Tomorrow, November 26, 2009 we shall be celebrating Thanksgiving with our families and friends. Let us give grace and blessings.
Let us remember a bit of our American history of this celebration.The First Thanksgiving Was the Enjoyment of the Bounty of the Pilgrim's Harvest. At Plymouth Plantation, the First Thanksgiving was observed between September 21st and November 9th 1621. It was celebrated over a three day period. 51 colonists of Plymouth Plantation, which included John Alden, Governor William Bradford, William and Mary Brewster, Priscilla Mullins, Captain Myles Standish, and Edward and Susanna Winslow, and 90 Indians of the Wampanoag tribe with their Chief Massasoit were present.
Since 1863, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving. It is now observed every fourth Thursday of November as a national holiday to give thanks for blessings received during the year. As an American tradition, we remember that first Thanksgiving as the gathering of the Pilgrim Fathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts celebrating the success of their Fall Harvest in 1621
A Thanksgiving Prayer
"O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen."
by Samuel F. Pugh
Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don't already have
everything you desire. If you did, what would
there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations, because they
give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.
It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.
~ author unknown ~
THANKSGIVING IS....
Thanksgiving is
a time of gratitude to God, our Creator and Provider,
whose guidance and care go before us...
and whose love is with us forever.
Thanksgiving is
a time to reflect on the changes,
to remember that we, too, grow and change
from one season of life to another.
Thanksgiving is
a time of changing seasons, when leaves turn golden
in Autumn's wake and apples are crisp
in the first chill breezes of fall.
Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
As we see the beauty of Autumn,
let us acknowledge the many blessings which are ours...
let us think of our families and friends..
and let us give thanks in our hearts.
~~Author Unknown.~~
Thanksgiving Prayer
We return thanks to our mother,
the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams,
which supply us with water.
We return thanks to all herbs,
which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and stars,
which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun,
that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit,
in Whom is embodied all goodness, and
Who directs all things for the good of Her children.
~ Iroquois Prayer ~
May your Thanksgiving
be blessed with love and peace.
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