Thanksgiving is Over, Can you Still be Thankful

At this time of year people show more gratitude.  They give more freely and they enjoy the blessings that come from doing so.  After the season is over can you still be thankful?  Can you continue to count your blessings?

Gratitude is something I have thought a lot about in the last six-eight months.  My life has not been the easiest to live in that time.  I had a baby, moved to a new house, four weeks later.  We then discovered that our income didn't cover our expenses.  This was discovered after very careful planning on my part.  Their were many tears and stress.  We prayed and fasted as a family.  I decided to start a new business but I knew I couldn't bring in that much money that month! 

During that time I thanked Heavenly Father a lot.  I thanked him that my father-in-law could buy a house for us and lower our house payment by $150 a month.  I thanked him for the six months prior when I couponed very heavily and created a large stock pile of food and other necessities!  I thanked him that I had a brand new healthy baby!  I thanked him that my husband had a good job and we have good kids that are healthy.  I was constantly counting my blessings! 

The answer to our prayers came one day in August when a sister in our new ward called and asked me to watch her little boy during the school year. She told me of how she had been praying to know who she could ask. I kept coming to her mind, even though she didn't know me.  I knew immediately this was our answer.  The next time she spoke she told me how much they could pay.  It is not much but it was the exact amount we needed for our budget.  In our family prayer and my personal prayers I thank Heavenly Father for giving me this experience.

I have "failed" several times in business.  I am grateful for those so called failures because I have learned from each one and it has brought me to the business I am in now. I am further ahead because of the experiences I gained! 

Each and everyday I thank my Heavenly Father for my blessings.  I believe in so doing I am happier!  I am excited to accomplish my tasks each day.  I am grateful to be alive!  That is what gratitude does for you.

Even though Thanksgiving is over I still can be grateful each moment I have on this earth!