Every year during the week leading up to Thanksgiving Day, I encourage my readers and listeners to do one simple thing: Make a list of 100 things you are thankful for.
In fact, I believe there are two major things that will greatly improve your quality of life. The first is learning to let go of bitterness and grudges and live in a state of forgiveness. When we forgive the same way Jesus has forgiven us—and because He’s forgiven us—we enjoy a peace few others experience. The second is to have an attitude of gratitude. If you can live by those two things, you will be much better off than around 90 percent of the population.
I say this because Thanksgiving can’t be the only day when we are grateful. The truth is that whether it’s Thanksgiving or not, we all should live in an attitude of gratitude. This simple exercise of writing down what you’re thankful for can remind us to dwell more on the blessings we have and less on what we don’t.
I’ve practiced this exercise every year. I already journal every day; I usually write down prayer requests or what I believe the Lord is speaking to my heart. When Thanksgiving comes around, I take a few pages of my journal and write down 100 things I’m thankful for.
There’s something about writing it down—instead of just saying it out loud or merely thinking it—that solidifies the thankful attitude in your heart. They say if you write down goals, you’re more likely to accomplish them. Even writing down the things that seem ridiculously obvious helps you recognize just how much God has blessed you in this life. To learn more about how to write your own Thanksgiving list, listen to my podcast below, where I go into more detail about what I write down.
I often order my list by importance, so at the very top of my list, I write how I’m thankful for Jesus, for salvation, for the Holy Spirit who dwells within me and empowers me and for the fact that I’m in a good church and have godly influences in my life.
Then I write down that I’m thankful for the amazing wife I’ve been married to for 46 years, my good health and God’s blessings on Charisma Media. I’m also grateful for my two sons, Cameron and Chandler; my grandson, Cohen; and my 90-year-old mother, Amy.
Beyond that, I’m thankful God healed me of cancer five years ago and that I’m enjoying good health instead of fighting that horrible disease. I can be thankful for living in Central Florida and for having freedom here in the U.S. And while I know some may not agree with this, I’m thankful that President Donald Trump is stopping many of the bad trends in the U.S., like political correctness and the shift toward the left.
It’s easy to get to 30 or 40 items on the list, but after that, you really have to start thinking! After the obvious ones, I look at what’s going on around me. For instance, I’m thankful the elections are finally settled here in Florida. There was a question for a while whether or not Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott would actually be elected to the governorship and Florida Senate respectively.
Within each of these items, there are so many more that I could write on my Thanksgiving list. These things I’ve mentioned are just examples from my own life to inspire you as you write down the many blessings you see God pouring out on your life.
Lastly, I should mention that I’m grateful the Lord allowed me to write my latest book, Trump Aftershock. And I’m thankful it’s doing well! Big stores like Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco and Barnes&Noble have scheduled the most books, although many other stores have taken it on as well. You can buy your own copy at trumpaftershock.com.
I’ve also been blessed to be on a media tour for the book. On Thanksgiving morning, I will appear on Fox News, where Bill Hemmer will interview me about Trump Aftershock on “America’s Newsroom.” The show should air somewhere between 9 and 11 a.m. EST, so I encourage you to tune in to what I believe will be an engaging conversation.
I’m so grateful for the open doors in the media the Lord has been giving me. If you think about it, pray I say the right things on the show tomorrow so I can give glory to God.
I pray you and all your loved ones have a wonderful—and grateful—Thanksgiving holiday!
Stephen Strang