Bless This Food Book Giveaway: On being thankful

Something about my birthday and Thanksgiving sandwiching the month of November always make this month a special time for me.  I start the month out with lots of well wishes, love, and appreciation from friends and family on my birthday and I'm always very thankful for the people that are in my life.  As the month continues, I begin thinking about Thanksgiving and I find myself trying hard to appreciate all the little things in life.  The leaves change, the children grow (while whining a little) and we all begin, as a family, to anticipate the coming holidays.  It's a special time, the month of November, and it's one of my favorite months of the year.

I had the opportunity to review the book Bless This Food: Ancient and Contemporary Graces From Around the World  and within it, I found the opportunity to really be appreciative and grateful for other things.  Although our family says a prayer before every meal, sometimes our mealtime thanks and blessings are routine and rote.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing the words or the feelings to express myself.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm just missing the gratitude that needs to be expressed.  It is truly a blessing to sit down with family, and eat food together, and it's a blessing that I overlook, since most of the time, I find dinners to be hectic times of  "Hurry up and eat" and cooking and dishes and being slammed with too many questions from too many people too much of the time.  This book made me pause, made me wait, and made me wish for more quiet moments right before the meal to contemplate the thanks that must be given for our basic needs.

There was a simple prayer in there, by Mother Theresa, which really moved me.  It's so short and simple, but the message is both challenging and loving.

"Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet, especially family.  Be holy - let us pray." - Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) 

Excerpted from the book Bless this Food: Ancient & Contemporary Graces from Around the World © 2013 Adrian Butash. Printed with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA. www.newworldlibrary.com

I'm challenged by the words of the prayer to be joyful and to share the joy with all, especially family.  I found myself wondering how Mother Theresa KNEW I needed to be reminded of the joy I needed to share with my family?  My family often has to bear the brunt of all my emotional ups and downs, and here these simple words remind me that my family also needs access to the joy in my heart.

I think this book is a great way for me to encourage my children to also find the words of gratitude that they may need to practice expressing.  When they don't have the words to pray, I'm thinking of asking them to find a prayer in there that might come close to expressing what they'd like to say.  

There are many beautiful prayers in this book, from different cultures, different beliefs, but all celebrating the gratitute for life that we should try and remember daily.  The fabulous folks at New World Library are giving away a copy of this book, just in time for the holidays.  Please enter by leaving a comment about something you're thankful for this season and putting your name in the Rafflecopter widget.  The contest will end quickly (one week) so don't delay.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share this post