In November 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing to thank God for miraculously bringing them through a very tough and terrible winter. After that day it was celebrated by individual colonies and states, but wasn’t celebrated on a national level until Abraham Lincoln was president. Right in the middle of one of the bloodiest wars fought on American soil, the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation in 1863 declaring a national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated annually in November.

The Bible tells us of the importance of thanking the Lord at all times – good times, hard times, and times of deliverance. Being thankful brings strength, shifts our focus off of us and our tough circumstances, adds light to the day, and allows us to fix our eyes on the Lord and those He has placed around us. History is an example of that as well. The Pilgrims celebrated it to thank the Lord for delivering and preserving them through tough times, and President Lincoln proclaimed a national Day of Thanksgiving that just might have given the strength needed to endure in the midst of one of the most difficult and devastating times of our country’s history. Whatever we may face today, there will always be at least one thing for which we can be thankful to God.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving spending time with those you love and creating memorable moments together.

Looking forward to seeing you in school on Monday!