Using Thanksgiving as a Measuring Rod?

Recently my son and I have been looking at how giving thanks effects our daily lives. One particular passage has snagged our attention.

I Timothy 4:1-5:

1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

As we have been pondering this passage and discussing we have seen how God intended for us to enjoy life. God intended for us to enjoy food. Clothes. And many other things. We don't make our selves more spiritual by abstaining from the things God intended for us to enjoy. Everything God created was intended for us to enjoy so that we would turn back and praise Him for it. That glorifies Him.
But the question came up--how much is too much. We are warned about gluttony. We warned not to love money. We are commanded to not make idols from our material good. So how can we know that we have gone over board with too much food? Or too much emphasis on clothes, video games, TV?
My son asked, how do I know what video games I can play? I asked him, "can you genuinely thank God for it?" He said, "sometimes, if the game has strong language in it I can't. How can I thank God for sin?" We carried this over to food. "Can I genuinely thank God for what I am about to eat?" If I can't than perhaps it would be sin for me to eat it. If I can't thank God for something, then it would be sin to partake of it.
So, we have learned a new aspect of thanksgiving in our home--thanksgiving as a measuring rod for whether or not we can partake of a video game or not or TV show. If we can't say "thank you Lord for this game or this movie." Then perhaps it wouldn't be right to partake of it. I liked how my son put it, "how can I say thanks for the opportunity to view sin?" So, I have been doing this alot lately myself. Asking, "can I truly thank God for this movie?" "Can I thank God for this book?" "Can I thank God for these purchases at the store?" "Can I thank God for this food?"
Try it...see what happens. Ask this question about everything you do today. It just seems to give some real direction and perspective. And I find myself thanking God more in the process.
I think he is on to something here.

Di