Positively Thankful!

Have you ever noticed how easy it has become to complain, and to be negative, critical, and pessimistic?

LOTS of people in our culture today have adopted that mindset...and this week...perhaps more than any other week for Americans...is when it needs to STOP!

I want to stop it--at least for myself! I want to be POSITIVE!
How about you?

This week, we take time to consider the Blessings that Almighty God has given us--from LIFE, to LIBERTY, and all our everyday blessings (family; job; food, clothing, shelter); Most importantly, He's given us the possibility of a relationship with Himself, through Jesus Christ!

He IS the source of all blessings... "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens." (James 1:17)

So it only makes sense that, in all our 'Thankfulness' this week, we take time to thank that Loving, Wise SOURCE of all blessings.

We used to do that...all the time!
It used to be part of our culture to acknowledge and thank our Great God for His blessings and involvement in our lives, and in our country.

For Example, below is the entire text of President George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation back in 1789:

"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 TWENTY-SIXTH 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 shown kindness unto 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 third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

Signed: George Washington
Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789

We need people to talk that way again...WE need to talk that way again...and we can--IF we start to THINK that way again!

Happy Thanksgiving, all!