Almost from the very beginning of America the call to give thanks to Almighty God has been heard in the land. Even before the Pilgrims settled in Massachusetts the proclamation of Thanksgiving was sounded upon these shores.

One of the earliest recorded celebrations occurred a half century before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1621. “A small colony of French Huguenots established a settlement near present-day Jacksonville, Florida. On June 30, 1564, their leader, René de Laudonnière, recorded that ‘We sang a psalm of Thanksgiving unto God, beseeching Him that it would please Him to continue His accustomed goodness towards us.”

In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia’s James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America’s first permanent English colony.

In 1610, after a hard winter called “the starving time,” the colonists at Jamestown called for a time of thanksgiving. This was after the original company of 409 colonists had been reduced to 60 survivors. The colonists prayed for help that finally arrived by a ship filled with food and supplies from England. They held a prayer service to give thanks.

While none of these Thanksgiving celebrations were an official national pronouncement (no nation existed at the time), they do support the claim that the celebrations were religious. “Thanksgiving began as a holy day, created by a community of God-fearing Puritans sincere in their desire to set aside one day each year especially to thank the Lord for His many blessings. The day they chose, coming after the harvest at a time of year when farm work was light, fit the natural rhythm of rural life.”

In July 1776, the American colonists declared independence from Britain. The months that followed were so bleak that there was not much to give thanks for. The Journals of the Continental Congress record no Thanksgiving in that year, only two days of “solemn fasting” and prayer.

For much of 1777, the situation was not much better. British troops controlled New York City. The Americans lost the strategic stronghold of Fort Ticonderoga, in upstate New York, to the British in July. In Delaware County, Pa., on Sept. 11, troops led by Gen. George Washington lost the Battle of Brandywine, in which 200 Americans were killed, 500 wounded and 400 captured. Early in the morning of Sept. 21, another 300 American soldiers were killed or wounded and 100 captured in a British surprise attack near Malvern, Pa., that became known as the Paoli Massacre.

Philadelphia, America’s largest city, fell on Sept. 26. Congress, which had been meeting there, fled briefly to Lancaster, Pa., and then to York, a hundred miles west of Philadelphia. One delegate to Congress, John Adams of Massachusetts, wrote in his diary, “The prospect is chilling, on every Side: Gloomy, dark, melancholy, and dispiriting.”

His cousin, Samuel Adams, gave the other delegates — their number had dwindled to a mere 20 from the 56 who had signed the Declaration of Independence — a talk of encouragement. He predicted, “Good tidings will soon arrive. We shall never be abandoned by Heaven while we act worthy of its aid and protection.”

He turned out to have been correct, at least about the good tidings. On Oct. 31, a messenger arrived with news of the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga. The American general, Horatio Gates, had accepted the surrender of 5,800 British soldiers, and with them 27 pieces of artillery and thousands of pieces of small arms and ammunition.

Saratoga turned the tide of the war — news of the victory was decisive in bringing France into a full alliance with America. Congress responded to the event by appointing a committee of three that included Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia and Daniel Roberdeau of Pennsylvania, to draft a report and resolution. The report, adopted Nov. 1, declared Thursday, Dec. 18, as “a day of Thanksgiving” to God, so that “with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor.”

It was the first of many Thanksgivings ordered up by Samuel Adams. Though the holidays were almost always in November or December, the exact dates varied. (Congress didn’t fix Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November until 1941.)

In 1778, a Thanksgiving resolution drafted by Adams was approved by Congress on Nov. 3, setting aside Wednesday, Dec. 30, as a day of public thanksgiving and praise, “It having pleased Almighty God through the Course of the present year, to bestow great and manifold Mercies on the People of these United States.”

When the nation was finally established the First House of Representatives on Thursday, September 24, 1789, voted to recommend—in its exact wording—the First Amendment to the states for ratification. The next day, Friday, September 25, Congressman Elias Boudinot from New Jersey proposed that the House and Senate jointly request of President Washington to proclaim a day of thanksgiving for “the many signal favors of Almighty God.” Boudinot said that he “could not think of letting the session pass over without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining, with one voice, in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings he had poured down upon them.” and on October 3rd of that year President George Washington made the first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation.

On October 3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared that the last Thursday of November 1863 would be set aside as a nationwide celebration of thanksgiving. His proclamation stated that:

“No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the most high God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy…. I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday in November next as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent father who dwelleth in heaven.”

Starting with Lincoln, United States Presidents proclaimed the last Thursday in November for Thanksgiving. Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the celebration to the third Thursday in November “to give more shopping time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. At this point Congress enacted the ‘fourth Thursday’ compromise.” Ever since this pragmatic and commercial approach to Thanksgiving was promoted, its original meaning has steadily been lost.

As a nation we owe a debt of gratitude to those who arrived here before us and set in place the practice of offering Thanksgiving to God for the preservation of this great nation. Without which I fear this young nation would have been lost before it even began. Although many today attempt to remove the foundation Religion played in the formation of this nation, it is quite clear to this reader that the Divine Providence of God was responsible for the very survival of these United States of America. Thanks be to God!

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• Happy Thanksgiving and Praise The Lord! (bloggingministry.com)

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A View from the Nest

Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

Insight from the Journey across the Sky

By Allen Scott

Good people do the good things that are in them. But evil people do the evil things that are in them. _{Matt 12:35 (GW)–}

Investigators searched on Friday for the motive behind a mass shooting at a sprawling U.S. Army base in Texas, in which an Army psychiatrist trained to treat war wounded is suspected of killing 13 people.

The suspected gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim born in the United States of immigrant parents, was shot four times by police, a base spokesman said. He was unconscious but in stable condition.

The Army declined to discuss possible motives while the investigation was under way. “We have to understand what caused the suspect to act in the way that he did,” Army Secretary John McHugh said after observing a moment of silence at the base. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091107/ts_nm/us_texas_shooting

And thus the speculation begins. Was he suffering from Post Traumatic Stress disorder, an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. Or could it be that Hasan was an Islamic terrorist, acting out a personal jihad? Perhaps he was emotionally disturbed. Perhaps there is a simpler explanation.

Good people do good things and evil people do evil things. Yes that’s right there are evil people in the world. Because of the effects of sin in the world the capacity for evil greatly increases as more and more of the world is removed from the saving grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When the good news of the renewing effects of the Gospel is replaced with some other religion or teaching then there is no help for a sin-sick heart. There remains therefore no hope for those who are found under the influence of the evil within. Being left to their own devises they continue in their evil inclinations.

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. _{Gen 6:5 (ESV)–}

A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words; His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts. _{Prov 6:12 & 14 (BBE)}

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, the taking of life, broken faith between the married, unclean desires of the flesh, taking of property, false witness, bitter words: _{Matt 15:19 (BBE)–}

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? _{Jer 17:9 (RSV)–}

There is hope however, if we acknowledge our evil heart with it’s evil intentions and pray for God to deliver us from evil, and lead us not into temptation.

And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. _{Matt 6:13 (RSV)–}

In order to free us from this present evil world, Christ took the punishment for our sins, because that was what our God and Father wanted _{Gal 1:4 (GW)–}

The world is looking for answers. Inquiring minds want to know why. Those who were victimized by evil want to understand how this could happen. Why is there evil in the world? Simply because man is evil and desperately wicked and in need of a savior which is Christ the Lord. Without the preaching of the gospel there is no hope of eradicating evil from the heart of man. And as long as there is evil in the heart of man and man refuses to ask for a “new heart” from God then there will be more Fort Hoods and similar incidents until evil is eradicated from the world through the return of Christ as final arbiter and judge.

And [how you] look forward to and await the coming of His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, Who personally rescues and delivers us out of and from the wrath [bringing punishment] which is coming [upon the impenitent] and draws us to Himself [ investing us with all the privileges and rewards of the new life in Christ, the Messiah]. _{1 Thess 1:10 (AMP)–}

Make a clean heart in me, O God; give me a right spirit again. _{Psalms 51:10 (BBE)–}

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” _{Rev 21:1-4 (NKJV)–}

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; and in that day the heavens will be rolled up with a great noise, and the substance of the earth will be changed by violent heat, and the world and everything in it will be burned up. Seeing then that all these things are coming to such an end, what sort of persons is it right for you to be, in all holy behaviour and righteousness, Looking for and truly desiring the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will come to an end through fire, and the substance of the earth will be changed by the great heat? But having faith in his word, we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth, which will be the resting-place of righteousness. For this reason, my loved ones, as you are looking for these things, take great care that when he comes you may be in peace before him, free from sin and every evil thing. _{2 Peter 3:10-14 (BBE)–}

I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, but no place was found for them. I saw the dead, both important and unimportant people, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened, including the Book of Life. The dead were judged on the basis of what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead. Death and hell gave up their dead. People were judged based on what they had done. Death and hell were thrown into the fiery lake. (The fiery lake is the second death.) Those whose names were not found in the Book of Life were thrown into the fiery lake. _{Rev 20:11-15 (GW)–}

Yes America sometimes it really is what it is, evil, wickedness, sin. Let us call sin sin and evil evil. Let us not attempt to explain away the obvious effects of sin in the world. Sin will increase until it becomes exceedingly sinful. In other words, it is going to get worse before it can get better. And it will get worse so that even those who today are scrambling to try to explain away this evil will have to say, indeed it is what it is evil.

Evil and false men will become worse and worse, using deceit and themselves overcome by deceit. _{2 Tim 3:13 (BBE)–}

So instead of turning to psychology and science. Instead of looking to each other for reason and understand, why not look to the redeemer and ask Him to redeem you from the effects of sin and wickedness? Ask Jesus to save you from yourself and pray for your neighbors so they too can be rescued from the evil effects of sin. Until we all come to the full understanding of God’s love through Christ Jesus there can be no hope of peace on earth and good will toward men. There is no other name under heaven whereby man can be rescued from the evil of sin. It is what it is. And this is a view from the nest.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey

Additional resources

A View from the Nest

Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

Insight from the Journey across the Sky

By Allen Scott

I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith. _{2 Tim 4:7 (GW)}

60 Minutes is an American investigative television newsmagazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by long time producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation. It has been among the top-rated TV programs for much of its life, and has garnered numerous awards over the years. It is considered by many to be the preeminent investigative television program in the United States. The autumn of 2008 saw the program’s 40th anniversary, and it currently holds the record for the longest continuously running program of any genre scheduled during American network prime time; it has aired at 7 p.m. Eastern Time Sundays since December 7, 1975 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60_Minutes

Although 60 Minutes has the reputation of being the longest running news program, on Sunday evening Oct 4th, 60 Minutes was not the only 60 minutes in prime time. The evening featured not one but two 60 minute programs when the Pittsburgh Steelers took on the San Diego Chargers in what proved to be a 60 minute nail biter finish.

If you tuned into the first half of the Steelers Chargers match-up you would have left with the feeling that it was going to be a run away win by the Steelers. However after the first 45 minutes the whole atmosphere of the game changed and the remaining 15 minutes proved to be an intense back and forth fight to the finish.

You do not have to be an investigative reporter to understand that anything can happen on any given Sunday Night in the NFL. And Sunday night Oct 4th proved this truism once again.

Although the Steelers where leading 28-0 through three quarters of play San Diego came to life in the fourth quarter and quickly closed the gap on the Steelers lead. Big Ben and his offensive line could not ride out the clock on this match, they would have to play the whole 60 minutes.

The signature ticking time piece made famous by the 60 minutes news program constantly reminded the audience of how much time remained until the end of the program. An avid 60 minutes fan knows the program is not over until Andy Rooney gives his commentary. And a football fan also knows that the game does not end at the third quarter but when the final seconds tick off the scoreboard.

Casual football watchers may have grown bored with the first half of the Steelers Chargers match-up because it was all one-sided. The Steelers appeared to be running away with the game. The Chargers where unable to stop the Steelers offense.

The game was winding down with three quarters of the game past and the Steelers where holding to a commanding lead. But once the fourth quarter started things began to change. The Chargers quickly racked up touchdown after touchdown, even fielding an on-side kick to add points to the score. The gap was quickly closing as the official time piece was ticking off the final 15:00 minutes of play. The final score was determined within the last 2 minutes of the game’s end, proving once again that a football team has to play a full 60 minutes every Sunday. They can not play half a game or even three quarters of a game. They must play all four quarters.

Many of us schedule our lives by the hour. We set aside hourly blocks for different activities. Usually we set aside at least 60 minutes each Sunday for worship in our respected churches. We schedule lunch hours and business meetings. Much of our lives are ordered around the clock. Each 60 minute segment maps our course and if recorded will show our path and where we have been.

Each Sunday evening, for the last 40 plus years, the news team at 60 Minutes aired their program. And for the last 90 plus years each Sunday evening, the NFL has played 60 minutes of football. Of course it takes almost 3 hours to play those 60 minutes but officially the game only lasts 60 minutes on the official time clock.

Any sports team can attest that the outcome of a game is not determined at the beginning but rather at the end. It is after the last seconds tick off the clock that the final outcome is known. Until the last second there is still

(an opportunity) a chance to change the course of a game. Had the San Diego Chargers decided that after three quarters the game was over they would not have “almost” won the game. Had Pittsburgh decided they only wanted to play for 45 minutes they would have lost the game. The possibility of a Steelers loss loomed large at the start of the last 15 minutes of the game. However, in the end, the Steelers were victorious and the Chargers left town with a lose.

No matter what has happened during your last 60 minutes of life you can still change the outcome. If you are reading this article then the official time clock of your life has not reached the final second. You are still involved in the game of life, and you can still effect the outcome of your life. If things have been going badly for you do not despair, the game is not over. Even if you have been loosing for 3 quarters of your life, there is still the final quarter to play. Never give up, never quit, never lose hope, but keep the faith and fight on, you can still effect the outcome and change the course of your life.

The Chargers charged back during the final 15 minutes of the Sunday night football game and almost came out a winner. Alas it was not to be, but I loved the fact that they never gave up.

Paul wrote to Timothy declaring that he too had fought a hard fight and had kept the faith. He completed the race. He never gave up. There were parts of Paul’s life that were not very victorious, but in the end he could say that he played the whole game. He never quit. He kept at it.

The only losers in life are those who quit living, who quit trying, who give up before the last tick of the time clock. As long as there is breath within you, keep fighting the good fight. Things can change in 60 minutes.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey

 
A View from the Nest

Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

Insight from the Journey across the Sky

Plant your seed in the morning, and don’t let your hands rest until evening. You don’t know whether this field or that field will be profitable or whether both of them will {turn out} equally well. _{Eccl 11:6 (GW)}

John came, and gave baptism in the waste land, preaching baptism as a sign of forgiveness of sin for those whose hearts were changed. _{Mark 1:4 (BBE)}

And in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the waste land of Judaea, Saying, Let your hearts be turned from sin; for the kingdom of heaven is near. _{Matt 3:1-2 (BBE)}

 
There was a mailman, John Hand, who rode his mail truck through Los Altos Hills of California on his 50 mile route each day. The route was plain, all brown and virtually no color. One day he began to throw wild flower seeds out of the window as he drove. Today, if you travel his route in the Los Altos Hills you’ll find beautiful patches of flowers throughout, blossoming in many colors.

Johnny Chapman was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, on September 26, 1774. He grew up to be a successful man who owned many nurseries in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana, yet Johnny lived a simple life. Johnny was a skilled nurseryman who grew trees and supplied seeds to the pioneers in the mid-western USA. In addition he gave away and sold many trees. His real name was John Chapman, but people called him Johnny Appleseed because of his love for growing apple trees.

Johnny died at the age of 70; and is buried in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He had spent 50 years growing apple trees and traveling to spread his precious trees around his country. Legend has it that as he traveled around he wore his cooking pot on his head as a hat.

John the Baptizer was in the desert telling people about a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. John was dressed in clothes made from camel’s hair. He wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey._{Mark 1:4-6 (GW)}

John Hand, Johnny Appleseed and John the Baptist all spread beauty wherever they went. You can trace John Hands movements by the beautiful flowers which grow along his mail route. The results of many years of traveling the same route daily and tossing out seeds of beauty on an otherwise plain and barren route. Those seeds now bring much beauty to others who follow John Hand’s route through the desert.

Johnny Chapman loved apple trees. He loved them so much that he felt every body should have at least one. His mission and passion was to spread the good news of apple trees to whomever he met. If someone could not afford to buy an apple tree Johnny would give them one. Today there are many apple trees throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana because of Johnny Chapman’s passion.

John the Baptist came to spread the gospel of repentance through Jesus Christ. He spread the seeds of revival that still spring forth today. Dressed in sackcloth and eating locust and wild honey John the Baptist, like Johnny Chapman, lived a simple life, yet his message had an impact that would spread through generations.

In our daily lives are we spreading the GOOD SEEDS of God’s kingdom everywhere we go? Do we see the barrenness of our surroundings and simply look the other way or are we attempting to make a difference one seed at a time? It does not take much. Just a handful of seeds spread along our normal daily routes can make a lasting difference in our surroundings.

We all travel different roads. God has given us wonderful opportunities to change and bring added beauty to our landscapes. In our families, at our jobs, in the world around us,  opportunities to color those landscapes! It’s far easier for us to complain and resign ourselves to settling for those landscapes, than it is to be the catalysts of change. From this point on, let’s resolve to stop complaining about the lifelessness around us and do something about it! God has given us the power and anointing to change those landscapes!

Spread some seeds today, that will produce lasting results tomorrow.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey

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