An Annual Thanksgiving Message From Southern Plate
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Dear Southern Plate Family,
As we reflect back during the year while celebrating Thanksgiving 2023, this year has been another doosey! So many things going on that can make us feel overwhelmed, stressed and negative about the future. I join with all of you praying for peace and love in our world.
But to keep our focus on the difficult times only moves us away from our ability to see the blessings. No guilt is necessary when we do find ourselves focusing on wishing things weren’t so challenging. However, when we find ourselves moving in that direction even though it sure isn’t easy, to keep ourselves moving forward, it’s so important to focus on what we are thankful for right now AND be hopeful for the future. Even if you have had a terrible year and feel like you have nothing to be thankful for, start with the small things like being thankful for having the ability to read this message or take your next breath or feel the clothes you are wearing sitting softly against your skin. Start with the little things.
We are all human and aren’t perfect so sometimes we need reminders. Thanksgiving can be one of those reminders to help shift our sights back on what we actually have in our lives right now that we are truly thankful for. But don’t let it end on Thanksgiving. Make time to be Thankful all year round.
Paul reminds us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). And James also adds, ‘Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness”. (James 1:2-3)
So I hope this Thanksgiving is a special time for you to focus on what you have right now even if it’s less than last year… and that you find gratitude in your heart while being hopeful for the future.
I know one big thing I am thankful for is this year has brought me closer to you, the Southern Plate Family. My heart is full as I remind myself of that glorious blessing.
Happy Thanksgiving! If you’re looking for a great way to be thankful this season be sure to grab my free gratitude printable. Gratitude Printable Southern Plate
And here’s just a little something that may make your life a tiny bit easier this holiday season. Click here for just a little something that might make the upcoming holiday planning just a tiny bit easier.
If you’d like to place what you are thankful this year, please do so in the comments.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Enjoy your time off. Thank you for all the encouraging words. God bless you.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours Christy, and thanks for being such a blessing to us all! 🙂 ♡
You have so much love you share it’s awesome, thank you for all your word of wisdom they are put so beautifully. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Thank you Courtney, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well!
Hello Christy! Just got the toaster oven! I love it, and thank you so much for all recipes and good works you are doing!
So glad you got it Pat, thanks for letting me know. I hope you enjoy it!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are on my thanksgiving list – that list of blessings that I never get all the way through even on the most sleepless night.
I was so tickled to get to meet you in Fayetteville the other day and honored by your suggestion that I might be an angel . . . and I have a furthere comment to add to what I told you about how I use your Lifesavors . . . I had told you that I sometimes put them on the bulletin board at the doctors’ office where I work for the 30+ women to see . . . the day of the HOCP I had to spend some time at work because of a computer upgrade . . . well, at more than one desk I saw where someone had made a copy of one of the Lifesavors and put it right above the computer monitor – so you see, Christy, the ripples from your words just go on and on, having a positive impact on more folks than you could ever imagine!
Hope your Thanksgiving days are wonderfully blessed!
susan
Oh my goodness, WOW. Just wow. You really truly never know the impact of your words…good or bad. Thank you so much Susan, I hope that you have a very Happy Thanksgiving as well!!
Christy, you’re a blessing to so many every day and I thank you so much for your kind & joyful heart. Just recently, I realized that your Katy Rose is getting prettier all the time! She and my granddaughter are the same age and starting to look so “growny” just all of a sudden! You’re a wonderful mom like my daughter is and I’m so proud of you girls! Your mama and I are close in age and she reminds me of myself in so many ways. You can take the girl out of Alabama but you can NEVER take the Alabama out of this girl. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Oh Jennifer, thank you. Yes, she is growing up so so very fast. And you are so right, you can NEVER take the Alabama out of the girl. I hope y’all have a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Although we will be having chicken legs this year for our dinner we are very blessed to have made it through the terrible snow here near Buffalo. Store shelves are pretty empty so didn’t get a turkey like I was going to last week. Can’t think of a better person to be snowed in with than my husband so we will have a quiet holiday.
Thank you for all the great things you have taught me to make.
God bless you and your hubby Cathy, this may turn out to be the best Thanksgiving you two ever had with unexpected blessings you never dreamed of. I hate to even tell you but it’s in the 70’s here in Florida……too hot for the holidays!
Hang in there and take good care girl!
Jennifer
Oh my goodness Cathy, I have been keeping up with the snow and the after-effects. I hope that you have a very blessed Thanksgiving and am so glad you are ok!!