Thanksgiving Proclamation

As Thanksgiving fast approaches I cannot begin to count the blessings God has given, so much more to be thankful for than space to write or breath to speak.I came across George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation, it was his first official proclamation after becoming the first president of the United States in 1789. Give special attention to what our duty as a nation is, what Thanksgiving Day is suppose to be devoted to, how it was intended to be observed, for what and to Whom we are to be thankful, to remember Who is the source and bestower of our blessings, and to be good stewards of and share those blessings. How much attention to or awareness of this proclamation is there in our society today? How many know the true origins, history, and foundations of our country and the holidays we celebrate and why we celebrate and have reason to give thanks?
I would encourage you to read and reread over and again this proclamation. Share it with as many people as possible; forward it, print copies and give them out, read them to your family and children as you gather to give thanks, if you teach share it with your students and parents-it is well within your protected rights. So many today are trying to rewrite history and outright lie about the Godly foundation and heritage of our country. Who better than George Washington to remind us all? "In God we trust" and to Him should we be thankful individually and as a nation! God bless you this Thanksgiving and throughout the upcoming Christmas season!

George Washington's1789 Thanksgiving 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 and 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 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 enable 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 has 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 show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, 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 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789.(signed) G. Washington


1621

Pilgrims and Native Americans enjoyed a harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This feast may have become the model for today's American celebration.
1630
Settlers and colonists from many continents brought customs of days of prayer and thanksgiving, especially in New England, where the first Thanksgiving of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was observed on July 8, 1630.
1777
The first Thanksgiving of the new United States of America occurred in 1777 when General George Washington and his army, as instructed by the Continental Congress, stopped in bitter weather in the open fields on their way to Valley Forge to mark the occasion.
1789
Washington's first proclamation after his inauguration as the nation's first president in 1789 declared November 26, 1789, as a national day of "thanksgiving and prayer

My Adoption Story

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Today, November 15, is a special day for me, the date of my adoption into the family God. The year was 1981; I had just turned seventeen the month before, on the seventeenth, and was nearly half way through my senior year in high school. Earlier that Spring I had been invited to Wick Road Baptist Church by a young lady I liked. At that time I was going off and on to Allen Park Church of the Nazarene where I had grown up attending. I was amazed the first Sunday I went to Wick Road that there were about one hundred youth in Sunday school; they were in the middle of a promotion. Had never experienced that before as we never had much over a handful at Allen Park. I was surprised, too, at the number of people I knew, went to high school with, and how enjoyable/fun it was at Wick, but the gospel message was also solid, clear, and hitting home with me. By Fall I was attending pretty regular and each time when the invitation was offered to receive Jesus Christ and God’s gift of salvation I felt/sensed an urging that I needed to do something, to respond, to find some relief from the inner turmoil. I would find myself gripping the pew, sensing a spiritual struggle within, just trying to make it through one more time. This Sunday was just the same, I can’t remember the message but the battle within was on full force. However, something different happened, a friend of mine put his hand on my shoulder and quietly asked if I needed/wanted to go forward, I had so many times before, and as I said yes I released my grip on the pew and stepped out in the aisle toward the alter. He got the attention of a man who knelt in prayer with me. I can’t remember the exact prayer he or I prayed but I know I asked for and received forgiveness, asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, received His gift of salvation and eternal life. I didn’t fully understand or comprehend what happened, still don’t, but I do know this, that it was like a tremendous weight/burden had been lifted, I felt light, free, and a peace surpassing understanding. So, on this day I celebrate my spiritual birthday, the day I was, in Jesus’ words, born again. The day I was the whosoever of John 3:16, a verse I had learned/memorized as a little boy, that believed and received the greatest, most gracious gift, from God, of eternal life. On this day I remember and give thanks for the Spirit of adoption, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of promise, the Holy Spirit, living and abiding in me, leading and guiding, comforting and counseling, teacher and helper, constant companion. Thankful that I am not a spiritual orphan but have an Abba Father always with me, always listening, always caring/providing for me, always everything I need all the time. Thankful, glad that I’m a part of the family of God, an everlasting family in which I share an inheritance and am a joint heir with and because of Jesus, my Brother, my Friend, forever. Today I remember and say thank You Abba, thank You Jesus. Your grace still amazes me. Early this morning, in the stillness and quiet You remind me that you are I AM and that I am Yours. Early this morning taking me on a journey back to before the foundation of the world and there revealing to me the miraculous, eternal depths of this miracle of adoption and encouraging me to share and make others aware that they too can take part in and experience the miracle.

They Never Meet

I came across this today from the pages of Our Daily Bread and found it very interesting, enlightening, un-understandable(?)...His ways, His thoughts higher (infinitely) than ours! Thought I'd pass it on.

Did you know that the farthest point east and the farthest point west in the United States are both in Alaska? It’s a geographical trick, actually. Pochnoi Point in the Aleutians is as far west as you can go and still be in the US. But if you travel a few miles farther west, you’ll end up at Alaska’s Amatignak Island. Because that spot is west of the 180th meridian separating the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, it is technically east of the rest of the US.
But you’ll never find a spot where east and west are actually next to each other. In going west, you never “find” east. East goes on forever. West goes on forever. They never meet. You can’t get farther from something than that.
What difference does this make? Just this: When you read in Scripture that your forgiven sins are separated from you “as far as the east is from the west” (Ps. 103:12), you are assured that they are an immeasurable distance away—gone forever. If that’s not enough, try this: God says, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25).
Concerned about your sins? Through Jesus’ death on the cross, God is able to say, “What sins?” But He will do that only if you put your faith in His Son. — Dave Branon

Wow...our God is an Awesome God!

Fall Back

24/7 has become a popular term, referring to "all the time", however, it does not apply to this first week in November. This week we have 25/1 and 24/6. People sometimes say, "there are only twenty four hours in a day" but today they would be wrong. On this November 2 there are twenty five hours in a day. How can that be? How does it work? Well, the simple answer is that you turn your clocks back one hour, technically it's suppose to occur at 2am, before you go to bed on November 1. But the more I think about it, the less I understand it, the more unexplainable it becomes. I could say that it gives us an hour back for a day back in Spring when we "sprung forward", setting our clocks ahead one hour, and experienced a twenty three hour day. Daylight savings time is what they call it. So, then, how to explain that? Today we are back to standard time. Standard? I suppose that means this is where our time is suppose to be? So, this is normal time until we spring forward again? Oh my! I think it's time to quit trying to understand time and start enjoying it because once it's gone we can't get it back even on a twenty five hour day.

Adoption Awareness

The month of November is "Adoption Awareness Month". Throughout this month I will be writing, sharing about the miracle of adoption. Drawing attention to the great need, opportunity, responsibility to minister to the fatherless and orphan.

We have been given the Spirit of adoption by which we cry out "Abba, Father!"