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Contributed by: Jared Keller on 11/22/2006

Man, how I love this time of year. I love the weather, the smells, the food (oy, how I love the food...), and the family time. I. Love. Thanksgiving.

Yep. I Love everything about it. Love the parade, with the nervous high school bands, the B-grade TV celebrities frolicking on floats with the Care Bears, the badly lip-synched Broadway pieces, the faces of the kids in the crowd, and the unofficial "OK" for beginning - in earnest - our anticipation of Christmas. Yeah...I'll be up in time to watch, with The Girl perched on my knee, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

See, in case you've somehow missed it in my other non-subtle posts on everything from Japanese robots to video games, I've yet to give into the cynicism that's supposed to mark one's passage from adolescence to adulthood. Of course, I've also apparently missed out on most of the maturity, but that's neither here nor there...

Thanksgiving, of course, gets seriously short shrift (behold the alliteration!). Event the aforementioned Macy's parade is more about Christmas (which, of course, is my favorite holiday) than Thanksgiving, so it's no great shock to see that most folks kind of rush right past this unique day on the way to the mall, or the TV, for the Broncos/Chiefs game (hey...I'm no better. I'll be watching, too).

I do, however, love the very act of being made to reflect on the enormous blessings I have, and on how little I've done to deserve any of it. It's a perfect reminder to me of the Grace of Christ, and is perhaps the most healthy intellectual exercise possible. We do ourselves a disservice by limiting our expression of and reflection on gratitude to one day a year, but nonetheless, it's a worthwhile thing to pour some real effort into. With that in mind:

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. - Psalm 100:4

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God... - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Thanksgiving Proclamation before the Continental Congress

State of New-Hampshire. In Committee of Safety, Exeter, November 1, 1782 : Ordered, that the following proclamation for a general thanksgiving on the twenty-eighth day of November instant, received from the honorable Continental Congress, be forthwith printed...

STATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
IN COMMITTEE of SAFETY,
EXETER, November 1, 1782.

ORDERED,

THAT the following Proclamation for a general THANKSGIVING on the twenty-eighth day of November [instant?], received from the honorable Continental Congress, be forthwith printed, and sent to the several worshipping Assemblies in this State, to whom it is recommended religiously to observe said day, and to abstain from all servile labour thereon.

M. WEARE, President.
By the United States in Congress assembled.

PROCLAMATION.
IT being the indispensable duty of all Nations, not only to offer up their supplications to ALMIGHTY GOD, the giver of all good, for his gracious assistance in a time of distress, but also in a solemn and public manner to give him praise for his goodness in general, and especially for great and signal interpositions of his providence in their behalf: Therefore the United States in Congress assembled, taking into their consideration the many instances of divine goodness to these States, in the course of the important conflict in which they have been so long engaged; the present happy and promising state of public affairs; and the events of the war, in the course of the year now drawing to a close; particularly the harmony of the public Councils, which is so necessary to the success of the public cause; the perfect union and good understanding which has hitherto subsisted between them and their Allies, notwithstanding the artful and unwearied attempts of the common enemy to divide them; the success of the arms of the United States, and those of their Allies, and the acknowledgment of their independence by another European power, whose friendship and commerce must be of great and lasting advantage to these States: ----- Do hereby recommend to the inhabitants of these States in general, to observe, and request the several States to interpose their authority in appointing and commanding the observation of THURSDAY the twenty-eight day of NOVEMBER next, as a day of solemn THANKSGIVING to GOD for all his mercies: and they do further recommend to all ranks, to testify to their gratitude to GOD for his goodness, by a cheerful obedience of his laws, and by promoting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice of true and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness.

Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, the eleventh day of October, in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, and of our Sovereignty and Independence, the seventh.

JOHN HANSON, President.
Charles Thomson, Secretary.
PRINTED AT EXETER.

Have a great Thanksgiving, all. We'll see you after the holiday.

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Jared Keller

Littleton

Jared Keller has posted 470 stories and 64 comments since joining on 12/1/2005. Jared Keller 's average story rating is 4.86.

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