importance | NovelSisters

The Importance of Thankfulness

by lydiamhill

Pumpkin Pie, Dessert, Food, Baked, Holiday

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/pumpkin-pie-dessert-food-baked-1041330/

Even though Thanksgiving is over, the pumpkin pie is all eaten and the leftover turkey is now stuffed in the freezer, that doesn’t mean that being thankful is over for the year. Being thankful is very important to our attitude and perspective and it can affect how we react to our circumstances.

In church this past Sunday, one of my fellow leaders in Jr High ministry, talked about a man who lived through the Holocaust and stayed in three different concentration camps. But he decided to be thankful each day, and that gave him something that a lot of people around him lost; hope.

So as the holiday season continues towards Christmas, and away from Thanksgiving, I don’t want to forget the importance of giving thanks. And I want to encourage you to do the same. All the chaos of Christmas may seem more manageable if you remember that you have so much to be grateful for already. You don’t really need all those presents under the tree, they’re just another reason to be thankful.

I’ve also decided to accept a challenge to be grateful for something each day during the month of December. I probably won’t post every single thing I’m grateful for, but it is something I will be journaling about. And in case you’re interested, I’ll post a few of the things I’ve been thankful for so far.

1. Food. After all the Thanksgiving goodies and surplus in the fridge, I’ve realized what a blessing that is. There are a lot of people in this world who go to bed hungry and never get enough to eat. So I’m thankful that I have enough to eat.

2. My cat Alex. Right now he is curled up on my lap. Although it makes typing more difficult, he is keeping me nice and warm. He brings a smile to my face everyday and even when life get’s hard, he’s there to greet me with a cheerful meow. He is one of the most friendly cats I’ve ever owned and he makes sure that any guest to our home feels welcome.

3. A job. I know work always has it’s frustrations, no matter what kind of work it is. But there is always a sense of accomplishment I get from finishing a task. Even if I don’t get any recognition for it, I feel a sense of fulfillment after I’ve worked, that I don’t get from just lounging around.

So there are a few things I’m thankful for, and I hope you continue to be thankful this month too.

Christian Life

Saving Mr. Banks: A Father’s Importance

by lydiamhill

I finally got to see Saving Mr. Banks, and it was a great movie. I loved seeing how Mrs. Travers’ life was wrapped up in the real story of Mary Poppins, and how the film was actually made. But as I thought about the movie more, I kept coming back to the importance of a father. Throughout the movie, we are shown how a father influences his family. Not only was the portrayal of the character Mr. Banks explored, but also the effect of both Walt Disney’s father on his life, and Mrs. Travers’ father on her life. It made me think about the importance of father’s in our present day life as well.

Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Tomlinson

With so many families splitting up, and dads that aren’t around for their kids, it makes me wonder what kind of impact this will have on the next generation. A father and a mother both influence a child’s worldview and experience significantly. And being shown love from both parents, is so important for a child’s development.

It just makes me wonder what a difference it would make if more families stayed together, if more dads spent time with their kids, and if more kids didn’t have to experience a divorce.

I know the world will never be perfect, and some things we can’t prevent, but it seems like we should strive for stronger families that can show their children a deep and lasting love and prepare them for the future.

Well that’s my random thoughts for the day. If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it, and if you have, let me know what you thought of it.

Movies