Count Your Blessings

by Marissa D. Thompson

Being grateful is a great idea. Here are some tips to help you recall how blessed you really are.

If you live in Canada, this month is the time you think about giving thanks for your blessings. If you live in the United States, next month will be all about turkeys and the harvest. But no matter where you live (even if you live in a place that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving), being grateful for what you have is a good idea. Here are some ideas to help you remember to be thankful this month—and the rest of the year.

On Your Own

In your journal, make a list of things you’re thankful for. Take time to think of specific blessings that often go unnoticed. Then, whenever you’re feeling down, pull out your journal and remind yourself of your many blessings.
Memorize the words to a song about gratitude. There are some great ones in the hymnbook, such as “Count Your Blessings” (Hymns, no. 241) and “Because I Have Been Given Much” (Hymns, no. 219). If you’re musically inclined, offer to perform the song for your family.
During your scripture reading in October or November, highlight verses about giving thanks. Write your favorite gratitude scriptures down on paper and display them on your bedroom walls as a constant reminder to be thankful for your blessings.
Do small acts of service for others that will cause them to thank Heavenly Father for good friends. Raking a neighbor’s yard, baking cookies for a friend, or helping someone with homework are some examples.
Make your personal prayers more sincere by taking time to think before you pray. During your evening prayers, reflect on the day’s events and thank your Heavenly Father for specific blessings.

With Your Family

Have your mom or dad show you how to make homemade rolls, dressing, or another Thanksgiving dish at the beginning of the month, so you can help out with the meal preparations when the holiday arrives.
Decorate your TV room with your family’s favorite sports team’s colors and logos. Put together a tray of snacks for the sports lovers in your family to eat during the games.
Offer to organize a special family home evening for Thanksgiving night. Read from the Book of Mormon about the colonization of America (see 1 Ne. 13).
Prepare some activities for the young children in your family, so they will have something to do while the meal is being prepared. Make turkeys out of construction paper, play Pictionary with different Thanksgiving words, or read Thanksgiving stories to them from the Friend.
Help your family make some extra pies and go Thanksgiving caroling to some less-active members of your ward. Sing songs about gratitude and deliver your pies.

Photography by PhotoDisc, Inc.