitude

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Feeling Good

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more… It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”  – Melody Beattie

 

Thank you for following my blog, reading the posts…  and to those of you just passing through… thank you for stopping by!

Cheers,

Heather xo

 

 

Image via charlottesheart.com.

 

Random Acts of Kindness: Paying for People’s Groceries

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 Groceries
For those of you who have ever found it challenging, at one time or another,  to “make ends meet” and for those of you who understand the concept of random acts of kindness… watch this video (click on the link, below)
 
 
Very apropos, given the Thanksgiving season and upcoming Christmas holidays. 
Kindness.  It IS the gift that keeps on giving.

The real meaning of Thanksgiving

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“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

— Mother Teresa

On Thursday, millions of Americans (citizens and permanent residents alike)  — of all faiths — will gather with family and friends to give thanks for the blessings of life.   There is a lot to be thankful for.  And, to those of us who will be enjoying a bountiful Thanksgiving feast, we should bow our heads in sincere and humble gratitude. 

Not everyone will be as fortunate.  Missions, food banks, and shelters will be overwhelmed with people seeking a Thanksgiving meal.  They will rely on the kindness of strangers —  people like you and I,  who donate food and money to organizations that exist for no other reason than to feed the hungry in our respective communities.

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

—  St. Francis

So, as you fill up your pantries with festive food, please remember to keep some aside to share with those in need.  If you can, volunteer an hour or two of your time to serve meals at your local mission.  The staff could really use your help.  There are more hungry and homeless people this year than last year. 

And, if you know someone who is suffering financially or who will be all alone this Thanksgiving, why not set an extra place setting at your dinner table and extend some hospitality? A little humanity will go a long way. 

After all, isn’t that what Thanksgiving is about?

 Many seasonal blessings to you and yours, dear readers!

A Thanksgiving Prayer

In the spirit of humility we give thanks for all that is.
We thank the great spiritual beings who have shared their wisdom.
We thank our ancestors who brought us to where we are now.
We are grateful for the opportunity to walk this planet,
to breathe the air,
to taste the food,
to experience sensations of a human body/mind,
to share in this wonder that is life.
We are grateful for the natural world that supports us,
for the community of humankind that enables us to do many wonderous things.
We are grateful that we are conscious,
that as intelligent beings we can reflect upon the many gifts we have been given.

— Tom Barrett

heatherfromthegrove gives thanks for an abundance of tropical sea grapes…

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This is one of the twenty-five or so parrots that fly into the sea grape trees in our front garden.  They are exuberant, colorful birds that squawk loudly — as they happily nibble on the grapes (their boisterous behaviour is probably a direct consequence of inebriation —  from the grape juice!).  When I look at these two beautiful trees, which form a welcoming canopy over the front of the house, and the abundance of  ripe grapes and tipsy parrots — I feel happy and grateful for these gifts of nature, gifts that can’t be bought in the Mall – or anywhere else, for that matter.

To my family and friends who know of my weakness for “the Grape,” it is no surprise that I would have a house with a yard that smells like a vineyard — crushed grapes everywhere (you can’t avoid stepping on them!).

Although we haven’t honed our wine making skills as yet, we are feeding some of the people in our neighborhood.  The trees have large branches that  flow over the front fence to the street, providing shade on the sidewalk and tasty bounty for passers-by. Often, I go out to the front gate, and give them paper bags to gather the ripened grapes.   Sharing a harvest of grapes with neighbors.  It just doesn’t get better than that.

” Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life… a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seed time and harvest, the ripe product of the year – and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God. “ ~ Ray Stannard Baker (David Grayson)