Carson Village, Birmingham, Alabama
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His love endures forever! ~ I Chronicles 16:34
I will give thanks to You, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds. ~ Psalm 9:1
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~ I Thessalonians 5:18
What are you thankful for? Besides the obvious – Jesus, family, friends. There are so many things we can be thankful for! I hope you took some time today to be grateful for things we don’t normally think about – like our incredible bodies and how each and every part is so intricately made to work together and adapt so well, or the beauty of Creation because God didn’t have to create all this for us, or the ingenuity God gave man to create the things we use every day, all day.
At the prompting of the Continental Congress, on November 11, 1779, Thomas Jefferson—who was governor of Virginia at the time—issued a proclamation calling on Virginians to turn to God in prayer.
The proclamation says that “it becomes us humbly to approach the throne of Almighty God, with gratitude and praise,” and sets aside December 9 as a day of public Thanksgiving and prayer. It also calls on ministers to hold church services. ~ familycouncil.org
President Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation, signed October 3, 1863:
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.
During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders similar to this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving. ~ abrahamlincolnonline.org
These are but two instances of our early leaders expressing thankfulness to God.
And yet, somehow, people like to claim that those men weren’t religious at all. Obviously, they’ve never looked at history. Or they’ve looked at it and decided to disregard it for their own purpose. And yet, God prevails. He always will!
David began smoking our 20# turkey at 9:00pm last night, and rose from slumber several times during the night to make sure it was smoking properly. So thankful for his sacrifice! The turkey was fantastic! So were the stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli casserole, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, apple pie and Boston crème pie!
Yes. All that. For three people.
Prepping potatoes 
And yes. We gorged ourselves, despite knowing that gluttony is a sin.
We were exceedingly thankful today! And for the next few days as we work on leftovers! Although, just to break things up, Blaine’s grilling pork chops tomorrow. 😊