I'm thankful to God for FAMILY-

MANY OF YOU KNOW I COME FROM A LARGE EXTENDED FAMILY. ON MY MOM'S SIDE, (MOM, BEING ONE OF ELEVEN) I HAVE 30 FIRST COUSINS. A FEW OF WHOM I WILL SEE THIS THANKSGIVING. MANY OF MY FAMILY BELIEVE IN THE SAVING GRACE OF JESUS CHRIST. ONE FAMILY IN PARTICULAR SENT ME THIS MESSAGE CONCERNING THANKSGIVING:

Greetings from just a few miles from where the FIRST (U.S.) THANKSGIVING Festival took place:

Some of you have visited us and have driven the road in front of our home that was the trail between the PLIMOTH COLONY and the MASS BAY COLONY. John Adams was born and raised his family just a few miles north of our riverside home. Revolutionary and Civil War troops marched by, hundreds of sailing ships were built in our North River that sailed throughout the world and many little New England churches erected during those days still hold services. Given the challenges our nation faces now, the lesson of our nation's earliest THANKSGIVING celebration may be even more appropriate.

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

The Executive Director of the PLYMOUTH ROCK Foundation, here in MA, is a local pastor. He e-mailed a devotional today which included much of the following: Giving thanks is being grateful for who God is in the midst of everything. Its' focus is on God and who He is, not on what we have or think we deserve. Unfortunately, the entitlement mentality has swept our nation and is in turn reflected in our experience with the body of Christ. What we really deserve is judgment ... but instead, we receive much mercy.

When we realize who we are and what we deserve in contrast to who God is and what He has given us, we awaken a "grateful spirit" in the midst of whatever circumstance we find ourselves in.

When the Pilgrims arrived in November of 1620, they brought with them, as children of the Reformation, the Biblical doctrine of giving thanks. They gave thanks to God in the midst of difficulties (banishment, jail, persecution and loss of material possessions, and storms at sea, including being blown off course to Cape Cod.) They gave thanks to God in the midst of death when half their company died the first winter. They gave thanks to God for providing an English speaking, Christian Native American who the LORD used as an instrument to spare them from salvation and fatal Indian attacks. They gave their heavenly Father Thanks during their three day harvest festival, probably in the month of October, 1621, which is the origin of our modern Thanksgiving holiday.

The 51 surviving Pilgrims were the minority as they were unexpectedly joined by 90 Native Americans for a three day feast. They ate seafood, fowl and venison, along with the native wild turkeys. Only four adult women had survived the first year to host the three days of meals for 140! [And we complain about the work to host guests for ONE meal?] The children served the adults (now that's an idea you could try to make your holiday meal much more authentic) and athletic competition was a part of the three day feast (football fans should love this) !!

CONSIDER reading excerpts from William Bradford's Of Plimoth Plantation or Edward Winslow's Mourt's Relation around the dinner table this weekend for lessons on gratefulness!

The origin of giving God thanks in the midst of difficulty was rooted long before the New Testament was written, however, for it finds its roots in the Feast of Tabernacles. The traditional English harvest festival is quite probably rooted in the converted Celtic traditions of honoring the Jewish festivals by the 2nd century AD and throughout English history.

The Feast, described in Leviticus 23:34, took place for a week in October, and involved feasting and giving thanks to God for one's provision though mixed with suffering (like God's provision in the wilderness for 40 years). It has been called the Feast of Ingathering (or harvest), the Feast of thanksgiving, and the pilgrim feast (due to the wandering of the Israelites). It was a celebration of joy despite any suffering.

We had gathered in our harvests, and stored the yellow grain,
For God had sent the sunshine, and sent the plenteous rain;
Our barley-land and corn-land, Had yielded up their store,
And the fear and dread of famine, oppressed our homes no more.

As the chosen tribes of Israel, in the far years of old,
When the summer fruits were garnered, and before the winter's cold,
Kept their festal week with gladness, with songs and choral lays,
So we kept our first Thanksgiving in the hazy autumn days.

Henry Morton Dexter (19th century)

May you and your family pause this THANKSGIVING in a memorable way. Focus on who GOD is in your life ... and like the Pilgrims.... Be THANKFUL !!

~ From all the D FAMILY~