How did Thanksgiving come about?
Here’s a politically correct version:
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Why is Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday of November?
The first Thanksgiving Day celebration was a three-day feast held during the fall in 1621. It happened between September 21 and November 11. As you may know Pilgrims were joined by the local Wampanoag tribe, including their leader, Chief Massasoit.
Various communities celebrated a day of thanksgiving afterwards as they deemed fit. However, in October of 1777 all 13 colonies celebrated a day of Thanksgiving.
The first national day of Thanksgiving was in 1789. President George Washington proclaimed Thursday, November 26, 1789 to be “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer.”
In wasn’t until October 3, 1863, that President Abraham Lincoln called for and issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation. It declared the last Thursday in November was to be a national day of “thanksgiving and praise.”
Afterwards, presidents honored the tradition and annually issued their own Thanksgiving Proclamation until in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt did not.
Since the day would fall on November 30th that month, retailers strongly complained to President Roosevelt that 24 shopping days before Christmas would be too short for profits that they counted upon.
Since most people did Christmas shopping after Thanksgiving, the extra week of shopping seemed essential for the economy.
So the Thanksgiving Proclamation of August 31, 1939 declared the date of Thanksgiving to be Thursday, November 23, the second-to-last Thursday of the month.
The change caused unforeseen confusion — dates had previously been established for school schedules, football games, special events, entertainment, and family vacations.
During the following year, many governors could not agree with the decision to change the date and refused to follow it. The country became split on which Thanksgiving to observe. The nation went into a bit of a panic and there was great debate.
In 1940, 32 states and the District of Columbia observed the Thanksgiving on November 21. 16 states chose November 28th. The conflict finally came to the Congress. On December 26, 1941, Congress passed into law that Thanksgiving would be henceforth the fourth Thursday of November.
We really need to cover our children in prayer and send them out with a blessing.
I was out with my daughter at a basketball game. I witnessed so much worldliness. Our children exposed to a lot and they try to fit in. Not only that but they have teachers and administrators over them that aren’t saved. They have so many spirits up against them it’s important they be covered.
We must teach our kids how to pray for themselves when they are surrounded by the enemy. They need to know that they too have power. They can cover themselves and pray for those around them. We may not be able to be with our children everywhere they go but we have faith that the Lord is with them. Our God promises to never leave us nor forsake us. That’s a promise we can stand on.
Today is a perfect day to cherish learning to be with the Lord in His gift of loving inner peacefulness — and — being fully aware of our very most thankful appreciative hearts.
Open hearts sing and thank Him today — right now — you too may begin — join in — you know you are not alone — later greet friends and guests today with all of His loving warmth radiating from your heart.
We only must ask. God blesses us all and He will bask our homes, travels, airways, rails, roads, and vehicles with His love. Know this. Feel His warm love. Feel God’s loving energy breathing warmth into you and into your heart from its inside out.
Watch this video too. You’ll love that it demonstrates an age old lesson on the gloriousness of thanksgiving. I know you’ll love it!
Here are some suggestions for allowing the Lord to manage our hearts:
Announce gratitude and be specific — in a group is nice too — plan this with guests beforehand — everyone can pray and speak about gratitude — this will raise happiness and your grateful hearts will warm the home too
Say to loved ones and friends that you appreciate them and be specific
Joyfully commit to seek God’s will and see God in everyplace that you look
Behave in a humble grateful manner and praise God in thankfulness for living and for blessings and be specific
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Program Description A Day of Thanksgiving, 1951. This film relates the experiences of a middle-class American family when they are stimulated to review the things for which they are thankful.
Bill Johnson, a garage mechanic, comes home from work on the day before Thanksgiving to find his children completely disheartened by their mother’s announcement that the family cannot afford a turkey for the holiday. Shocked at his son Dick’s statement that there won’t be much to be thankful for, Bill gently reminds him and the other children that while turkey on Thanksgiving is a great American tradition, its presence sometimes obscures the real meaning of Thanksgiving.
When Dick concedes that modern Americans are a lot better off than the Pilgrims, the others suggest that they all make a list of the things for which they are thankful. Their father cautions them to give serious thought to their list, which should include only the things they feel deeply. He then watches them mulling over their thoughts as they play during the evening.
At the Thanksgiving dinner table, each member of the family offers part of the thanks.
Tommy is thankful for plenty of food and free library books to read. Susan mentions clothing, Sunday school, and her family. Dick gives thanks for a chance to get an education and a chance to play. Bill thinks as he looks at Baby Janet that she must be thankful in her own way for fun in the bathtub, playtime, and security.
Mrs. Johnson is thankful that her children can grow up healthy and strong, that she can guide them, that her family can have many of the modern conveniences, that she can have freedom of speech, and that Mr. Johnson’s job brings peace of mind. Bill Johnson then finishes the list with the things for which he is thankful: a home with privacy, freedom from fear of political reprisal, the right to pick a vocation in which he is happy, freedom of opinion as represented by his newspaper, the right to vote, and the belief that family unity can become world-wide unity.
A Day of Thanksgiving This 1951 education film portrays a family that cannot afford to purchase a Thanksgiving turkey and instead reflects upon the things for which they are thankful. It was produced by Centron Corporation of Lawrence, Kansas with non-professional actors, and is part of the Prelinger Archives.
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I’ll pray that we may all today share in grateful giving and let this become a habit that will grow in our hearts every day. Bless us God every one. Whatever our needs may be, I pray that He will be foremost in our minds and hearts as we share His divine warmth and glorious praise. Amen.
When Jesus challenges the crowd, he says, “He who is without sin among you, let him first cast the stone at her.” The crowd disperses. No one there was able to stand forth and cast a stone. Jesus knew this.
He asks the woman, “Where are those, thine accusers? Has no man condemned thee?“
There is a pause; we see that no one is standing in condemnation. The woman also sees this.
Jesus then says, “Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.“
Jesus makes clear that condemnation is not the message that is taught that day.
Be of a contrite heart My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17
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The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18)
In Scripture, the heart is the seat of all feeling, whether joy or sorrow. A contrite heart is one in which the natural pride and self-sufficiency have been completely humbled by the consciousness of guilt. Humility is strength then; great strength within the seat of all feeling.
We are to bring our guilt into the light. I was brought up that this occurs during a sacrament; the Sacrament of Confession. In any case, the basic requirement is to bring a contrite heart to God.
Allen Morell: ‘If I Did Not Sing .. The Rocks Would Cry Out’
I love the song.
I wondered about a biblical origin — for the pronouncement that rocks will cry out — glad I did. This actually had me wondering since a recent comment on my post. The comment is from my friend stephensmustang1November 22, 2013 at 12:00 PM. The comment contained this: “Abba says even the rocks cry out…” and I recalled it was biblical — but couldn’t recall more than that. Here is what I found out. The reference comes from Luke.
Luke 19:28-44 Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
I wondered — Did Jesus actually refer to a prophecy? The Pharisees criticized his following for praising Jesus as he came into Jerusalem. Thus, I wondered if this was an important moment that would be in prophecy. I used Google and an online bible tool — sure enough — it is — as are all of the important moments about Jesus written into Old Testament prophecies.
Here is where it was written — Habakkuk. Habakkuk was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible. In the first book of Habakkuk there is the complaining series of questions put to God: “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” Habakkuk was perplexed it seems by the behaviors of his people — some were openly hideously ungodly and violence was prevailing all about. His prophecies are commonly referred to as “the burdens” of prophecy. His name, Habakkuk, is said to mean to “embrace,” denoting a “favorite” (namely, of God) and a “struggler” (for his country’s good).
The second chapter foretells the coming of Christ into Jerusalem and the conditions that must occur. Here is the second chapter — the prophecy.
Habakkuk 2
1I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.
The Lord’s Answer
2Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.
3For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it; itwill certainly come and will not delay.
4“See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness— 5 indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.”
6“Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, “ ‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’ 7Will not your creditors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey. 8Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.”
9“Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.”
11“The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.”
12“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice! 13Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?
14For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.“
15“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies! 16You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed! The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. 17The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.”
18 “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
19Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”
20The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
Jesus pointed out (Luke 19:40) that the stones will cry out because of the prophecy — not for any other reason as it seems now that I see that the verse is tied back to Habakkuk. The stones and the beams are represented as ready for calling out for vengeance against ruthlessness. How stones may cry out, we are not told.
President George Washington proclaimed Thursday, November 26, 1789 to be “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer.” 
Eric
Eric