Good evening brethren and happy Sabbath!

Thanksgiving

Next Thursday is a national day of thanksgiving in the United States. While this is a secular, man-made holiday, it was set aside as a day to give thanks for all our blessings - something we can certainly get behind.

Commonly accepted as being first celebrated in 1621, Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday in the U.S. until 1863.  The modern celebrational additions of turkey, pumpkin pie and football were added here and there over the years.

thanksgiving

The act of thanksgiving is something separate from the national holiday of Thanksgiving (hence the lower case drophead above).  It is the act of giving thanks, and of course is something we should practice frequently, not just once a year on the 4th Thursday in November.

This can be done in a variety of ways.  Saying 'thank you' when someone hands you something, giving thanks to God in prayer (a form of praise as mentioned last week), or in some other way conveying our feelings of gratitude to God or man.

Thanksgiving with thanksgiving

This year, our family will be enjoying Thanksgiving at home.  We'll hae the traditional turkey (albeit deep fried), sweet potatoes, stuffing, pecan pie and other special treats.  And, truth be told, we'll probably watch a little football too and maybe even look for some bargains online.

Whatever your Thanksgiving celebration looks like, make sure it includes the act of thanksgiving.  Taking time to give thanks to God for all He has blessed you with, as well as letting those you love know how grateful you are for them.  

I pray you have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever and however you keep it this year!