What is Thanksgiving? Yes, at this 400th anniversary of the Mayflower, we remember the courage, trust, and generosity that unites strangers, Pilgrims and Wampanoag breaking bread.
We recall that in 1789, Washington named a holiday for “public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.”
These facts are important. Thanking God and recalling history’s power to teach, honor and motivate, inspires humility, compass, moral perspective, and what is best in us.
But there is more to Thanksgiving – and we know it. Here, families gather to draw strength from each other, appreciate each other and their blessings – stopping for one untroubled day.
So, what is Thanksgiving? Even as we honor the “good” in our past, power of trust, peace, and prayer, and merciful Hand of Providence, the day is more. It is personal, a time for reflection.
Thanksgiving is a chance to remember that none of us got where are, without the love, sacrifice, strength, bonds of faith and family – that lifted us at birth, put wind beneath our unsteady wings, warm words and selfless deeds. None of us gets along in life without the love of others.
What else? It is a rare chance to recall, by name, those who give and gave, those present and those no longer with us – to whom we all owe unpayable debts. It the chance to recall God’s mystery and mercy, how a child becomes an adult by the grace and patience of caring parents and grandparents; how sickness and injury are healed, how family can appear when needed.
In living color, it is recalling a father who carried you on his shoulders, and whom you may one day have to carry. It is the mother who carried you nine months and well beyond, who worried, doted, and was devoted – in being so, she let you go, so you could in turn learn.
It is saying thank you for recovery from disease, healing of bone and heart, the settling of debts and fears, quieting of anxieties and tears, making new friends, and a chance to quietly give, which in the end is the greatest gift, often arriving quite unexpectedly.
It is pausing to ponder the imponderables, the ones that really matter – how you got through an awful time, how you avoided disaster, how someone from whom you expected nothing gave you everything, how you ended up where you did when needed, how curiously magnificent life is, from sunrise to sunset, orchestra to duet, common kindness to redemption, relief and new hope.
Thanksgiving is knowing wars and pandemics end, friends forgive, second chances appear sometimes without the ask, warmth lies behind the mask. We have learned to recognize warm eyes, slightly twinkling, at the corners crinkling, a sign of a human smile unseen.
So, not to belabor the point, Thanksgiving is a unique holiday, historic and rooted in courage, faith, and hope – but much more than that. It is the chance to give a bit of yourself, to reach out and thank people in person and prayer, by card or call, congregating or meditating, verbal ardor or listening harder. It is about gratitude, recognizing and showing it.
The Pilgrims, who managed to put democracy in motion with that Social Compact, Washington who dared give The Almighty credit for America’s “many and signal favors,” and all of those who have lived between their times and ours, understood being grateful is a key that unlocks many doors, inside us and beyond us. Thanksgiving matters – nationally and personally. To borrow a phrase, with its power – we all may flower. Happy Thanksgiving!
What a beautiful reflection. Thanks for the uplifting message. May God continue to Bless you, your family and AMAC as we continue God’s work.
Thanks for the last 4 years & dow hitting 300K alone, Yes.
Unknown about ahead.
Will President reenter WH or do so in 2024.
Thanks Bob. We all needed that.
Thank you Mr. Charles for the wonderful reminder. I am deeply grateful to President Trump who has endured 4 years of unrelenting persecution by Socialists in politics and the media. He needs our daily prayers to Almighty God for rescue
in this corrupt 2020 election. Blessings to you and yours.
Many Thanks to President Trump. Amidst horrendous attacks, he never wavered from his promises to Patriotic Americans.
Also, a special Thanksgiving Day prayer to all of my fellow Vietnam Veterans who gathered for our Thanksgiving dinner in-country in 1967. Welcome Home!
Very nice, if only everyone could read this, or something similar, and take to heart the message of thanksgiving and be thankful for all that they have. Learn to honor and respect people for who they are and not just what they might be able to get from them. Thankfulness is an attitude of gratitude, and unfortunately, like a lot of other good qualities in people, we seem to be coming up short. I do appreciate this article, I was raise to respect my elders, I served my country during the VietNam era, in the United States Marine Corps, and am now retired and living out my days as best as I can and seeing the demise of a once great country, very unsettling times we are living in now. I have lots of grandchildren growing up in a very mixed up world and I kind of feel sorry for them, that they won’t grow up in the great country that I did. So reading this article brought back some good memories for me and for that I am thankful. God bless America.
Mr. Charles,
Your article Happy Thanksgiving – A Reflection is, certainly, Good Orderly Direction through you to us! I have saved a copy to my computer for my own reference. Thank you for another outstanding article!
I find it hard to be Thankful when Communist Democratic Governors are trying to limit their constituents rights and freedoms. Wearing these ridiculous masks indoors? … Now you know why the Democratic Party has a Jackass for it’s mascot. That’s also why I will ALWAYS refer to the thief who is trying to steal the Presidency as Jackass Joe Biden! … As a prisoner of Darkest Blue California, I still want to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!
Very well said. Thank you so very much. Happy Thanksgiving.
I am thankful for so much and I pray we keep our republic. Happy Thanksgiving!
wonderful reminder of this holiday that’s so often glanced over and is way too short.
Wonderful article, Thank You.
Thanks Mr. Charles for this great article, what a wonderful place America is, everyone should be proud to be an American and work to preserve our freedoms. God bless You, God bless President Trump and God bless America.
Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving !!!!
Thank you Mr. Charles for a thought provoking article. Our country needs to resolve to find reasons to be thankful and discard the anger and rage we have seen too much of. I am always thankful that God brought me and my parents to this country from Germany in 1956. As crazy as things are, this is still a great country. There is hope as long as we stand strong and fight those who wish to destroy our country. God Bless America and Happy Thanksgiving!
And I’m thankful we have a Republic and not a democracy (last para)
Among many other wonderful things I’m thankful to God for my Daughter, Family (spiritual and natural) and for friends! For AMAC, President Trump and First Family, and above all, for Jesus Christ my Personal Lord and Savior and for my Heavenly Father! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much for this beautiful even poetic encouragement. It is very timely.
Thank you for the great article. We are indeed blessed as a nation due to our almighty God in heaven.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for focusing on gratitude in this article! I think God hears “help” way more than He hears “thank-you”. Not enough gratitude exists in our society today and Thanksgiving is a way of stopping to reflect on not only those things we should thank God for, but to try and find ways to grow as God wants us too! God gave all to us and it’s what we do with our life that is our gift back to Him! Thanksgiving to all and Thank you God for what you have given all of us!
We all should be very thankful for the four years of President Trump. He accomplished more in those four years than the previous two presidents did in sixteen years. Thank you President Trump and God bless you and your family.
Great reflection. From my parents and extended family to childhood friends and former colleagues, the list of those for whom I’m grateful is long, and lengthens each year. Grateful not just for the things they said and did, but for the great nation that offered them the freedom to do and say them. God’s blessings to all here.
Wow, what wonderful words well written…Thank you!
It is important to remember key dates in history, even if they do get more hype than other deserving events. St. Augustine, Florida was established decades prior to the Pilgrims landing. Learn all history.
Thank you for this all inspiring article. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we all need to fervently pray for our President Trump, his family and VP Pence and his family. They need God’s direct intervention for protection and to have this rigged election go for the good of our country. The so called President elect is now made some very scary plans known and he will undo everything that President Trump has done for us. President Trump has been persecuted for four years, reminds me how God’s son was persecuted too. Religious freedom and all freedoms are at stake, these election results need to be overturned as God’s court is more powerful than the Democratic Socialist/progressive party. Have faith everyone it’s in God’s hands. Happy Thanksgiving to all, all 73 million of us especially!
National holidays like anything else that brings like minded people together are considered a danger by socialist/dems who fear being challenged in thier corrupt attempt to silence free speech of the MAJORITY because they are in fact the minority, but they control the msm, hi -tech social(ist) networks so they keep the truth hidden and fill the heads of fools with thier
propaganda, “WE THE PEOPLE” need to take back our NATION, the world needs the USA to lead them to “PEACE ON EARTH”
MERRY CHRISTmas!!
Read Habakkuk 3:17 and 18 also Psalms 9: 1 and 2
I am thankful for AMAC’s leadership and inspiration every day
I listened to R Limbaugh yesterday and heard his annual description of the Mayflower Compact and the arrival of the pilgrims in
Massachusetts. Very moving. His key point is that the original compact ( which was communism) was abandoned to let every
person fend for themselves ( horrid capitalism) so that they could survive. And they became successful.
Then today I picked up USA Today and read that the pilgrims invaded our country (all 100 of them with no weapons), and contaminated
it with European disease and treated the indians like devils. That’s what the twisted left wants us to think. All of you subscribing to
that rag are dupes.
The dims want you to repent and surrender yourselves to Mexico as criminals, sell every thing you have to pay “retributions” to the black
community and, especially if you are an old dirty white man like me, beg for forgiveness.
Well, I repeat a comment from the great Charlton Heston ” from my cold dead hands”. I have multiple firearms and ammunition and will
use both. I advise every conservative to obtain multiple weapons before Biden’s clan prohibits you. NEVER give them up.
IMPEACH BIDEN NOW !!!!
Thanksgiving is coming at at a bad time. I will try to be thankful tomorrow as I should be but I’m angry.
There is NO coming together for Joe Biden. NEVER
One wonders if the time is not getting close to putting the Second Amendment to use for its intended purpose? Is a government that asks neighbors to turn in neighbors for having too many people at a Thanksgiving gathering tyrannical? How about asking children next Monday when they return to schools that are open in Vermont who and how many got together at their parents house on Thanksgiving……tyrannical? How about blatantly stealing a Presidential election then having a bought and paid for propagandist group of corporate media talking heads claim that the huge findings of voter fraud are “unproven claims of election interference”…..tyrannical? What are we supposed to do? Only act when family members or friends after family members and friends start strangely disappearing only to later find they have been jailed for violating some diktat by a tyrannical government tyrant if we are even able to find out about said incarcerations?
If you are fit enough to own and use a firearm it is getting to the point where a decision must be made as to whether or not to take another look at the Constitution and discover just what the Second Amendment was established for and determine whether or not liberty and freedom is worth protecting at any cost.
WE OUGHT TO GIVE THANKS:
Romans 1:18-25 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
God’s anger is disclosed from heaven, God’s dwelling place, against all those who lack of proper respect or reverence toward God resulting in moral wrongness in life and character the unrighteous and wrongful suppression of the truth. God is angry with them because what can be known about God is clearly apparent to them. This is apparent to them God has made it apparent to them. God has revealed the things that we cannot see about Him to be clearly seen by His creation. God’s creation reveals that He has miraculous power and that He is God. Because He has revealed these things about Himself to us by His creation and has made them clear to us all we have no excuse for knowing who He is.
Furthermore when they, at one time knew God, they did not esteem Him as God. They having a clear and understandable revelation of who God is by His creation rejected Him as God. The result of their rejection of God as God the creator was that they became unthankful. Since they rejected God as they creator who had provided then with all that they have, they did not see a reason to be thankful. Having rejected God the creator they had to replace Him and what He had done with something else. The used their imagination to invent and suppose how the creation had come to be without God creating it. Such imaginations are not based in fact or truth and are therefore foolish, wicked and idolatrous. The replaced the truth of God with empty, foolish imaginations. They, having rejected God and His truth which is the light by which we see our origin and life as it really is and replacing it with their imagination departed from the truth and replaced it with a lie. This is like knowing and recognizing what the light reveals but not wanting to acknowledge what the light reveals and turning off the light so what it reveals will not be seen and then replacing what it by imagining what may be in the darkness. Not being able to see the truth because they turned off the light they made up their own truth according to their own imagination. The result was that they unintelligent and wicked heart was darkened and the truth was obscured.
Having rejected the truth what imagined what the truth may be and by doing so they changed the glory of the eternal unchanging holy God into an image or idol made by them in the image of corruptible man, birds, cattle, reptiles and insects.
Consequently because they had rejected God and replaced Him with their imagination, God gave they up to mphysical and moral impurity the lusts of their own innermost thoughts and feelings. The result is that they dishonor and mistreat their own bodies using one another.
The changed the truth of God into a lie. Rather than worshipping God as they creator they worshipped and served the things God had created rather than the creator Himself. It is God the creator who is to be worshipped not His creation.
(The primary philosophy that has been imagined to replace God and deny that He is the creator is the materialistic philosophy of evolution. The hypothesis of evolution is a denial of God as the creator and His creation. Evolution is man’s imagined philosophy. It is the lie put in place of the God the creator which places God’s creation rather than God in the place of worship. The lie is that God did not create but matter (the created thing) has created itself. Evolution fits the description of man rejecting God and replacing God with their own imagination. Such willful ignorance and rejection of the truth resulted in them becoming unintelligent and accepting a lie in place of the truth. Not putting God in His rightful place is truly stupid. )
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Ephes. 5:17-21 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. [18] And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; [19] Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; [20] Giving thanks always FOR all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; [21] Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Philip. 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. [5] Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. [6] Be careful for nothing; but IN every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. [7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Col. 3:14-17 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. [15] And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; AND BE YE THANKFULl. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. [17] And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
1 Thes. 5:15-24 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. [16] Rejoice evermore. [17] Pray without ceasing. [18] IN every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. [19] Quench not the Spirit. [20] Despise not prophesyings. [21] Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. [22] Abstain from all appearance of evil. [23] And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [24] Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
JESUS GAVE THANKS:
Matthew 11:25 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Matthew 15:36 36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Luke 22:13-20 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. [14] And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. [15] And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: [16] For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. [17] And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: [18] For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. [19] And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. [20] Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
GIVE THANKS:
Psalm 18:46-49 46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. 48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. 49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Psalm 30:4-5 4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 30:10-12 10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. 11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
Psalm 75:1 1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
Psalm 92:1-2 1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
Psalm 97:10-12 10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Psalm 100:1-5 1
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Psalm 105:1-5 1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. 3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. 5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Psalm 106:1-3 1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise? 3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Psalm 107:1-2 1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
Psalm 140:11-13 11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. 12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Amen. We can ALL be thankful (at least for one Day).
THANKSGIVING 2020
I give Thanks for being guided to, and up, the “Mountain of Free Thinking.” Thank you, my parents! The view is limitless. From here I can see the FOREVER, and will forever. I find myself above the clouds of doubt and falsehoods and above the valleys of pollutions and distractions. I am grateful for being lead to recognize the guard rail of commandments, even the iron rod, to which I can, if I will, grab whenever I slip or fall backward down the sloops that lie all around me.
I am grateful for God-given mindfulness: my God-begotten mind, heart and body. Thanks to The Father and to Jesus Christ I can be aware of what I am thinking, feeling, saying, and doing and, when I will, take charge and let the Light of Christ and His Spirit prompt me in choosing and doing so. Thank you, Father and Son!
I am grateful for my ever-present eternal companion Ulene climbing with me and we, together, invite each of our children and their companions, and their children, and their children’s children to come and enjoy the view, the mental and eternal view. You will Love it! The fruit of the Tree of Life is delicious. Come and partake at our wonderful Family Reunion in the promised and provided great Beyond. Thank you, Sweetheart!
It is free. No charge, only one’s submission to TRUTH, available to all who desire it.
The “Mountain of Free Thinking” is our own “Mental Temple.”
Not to be sarcastic. We need to be thankful to look forward to Biden and the wicked witch of the west taking over and befinto destroy democracy.
Thank you sir. This note should be republished every year. Please send a copy to the staff of USA Today which chose this last Wed to
publish their revision of our true history to point out how the original pilgrims were a scourge unleashed upon north america. I prefer your
version.