Gratitude · 6:33pm Nov 22nd, 2017
Gratitude. A word you don't really hear much anymore. In this day and age people tend to think more of their rights and supposed entitlements, and I'm sadly not an exception. We desire and want more and more. It's difficult to stop and be grateful for the things we have, as opposed to being annoyed about what we don't.
The other night and yesterday, I tried being grateful for what I already had. It wasn't always easy, but I found a general sense of peace and dare I say contentment. Of course, it wasn't perfect, and I messed up a few times. But overall, I think it was a positive experience.
The key is to remind yourself of what you have been given. If you can read this, it means you probably own a computer and internet access, as well as owning or living in a house with electricity. A lot of people reading this are going to be spending Thanksgiving with friends and family with a big Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey and cranberry sauce (not sure why it's called that, looks more like round slices of jello to me :P). A lot of football fans will watch the big game(s) on T.V. during this time.
Many of us might take these things for granted and think, "Well, yeah, who wouldn't have this stuff?" Homeless and the poor, to name a couple. There are billions out in the world who live without electricity, who are penniless and have to find some place to curl up at night and hope they don't freeze to death. Others live in crude mud huts, which at best are probably the size of a middle-class dining room, with no access to power or proper beds. There are kids in Africa who have lost their parents and have one of their siblings as head of the household. Not everyone has what we have.
And that's simply material possessions. Still others live under tyrannical leaders (think North Korea, Iran, and other states) and have few, if any, of what we would call "human rights." Yet more people are hornswoggled by political leaders who promise the sun, moon, and stars and then almost inevitably fail to deliver, leaving the people to try and clean up the mess that has been made of their lives, often without their consent.
Be grateful that you live under a roof with electric power. be grateful that you can eat, drink, sleep, watch T.V. and play video games, and have Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to. Be grateful that you do not live under a dictatorship. be grateful that you have a job, be grateful for whatever family and friends as you have, and be grateful that you have access to the internet, not to mention being part the fandom for MLPFIM.
We don't deserve what we've been given. Today, please remind yourself that you are fortunate. Don't take it as a chance to show superiority or to be proud; instead, think of the gifts you've been given and use that as a springboard to help others.
Happy Thanksgiving, guys. Lets give some genuine thanks and be glad for our daily bread.
May God go with you all 
"Let us come before him with thanksgiving and sing joyful songs of praise." - Psalm 95:2
"Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat." - John 6:11
"Persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving." - Colossians 4:2
"Everything you do or say should be done to obey [or as a representative of; in the name of] the Lord Jesus. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus." - Corinthians 3:17
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” - James 1:14-1:17
Indeed, let us be truly be grateful for all the things that we do have.
And as a reminder to us of who it is that provides us with all of these things, I'll be adding The Doxology here...
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
True.
You and me both.
I always have Saudi Arabia as my number one pet peeve on the list.
Yep. this fandom has done me more good than they realize.
*tips hat* Happy thanksgiving to you as well.