Faith On Every Corner - November 2021

Page 78

W H AT S H O U L D I B E T H A N K F U L FOR THIS YEAR? By David Foucar

For most of us here in the United States, we enter November looking forward to the celebration of Thanksgiving. After all, who can resist the opportunity to enjoy the three Fs: food, family, and football? I love them all. We might disagree on some of the specifics, marshmallows or brown sugar on our yams, chunky cranberry sauce, or jellied pumpkin pie or apple. Maybe you get together with a big family or a small group of friends. It’s possible, it’s hard for me to imagine but, you may prefer watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade instead of football. Whatever the preferences, most of us look forward to the celebration. The roots of the Thanksgiving celebration begin even before the birth of our nation. Pilgrims celebrated what we consider the “First Thanksgiving” in October 1621. Later, we began officially celebrating as a nation with George Washington’s proclamation of 1789 and the tradition has continued, even though intermittently during some of our history, with the permanent observation set as the fourth Thursday in November established by an act of Congress in 1942.

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While we tend to think of Thanksgiving as an American holiday, its intended purpose was not to display national pride. Yes, I am thankful to live in the United States. Yes, I believe every American should be thankful for the freedoms they have. But, from its beginning, Thanksgiving was intended to recognize the source of all that we have to be thankful for, God Almighty Himself. George Washington’s proclamation recommended that we be devoted 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.” Abraham Lincoln indicated that God’s bounties “are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come.” Woodrow Wilson said it is our custom “to turn in praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God for his manifold mercies and blessings to us.” Of course, it is not only our national forefathers who remind us to be thankful but, more importantly, the scripture instructs us to give thanks. James reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” (James 1:17 NIV) and Paul instructs us “give thanks in all circumstances” and he continues “…for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV) We are to give thanks for every good thing we have because it is from God and we are to be thankful in every circumstance, whatever we have, and wherever we are. That, I have to say, is pretty all-encompassing. Even more than that, Paul tells us that being thankful is God’s will for us. A pretty big deal.

PAGE 78


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Articles inside

WHAT SHOULD I BE THANKFUL FOR THIS YEAR? by David Foucar

5min
pages 78-79

HOW GOD HAS WORKED IN MY LIFE by Christina Sinisi

5min
pages 74-75

What it Takes to Be a Life-Changer by Tami Thorsen

4min
pages 70-71

MYTH VS REALITY - “I AM WELL, HOW ARE YOU?” by Melody Foster

4min
pages 68-69

The Phone Call by Edward Tooley

6min
pages 66-67

If We Just Look by Merideth Tullous

3min
pages 64-65

Thankful To Be by P. Diane Buie

1min
page 62

The Power Of Praise by Shara Bueler-Repka

3min
pages 60-61

Come to Me by Jim and Esther Bandy

1min
page 59

Reaping The Benefit of the Pain of Friendship - by Joseph Akinrinola

4min
pages 58-59

Being Thankful In So Many Different Ways by Cindy Oriol

5min
pages 56-57

A Time for Thanksgiving by Sharon K. Connell

3min
pages 54-55

Covenants of God by Dr. Irene Surya

1min
page 53

Tunnel Vision by Karen Ruhl

2min
page 52

I Ask by Vivian Satterwhite

1min
page 50

Honoring God Through Adversity–Part One by Jeff Foster

5min
pages 48-49

Dayenu and Thank You - by Mike Buchanan

4min
pages 46-47

Two Deaths by Esther M. Bandy

4min
pages 40-41

Delivering the Newspaper - Lessons in Thanksgiving by Craig D. Lounsbrough

4min
pages 38-39

Road Trippin' On Top of the Mountain by Karen Ruhl

2min
pages 34-37

His Heliotrope by Cindy Evans

1min
page 33

Peace In The Midst Of Problems - by Juliana Gordon

3min
pages 32-33

My Clean House by Gini Walker

2min
page 31

Be Thankful by Rolanda T. Pyle

1min
page 30

Inspiration Comes In All Forms by Colette Shomaker

5min
pages 28-29

Poetry By Peter Caligiuri

2min
pages 26-27

Serving At Thanksgiving by Craig Ruhl

3min
pages 24-25

Come and Dine by Dave Evans

3min
pages 22-23

November Prayer by Tynea Lewis

1min
page 21

Renewing The Spirit by Gina Sewell

2min
page 20

The Power Of Words by Yvonne M. Morgan

3min
pages 18-19

THE RICHEST FOOD by Nicole Byrum

4min
pages 16-17

Morning Coffee With Michael E. Wells

4min
pages 14-15

Drink Tea! by Dr. Kathleen B. Oden

2min
pages 12-13

All Things New by Andrea Marino

4min
pages 10-11

The Kid’s Table by Melissa Henderson

4min
pages 8-9

Thanksgiving Thoughts and Poems by John Alexander

2min
pages 6-7

Faith On Every Corner - November 2021

1min
pages 1-2

THE LOCAL CHURCH—A GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE - By Joel Berry

5min
pages 72-73
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