Dr Jeff Cornwall

What is Thanksgiving?  It has become a day to be with family, overeat just a bit on turkey, watch football, and plan strategies for Black Friday shopping. 

Each year I share the original proclamation for our American
Thanksgiving holiday to remind us of the original intent for this national holiday — to give thanks to God for our many blessings.  It is my own contribution to helping us remember the original intents of our founding fathers.

Even in difficult times we have so much to be
thankful for.  But, we should never take for granted the blessings that have been handed down to us through the generations. 

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence
of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and
humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of
Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to
the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and
prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many
and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an
opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their
safety and happiness:

“Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of
November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the
service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author
of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then
all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His
kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to
their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the
favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion
of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty
which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in
which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for
our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately
instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are
blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful
knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which
He has been pleased to confer upon us.

“And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers
and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech
Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all,
whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and
relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National
Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a
Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and
faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and
nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless
them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the
knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of
science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind
such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

“Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789.”

George Washington