Forget what you may be reading or watching in other news outlets. Local pastors in the Hall County area are here to set the record straight.

When it comes to being thankful during Thanksgiving, we all have a lot of blessings to count.

It's easy for us to start counting our blessings by the dollars available in our checking accounts, said the Rev. Tom Smiley of Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville. But remember, he said, it is the people in your life who count more.

"As a minister here, I'm seeing a lot of people becoming very adversely affected by the economy; there's a lot of pain there in that regard," he said. "But there seems to be a greater appreciation for the things that really matter. People will say, "I don't have my job or (I have) a reduced salary, but I have my health, I have people who care about me."

In some cases, Smiley said, fewer material things has caused people to appreciate the simpler things in life.

"Life's not (about) the things we own. We have become such a materialistically oriented society we have forgotten that truth," he said. "I think people are thinking, ‘My life isn't about what I can possess, but those things that will matter in 100 years.'"

And in 100 years, he said, it's relationships with people that will persevere.

The Rev. Paige Bennett, pastor at Chicopee United Methodist Church, turned to the lessons in the book of Ruth to find perspective in giving thanks during the holidays.

"I think God gives us a prescription through her story on how to give thanks. She lived in a world that was filled with things in her culture that were going on that aren't too different in what's going on in our lives today," Bennett said.

"It was a time filled with disobedience, idolatry and violence, but through God's grace and mercy, he ... gives us some wonderful examples of faith, integrity, protection and even prosperity that we can apply to our week of giving thanks today."

In the Bible, Naomi and Ruth were faithful to God, worshipped him and honored his laws. They were also faithful and kind to one another as family members.

"I think we can look at that today, because Christ is the ultimate in kindness to us because he gave us the eternal light into God's kingdom, and he did it with a kind and loving heart," Bennett said. "And when we're gathering with friends and family for Thanksgiving, we should be appreciative to them; preparing a hot meal isn't just something you do in 20 minutes. For many people it's a week of baking and cooking and preparing.

"It's an act of kindness for someone to do it for the family."

Smiley added that he has recently realized the value of one's health - especially now that his wife is a three-year cancer survivor.

And if not having that new flat-screen TV means you'll spend more time talking with family members, that's something for which to be thankful.

"I just think a residual effect of these times is we've become more thankful for the things that really matter," he said.