With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's easy to get excited about all of the aromas that will fill the kitchen, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, The National Dog Show, and the football games. Don't get me wrong, these are all things to be thankful for. But sometimes we forget what Thanksgiving is actually for.

Thanksgiving isn't a holiday that is lost in a sea of presents, and that's the best part. Thanksgiving gives you an opportunity to be intimate with your family. It gives you a chance to slow down and appreciate the little things. It gives you time to gather around the table, share stories, and laugh with loved ones.

Thanksgiving is for being reminded of what we should be thankful for, not just on Thanksgiving. It's a reminder of the things we forget about throughout the year, that we should consider our greatest blessings.

Thanksgiving is a time for stores and restaurants to close, to force you to cook and share recipes, share lots of laughter, and enjoy home-cooked meals made with love.

At the risk of being completely obvious, Thanksgiving is a day of thanks. But who do you give thanks to?

Thanksgiving is a day of thanks that we should be giving to God, which then makes Thanksgiving into a day of prayer. A prayer of thanks for the gift of life, the gift of salvation, the mystery of what we don't understand, the ability to do daily tasks and the fortuity to love and to be loved.

This year I am thankful for my family and my health. I am thankful for this country and the freedom that comes with it, as well as the men and women who have fought, and are currently fighting, for that freedom. I am thankful for my education, and I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to be able to obtain an education. I am thankful for forgiveness and my salvation, that was given to me by Jesus Christ's blood that was shed on Calvary.

This Thanksgiving, don't forget to thank your family and friends for all they do for you, and don't forget to tell God that you're thankful for all He's graciously given you.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;" Colossians 4:2