Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving -the time of year when we think of turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Almost the end of fall and the promise of winter. Some folks are anticipating Thanksgiving so they can rush out the following day and shop. How in the world did Black Friday ever get started?? The term ‘Black Friday’ first appeared on September 24, 1869, when two ruthless Wall Street stockbrokers named Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, hatched a plan to buy up as much of the country’s gold as possible and sell it for massive profit. This ruthless plan unraveled on that fateful Friday, causing the stock market to crash and the rich and poor alike to become bankrupt in the process. Following a law that passed in 1941 that officially made Thanksgiving the forth Thursday in November, in the early 1950’s people began calling in sick the day after Thanksgiving, both to extend their holiday and to take advantage of the fact that stores were open. Rather than cause a HR headache by trying to determine who was genuinely sick and who was playing hooky, many bosses decided to include the Friday after Thanksgiving as an additional paid holiday. This trend spread, and soon many people were taking advantage of the extra day to get a head start on their Christmas shopping. But the craziest part of all? Black Friday isn’t actually the busiest shopping day of the year – that award  is given to the Saturday before Christmas. Shopping is not what should be thinking about though. It should be a day that you concentrate on thanking God for all the blessings He has bestowed on you and your family and not dwell on the negative. Many have had tragedies, deaths, loss of family through separation and divorce, etc. but in all of this we need to thank God for each and every day and know that all has happened for His glory. And don't let your thanks end on Thursday - be thankful every day of the year. 

A friend of Fred's passed away last week - end - a friend for  over 60 years when they were kids back on the farm in Wisconsin. I have had him and his wife for friends for over 60 also when we were first married - she and I became friends because our husbands were. We are about as different as day and night and learned to respect each other's differences and have a great time together. It seems as if they were there though all the fun and sad times, too. We are so thankful (there's that word again) that we spent some time with the last summer in their beautiful Northern Wisconsin home on a lake. Please keep his wife and family in your prayers for strength and peace in the coming holiday season.

    I love it hen Pastor Vance takes a book of the Bible and goes through it chapter by chapter so we come to a better understanding of the circumstances as to how, why, and when it was written. We are continuing in I Peter. We usually go over it in our Bible Study class on Wednesday with Vance leading, but thus week we have no class so all can get ready for the holiday. We had to be more alert Sunday to his sermon on Sunday! This is the week on Thanksgiving where we need to be thankful for everyone and everything.  Make amends with those who need it. The good news has been proclaimed. When Jesus came He came as the blameless lamb for the sins of all. Jesus dies for you. We are human and sinners and cannot change that - we have rebelled against God. The Good News is that God gave His son Jesus for us. Jesus died to bring us to God. Do you want to be in heaven forever with God? This is what God really wants for us. Your sins were paid for in full through the resurrection of Jesus. Here is the Good News explained:

1) It is salvation from sin. We are saved from the mistakes in our lives. God gave us baptism to give us a clear victory over Satan, sin, and death. Baptism is a way for God to give you a new look on life through Him. Baptism does not remove dirt from the body, but saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more humble than submitting yourself to God. Baptism is a submission to God through Jesus Christ.

2) The Good News is Victory over Satan. Jesus took His time to go to the hill to preach His Victory. The letter from Peter was written to encourage those who were persecuted for their belief in Him.

3) The Good New sis the hope of heaven. He conquered the grave so we can conquer the grave. Jesus is now at the right hand of God. He is there to intercede for us to His Father. 

Are you in Christ? Give a confession of what you believe, repent, and be baptized. His blood will wash away your sin. Be thankful for HIs death.

Everyone have a truly happy Thanksgiving - enjoy the day with family, clear up any discontent, leave some pumpkin pie for me.