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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Although a secular holiday in the United States, it is probably the most Christian in character of all the holidays Americans celebrate. No faith expression can claim it as a celebratory reminder of something that happening in the history of their respective faith.

Yet, the character and traditions are strongly Christian in tone and practice. Being grateful, gracious, and generous is central to how a follower of Jesus should live. Spending time in reflection, offering prayers, and serving others are Christian activities. Plus, family is central, traditions are held in high regard, and the holiday, except for food and travel, is not commercialized.

Thanksgiving provides us the opportunity to connect with others to affirm, encourage and thank them for who they are and their impact on our lives. As a nation, we take time to reflect and be reminded and thankful for all the goodness we have received from the hand of God and others.

With this in mind, on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2023, here are 23 quotes worthy of repeating:

1. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. - Psalm 107:1

2. Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. - Cicero

3. Gratitude is the heart’s memory. - French Proverb 

4. When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears. - Tony Robbins

5. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie

6. Gratitude begins where my sense of entitlement ends. - Steven Furtick

7. I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. - G.K. Chesterton 

8. If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get. - Frank A. Clark

9. He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. - Epictetus

10. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

11. Have an attitude of gratitude. - Zig Zigler

12. Make the most out of every single day you have on earth and be thankful for them. - Blake Mycoskie 

13. Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. - William Faulkner

14. If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily. - Gerald Good

15. There is no greater difference between men than between grateful and ungrateful people. - R.H. Blyth

16. Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. - Estonian Proverb

17. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. - John F. Kennedy

18. Entitlement is virtually the opposite of gratitude: as I feel more entitled, my gratitude shrinks in proportion. - Tim Elmore 

19. Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. - William Arthur Ward

20. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. - Psalm 92:1 

21. It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, and to be grateful for His benefits. - George Washington 

22. Abundance flows into your life when gratitude flows out of your heart.  - Jon Gordon 

23. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. - Psalm 95:2