The coronavirus is running rampant in my community. I know several people who have survived a bout with the virus. I know several others who have been notified that they were exposed. It seems like another lockdown is inevitable, just in time for the holidays.

While we all have plenty of reasons to be grateful, Thanksgiving is going to be different this year. There won’t be extended family gatherings. I won’t get to see my nieces, or giggle at the kids’ table with my cousins. (Yes, I still sit at the kids table. I sat with the grownups once, and I wasn’t prepared!)

What do your Thanksgiving plans look like? I have to figure out how to cook less food, since there will only be five of us at the table. I’m wondering if we should do a video conference, so the kids can at least see each other. My holiday outfit will probably just be matching pajamas instead my normal leggings and a cute top. (Pro-tip: Leggings are essential for holiday eating.)

I think we all can agree we put a lot of thought into our Thankgiving meal prep. We usually plan our mealsweeks in advance. There’s the ever important discussion over who is making the Mac and cheese and who gets to make the dressing.

Question: how much planning goes into how we actually give thanks, and I’m not just talking about who prays over the turkey. How are you giving thanks in your every day life? How do you plan to give thanks? Spontaneous Thanksgiving is a wonderful expression. But I heard several preachers say that thinkfulness produces thankfulness. How do you plan to show you’re thankful? And if you have not planned anything yet, now is a good time to start thinking about it.