Oh I rejoice in the Lord. The Lord is mighty and He is Good! It is Thanksgiving. A time to Praise and give thanks to the almighty God for All that He has done. William Bradford proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving for the colonists. George Washington declare the Holiday in 1789. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, looking for ways to unite the nation, Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed the last Thursday in November in 1863.
I thank my God that we to this day have a right to stand and thank and praise and give honor to the one and only true God. Who loves us intimately and created us to praise Him. So many Psalms talk about praise and giving thanks. My favorite is Psalm 100:
Make a Joyful noise to the Lord all you lands! Serve the Lord with Gladness! come before his presence with singing! Know(perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He who has made us, not we ourselves (and we are His)! We are his people and the sheep of His pasture, (Eph2:10) Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness and truth endure to all generations.
Friends, I pray that today you all will take time to worship our Lord and King. It says to not only come into the gate but come into the courts. Go to the inner court of your being and spring up that well that so desires to say “Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within Me!” We all have things to be thankful for. Even if you are going through a trial, He says to count is all Joy. Meaning that even if we are going through a valley, there is still reason to praise Him. Job did not give up. He continued to have faith in God. Continue to be thankful this season. Don’t allow the enemy to kill steel and destroy. Rise up and say, “I will praise and be thankful today!” So let’s rise up as a nation and give thanks to our God for all the things He has done and things that He will be doing for us in our lives. We serve a faithful God, a God that will never leave us nor forsake us. Yet how many times have we not been faithful to him or obeyed his ways. He is there saying, come on home. He loves to be intimate with you. Take time to worship with your loved ones.
Tomorrow we will start a new tradition in our Home. We are going to say things that we are thankful for every hour on the hour. To remember the things that the Lord has done in our lives. To have a continual attitude of praise throughout our day as we hang Christmas lights. Make a new tradition this year to come up higher to put our Lord First place in all things. May your day be filled with the Lord and all the blessings of our Heavenly Father that He has bestowed on you in your life time. Blessings my friends! Remember, Jesus is Lord. Always will be. Rejoice and be Glad!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jane Ahl

Turkey. Parades. Mashed potatoes. Sweet potatoes. Stuffing. Cornbread dressing. Pies. That green bean casserole you either love or hate. Football games. Family times around the table, the yard, the TV, the fireplace. What is your definition of this American holiday we know as Thanksgiving? My children love the Peanuts version where the kids are sitting around the ping pong table, eating pretzels, popcorn and toast.