These two little “Pilgrims” stand in front of my fireplace, as they have for several years during the days leading up to Thanksgiving. An eagle above the American flag sets between the two. Each are reminders to me of things I am so grateful for.

The eagle and our flag are always a reminder of the freedoms allotted us here in America, under our precious constitution. How grateful I am for this. The pilgrims were a precious part of our history. Where would we be had they not ventured across the vast ocean in pursuit, especially of religious freedom? I’m grateful for this, too.

The word pilgrim means a traveler to a sacred place; a wanderer. I think they considered our country a sacred place, a desired place to live. For me this has another analogy. As Christians, we are just travelers in this world – looking for that “sacred” place that one day we will enter into. That’s our “blessed hope.” How grateful I am for this.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to be walking with an “attitude of gratitude.” Psalm 100 is a wonderful psalm of thanksgiving. Verse 4 says,

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

We are so blessed and have so much to be thankful for. May I challenge you to be “looking” for those blessings as we await Thanksgiving this year.