We are grateful to be a part of this community, and we are grateful for everyone whose support makes this magazine possible.

This time of year is a time of thanksgiving for many. It is a season of gratitude, during which we take time to pause, reflect and count our blessings. That is easier said than done sometimes, right? Especially when we’re in the midst of stress, disappointment, loss or any number of life’s difficulties.

However, if we stop and pay attention, we begin to realize how much for which we really do have to be thankful. Gratitude helps us refocus on what we have instead of what we lack. We can start by noticing all the good things, little and big, that we normally take for granted, along with the most basic things, like clean water at our fingertips. Hundreds of millions of people do not have that luxury. 

Gratitude also involves acknowledging that the difficult or painful moments we all endure are actually something for which to be grateful, too. Training our brains to find the positive in our circumstances requires a major change in mindset for most of us. With that said, I think if we choose to find the positive, we will, and if we choose to find the negative, we will. Gratitude, and its byproduct—happiness—are a choice. The decision is ours to make. 

We hope you enjoy reading this issue. Thank you to everyone who makes the magazine possible—our advertisors and supporters, our talented team of writers and photographers, our editor and sales team, and above all, our Heavenly Father, who orchestrates it all.

May God bless and keep each of you.
Scott and Meredith Tredeau

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