Thanksgiving is just three weeks away, and the holiday season is beginning to stir with its familiar rhythm of preparation, reflection, and anticipation. For our family, Thanksgiving has always been more than a meal or a gathering—it’s been an intentional moment to anchor ourselves in gratitude and to make thankfulness a defining part of our Family Identity.
When our boys were five and three, we started a simple tradition. Each Thanksgiving, like many families, we’d go around the table and share what we were most thankful for from the past year, recording every response in a notebook. In the early years, the boys’ lists were filled with toys, blankets, and recess, while ours reflected milestones, health, and God’s providence. Then, each year, before we add new entries, we would revisit the old ones, reliving memories through laughter, smiles, and sometimes a few tears.
Over time, our “Thankful Lists” have become treasured keepsakes—a record of our family’s growth and God’s faithfulness. They remind us that gratitude isn’t just for Thanksgiving Day; it’s the thread that weaves our family together all year long.
A 24-Day Gratitude Challenge
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we wanted to share a wonderful idea—and challenge—that came from our friends Jon and Cathy Widmier. Like us, they’ve been intentional about weaving gratitude into their Family Identity with their girls, and wanted to share their insights and challenge with you.
“We challenge everyone to start the next 24 days by writing down 3 things they are grateful for each day. This practice has been a blessing to our family and we know it will be for you as well. As we enter into this busy time of year, remembering God’s goodness will only help! We recently heard a message from Levi Lusko that supports this practice. As humans, we are really good at treating ourselves poorly. We are masters of self-sabotage, numbing ourselves through shopping, overeating, medication, social media, etc. You are what you think. You can change the way you feel by changing the way you think. The way we feel is responsible for so many of the problems we get ourselves into. Negative thoughts can’t lead to a positive life.
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” – Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)
Have you ever heard of frequency illusion? You may have experienced it after you bought a new car. You started noticing how many other people drive the same car. Thinking negatively can act in the same way. What you look for, you will find. What if we taught ourselves to consciously look for good things – for signs of beauty; anything praiseworthy; where God is at work; someone’s generosity? A gratitude journal will help with this. Grab an old journal you have lying around or pick up a composition notebook on your next shopping trip. Make this gratitude challenge a family activity you can discuss at the dinner table.”
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse… Do that, and God… will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” — Philippians 4:8–9 (MSG)
Science has confirmed what Scripture has long taught: gratitude truly transforms us. In his Psychology Today article “The Grateful Brain,” Alex Korb, Ph.D., explains how practicing thankfulness reshapes our neural pathways, improving our health, mood, and relationships. In essence, a daily habit of gratitude trains the brain to see blessings everywhere—like living in a state of Thanksgiving every day (without the overeating!).
Gratitude is both life-giving and life-changing. It’s a virtue that helps our children resist the pull of selfishness, entitlement, materialism, envy, and rivalry. What parent doesn’t want that?
So as we approach Thanksgiving, why not take the Widmier Family’s challenge? Commit to 24 days of gratitude as a family. Make it a shared ritual—simple, joyful, and meaningful. You might just discover that this small daily practice becomes one of your family’s most lasting traditions.
Blessings to your family,
Shelly and Rich