With today being the first day of November and Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I wanted to let our thankfulness overflow this month! There is nothing that will separate us from the world quite like a thankful spirit. Maybe that’s why New Testament writers command us so many times to be thankful and give thanks; most people just do not think that way. Even as Christians we get busy and forget to thank God for the plethora of blessings He gives us every day. Use this challenge to teach your children, teach yourself, teach your Bible class, teach your youth group, or teach your congregation how to be thankful. And of course with this challenge you have options on how you want to complete it.

Option #1

This option is perfect for just one person. It’s really simple as well. Get a notebook and each day from now until Thanksgiving write down two things you are thankful for every day. That’s it. If you have older children, a spouse, or extended family, involve them as well. Then when you gather for the holidays have everyone share their lists. I can guarantee you that someone will start crying, probably all of you. Thankfulness is a very humbling and heart-warming thing to witness.

Option #2

This option is perfect for relatively small groups of people such as families (especially with younger children), Bible classes, etc. It is also the most “crafty” of the bunch, but if I can do it, then anybody can!

How to make your own Thankful Turkey: You need brown yarn, orange and red felt, large googly eyes, craft stick or medium wooden skewer, and two dry foam halves from the flower arranging section of a craft store or discount store (one needs to be small for the head and the other large for the body).

Wrap the small foam half completely with brown yarn and tuck the loose end under to secure. Cut a triangle of orange felt for the beak and hot glue to the side of foam half. Glue large googly eyes on either side of beak.

Now wrap the large foam half completely with brown yarn and tuck the loose end under to secure. Place craft stick or skewer into large foam half, slightly off center from the dome. Stick head of turkey onto craft stick or skewer. Hot glue it to the body when you get it where it looks right. Now cut out the red felt to look like a turkey beard. Glue it underneath the edge of the head piece onto the body.

Over the next few weeks, until Thanksgiving, add a feather to your turkey each day to make its tail. Cut construction paper in the shape of long, skinny triangle, write something you’re thankful for, attach a toothpick or craft stick, and arrange in turkey like tail feathers.

If you’re using this for your family, you might let a different family member add to the turkey each night instead of everyone adding one every night or else your turkey would get too many feathers. In a Bible class, let each child add a feather each Sunday morning or Wednesday night.

I’m doing this with my family this year and reading over our feathers when we celebrate Thanksgiving.

Option #3

This option is also good for a family, Bible class, youth group, or an entire congregation. Remember those construction paper chains that we used to make in school every Christmas? Use the idea, but turn them into chains of thankfulness. Write one thing you are thankful for and add to the chain. Drape around a room, around your house, or around the fellowship hall if it gets long enough!

Option #4

This option is good for large groups like youth group or a congregation. Make a thankfulness tree by cutting out a trunk, and then adding brightly colored fall leaves with different things you are thankful for written on them.

I am using this idea for my kids in Children’s Bible Hour on Sunday night. See how big your tree of thankfulness can grow!

No matter which option you choose or if you come up with something on your own, focus on being thankful this month because we should be people who are thankful, so very thankful!

Letting thankfulness overflow,

Chelli Guthrie