It is mid-November â€" the holidays are upon us! It is the time of year when everyone is planning menus and hopefully taking a moment or two to ponder on what we are thankful for this year.

Throughout the book of Psalms, David continually thanked and praised the Lord for basically just giving him breath! Over fifty times he encourages us to “praise the Lordâ€�. When we recognize how greatly the Lord has blessed us we realize that just thanking Him is not enough… we have to praise Him! And when we praise, we draw closer to the Giver of Life â€" God, the Father. Being thankful fills us with peace and happiness, both of which are much needed during the holidays. It is easy to get so caught up in the busyness of the season that we forget to be thankful for the family and friends we have to share it with. We neglect being thankful for the job we have and the transportation to get us there, the roof over our head and the warm home-cooked meal that too many won’t get to enjoy. Those are the simple things that we can be thankful for, and being truly thankful will make us happy. It’s a default setting! Have you thanked God today? It is not happy people who are thankful, but thankful people who are happy.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for loving me so much that you gave your Son to die for my sin. I praise you because without you I am nothing. I love you because you are my God. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

1.    Psalm 150:6.

Today’s Encounter was written by: Veronica B.