Hey Friend,
I don’t know about you… but I am really tired of seeing Black Friday deals!
Don’t get me wrong, I love shopping, and I LOVE a good deal! It’s likely that I will be taking advantage of one or more Black Friday deals this week. However, I really wish Black Friday happened during any other month of the year. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to sit back, reflect on the goodness of God and be truly thankful for the things we have (not the things we are about to buy on sale!). I find that it’s extra hard to be thankful for what I have when I’m constantly being bombarded by the latest and greatest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.
Do you feel this way too?
Here are a few ways to unplug this Thanksgiving week and take time to be truly THANKFUL for what we already have. I hope you will try one or more of these suggestions this week!
How to be THANKFUL (in the Midst of Black Friday Deals and Chaos!)
Unplug from Social Media
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16
This is an excellent week to unplug from social media and just be grateful for what you have. It seems like everyone is sharing Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals right now and all those shiny deals and promotions can look very appealing… but it can all be a little too much. There’s always a deal going on somewhere. If there’s something you really need and want this week, go check out what that business or company is offering and don’t feel guilty for buying something you need and want IF you have the funds and resources for that item. However, you can avoid a lot of discontent and impulse buying simply by choosing to unplug a little bit this week. Give it a try and see if you don’t feel more refreshed this Thanksgiving week. Less time on social media will allow you more time to think and be truly grateful for what you have.
Make a Gratitude List
“Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your blessings; See what God hath done.” (Hymn: Count Your Blessings)
This may seem elementary (and very basic) but it’s truly a great exercise to do from time to time. Simply think of some things you are grateful for and write it all down on a piece of paper or inside your journal. There is so much to be thankful for and we can easily forget about so many of life’s little (and BIG!) blessings!
Talk About Your Blessings!
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4
Does your church have a special Thanksgiving event? Does your family take some time out of their Thanksgiving day to talk about their blessings? Would your friends enjoy getting together over a cup of coffee to reminisce over about their year?
I would encourage you to spend some time this week with friends, family, or other church members to TALK about your blessings. Talk about the things God has done for you this year and what He has taught you. It is always so encouraging and uplifting to share what God has done in your life and to hear what He is doing in other people’s lives as well.
Listen to Music that Praises the Lord
“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.” Psalm 100:5
I love listening to good music that praises the Lord for His goodness! It is a daily reminder for me to think on the Lord and all He does (and has done) for me as my Savior. We have a lot of music CD’s in our house and our car, plus I like to put together uplifting playlists on Spotify to listen to as I go about my day, washing dishes or cleaning the house. If you don’t regularly listen to God-honoring music, I would encourage to take some time out of this week to find some songs you enjoy… music that will remind you to praise the Lord for all He has done!
Here are two CD’s that we really enjoy:
Be Thankful for the People You Love
“I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,” Philemon 1:4
There something even more important than being thankful for the “things” God has given us… and that is being thankful for the PEOPLE God has given us! Spend some quality time this week with the people you love, or reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in awhile, just to remind them that you are thankful for them! Here are some ideas:
- Have a family game night or movie night – with snacks of course! Tell your family how much they mean to you + why you love them!
- Text a friend just to let them know you were thinking about them and you’re grateful for their friendship.
- Write a thank you note to someone who has been influential in your life.
- Spend some time on the couch with your signifiant other and tell them some things you love and appreciate about them.
- Color a picture with your kids to give to someone they love and appreciate.
- Send your Pastor a note to thank him for all he does for your family and the church.
- Call a grandparent just to say “hi” and let them know you were thinking about them.
- Pray for someone who needs some encouragement this week (especially someone who may be missing a loved one).
The possibilities are endless… just be sure to take a little bit of time this week to love and appreciate the people in your life!
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing wrong with Black Friday deals, and I’m not saying I will never share a good Black Friday deal on my blog, in my emails, or on Instagram (because I do love good deals!). I just wanted to share a little reminder with you that it’s okay to sit out on all the Black Friday deals if you want to… and it’s okay to unplug from the chaos to spend some focused time being thankful. We’ve all been given SO much and sometimes in the midst of the latest and greatest deals we can lose sight of all that God has done for us.
So, take this as permission (and a friendly reminder!) to take some time out of this Thanksgiving week to truly be THANKFUL!
I Would Love to Know
How do YOU feel about Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Do you participate and enjoy it?
How will you intentionally spend time being thankful this week?
Until Next Time.
Hi Rebekah,
Lovely post! All your points were spot-on 🙂
I agree that it is WAY too easy to get side-tracked by all of the hullabaloo and fuss! I do, however, find that I appreciate some of the deals because I try to regularly contribute to a ministry that sends care packages/happy-mail boxes to hurting people, and I love finding things to send that would bring joy/encouragement to the receiver(s) <3
But as for things for myself– I agree that it's a lot more worthwhile to count and praise/thank my Lord for my blessings than peruse a page chock-full of ads and glitzy deals. Being thankful seems to easily take a backseat, and I know thanking Him for ALL He's done is powerful!
Thank you so much for sharing these timely reminders!
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend <3
Hi Callie,
Thanks so much for sharing – and I do agree with you! There are some really great Black Friday deals and there are certain ones I’m keeping an eye on as well. Sometimes it’s just a little much – especially when the focus of the week should be on thankfulness!
Also, that sounds like such a great ministry idea!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Rebekah
These are all great ideas, but that’s really a great idea about taking a break from social media! Kind of hard to focus on gratitude when you’re distracted by your phone and then seeing talk of nothing but sales and deals when you’re on there..ha!
Yes, it can create a lot of extra “noise” for sure!
I usually spend Black Friday setting up my Advent wreath and finding my Advent devotional books. That’s been really helpful to avoid the madness and focus on the upcoming season.
Great idea!
Mountainroseherbs.com promotes a Buy Nothing Day on Friday. I haven’t done anything either way, but I’ve contemplated this for a while.
I’m glad you shared these thoughts. Only one day after giving thanks for what we have, we go rushing out to buy things we don’t have. ???
Contentment and gratitude are essential.
That’s a neat idea! I am not against buying things on Black Friday – as long as it’s something you need/want and have the funds for it… But if you want to avoid all the shopping and focus just on what you already have, then a “Buy Nothing Day” is a great idea!