We are thankful to be Americans
Thanksgiving is a special holiday for us.
We have much for which to be thankful as we gather as a family, for turkey, conversation and celebration.
Both of us had the privilege of being raised in Christian families. The tradition of trust in God which accompanied our upbringing also included a large measure of thankfulness. Neither of our families would be considered wealthy, but we were well lodged in the middle class.
For both of us the fourth Thursday in November was the largest celebration our families would hold outside of Christmas and Easter.
Mary Beth can trace her lineage to the decks of the Mayflower and a hearty Pilgrim by the name of Issac Allerton. Allerton was one of the original Pilgrims that settled in the Plymouth Colony and celebrated the first Thanksgiving feast we replicate today.
The Pilgrims came to find freedom of worship. They wanted to build a “Shining City on a Hill” in this new land. Puritan leader and Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop wrote, “For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. Soe that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world.”
It was this idea on which America was founded. And America has jealously protected religious freedom even as the jaws of government have devoured so many others. We are thankful that today we will have the privilege to worship our God, and hold him high as our Master, Creator, Protector and Deliverer. We can do this alone or in assembly with other.
As sinful human beings, we are thankful that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to earth to live a sinless life and then to be punished and killed as a sacrifice for your sins. We are thankful that God accepts this sacrifice and despite our own weakness and sin we can have the hope of eternal life with Christ Jesus.
This is our family tradition, and we are thankful these ideas were taught to us as young children and reinforced by loving families.
We are thankful we were born in a land that loves and protects freedom. We are blessed to be Americans.
It is Christ’s mandate to prepare for his return which motivates our work. We are thankful for that work. To sit every day before our keyboards and defend our heritage and values in the arena of ideas is an unparalleled privilege for which we are thankful.
Finally, we are thankful for our loyal readers. The commentary business can be lonely at times. As a critic of the established order we make many enemies and constantly have to deal with detractors which spam us, or re-write our Wikipedia, or worst of our detractors in the mainstream media that print fabrications about us in their supposed news stories.
Our loyal readers make it all worthwhile. Just when things seem tough we will have a jewel in our in box which restores our spirits such as the one that arrived this morning, “I haven’t got my Floyd Report(s) in a couple of days. I miss it…” Over the course of a year we receive hundreds of wonderful emails that bless us.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
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"We are blessed to be Americans."
Indeed. And especially blessed not to be Native Americans: http://www.republicoflakotah.com/2009/cooking-the…
I fear there are not many of us left who are truly thankful for our christian heritage. Many today are actively working to take away our liberty and freedom to worship God in spirit and in truth.
Maranatha! Even so come quickly Lord Jesus.
Explain please this phrase in today's (Thanksgiving article: ". . . or re-write our Wikipedia, . . . " Does the site have any connection to Wikipedia?
Thanks, Jan
Wikipedia information is predictably inaccurate about controversial political topics. In the past I have had leftist target the Wikipedia entry about me and filled it full of untruths. Trusting Wikipedia is dangerous, here is a link that describes the problems. http://pyropus.ca/personal/writings/wikipedia.htm…
I wish that they would teach our children why they should be so very thankful to be born Americans but alas they do not and so we have more than one generation now that believes that what made us great is wrong and the we should strive to emulate third world countries. They have not been taught to appreciate the special gift we have been given as President Washington so wonderfully expressed when declaring the reason for the first day of Thanksgiving. May God help us all because we are losing on a daily basis the very thing our founding fathers worked so hard to give us through the Constitution.
Violent,Unfortunately your exactly right America has,already lost most of her freedoms!By reelecting Muslim Dictator Barack H.Obama!Now what’s left he’s trying to take away!
America’s Right to Bear Arms-Dictator Obama is going to the U.N. to make sure that the only,ones to have guns!Are the police and criminals the next is him having a spy,on the internet!Who will report back to him!Then the last thing that he will attack will be America’s freedom of Religion!
Yes America you have Obamacare simply wonderful!Abortion on demand no matter how late(Murder of an innocent life!) free birth control pills!So married or un married women can freely fool around,when ever they want!To without worrying about the outcome!Then also sex change operations!America has fallen and forgotten about G-d!
Elected a man who does not believe in the one true G-d!
I am thankful every day for what G-d has giiven me!A wonderful! Son and family who I live with here in Israel!Also getting to watch my two granddaughter ages 5,7 grow up!Yes we live among enemies who want to kill us!But we still have freedom of speech and religion and go were we wish!Without worrying that we may be picked up because of how we look!
America watch what you post on the internet,and what you say in public!Because just like in Hitler’s time you do not know who’s watching you,or may turn you in!
Your articles show that you both have hearts filled with the Lord. –It is always so nice to read your them.
Though I am no where near where you both are in the journalism world, the following bible verse helps me when things get tough, to keep in mind why I do what I do.
It is written: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
Blessings to you both,
Debra…
I love typos… lol… *omit the “your” in the second sentence. Gotta love it.