THANKSGIVING DAY!

A Thanksgiving Day history lesson. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. The early Pilgrims celebrated days of thanksgiving as part of their religion. But these were days of prayer, not days of feasting.

Thanksgiving has become a tradition in many homes – not a tradition filled with prayer and thanksgiving – but a tradition of feasting, football, and family. I think this combination is wonderful. I love it also. But I give a challenge to you this Thanksgiving Day – let’s take time to make it truly a day for which we give thanks. We are quick to thank God for our family, our health, our financial security; for food and clothes; thanks that our daily needs are met – but God’s word gives us a number of other things for which we should be thankful, yet we may tend to forget. May I share them with you?

1 Chronicles 16:34 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
How wonderful the love of God that endures forever! His goodness to us is beyond words.

1 Chronicles 29:13 – “Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.”
There is NO name as glorious as the Name of Jehovah! And NO other name worthy of our thanks.

Psalm 7:17 – “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”
Let us give thanks that OUR God is a righteous God. Let us sing about the truth that OUR God is the Lord Most High!

Psalm 118:21 - ”I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.”
What other God can answer our every prayer? What other God can provide us with
salvation? Thank you, God. You are the author of both.

1 Corinthians 15:57 – “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thank you Jesus because your death, burial and resurrection won the victory over eternal death. Because of you, I do not fear death.

2 Corinthians 9:15 – “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! “
Father, thank you – thank you – thank you for giving us the best Gift possible – the gift of your Son.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day with your family. Enjoy your afternoon of football. Enjoy the feasting that a day like this brings – but most important of all - enjoy spending time giving thanks and praise to our God Most High for all he has done, and all he has given to us.


Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 18-oz. Spice Cake Mix
1 15-oz. can solid pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Combine above and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Let cookies set 5 minutes before removing from tray to continue to cool on a wire rack. These are very good!