Dr. Norris Chumley Satisfied Life

Quite simply, Thanksgiving Day is a time of appreciation for a bountiful harvest.

First celebrated at the Plymouth Plantation in 1621 (debatable) by the Pilgrims and the Native American Wampanoag tribe in North America, it was a meal shared by all.  Traditionally, this meal of appreciation is made from what each person has brought to the table.  In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October.  In the United States, the festival is held the fourth Thursday of November.

These days, whether we're farmers, natives, or not, Thanksgiving is often a time for family, friends and neighbors to join together in harmonious praise.  Grace, a blessing or a prayer of thanks to God is often said before the meal begins.

Tell us, please, what you and yours are thankful for this Thanksgiving.  Write a comment below and share the bounty.

I am Thankful for my family, friends, people I work with, and the great grace that God gives me beyond my needs and dreams. I thank God for good health and the ability to help others be healthy.  I am thankful for you, my readers and the Beliefnet community.

What are YOU thankful for?  Please comment below.

Don't wait until next Thanksgiving Day! Let every day be a day of thanksgiving!

Appreciate the bounty that you receive from God. A roof over your head. Food in abundance. Your career, or mission in life. Your family. Friends. Interests. People who love and care for you. Your ancestors who worked hard to give you what you have today... be thankful for all the amazing blessings you've got. We all have a lot to be thankful for. It's often really easy to forget. It's really easy to complain, instead of praise! A recent study on happiness found that people who write daily "gratitude lists" were happier than others. Instead of dwelling on problems, these happy people dwell on what's good and positive in their lives.

What does it mean?  It means to be sympathetic or empathic of another's condition, be it pain and suffering, deep emotions, problems - and to do something about it.

This week, author Karen Armstrong ("A History of God" and other books) made her compassion for others come alive.  She gave a talk, answering the challenge of the TED Award (Technology, Entertainment, Design) describing her dream of a "Charter for Compassion," a website and collective that assists others in affirming their compassion for others.  She won the 2008 prize with her talk, and her dream.

Just this week, the dream went online in the form of The Charter for Compassion, funder by the Fetzer Institute.  Here's how they describe it:

The Charter of Compassion is a cooperative effort to restore not only compassionate thinking but, more importantly, compassionate action to the center of religious, moral and political life. Compassion is the principled determination to put ourselves in the shoes of the other, and lies at the heart of all religious and ethical systems. One of the most urgent tasks of our generation is to build a global community where men and women of all races, nations and ideologies can live together in peace. In our globalized world, everybody has become our neighbor, and the Golden Rule has become an urgent necessity.

The Charter, crafted by people all over the world and drafted by a multi-fath, multi-national council of thinkers and leaders, seeks to change the conversation so that compassion becomes a key word in public and private discourse, making it clear that any ideology that breeds hatred or contempt ~ be it religious or secular ~ has failed the test of our time. It is not simply a statement of principle; it is above all a summons to creative, practical and sustained action to meet the political, moral, religious, social and cultural problems of our time.

Affirm your desire to be compassionate of others, and to take action.  Join the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winners, government leaders, artists, actors, writers, mothers and fathers, and people of all kids.  Visit http://charterforcompassion.org/ and share the dream.

While a lot of us are having a hard time keeping food OFF the table, 1 in 7 Americans are finding it hard to put food ON the table this year.  So reports a study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In this nation, and era of abundance, it's hard to imagine that there are those who cannot afford food and go hungry.  Sadly, it's true.

Here's a report from the RNS, the Religion News Service, via Beliefnet news.

Let's say prayers for those who cannot find enough food.  Let's take action and contribute money to hunger programs, help stock food pantries and soup kitchens.  You may even have the desire to volunteer, putting your love and compassion for others into action.

Beliefnet is the place for everything Thanksgiving.  We have recipes, turkey recipes, stuffing recipes, crafts, prayers, inspiration, videos, e-cards - everything!  This American holiday is a special one, filled with family, friends, food, and gratitude.

Here are a few wonderful Thanksgiving treats for you and your family:

A Comprehensive "Thanksgiving 2009" guide, with all the trimmings.

A Gallery of Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Not Necessarily Healthy, but Beloved Thanksgiving Recipes

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Some Multifaith Prayers for Thanksgiving


I wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, filled with love, happiness and thanks.

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