It is not as unthinkable to raise a child up to be Number Two if you have confidence in the real Number One.
Gratitude is built in us as we retell the stories: stories of God's wonderful work in creation, of God's grace experienced in our communities, of God's hand touching our lives.
Thanksgiving marks those who are aware that they have been the focus of a love that doesn't give up.
A life marked by gratitude emerges as we release all of our entitlements and instead grasp the goodness of God.
Gratitude grows out of the fear of God, for it enables us to glimpse the overwhelming love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice of God, and it opens us up to be moved by his intimate touch.
Rehearsing God's work in the past enables us to live in gratitude in the present and with hope for the future.