Dear KMAG: 20191124 Open Topic

This THANKFUL THOUGHTS SUNDAY Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Heavenly Father, our King Eternal.

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Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS:
“I AM PRAYING FOR YOU!“

AND WHAT TIME IS IT?  TIME TO….DRAIN THE SWAMP!!! 

Our movement is about replacing a failed and CORRUPT political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People. ~ Candidate Donald J. Trump

Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:

1. No food fights.
2. No running with scissors.
3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.

On this day and every day –

God is in Control
. . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . .
Keep Looking Up

Hopefully, every Sunday, you can find something here that will build you up a little . . . give you a smile . . . and add some joy, much needed in all our lives.

“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” . . . “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be– That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks–for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation–for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war–for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed–for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted–for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions– to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually–to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord–To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us–and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

Thanksgiving Prayer

Waking up early, a bit after dawn
Making preparations all the long morn
Baking the pies, apple, pumpkin, and more
Thanksgiving’s here and we all have our chores

Turkey roasting in the oven for hours
Families and friends, both yours and ours
Coming together on Thanksgiving Day
To thank our God and it’s to Him we pray

Thank You Lord for everything You’ve done
And, most of all, for giving us Your Son
We were lost, totally steeped in our sin
He died for us, our new lives to begin

Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings in life
Thank You for Your peace, our shelter from strife
For all Your mercies you make new with the dew
And for Your grace, and Your kindnesses, too

Thank You for the hope, deep in our hearts
That you’ll never leave us, we’ll never part
And for Your promise to take us away
To be with You for eternity’s days

Thank You for Your sun’s golden rays and light
For our homes and beds to sleep in tonight
For our good health, and for those who have none
For your comfort, ‘til their victory’s won

Lord, for all You’ve given, for all You do
We’re gathered here to give thanks to You
For all the bounty we have here, again
For all of this, Lord, we thank You.  Amen.

It’s great that we have a Thanksgiving national holiday so that, at least once in the year, the people that aren’t normally thankful to God are reminded by the Pilgrim’s celebration, our country’s traditions, and the President’s proclamation that we are to be thankful to God for the bounty that is inherent with living in the United States.

Or is that really so?

From Insider.com, here are
25 reasons why Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday

1. The food is amazing.
2. There are tons of side dishes, so there’s something for everyone.
3. It’s the start of the holiday season.
4. Leftovers will keep you full for days.
5. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a must-see.
6. The American Kennel Club’s National Dog Show takes place.
7. There’s no shortage of football games to watch.
8. If sports aren’t your thing, day-long sitcom and movie marathons are totally ok.
9. You get to be with family.
10. Or, you can spend the holiday with your closest friends for a “Friendsgiving” celebration.
11. You can participate in a Turkey Trot pre-Thanksgiving feast.
12. Everyone has their own unique traditions.
13. It’s perfectly acceptable to take a nap during the day.
14. It’s not a religious holiday, so everyone can celebrate.
15. It’s not super commercialized.
16. The decorations are adorable.
17. You don’t have to worry about getting people gifts.
18. You can get away with drinking wine all day.
19. It’s fun to prepare for Black Friday shopping.
20. It’s comforting to be back in your hometown.
21. There are pies. So many pies.
22. Cooking with family is a fun bonding activity.
23. You can dress up or be as casual as you want.
24. It’s not usually too cold outside yet.
25. It’s nice to remember what you’re thankful for.

And from Buzzfeed.com,
12 Reasons Thanksgiving Is The Best Day Of The Year

1. The entire point of Thanksgiving is stuffing your face.
2. There are so many foods on the table that everyone’s bound to find something they love.
3. You’re allowed to put bacon in every food.
4. Same goes for bourbon.
5. It’s one of the few days a year that your parents can’t complain about you drinking to wild excess.
6. It’s a secular holiday, so everyone can celebrate it with equal enthusiasm.
7. There’s a huge frickin’ bird involved.
8. But the “side” dishes get all the real glory, as they should.
9. The cooking is actually way easier than you think. No one will care if it isn’t fancy.
10. Only on Thanksgiving is eating 17 pieces of pie a reasonable thing to do.
11. Stuffing exists.
12. Finally, in conclusion: THE LEFTOVERS.

Not one mention of thanking God being the primary reason for the holiday.  In fact, blatant statements were falsely made that “It’s not a religious holiday” and “It’s a secular holiday”.

So, how much do we really have to thank God for?  Well . . .

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father . . .”  Please note . . . “Every good gift and every perfect gift” . . . not just some or most.  Every one.  We have God to thank for all the little gifts, the big gifts, the tiny gifts, and the huge gifts.  No good gift comes from anywhere but from God.  All of them!

What about those things in life that we don’t consider gifts: sickness, injury, loss of income and savings, death, and more?  For the Christian, “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  God takes the seemingly bad things in life and makes good out of them!

And the biggest gift of all, the gift of life for eternity: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

God has given us so much that we are to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  In everything give thanks.  Everything.  Every day. Always.

All this can be summed up, though not entirely adequately, by “Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.”  God’s everlasting lovingkindness to us is worthy of our thanks for eternity.

So, what are we thankful for this Thanksgiving?  In my opinion, the thanks to God for food, family and friends that you frequently hear at the Thanksgiving table is deserved by God, but we are thankful to Him for far, far more than that.

In fact, I believe it is totally impossible for us to properly thank God for His everlasting lovingkindness in all parts of our lives . . . but we should certainly try . . . every day and on Thanksgiving, too!

Notably, Barack Obama only mentioned God once or twice in 6 of his 8 Thanksgiving proclamations (no mention at all in 2 of them), and then only as a historical reference or in talking about Thanksgiving . . . and never once in any of the 8 proclamations after the “Now therefore I, Barack Obama . . . do hereby proclaim” statement.

President Trump referenced God in both of his Thanksgiving proclamations to date (2017 and 2018), averaging 6 mentions per proclamation, and also after both “do hereby proclaim” statements in those proclamations where he included “thanks to God”.

We are indeed fortunate to now have a President who recognizes God’s centrality in our lives . . . another thing to thank God for!

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Thank You, God, for everything
The big things and the small,
For “every good gift comes from God”
The Giver of them all.

And all too often we accept
Without any thanks or praise,
The gifts You send as blessings
Each day in many ways.

And so at this Thanksgiving time,
We offer up a prayer;
To thank You, God, for giving us
A lot more than our share.

First, thank You for the little things
That often come our way;
The things we take for granted
And don’t mention when we pray.

The unexpected courtesy,
The thoughtful, kindly deed,
A hand reached out to help us
In the time of sudden need.

Oh, make us more aware, dear God,
Of little daily graces,
That come to us with “sweet surprise,”
From never-dreamed-of places.

Then, thank You for the “miracles”
We are much too blind to see,
And give us new awareness
Of our many gifts from Thee.

And help us to remember
That the “key” to “life” and “living,”
Is to make each prayer a “prayer of thanks,”
And every day THANKSGIVING.

~ Helen Steiner Rice ~

Reflect upon your present blessings — of which every man has many — not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. ~ Charles Dickens

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
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.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

May we be truly thankful this Thanksgiving for all that God has done for us in our lives.