A Season to be Thankful

Since I was a little girl, I've had a great passion for history. I've always been inspired by the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. After many overwhelming hardships the first winter in America, they were assisted by Native Americans to successfully grow and harvest crops, fish, and game for a bountiful harvest the next fall. It wasn't until I was much older that I learned that my grandfather's Halstead family also settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony a couple of years after that first Thanksgiving. So now I feel a personal connection to the story of those early Pilgrims.

After going through any type of hardship, we may feel blessed when the difficulty is over, or even just better. But what if there are no obvious hardships? I see what is happening around the world and feel gratitude for things like safety, freedom, and living in a land of plenty.  I see someone with a terrible illness and my own ailments seem insignificant. Yet, I'm constantly aware of the fact that there is so much more for which I should be thankful than what I actually verbalize to others and to God. I love the scripture that says, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18." So I'm still working on giving thanks for "everything," good or bad, happy or sad. If you're still reading this, I thank you for your time and attention. May God bless you richly!

Here's another one of my Thanksgiving cards made with Sangria papers.

The inside has the lovely thankfulness word art from this week's Word Art Wednesday post.

6.5" x 5" Card Recipe:
Paper - CTMH Sangria paper pack
Stamps - CTMH "Blessings of Autumn" hostess stamp, CTMH Sangria Workshop on the Go stamps; retired CTMH spring leaves stamp
Inks - CTMH Champagne, Poppy, Pomegranate, Eggplant, Cocoa
Tools - Cricut  Art Philosophy (leaves, circle mat), Cricut New Arrival (stitched circle)
Embellishments - CTMH poppy thicker twine, Pink enamel gems

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Bitten by the Bug 2 - Thanksgiving with Fall Leaves (from Cricut Art Philosophy p.62)
Crafty Creations Challenge #302 - Give thanks
Die Cuttin Divas #242 - Thanksgiving with a die cut  (stitched circle and leaves)
DoubleClick Skittles #35 - Thank you or Thanksgiving
Freshly Brewed Designs Challenge - So thankful
Path of Positivity Challenge #32 - Gratefulness

 
Shopping Our Stash #228 - Thanks/Thanksgiving
Simon Says Stamp - Thanks/Thanksgiving
The Crafty Addicts #4 - anything goes/use die cuts (stitched circle and leaves)
Word Art Wednesday #210 - anything uplifting