2023 Thanksgiving Message from Mike Staff
I love Thanksgiving Day.
Giving thanks unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, and confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. With that in mind, here are just a few of the things I’m thankful for today (in no particular order – except for the first few – haha) …
- THE DETROIT LIONS! (We’re gonna WIN the Super Bowl!)
- Dan Campbell
- Detroit Grit!
- 85” of high-definition bliss to watch the Lions win on.
- Healthy food
- Love
- My healthy, kind and ambitious daughters, Bailey & Ella
- The incredible blessing of following Jesus
- The Sleeping Bear Dunes
- My English Bulldog, Rox. (My dog ROCKS!, get it?)
- Clean water (something a BILLION people in the world don’t have today. Think about that!)
- Sandy toes
- Deep conversations
- Shallow conversations (LOL)
- The Gym
- My pickup truck (I’m driving it to 300,000 miles!)
- Palm Trees
- My cousin Kim … one of my favorite people on earth!
- Super creative people
- Party Point on Long Lake, Traverse City
- God’s protection and promises
- The Michigan Wolverines (GO BLUE!)
- Blue skies
- Funny people
- Belly laughs
- Truth (there is such a thing)
- The freedom, safety, and overwhelming blessings of living in the USA!
- A black, double-jointed jitterbug. One of my favorite lures.
- Options
- Spotify
- A simple connection by smiling at a stranger
- Forgiveness
- The Black Crowes
- People who give more than they take
- Warm Caribbean water
- Great books and the unlimited knowledge they possess
- The fact that the only memories I have of my mom are happy ones.
- The change in the seasons
- Patient people
- LOUD music
- Kindness
- My pontoon boat … my favorite toy in the whole world!
- Thunderstorms at night
- The honor of working with Bright Hope (brighthope.org) to help serve the Lord.
- Family and great friends
- Big dreams and worthwhile goals
- The smell of campfires
- Funny people
- Coffee in the morning (Mmmmmmmmm!)
- Health
- Sunrises
- Sunsets
- Camp Missinit Hunting Camp
- The power of prayer
- Our military men & women (and their families)
- Blue skies
- Kind people
- My increasing patience (still a work in progress, but I’m committed to it!)
- Food pantries & shelters, and the incredible volunteers that work them
- Gracious people
- Live music
- The gift of being passionate about things in life. Life is too short for “ho-hum”
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on your own blessings. Let’s remember to be thankful not just today, but every day.
GO LIONS!
Mike Staff
