Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

Hebrews 12:23 (New International Version)
23to the church of the firstborn, whose names
are written in heaven. You have come to God,
the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous
men made perfect,

Reflection:

After serving 15 years in prison for his crime,
the convict walks out a free man. He has paid
his debt to society, he is now a free. But
now the real question arises: Has he changed
his ways? Or will he return to a life of crime?
These are two very important questions, not
only for the man but also for society.
Justice may have been served without the
criminal's having been rehabilitated. But
unless both take place, the criminal will only
become hardened in his unrighteous ways.
In our Christian Walk, progress results from
the twofold action of justification and sanctification.
We need to constantly remember that our savior
Jesus Christ took care of God's justice by dying on
the cross. Jesus accepted that death penalty and
brought it upon Himself that we sinful men and
woman deserved. And if you believe in Jesus Christ
and believe in His death and resurrection, you, yes
you can walk right out of that prison of sin a free
person.
But that act of belief of declaring yourself free from the
guilt of sin has to be followed by rehabilitation. You see
like the convict constantly tempted to return to a life of
crime, you are constantly tempted by sin. When you are,
that's when you need to remember that Christ also walked
out of prison with you and He's the best friend a convict
will ever have. IS HE YOUR FRIEND?

Prayer:

Thank you God for sending Your Son to set me free!!!!!!

My Thanksgiving prayer
to you from me;
Is for love strong and true
that you hold within thee.

A heart that beats steady
and holds love within;
For your brothers and sisters
and all creatures by Him.

A soul that is worthy
of all of His love;
That is given to you
from the Heavens above.

Food on your table
that you thank the Lord for;
Friends to surround you
forever and more.

A house filled with love
and the light how it shines;
Showing all of its beauty
till the end of time.

Kindness towards others
for all of your days;
To be returned I pray
in many a way.

A good job to keep you
and pay all your bills;
That you spend it all wisely
and not on the frills.

A family around you
that is loving and true;
That you all stand together
for there are so few.

Children to bless you
if that is God's will;
To cherish and nourish
so your life is fulfilled.

Dreams of pure beauty
as you lay there and sleep;
Through the peaceful night
when darkness is deep.

An angel to guide you
through morning and night;
To protect you and love you
till the end of your plight.

And last but most important
your love for God will shine through;
To the Heavens above
for He's waiting for you.

Amen and God bless!

~Author~
Judy N. Marquart
© November 2002

The First American Thanksgiving
is attributed to the autumnal feast held by the Pilgrims
and Massasoit in 1621. The Mayflower passengers,
having survived a rather challenging winter in the
"New World" and having managed to harvest their
surviving crops, hosted a feast which was an
English tradition that signaled the end of harvest time.

The Massasoit's religion demanded that they
help those who came with empty hands. The
recently landed newcomers had been in such
need during their first year in the territory.
Additionally, the Massasoit were members
of the widespread confederacy of Algonkian-
speaking people known as the League of
Delaware. They were also the most important
and influential sachem of the Wamapanoag.
It was because of the Massasoit's generosity
and in hopes to negotiate a land deal that
they were invited to the harvest celebration
with the Separatists. The most noteworthy
and historically familiar member of the Native
party was Squanto, who was the only non-
Separatist who had been formally educated
and baptized a Christian.

The date of the feast is unknown. However,
it must have occurred previously to December
as that is the month that one of the only
written accounts first is documented. There
are only two known written eyewitness reports
of the event; that of Edward Winslow and
William Bradford who described the details
of the fishing and hunting expeditions and
the fact that the festivities lasted three days.

The Massasoit, ninety individuals in totem,
provided five deer for the feast. Among some
of the other edible items were duck, geese,
turkey, fish, and corn. It is unlikely that the
dishes presented were extravagant because
the colonists weren't aware when the next
ship docking would take place and would
have conserved whatever spices they had.

There are many myths surrounding the
modern day celebration of Thanksgiving.
Although Thanksgiving as a holiday can
be traced to the harvest celebration of 1621,
it was neither a feast held annually or meant
as a celebration of giving thanks. Just two years
later, in 1623, there is no mention of a Thanksgiving
feast.

The Pilgrims were primarily a Separatist group
who arrived in Massachusetts the previous year.
Their visual use in Thanksgiving decorations is
often misconstrued. The familiar black and
white garb with the large buckles that we
see today is incorrect. The appearance is
related to Puritans who arrived in the Americas
later and who only used the black and white garb
occasionally. Buckles weren't in production until
the late 1600's as well.

When a member of the Mayflower party would
die, an inventory of their belongings would be
assessed. Most inventories revealed a tendency
for darker colors, but many people had a wide
range of color in their clothing collections.

The Pilgrims weren't the only ones misrepresented
in latter day artwork and stories. The Massasoit
are typically depicted in costumes that are more
closely related to Plains tribes.

The first national Thanksgiving was declared in
1777 by the Continental Congress. It wasn't yet
an observed holiday and several other "Thanksgiving"
days were proclaimed inconsistently until 1815.
Thanksgiving reverted to being a regional event
until 1863 when two days were declared. The first
being August 6th after the victory at Gettysburg
and the second being the first last-Thursday-in-
November celebration. Abraham Lincoln was the
first American President to proclaim Thanksgiving
a nationally observed holiday as the insistence of
a long-time advocate, Sarah Hale. However, in 1939,
Franklin D. Roosevelt believed the holiday to fall too
close to Christmas
and made a motion for it to be celebrated on the third
Thursday in November. Not every State complied. In
1941, a joint resolution of Congress chose the fourth
Thursday in November, which is not always the last
Thursday in the month.

Today, Thanksgiving isn't considered Thanksgiving
unless there is a bountiful feast of turkey and all the
trimmings, images of Pilgrims and Native Americans,
or the ever popular pumpkin. Through the years, it's
become a religiously affiliated holiday and trips to
local churches as well as providing a banquet for
the less fortunate have become seasonal traditions.