Happy Thanksgiving

It is believed that the first Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth Colony, in present-day Massachusetts, in 1621. More than 200 years later, President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941. You see, families have been gathering to give thanks for hundreds of years!

But whether you celebrate Thanksgiving Day with a few close friends or family members, watching football or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, eating a little or a lot; we have many things to be thankful for. Even in the middle of an "economic downturn," we are blessed.

For instance, we have our families that are with us through good times and bad. They encourage us when we are down, and pull us back to reality when we get a little full of ourselves. Family is the foundation of our lives.

We should also be thankful for our church family. The church isn't simply a place to meet with God, worship Him and hear His Word. It is also where we find our place in a much larger family, the Family of God. It's a place to share our gifts and strengths, and a place to find acceptance and grace. I am glad Englewood is a place like that.

There are many other things to be thankful for, such as: our wonderful country, freedom, friends, and our health; however, the most important reason we should be thankful is that we know a God who loves us. That one simple truth still stirs my heart and causes me to grow, be more adventurous, but mostly trust Him.

My Thanksgiving prayer for you is that you will continue to trust God with all your heart, grow closer to Him and allow Him to take you to new heights. From our family to yours, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.