The closing months of the year are a flurry of activity as the weather changes and we progress through a series of holidays. If we are not careful, we can be focused on checking off all of the events while we miss the meaning.

Just five days ago, we paused to celebrate Thanksgiving. We gathered with family, friends, and our community to appreciate one another. Some of us may have been by ourselves, or maybe we needed to celebrate on a different day, but the meaning was still the same… taking time to appreciate life and the blessings of that life.

Of course, Friday became the day to begin shopping, start decorating, and turn our attention toward Christmas. Surrounded by reminders to participate in Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, we easily mark Thanksgiving complete and move on. Thankfully, in spite of cultural activities, gratefulness is not limited to a singe day. We can still be thankful, and celebrate an attitude of gratitude.

We can choose to greet each day with a spirit of gratefulness for a new day to live and share with God and others. We can close each day with a heart full of thanksgiving for moments and experiences that made that day unique. We can look at the flurry of activity and say, “I am still thankful.”

Of course, we all know that life is not perfect. There are challenges and disappointments, pain and heartache, but our life is so much more than just those moments. We may need to be very intentional and persistent as we look for our blessings, but they are there. A grateful heart does not deny reality, but it does seek to look at the whole picture. It refuses to be defined by obstacles and hurts, choosing instead, to uncover the hidden treasures of our lives.

One of the most helpful tools to help us cultivate gratitude is a “Thank Journal.” It is a practice I work to embrace every day. As each day comes to a close, I take time to reflect on the day and to make a list of at least five things I am thankful for. Some days are easier than others, but with enough time, I can always find five. Sometimes, there are more, and often, after I get started, I find momentum to keep listing. It is amazing how full our lives truly are. The more we focus on our blessings, the easier it becomes to see them.

I remember a hymn from my childhood in which we sang, “Count your many blessings, name them one by by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done.” It may sound simplistic, but it is effective. Celebrating thanksgiving, even when it is not Thanksgiving Day, and even when life is hard, can change our attitudes and our lives.

Maybe this is why the Apostle Paul ended his first letter to the Thessalonian Church with these words, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) God calls us to be thankful in all circumstances because it is good for us. Not only does it keep us aware of God’s constant presence, but it helps us become transformed people as our minds are renewed with God’s blessings.

So, as we move away from the Thanksgiving holiday, may we not lose the thankful spirit it celebrates. Instead, let us remain still thankful for all of the blessings in our lives. We will be richer for it, and so will those around us.