mutcs

3

MONEYUNDER

THECAR SEAT

5

MONEY UNDERTHE CAR

SEAT

AND OTHER THINGSTO THANK GOD FOR

A LIGHT AND FRESHCELEBRATION OFTHANKSGIVING

A BOOK FOR EVERYTHANKSGIVING DINNER

TABLE

by Daniel Whyte IIIwith Family and Friends

6

MONEY UNDER THE CAR SEAT AND OTHER THINGSTO THANK GOD FOR

New Cover Design by Bill Hopper of Hopper Graphics

Original Cover Design by Daniella Whyte and Daniel D.P.Whyte IV

© Copyright 2006

TORCH LEGACY PUBLICATIONS, ATLANTA, GEORGIA;DALLAS, TEXAS; BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

First Printing, 2007Second Printing, 2008

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,without the prior permission of the copyright owner, except for briefquotations included in a review of the book.___________________________________________________

The Bible quotations in this volume are from the King James Versionof the Bible.

The name TORCH LEGACY PUBLICATIONS and its logo areregistered as a trademark in the U.S. patent office.

ISBN: 0-9763487-0-5

Printed in the U.S.A.

9

Dedicated toGod Almighty

To Whom We Give Thanks

And Also to the Following People:Rev. & Mrs. Daniel White, Jr.

Rev. Sammie MadisonRev. Carl Bennett

Rev. Andrew HamiltonRev. Glendy Hamilton

Hermoth DixonRev. Val CuthbertsonRev. Allen Foster, Jr.

Dr. & Mrs. HillSis. Tracie Thomas

Bro. Dean SteinhausSis. Mary Foster

And to AllLovers of this Delightful Holiday

Commonly CalledThanksgiving

11

MONEY UNDER THE CAR SEAT

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION............................................................15

2. In a Thanksgiving State of Mind..........................................193. A Timeline of Thanksgiving.................................................254. A Light History of Thanksgiving..........................................295. 75 Things to do for Thanksgiving........................................356. Thanksgiving Traditions Around the World..............................417. 75 Weighty Things to be Thankful For..................................478. 7 Reasons Why I Thank God for Jesus Christ........................539. 75 Lighter Things to be Thankful For...................................5910. A Foreigner Reflects on the American

Thanksgiving Holiday..............................................6511. 53 Thanksgiving Verses......................................................6712. 107 Famous Quotations on Thanksgiving..............................7713. Let God be Thanked: A Light Reflection

on Thanksgiving.....................................................9714. Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts for Children.............................9915. Children Talk About What Thanksgiving Means to Them.......10716. Thanksgiving Books for Children...........................................11317. Thanksgiving Trivia................................................................11718. Suggested Games to Play on Thanksgiving Day.....................12319. Traditional & Non-Traditional, Last Minute

Recipes that Will Help You Get Through theThanksgiving Day Holiday...............................133

Turkey.................................................137Stuffing................................................145Potatoes................................................149Vegetables............................................153Casseroles... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157Other Thanksgiving Dishes...........................163Gravy.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167Desserts.............................................. 171

12

20. Well, What do I do with Thanksgiving Leftovers?.............17921. 14 Beautiful Thanksgiving Poems.......................................18922. My Top 12 Thanksgiving Songs...........................................20123. Top 10 Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations.................21324. Prayer Models for the Thanksgiving Dinner Table..............23725. Thanksgiving Charities.........................................................24326. 15 Thanksgiving Websites.....................................................24727. Your Thanksgiving Memories...............................................25128. Thanksgiving Trivia Answers............................................253

13

MONEY UNDERTHE CAR SEAT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, I want to thank the Lord for placing within my heart a desire todo such a work as this, and for giving me an attitude of gratitude.“To God be the glory.”

I also wish to thank my wife, Meriqua, for contributing to this book,editing the book and for typing the manuscript as well. A very specialthank you goes to all of my dear children who have worked so hardwith me on this project: Daniella (Danni) who contributed to thebook, and who did great research; my son, Daniel IV, who alsocontributed to the book and also did great research; Danielle, whocontributed to the book, and to Danita, Danae‘ and Daniqua whohelped with researching and finding the simple recipes that we haveincluded. Let me say thank you to my five year old son, DanyelEzekiel, and my three year old daughter, Danyelle Elizabeth, for beinggood, quiet children while we all worked on this project.

A warm thank you goes to: my faithful and dutiful secretary, Mrs.Tracie Thomas, who contributed a significant portion to this project,but more importantly for being such a cheerful encouragement to meon this book as well as a host of other projects that were going onsimultaneously; Mr. Louis Allen, my assistant, for his contributionsand encouragement; and all of the children of Trinity Academy, whereI was the proud pastor and principal, for ten years, for theircontributions to this book as well.

And on this year, I want to publicly thank God for: my dad, DanielWhite Jr.; my mother, Shirley L. White; my brother-in-law, LeonardA. Martin, who is my brother indeed, and who proved to be better

14

than a brother; and his wife, my sister, Sheila Adele Martin, who allhelped to make a recent Thanksgiving a truly miraculous one.

A special thank you goes to Bill Hopper, for designing the new,beautiful cover on this volume, and for being a great brother in Christ.

“God will not forget your labor of love.” I thank God for you alland may God continue to bless your lives. May your tribe increase.

We also want to thank all those who gave us permission to use theircopyrighted material for this volume.

My humble prayer is that God will receive all of the glory from ourfeeble efforts as well as many thanksgivings.

15

MONEY UNDERTHE CAR SEAT

INTRODUCTION

As so many American families do, my family loves Thanksgiving.Even though our family is only twenty years old, we have madeThanksgiving a rich tradition in our home that we all look forward toeach year.

This book has been in my heart and on my mind, and I have beenmentally putting this book together for several years now. As allwriters know, a true writer is always writing even when he is notwriting. Well, I am glad now that the long pregnancy has come to anend, and the baby has been delivered.

Money Under The Car Seat is simply a light and fresh celebrationof an old holiday called Thanksgiving. This book is designed to betaken seriously and it is designed not to be taken seriously. It islargely a fun book that looks at Thanksgiving through fresh eyes.Thanksgiving is a big deal to us and we hope that it is to you as well.This book is intentionally not about the Pilgrims, the Indians, the firstThanksgiving, and all of that “stuffing” most people think of whenthey think about Thanksgiving.

This book is written to help us remember Who we are thanking, andit is written to encourage people to enjoy thanking Him. We hopethat this little book will rekindle an excitement for Thanksgiving inthe heart of some who have allowed that fire to dim a little over theyears. We also hope that this little book will inspire the Thanksgivinglovers to love this holiday even more and to celebrate it better. Wehope that most importantly, it would be used by God to truly turnhearts toward Him so that they, too, can know Him and have a lot to

16

be thankful for, not only on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of theyear.

HAVE A GLORIOUS THANKSGIVING!

—Daniel Whyte IIIColumbus, Georgia

17

Thank God forclothes to wear;For food to eat;

For people who care;And for money under

the car seat.—Daniel Whyte III

19

IN A THANKSGIVING STATE OFMIND

by Daniel Whyte III

AUTHOR’S NOTE: When I wrote this essay some time back I left out oneinteresting little fact, and that is, that I am the least likely individual to writeanything about a holiday, much less a book. I say that simply becausethroughout my adult life, I have never celebrated any holidays includingChristmas, not for any religious convictions, but, probably simply becauseI find holidays and birthdays vain, and a colossal waste of energy, money,and time. In fact, this will shock you, there were certain holidays that I usedto hate to see come around, simply because places like the bank and thepost office would shut down for no good reason, in my humble opinion.

Yes, I was a literal Scrooge and still am to some degree, I guess. But for somereason, somehow the Spirit of THANKSGIVING reached out and took me inout of the “non-holiday” cold and warmed my heart in a big way, so muchso, that I was compelled to write this little book. I was not looking forThanksgiving, Thanksgiving found me. This is what I mean when I say inthe essay, “Thanksgiving happens to you.” There is a power in the spirit ofThanksgiving that affects you far more than what you contribute to it. I amconvinced that a person is in a spiritual coma if he or she cannot recognizea special presence of God during Thanksgiving week, when an entire nationof almost 300 million people are at least recognizing and thanking the GodWho made them, whether they want to or not. When I wrote this piece, Itried to convey two things:

1. The radiant spirit of Thanksgiving in the natural, that is,the physical blessings of God that we humans (or at leastI) enjoy during that time.

2. The radiant spirit of Thanksgiving in the Spirit realm, thatis, the glory that our loving God deserves and receivesfrom us during that time of the year, especially.

Believe it or not, I normally do not struggle to write anything, but this piecewas strangely difficult to compose and to convey. I tried to express theemotions, the feelings, and the spirit of Thanksgiving that I, and I am sure

20

others feel, with the true meaning and purpose of this wonderful holidaycalled Thanksgiving, simultaneously. I hope that I have succeeded.

Read On!

We do not make Thanksgiving happen. Thanksgiving happens tous. What I mean by that is: even though some wise people, manyyears ago, prompted by God, of course, started what is now calledthe Thanksgiving holiday to give thanks for the mercies, blessings,and provisions of a loving God, God has taken a very special interestin this holiday called Thanksgiving, because it brings glory to Him.God is very interested in His glory. When Thanksgiving comes, Idon’t know about you, but I sense more than ever the presence ofAlmighty God.

GOD INHABITS THE PRAISE OF HIS PEOPLE

Thanksgiving is a glorious holiday. For my family, the entireThanksgiving week is an easy going, laid back time of enjoying God’sgoodness and praising Him. Thanksgiving is not just a holiday to us,it is a spiritual activity; it is a state of mind; it is an emotion—a positiveemotion. It is a feeling—a positive feeling. No, we don’t makeThanksgiving happen. Thanksgiving happens to us. When a groupof people gather together around that theme of thanking and praisingGod, not only does God get the glory, but strangely, somethinghappens to those who give Him that glory. Being in a Thanksgivingstate of mind is not about the Pilgrims and the Indians. When we aretruly in the spirit of Thanksgiving, or in that Thanksgiving state ofmind, it is not just about family. It is not just about eating. It is not justabout traveling. It is much bigger than that.

Yes, when I am in that Thanksgiving state of mind, I think of relaxation.I think of wearing comfortable, plush sweat pants and shirt, loungingaround, taking it easy, napping and watching the football game all at

21

the same time, and anticipating a great meal. However, Thanksgivingis bigger than that.

When I am in that Thanksgiving state of mind, I think about coolsouthern weather on the outside, with the golden leaves falling downin their order; but warm and comfortable on the inside, with heatcoming from the fireplace, and not to mention the pleasant aromaand warmth coming from the kitchen. More importantly, I think abouthow good God has been to me.

When I am in that Thanksgiving state of mind, I also think aboutfamily. Being together as a family for Thanksgiving is a beautiful thing;and well, it should be. A Thanksgiving holiday family get togetherought not to be a contest between sisters-in-law or mothers-in-lawor siblings. It ought not ever to be what it commonly turns out tobe—an argument about something that happened twenty years ago,or some kind of guilt trip that someone tries to place on someone, ora series of power plays put on by the Queen Bee that stirs up a sourspirit for the rest of the Thanksgiving day and weekend. No, athousand times NO! Thanksgiving does not have to be that way andshould not be that way. In my humble opinion, family members,mothers included, ought to be barred from the next Thanksgivingholiday celebration if they cause a stink during Thanksgiving and ifthey do not get it right. Be that as it may, Thanksgiving ought to be ahappy experience from beginning to end, and God ought to be thecenter of it all.

When in that Thanksgiving state of mind, I also think about others.No matter what you may think about ol’ Hosea Williams from Atlanta,the former civil rights worker under Martin Luther King, Jr., he wasfaithful to feeding more people than you and I will feed in ten lifetimes, each Thanksgiving. He cared about the poor and down andout during the Thanksgiving holiday, and we ought to be concernedabout the less fortunate as well. As you will find later in this book, I

22

believe that each of us ought to help somebody less fortunate thanourselves, either here in America or in some foreign land, during theThanksgiving holiday week.

Also, when I am in that Thanksgiving state of mind, I also think ofthe dying of another year—a year that we had never seen beforeand a year that we shall never see again. During Thanksgiving week,I reflect on my accomplishments and even on my failures of the pastyear. I normally do not set any major goals for the next five weeksor so of the dying year. Thanksgiving is the week the life supportsystem for the dying year is cut off, and we humbly and joyfullycoast to the colossal holiday we call Christmas; and then a few daysafter that on to the exciting holiday and new beginning of New YearsDay. This entire period of ease between Thanksgiving and NewYears is given by God, I believe, for relaxation and reflection and forgiving thanks. I believe this period that begins at Thanksgiving isGod’s way of saying, “See, I really don’t need your help. All thatyou were anxious about at the beginning of the year has all come topass. I provided for you and brought you through. I love you, but Idon’t need your help. All I desire is just your obedience, your praiseand your thanksgiving.”

With that said, I am reminded of a poster I saw in an insuranceoffice. It read:

Good morning. I am God.I will be handling all of your problems today.

And I won’t be needing your help,So relax and enjoy your day.

—God

Friend of mine, don’t fight the relaxed atmosphere and feeling thatyou get during this time. Enjoy it! For after January 1, the fight resumesand you will have plenty to do.

23

Finally, when I am in that Thanksgiving state of mind, my spirit andmy soul are overwhelmed by gratitude and thanksgiving to my GodWho has “brought me from a mighty long way.” I can say with mydad, “God has smiled on me.” In spite of my failures and faults,God, in his love and mercy, has blessed me still and is still blessingme. God is a good God. God is a merciful God. God is a forgivingGod. God is a delivering God and He deserves all of our praise andthanks. Let us not only do it on the fourth Thursday of the month ofNovember, but each day of the year, let us be in a Thanksgivingstate of mind.

25

ATIMELINE

OFTHANKSGIVING

27

Early Times to Present-Day Traditions

Before the Pilgrims arrived in America, American Indians had manyof their own traditions of giving thanks, especially the Seneca IndianLiturgy of Thanksgiving.

1621This is the year that is most famous for the first Pilgrim feast, whichwas held near Plymouth, Massachusetts, in celebration of the Pilgrims’first successful harvest. To the early Pilgrims, Thanksgiving was notjust a time to eat, but also a time to pray and give thanks to God.Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become a model for theThanksgiving celebration in the United States of America.

1630This year was recorded as the year of the first Thanksgiving in theMassachusetts Bay Colony. This feast was celebrated to honor thevoyage of John Winthrop’s ships from England. Because the passagewas difficult and stormy, Governor Winthrop declared a day ofThanksgiving for the ships’ safe arrival. Governor Winthrop said,“We kept a daye of thanksgiving in all the plantations.”

1775A full year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, aprayer proclamation was written to ask that the entire North Americancontinent set aside a day of fasting and prayer. The proclamationhad an amazing impact, uniting the American peoplein spirit.

1776On the day set forth by Congress as a day of Thanksgiving, GeorgeWashington and his troops, moving close to Valley Forge, deliberately

28

stopped, despite the open fields they were in and the bitter weatherthey were facing, to celebrate the first Thanksgiving. As one earlysurgeon so eloquently put it, “Mankind is never truly thankful forthe benefits of life, until they have experienced the want ofthem.”

1795President George Washington gives the first Thanksgivingproclamation.

1863Until our country was faced with the Civil War did people againbegin to consider the importance of a National Day of Prayer andThanksgiving. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared: “We have beenrecipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven...we have grownin numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has evergrown, but we have forgotten God.” During some of the mosttragic years our country has ever faced, Lincoln restored the neglectedpresidential proclamations. Since Lincoln’s speech, every Presidenthas issued a Thanksgiving proclamation.

1926Macy’s Department Store sponsored the first Macy’s ThanksgivingDay Parade. Since balloons weren’t introduced until 1927, this firstparade consisted of employees in costumes, floats, bands, and liveanimals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo in New York.

1975In honor of the two hundredth anniversary of a National Day ofPrayer and Thanksgiving, President Gerald R. Ford was presentedwith the book, America Prays Together, the first collection containingtwo hundred years of National Prayer and ThanksgivingProclamations.

29

ALIGHT

HISTORYOF

THANKSGIVING

31

A LIGHT HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING

Harvest Festivals have been an important part of world history forthousands of years throughout the world. On these days peoplegathered for a large feast after they harvested a good crop. Theyalso set aside days to thank their gods for their blessings or for helpingthem through hard times.

The Greeks and Romans both honored their goddess—Demeterand Ceres, respectively, with their harvest gifts.

There was also the Feast of Booths celebrated by the Jews, whowere called Hebrews. At harvest time the Hebrews built little boothsfrom branches and leaves of trees. In them, they placed fruits andvegetables from their fields. They gave thanks to God for their crops.Christians in Europe said prayers to bless the planting and reapingof the harvest. They believed that God watched over the seeds inthe earth. At harvest time the farmers decorated themselves withribbons and flowers. They sang as they walked home beside theirwagons full of grain.

The first Thanksgiving drew on these traditions. The first few yearsafter the Pilgrims landed in America they encountered a lot ofhardships. Included in those hardships was not getting enough foodfrom the ground. Thank God, that through the help of the Indians,they were able to farm the land to produce food from which tosurvive.

The Pilgrims and the Indians signed a treaty not to harm each other.This treaty was kept for 54 years. That summer of the signing of thetreaty, the Pilgrims worked hard and by autumn there was plenty offood. How thankful they were. They decided to invite the Indians toa Thanksgiving feast. Ninety Indians came. The Pilgrims did not have

32

enough food. The Indian leader, Massasoit, sent some of his meninto the forest. They returned with five deer. The oldest Pilgrim saida prayer of thanks.

Everyone sat down to eat turkey, lobster, goose, deer meat, onions,pumpkin, corn bread, and berries. The feast lasted for three days.There was singing and games. The Pilgrims as well as the Indianshad contests against each other to show off their shooting skills aswell as their showmanship with the bow and arrow.

As more colonies were settled in America, each named days ofThanksgiving when they wanted to. In October of 1777, the firstAmerican government called the Continental Congress, declared thefirst national Thanksgiving, which meant all 13 colonies celebratedit. It proclaimed yearly Thanksgiving days until 1783.

President George Washington proclaimed November 26, 1789, asThanksgiving Day. This was the first presidential proclamation in theUnited States, but Thanksgiving was still not a yearly event.Washington declared another one in 1795. President James Madisondeclared two in 1815. By 1860, Thanksgiving was celebrated in allbut two states. In 1863, however, President Abraham Lincolnproclaimed a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving.

During the time of Lincoln, and even before he was voted into office,a writer and editor, Sarah J. Hale, thought all states should celebrateThanksgiving on the same day every year. For more than twentyyears, she wrote articles and letters, urging the presidents to makeThanksgiving a national holiday. She thought a national holiday wouldbring the country back together. (The Civil War was in progress atthat time—1861-1865). Because of her efforts, in 1941, the fourthThursday in November was designated the Thanksgiving holidayfor all the states to celebrate.

33

Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated around a large feasting table. Inthe center may be a cornucopia—a horn-shaped basket filled withgrapes, nuts, and other fruit. Most families eat the turkey as theirmain dish.

Corn has become a common symbol of Thanksgiving. People hangears of corn on their doorway or lay it on the table as a centerpiece.The Indians showed the Pilgrims how to plant it. They heaped dirtinto little hills. Then they planted three or four kernels of corn andsome fish into each hill. The fish were food for the corn to help itgrow. The Pilgrims dried the corn for corn meal which was used forcornbread and corn mush.

Parades have become a popular Thanksgiving tradition. For morethan 70 years, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has marchedthrough the streets of New York City. Millions of people watch it ontelevision.

Sports is also a major part of the Thanksgiving holiday season justas it was on the first Thanksgiving. Fall is football season. Some playfootball in their backyards while others watch it on their televisions.

Thanksgiving is also a time to help people. Many people volunteerat local shelters to serve meals to the hungry.

34

A RECIPE FROM THE PILGRIM DAYSNASUMP

1 quart water1 ½ cup coarse grits or hominy

OPTIONS:1 cup clam broth and ½ cup chopped green onions or 1 cup freshstrawberries, raspberries or blueberries

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Gradually add hominy, stirringuntil it comes to a boil. Turn down heat to low and cook very gentlyfor 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and allowto stand one half hour to one hour. Before serving reheat overmedium heat, stirring. (If you are adding clam broth and green onionsor fruit, do so at this point.) The dish can also be reheated in acovered, buttered baking dish in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.You may need to add a bit more water.

35

75THINGSTO DO

FORTHANKSGIVING

37

75 THINGS TO DO FOR THANKSGIVING

1. Stay home.2. Work at a homeless shelter mission.3. Get up late.4. Serve others.5. Go jogging.6. Go outside, stand in the cold, and thank God for His blessings.7. Go to church.8. Tell someone about Jesus Christ.9. Eat jello instead of cranberry sauce.10. Visit family—for a little while.11. Go on a cruise.12. Give $100.00 to the orphans in the Darfur Region of Africa

through World Vision.13. Get a hotel suite at the Hilton.14. Spend Thanksgiving on the beach.15. Listen to music.16. Go out in the woods, enjoy nature and throw rocks at trees.17. Wish your enemy a “happy Thanksgiving.”18. Make hot chocolate instead of coffee on Thanksgiving

morning.19. Find a homeless person and bring him or her home with you.20. Go walking and greet every person you see.21. For Thanksgiving morning eat biscuits and gravy.22. Enjoy an intimate moment with your mate.23. Tell each person in your family, “I love you. I really do.”24. Fast on Thanksgiving Day.25. Skip breakfast.26. Send an E-mail to your best friend.27. Write the first chapter of that book you’ve always wanted to

write.28. Eat breakfast at I-HOP or McDonald’s.

38

29. Eat Chinese food and give God thanks.30. Leave the Internet alone for today.31. Get up early.32. Have a candy hunt.33. Organize the house on Thanksgiving Day.34. Eat at a shelter for the homeless and spend the night there.35. Go to the park.36. Find something to be thankful for.37. Light up the fireplace.38. Roast marsh-mellows.39. Eat turkey for breakfast.40. Keep tradition, and make sure Thanksgiving dinner is late.41. Have an early Christmas, and exchange gifts on Thanksgiving

Day.42. Cook Thanksgiving dinner for your neighbor on Thanksgiving

Eve.43. Break tradition.44. Read the Christmas story to your children.45. Play tag football with your family and your neighbor’s family.46. Start a tradition.47. Cook for that cantankerous, mean, old lady next door.48. Eat Thanksgiving dinner in the living room instead of in the

dining room.49. Even though your child has not called you, or visited you, call

him or her.50. Write a letter of encouragement to the President.51. Write a Thanksgiving poem.52. Cut your neighbor’s lawn before 8:00 in the morning.53. Shovel your neighbor’s snow out of his or her driveway

before 8:00 in the morning (providing you have snow).54. Call your boss and wish him or her a Happy Thanksgiving,

while asking him or her for a raise.55. Make sure the ducks in the pond have Thanksgiving dinner.

39

56. Take your sons fishing while the women and girls stay homeand cook dinner.

57. Visit someone in jail and eat Thanksgiving dinner with him orher.

58. Play basketball.59. Play football.60. Play a board game with your kids.61. Play tennis.62. Go to the office and act like you are doing something.63. Go to a ski lodge and spend the holiday season there.64. Daddy, play house with your daughter and sip imaginary tea.65. Go camping and have Thanksgiving in a log cabin.66. Spend Thanksgiving in a foreign country.67. Go ice-skating.68. Spend time with your children. Really spend time with your

children.69. Invite your enemies over for Thanksgiving dinner.70. Send food to the Sudan.71. Have a cheerful attitude and spirit.72. Pray seven times on Thanksgiving Day.73. Pray morning, noon and night.74. Do not fuss about anything.75. Get ready for the after-Thanksgiving Day sale that starts at

6:00 a.m.

41

THANKSGIVING

TRADITIONS

AROUNDTHE

WORLD

43

CANADA

Celebrated on the second Monday in October, observance of aCanadian Thanksgiving officially began in 1879. Like the AmericanThanksgiving, it has its roots in many years of European tradition.Most Canadians will agree that while an Englishman named MartinFrobisher had a great deal of influence on today’s Thanksgiving, theholiday is based on the traditions of many different events. It is saidthat the Canadian Thanksgiving was actually derived from acombination of two events in history:

Around 1578, English Navigator, Martin Frobisher, initiated what isprobably the first event that wove its way into current CanadianThanksgiving tradition. Frobisher was an English explorer whofounded the colony that we know today as Newfoundland. On theoccasion of his arrival there, he gave a feast to give thanks for a safejourney. Later, many other settlers followed in his footsteps.

The second event to define Canadian Thanksgiving, ironically, hadsomething to do with Canada’s neighbor to the south, the UnitedStates. In 1621 the Pilgrims celebrated a successful harvest in theNew World, and in the 1750’s American settlers brought this traditionto Nova Scotia—a province of Canada.

During the American Revolution, many Loyalists—people whoremained loyal to the English King—went to Canada, bringing thetradition of Thanksgiving with them.

In 1879, the Canadian Parliament declared November the 6th as anational holiday and a day of Thanksgiving. Over the years, however,the date changed several times until on January 31, 1957, theCanadian Parliament proclaimed that the “Second Monday inOctober be a Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God

44

for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”

A traditional Canadian Thanksgiving meal typically includes homebaked bread, apple pie, cranberry sauce, turkey, vegetables, mashedpotatoes, squash and stuffing.

CHINA

AUGUST MOON FESTIVAL

Chung Ch’ui or the August Moon Festival is one of the mostcelebrated Chinese holidays. It started with the ancient Chinese peopleand it continues today. The festival falls on the 15th day of Augustand is for the celebration of a bountiful harvest; but Chung Ch’ui isalso considered the birthday of the moon. In honor of this specialday the Chinese make “moon cakes”—round, yellow cakes thatare made to look like the moon. As a way to say thank you, theChinese send moon cakes to one another.

In addition to celebrating the moon and a good harvest, Chung Ch’uiis a way to celebrate the gift of freedom. Legend says many yearsago that many different armies were conquering China. The invaderswere quickly taking over Chinese homes and land. Homeless andstarving, the Chinese felt that they could do very little to protectthemselves until an organization of citizens came up with a plan.

To get the message across to all of the Chinese people that it wastime to stand together and fight their invaders, Chinese women bakedmoon cakes and distributed them to every house in each community.Baked inside each cake was a message that told the time and theplace they would gather together and fight their enemies. Thanks tothat very special moon cake, and the very brave women who madethem, China’s invaders were easily overthrown and defeated. It is aspecial day that the Chinese still celebrate.

45

Besides moon cakes, Chinese families celebrate their Thanksgivingwith roasted pig and fruits from their crops. (Tradition says that duringthe 3-day festival, flowers fall from the moon and those who seethem will be rewarded with good luck.)

EGYPT

MIN FESTIVALS

Thanksgiving for the Ancient Egyptians was a celebration in honorof Min, the god of fertility and chief of the heavens. In addition, Minwas seen as a rain god or someone who promoted the fertility ofplants and especially the growing of grain.

Unlike many other festivals, the Min Festivals were usually held inthe spring. Instead of a Thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, theEgyptians celebrated the beginning of the planting season. Thecelebration usually included the ruling Pharaoh in a parade. ThePharaoh also presided over the celebratory feast as well. Much likeThanksgiving in the United States, the Egyptians weaved music,sports, and dancing into their celebration.

GREECE

THESMOPHORIA

This Grecian holiday was celebrated in the lunar month Pyanopsion.Thanksgiving in Ancient Greece was a celebration in honor of thegoddess of grain, Demeter. Although Pyanopsion has no meaning tous today, it probably was in October. While little is known about theevents that went on during the festival, historians have discoveredmany of the celebrations and practices that the Greeks participatedin.

46

It is thought that the harvest centers around Demeter’s mourningover the abduction of her daughter, Persephone, by Hades or Deathduring which time she refused to eat or feed the world until the conflictwas resolved. Once Persephone was returned to her she supposedlygave man the gift of agriculture.

In honor of this, and to ask Demeter to give them a plenteous harvest,married Greek women would set out on a 3-day celebration:

The first day was called the ascent or Anodos. On this day, thewomen would set up camp in the hillside sanctuary of Demeter,Themophoros. They would sleep in two-person, leafy shelters.

The second day of the festival was called Nesteria or the feast. Onthis day, the women feasted and insulted each other. They did thisbecause they thought that was what Demeter did when she lost herdaughter, Persephone.

The last day of the festival was called Kalligeneia or the Fair Offspring.This day was spent giving offerings to Demeter in honor of hertorchlight search for Persephone. On this night the women descendeddown from the festival in a torchlight ceremony.

47

75WEIGHTY

THINGSTO BE

THANKFULFOR

49

75 WEIGHTY THINGS TO BETHANKFUL FOR

There are many other things that we could have included,but this is designed to help get you started.

Several people contributed to this list.

1. I thank God for His mercy and grace.2. I thank God for Jesus Christ.3. I thank God for letting His Son, Jesus Christ, die on the cross

for our sins and for His resurrection.4. I thank God for spiritual leadership.5. I thank God for my family.6. I thank God for showing me favor in spite of myself.7. I thank God for His chastening hand. I really do.8. I thank God that Somebody cares for me.9. I thank God for coming through.10. I thank God for His goodness.11. I thank God for the gift of His Holy Spirit.12. I thank God for a place to call home.13. I thank God angels are watching over me.14. I thank God for good transportation.15. I thank God for my pastor.16. I thank God for my church.17. I thank God that truth matters.18. I thank God for good teachers and good schools.19. I thank God for healthy children.20. I thank God for great secretaries.21. I thank God for ministry opportunities.22. I thank God for leading me to confession and repentance.23. I thank God for parents who make me go to church.24. I thank God for the privilege of prayer.25. I thank God He loves us in spite of...

50

26. I thank God for clothes to wear.27. I thank God for uplifting music.28. I thank God for food to eat the other 364 days of the year.29. I thank God for never letting us down.30. I thank God for mothers and fathers who love their children

no matter what.31. I thank God for the peace that comes with the fall season.32. I thank God for the smile of a baby while he is sleeping.33. I thank God for the rising sun and the going down of the same.34. I thank God for the laughter of children.35. I thank God for the Internet.36. I thank God for saving me from Hell.37. I thank God for the Bible—God’s Word.38. I thank God that He is a forgiving and loving God and that He

will save anyone who will receive Him.39. I thank God for dreams and visions.40. I thank God for life, health and strength.41. I thank God for the joy of laughter.42. I thank God for warm, running water.43. I thank God that I am an American.44. I thank God for all people.45. I just thank God.46. I thank God that everybody is not the same.47. I thank God for the men and women in the United States

military.48. I thank God for people who encourage you.49. I thank God for my job.50. I thank God for putting me in the ministry.51. I thank God for missionaries.52. I thank God for education.53. I thank God for the privilege to witness for Jesus Christ.54. I thank God that help is on the way.55. I thank God for cool air.

51

56. I thank God for helping me to do that one thing that I reallydid not feel like doing but needed to do.

57. I thank God for electricity, gas and water.58. I thank God for the rain.59. I thank God for a peaceful home.60. I thank God for a father who puts his foot down in the house.61. I thank God for parents who still believe in using the rod of

correction.62. I thank God for angels in disguise.63. I thank God for a humble spirit.64. I thank God that He is able to make a way out of no way.65. I thank God that He is a lawyer in the courtroom.66. I thank God that He is my burden-bearer.67. I thank God for police officers.68. I thank God for being able to live in a free nation.69. I thank God that He is a doctor in the operating room.70. I thank God for delivering us from trouble.71. I thank God for a peaceful night of rest and sleep.72. I thank God for patient people.73. I thank God for second chances.74. I thank God for the power of prayer.75. I thank God for the assurance of living in Heaven for eternity.

53

7 REASONS WHY I THANK

GOD FOR JESUS CHRIST

“THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HISUNSPEAKABLE GIFT.”

—II Corinthians 9:15

by Daniel Whyte III

I have a lot to be thankful for. God has truly blessed me. Again, I cansay with my Dad, “God has smiled on me.” The Lord has shown megreat favor and mercy down through the years, and not only me, butmy entire family, and everyone living today. If you are alive, youhave a lot for which to be thankful. I have the blessings of health andstrength. I have the blessing of many beautiful and healthy children. Ihave the blessing of a beautiful wife and a son and daughter born onmy birthday. I enjoy the blessings of good food to eat, clothes towear and a place to stay. Since I first preached this devotionalmessage, in a small church, in a little city called Apalachicola, Florida,nearly twenty years ago, I have been serving the Lord full-time, andGod has taken care of me, my wife and our seven children by faith inHim. God has been good to me and it has been a joy serving Him.However, the person I thank God the most for is His Holy Son,Jesus Christ. Here is why:

First, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He gave His Lifethat I might have Eternal Life.

He died so that I could have eternal life. He gave His life so that Icould have life more abundantly. I thank God for the “blood thatshall never lose its power.” Notice what the Bible says:

“Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of

54

the LORD revealed? For He shall grow up before him as atender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: He hath noform nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is nobeauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejectedof men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and wehid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and weesteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, andcarried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smittenof God and afflicted. But He was wounded for ourtransgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: thechastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripeswe are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we haveturned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid onHim the iniquity of us all.”

—Isaiah 53:1-6

Jesus Christ took my sin and shame upon Himself and allowedHimself to be crucified so that I could go free. I thank God for JesusChrist!

Second, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He keeps meby His grace.

Because of the keeping power of Jesus Christ, through His grace,my salvation is secure.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they followMe: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall neverperish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. MyFather which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no manis able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Fatherare one.”

—John 10:27-30

55

I thank God for the comforting security that we have in Christ Jesus,our Lord, through the grace of God. In the words of the preacher ofpreachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “It is all of grace.”

Third, Jesus Christ also keeps us from falling.

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and topresent you faultless before the presence of His glory withexceeding joy.”

—Jude 24

Praise God, He has the power to keep us from falling. If we fall, it isbecause we allow ourselves to. The Lord is able to keep us fromfalling.

Fourth, I thank God for Jesus Christ because, in His grace,mercy and love, He is still working on me.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not ofyourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works lest any man shouldboast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesusunto good works, which God hath before ordained that weshould walk in them.”

—Ephesians 2: 8-10

There was a popular song, years ago, entitled: “Don’t Judge MeYet, God is Still Working On Me.” Thank God He is still working onme by the power of His Holy Spirit and through His Word; andthank God He is still working on you as well.

Fifth, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He is constantlyinterceding for me.

“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that

56

come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to makeintercession for them.”

—Hebrews 7:25

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sinnot. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,Jesus Christ the righteous.”

—I John 2:1

It’s a wonderful feeling to have anyone praying for you, but it’s aspecial blessing to know that the Lord Himself is praying for you.

Sixth, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He said He willnever leave me nor forsake me.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and becontent with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I willnever leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

—Hebrews 13:5

Friends will forsake you, family will forsake you, but, thank God,Jesus Christ will never leave you nor forsake you.

Finally, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He has promisedto come back to get me and all who believe in Him, and Hewill gather us unto Himself into glory.

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God believealso in Me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if itwere not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place foryou. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may bealso.”

—John 14:1-3

57

Are we not living in perilous times? Doesn’t it appear that we areliving in the last days? I don’t know about you, but I am so glad theLord is coming back soon to get us out of this mess.

My question to you, dear friend, is, Are you going back with Him?Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Do you thankGod for Jesus Christ because He died on the cross for your sins?Do you believe in Him? Do you trust Him? Do you depend uponHim to save you from Hell? If not, why not trust Him today?

God’s Word says:

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”—Acts 16:31

Pray and ask Jesus Christ to save you today, and you, too, willthank God for Jesus Christ.

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”—2 Corinthians 9:15

59

75LIGHTER

THINGS TOTHANK

GODFOR

61

75 LIGHTER THINGSTO THANK GOD FOR

The Bible says: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

—Proverbs 17:22

We believe that God is for His human creatures having a senseof humor. We believe that you will find the following list bothtrue and amusing. These offerings of thanks were expressedby several persons. Their names have not been disclosed toprotect the innocent and the guilty.

1. I thank God for finding money under the car seat right when Ineed it most.

2. I thank God for caller ID.3. I thank God for my automatic garage door.4. I thank God for store coupons.5. I thank God for finding the car keys in the car ignition after searching

inside the house for 2 hours.6. I thank God for the coffee maker, toaster and waffle-maker.7. I thank God for a friend with good credit.8. I thank God for the car breaking down—at the house.9. I thank God for the food that’s not good for you, but good to you.10. I thank God for finding the remote control right beside me after

having a 15 minute heated discussion with my wife about herlack of organization.

11. I thank God for driving on “E” for miles, yet not running out ofgas.

12. I thank God for “instant meals.”13. I thank God for the slow cooker.14. I thank God for being in the right place at the right time.15. I thank God there was another car between the police and me.

62

16. I thank God you can always squeeze more toothpaste out of an“empty” toothpaste tube.

17. I thank God for driving behind the police car.18. I thank God for good excuses.19. I thank God I can return that ugly Christmas gift.20. I thank God for those comfortable, but ugly clothes we “put on

around the house.”21. I thank God for the person who makes your sub sandwich perfect

every time.22. I thank God for breath mints and Listerine.23. I thank God for real, good Chinese food restaurants.24. I thank God for my unique beauty.25. I thank God for food stamps.26. I thank God that I’m not in jail—yet.27. I thank God for cornrows.28. I thank God for escaping from the boyfriend from hell.29. I thank God for escaping from the girlfriend from hell.30. I thank God for holidays, so that I can take a break from my

dieting.31. I thank God for the dollar menu at any restaurant.32. I thank God for the reclining chair.33. I thank God for chocolate.34. I thank God for erasable crayons.35. I thank God for not having long distance on my phone and for

pre-paid phone cards.36. I thank God for secured credit cards.37. I thank God for the friend who says, “The meal is on me.”38. I thank God for bloopers.39. I thank God for the friend who says, “Get what you want. I’ll

pay for it.”40. I thank God for hand-me-downs and yard sales.41. I thank God for Family Dollar stores, Dollar General stores and

Wal-Mart.42. I thank God for cordless phones.

63

43. I thank God for the 89-cent, 3-liter sodas that taste great.44. I thank God for microwave ovens.45. I thank God I saved those Burger King napkins.46. I thank God for hot water being left after everyone in the house

takes a shower.47. I thank God for home sweet home.48. I thank God for the grace periods that creditors give you.49. I thank God for the words “Check enclosed.”50. I thank God for giving me a mind to set all of my clocks 10

minutes fast, otherwise I would be out of a job right now.51. I thank God for sweets.52. I thank God for children who tell you the truth the first time.53. I thank God for leftovers.54. I thank God for Ramen Noodles.55. I thank God I remembered to cut the radio off when the pastor’s

car pulled up in the driveway.56. I thank God for bathroom spray.57. I thank God I remembered to hit the save button after I finished

typing on the computer.58. I thank God for taxi cabs.59. I thank God for the penny jar.60. I thank God for safety pins.61. I thank God for the snooze button.62. I thank God for lotion and Vaseline.63. I thank God for the “day after Thanksgiving” sale.64. I thank God for directory assistance.65. I thank God for junk food.66. I thank God for mirrors so people can see what they look like

before they leave the house.6267. I thank God for potty training being completed.68. I thank God for fast food.69. I thank God for reminding me to cut the stove off.70. I thank God for grocery stores because many of us would starve

64

trying to grow our own food.71. I thank God for the Chinese people who seem to make everything.72. I thank God someone remembered to put the dog out.73. I thank God for sliced bread.74. I thank God for the food we find in the house when we think and

say we don’t have any food in the house.75. I thank God for a full belly.

65

A FOREIGNER REFLECTSON THE AMERICAN

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

by Mrs. Meriqua Whyte

Do colorful festivals, great music, delicious and spicy food, andpeople dressed to party sound exciting to you? If it does, then puton your costume and follow me to the Easter Regatta, or KiteFestival. Or better yet, we might just end up at the Jamaica JazzFestival. Festivals in Jamaica run throughout the year. Even Christmastime is a festival time. People congregate in the streets in colorfulcostumes, parading the streets from early morning until late in theevening. Often times, this is followed by eating curry goat, jerk pork,jerk chicken, oxtails, and fried fish—all eaten with rice and peas.There may be sno-cones for the children, if the day is hot. Yum.Yum. Feeling tyad yet? Dis a good tyadness, mon. See ya next year.

All this singing and dancing and music is quite a contrast to the peacefulday of Thanksgiving in the United States.

Thanksgiving Day has taken on more meaning now that God hasblessed me with a family of my own. Before then, it was simply atime to come together with some friends and family—really just toeat an extra big meal, put on weight, then struggle to get it off overthe next few days, or maybe over the next few weeks.

For my family, it is a very relaxing time, which lasts from a day ortwo before the actual day of Thanksgiving, up until the New Year.We push it hard all year, looking forward to this relaxing mini-vacationtime. It is a time of celebration for the things we accomplishedthroughout the year, for God’s glory. It is also a time of planning andgoal-setting for the up-coming year. We try to keep the Thanksgiving

66

spirit alive in our home and hearts, by offering up daily prayers ofthanks to God throughout the year, and not just on ThanksgivingDay.

My husband has led our family to start our own Thanksgiving traditionwith his Famous Royal Bacon-Wrapped Turkey being thecenterpiece. Talk about something good! We gather around thedinner table and we each say one thing for which we are thankful.My husband then would lead us in a prayer of thanks unto God,after which we would dig in.

Let’s make Thanksgiving not just a once a year occasion, but a 365day a year commitment, thanking God each day for at least onething.

May God bless you on Thanksgiving Day and throughout your life.

67

53THANKSGIVING

VERSESFROM THE

HOLY BIBLE

69

53 THANKSGIVING VERSES FROM THEHOLY BIBLE

1. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courtswith praise: be thankful unto Him and bless His name.”

—Psalm 100:4

2. “O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name: makeknown His deeds among the people.”

—Psalm 105:1

3. “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vow unto theMost High.”

—Psalm 50:14

4. “Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He isgood: for His mercy endureth for ever.”

—Psalm 106:1

5. “Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as yehave been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

—Colossians 2:7

6. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in ChristJesus concerning you.”

—I Thessalonians 5:18

7. “And He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it untothem, saying, Drink ye all of it.”

—Matthew 26:27

8. “Then they took away the stone from the place where thedead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father,

70

I thank thee that thou hast heard Me.”—John 11:41

9. “And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks toHim that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever.”

—Revelation 4:9

10. “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me,for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”

—I Timothy 1:12

11. “I will sing unto the Lord because He hath dealt bountifullywith me.”

—Psalm 13:6

12. “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, thatyour faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.”

—Romans 1:8

13. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the nameof the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father byHim.”

—Colossians 3:17

14. “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to Godcontinually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to Hisname.”

—Hebrews 13:15

15. “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Fatherin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

—Ephesians 5:20

16. “Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift

71

bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanksmay be given by many on our behalf.”


17. “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, hewent into his house; and his windows being open in hischamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees threetimes a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God,as he did aforetime.”

—Daniel 6:10

18. “I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation: I willpraise Thee among much people.”

—Psalm 35:18

19. “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mentionof you in our prayers.”


20. “And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks,He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to themthat were set down; and like wise of the fishes as much asthey would.”

—John 6:11

21. “And when He had thus spoken, He took bread, and gavethanks to God in the presence of them all: and when He hadbroken it, He began to eat.”

—Acts 27:35

22. “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the LordJesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanksfor you, making mention of you in my prayers.”

—Ephesians 1:15-16

72

23. “Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks atthe remembrance of His holiness.”

—Psalm 30:4

24. “Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at theremembrance of His holiness.”

—Psalm 97:12

25. “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercyendureth for ever.”

—Psalm 107:1

26. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”—II Corinthians 9:15

27. “Saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, whichart, and wast, and art, to come: because Thou hast taken toThee thy great power, and hast reigned.”

—Revelation 11:17

28. “For this cause also, thank we God without ceasing,because, when ye received the word of God which ye heardof us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is intruth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also inyou that believe.”


29. “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then withthe mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the fleshthe law of sin.”

—Romans 7:25

30. “But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory throughour Lord Jesus Christ.”

—I Corinthians 15:57

73

31. “I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O thou God of my fathers,who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made knownunto me now what we desired of Thee; for Thou hast nowmade known unto us the king’s matter.”

—Daniel 2:23

32. “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us totriumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of Hisknowledge by us in every place.”


33. “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, butye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine whichwas delivered you.”

—Romans 6:17

34. “And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks:and he was a Samaritan.”

—Luke 17:16

35. “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as itis meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, andthe charity of every one of you all toward each other

aboundeth.”—II Thessalonians 1:3

36. “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace ofGod which is given you by Jesus Christ.”

—I Corinthians 1:4

37. “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”—Philippians 1:3

38. “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus

74

Christ, praying always for you.”—Colossians 1:3

39. “But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest careinto the heart of Titus for you.”


40. “Unto Thee O God, do we give thanks, unto Thee do wegive thanks: for that Thy name is near Thy wondrous worksdeclare.”

—Psalm 75:1

41. “Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thyglorious name.”

—II Chronicles 29:13

42. “He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; andhe that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regardit. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth Godthanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not,and giveth God thanks.”

—Romans 14:6

43. “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to berefused, if it be received with thanksgiving.”

—I Timothy 4:4

44. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men.”

—I Timothy 2:1

45. “Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, whichcauseth through us thanksgiving to God.”


75

46. “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pureconscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of theein my prayers night and day.”

—II Timothy 1:3

47. “I thank my God, making mention of thee always in myprayers.”

—Philemon 1:4

48. “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer andsupplication with thanksgiving let your requests be madeknown unto God.”

—Philippians 4:6

49. “Continue in prayer and watch in the same withthanksgiving.”

—Colossians 4:2

50. “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to singpraises unto Thy name, O Most High.”

—Psalm 92:1

51. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the whichalso ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

—Colossians 3:15

52. “And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise untothe Lord, and spake of Him to all them who looked forredemption in Jerusalem.”

—Luke 2:38

53. “I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and willcall upon the name of the Lord.”

—Psalm 116:17

77

107FAMOUS

QUOTATIONSON

THANKSGIVING

79

107 FAMOUS QUOTATIONS ON THANKSGIVING

1. “I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere. Thanks for invitingme to dinner.”

—President George W. Bush,on turning up in Iraq and surprising

the troops on Thanksgiving day.

2. “Remember that not to be happy is not to be grateful.”—Elizabeth Carter

3. "When the Christian praises and gives thanks to God, this notonly pleases God, but it enriches the Christian’s life with joy. It isa reciprocating transaction between God and man."

—Rick Warren

4. “‘He that eateth, eateth to the Lord; for he giveth God thanks,’Romans 14:6. It is the custom of many Christians to bow theirheads in public places and give thanks for the food that has beenplaced before them. I have had scores of waiters and waitressestell me that when we bowed our heads, it was the first time theyhad ever seen that happen in their restaurant. Millions never pauseto give a word of thanks to God for the beginning of the meal, orat any time of the day. Even at Thanksgiving time, only a minoritywill pause and give thanks to God. Thanksgiving is a recognitionof a debt that cannot be paid. We express thanks, whether ornot we are able otherwise to reimburse the giver. Whenthanksgiving is filled with true meaning and is not just the formalityof a polite “thank you,” it is the recognition of dependence. ‘LordGod, I know that I am completely dependent on You. Thankyou for daily providing all that my body needs.’”

—Billy Graham

80

5. “Happiness is impossible without gratitude.”—Dennis Prager

6. “Gratitude is our attitude.”—Slogan, Thanksgiving Square

Dallas, TX

7. “On this Thanksgiving, as we spend time with our family andfriends, let's all reflect on what we're thankful for in our ownlives. And let's remember those who cannot be with their lovedones because they're serving overseas. But let's also do our partto help those who have no place to go for a meal. I encourage allAmericans to do what they can to help those in need—becausethe best way to show our gratitude for what we have is by doingour part for those who have less.”

—Senator Barack Obama

8. “When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? No, here’s tothe pilot that weathered the storm.”

—George Canning

9. “A one-eyed man does not thank God until he sees a totally blindman.”

—African Proverb

10. “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty I’m free at last!”—Martin Luther King, Jr.

11. “This Thanksgiving, Americans are especially thankful for ourfreedom, and we are especially thankful to you, those who keepus free.”

—President George W. Bush

12. “Like humility, the giving of thanks doesn’t always come naturally.

81

Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves and be reminded to bethankful. We have to be mindful of our expressions of gratitude,just as we have to be mindful of the observance of ThanksgivingDay. We have to make an effort to stay grounded in gratitude sothat the swirl of Christmas preparations will not pick us up andcarry us away! I even know people who will not think of beginningto decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving because they areso determined that they and their loved ones are going to stop onthat day and at the very least, breathe a grateful prayer.

Because life can be difficult for all of us at times, you may beweathering your own personal storms right now. Perhaps thereis trouble in your family, or maybe you are in such internal conflictthat the turmoil is churning within your very soul. Can I tell yousomething that will help you? Praise through the pain. Determinethat you will not be silent and that there is no circumstance onearth mighty enough to keep you from praising your HeavenlyFather. If you struggle at first, look for the small, everydayblessings. You may even need to start by being thankful that youare alive and well enough to face your problem!

There is a certain kind of strength that comes from praisingGod, and there is a more vigorous strength that comes frompraising Him when your life is not running as smoothly as youwould like. I believe our ability to thank Him and to praise Himcorresponds to the depth of our intimacy with Him and our lovingtrust in Him. When we speak of ‘the holiday season,’ we arereally talking about that period of five weeks or so that beginswith Thanksgiving Day and ends on New Year’s. As we movefrom late November into December and then on to January 1,we quickly lose our grateful focus on the goodness of the Lordand, instead, begin to concentrate on everything from fillingstockings to buying a new calendar. I think the holiday scheduleis really brilliant, though, because it starts off with the rightemphasis: a thankful heart.

I believe we need to begin to stay thankful, not just through

82

the holiday season, but all year long. Yes, we need to live in aconstant state of Thanksgiving. Honestly, thanksgiving shouldbecome a way of life and not just a code word for the year’sbest meal. Let’s decide now that Thanksgiving will no longer besimply a prelude to Christmas, but a continuation of our lovingappreciation of God’s goodness to us. As I think about this holidayseason, I’ve realized that perhaps the key to a really greatChristmas is a never ending Thanksgiving. And that’s what I wishfor you.”

—Bishop T. D. Jakes

13. “I've been an imperfect servant of my country for many years.But I have been her servant first, last and always. And I've neverlived a day, in good times or bad, that I didn't thank God for theprivilege.”

—Senator John McCain

14. “For this relief, much thanks.”—Shakespeare

15. “A sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving is a sacrifice of gooddeeds and charity.”

—Pastor Dwight McKissic

16. “Lord for the erring thoughtNot into evil wrought;Lord, for the wicked willBetrayed and baffled still;For the heart from self kept,Our thanksgiving accept.”

—William Dean Howells

17. “Possessions gained by the sword are not lasting; gratitude forbenefits is eternal.” —Quintus Curtius Rufus

83

18. “Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.”—Shakespeare

19. “It is strange men cannot praise the bridge they go over, or bethankful for favours they have had.”

—Roger North20. “Thanksgiving is good, but ‘thanksliving’ is better.”

—Selected

21. “One of the tragedies today is that we don’t have enoughChristians who know how to give thanks for what they alreadyhave. Jesus gave thanks for two reasons: He had something andHe was anticipating more. Did Jesus need more than five loavesand two fish to feed five thousand men, plus women and children?Of course He did. But He knew what Paul later told us. Don’tcome to God with anxiety, but come with thanksgiving to letyour need be known (Philippians 4:6). Don’t come to God withoutsaying thanks first.

So Jesus broke the loaves and fish, and there was so muchfood that everyone on the premises ate until he was stuffed. Thewriter lets us know that this was not some little thing whereeveryone got a nibble or a crumb. So that there would be nodoubt or confusion, he said that the people ate until they couldn’thold another bite.

See, when we’re talking about our circumstances, we haveto get away from worrying about the sardines and crackers wehave. Otherwise, all you’ll see is what’s at the bottom of yourlittle lunch box.

So Jesus did the job with just five loaves and two fish,because He knew what to do with them, and He knew where togo. He went to the Father, but He didn’t go griping. He wentwith thanksgiving.”

—Dr. Tony Evans

84

22. “Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks.”—Shakespeare

23. “There is no gratitude for things past. Gratitude is always forwhat you’re going to do for people in the future.”

—President Harry S. Truman

24. “I truly believe that America's best days are still ahead of her.And for this, I am thankful to God. I am thankful that one day thewar on terror will end, not because we have lost, but becausewe have won! I am thankful that one day our economy willrebound, not because of governmental micro-management, butas a result of America's entrepreneurial resolve. I am thankfulthat one day the born and the unborn will be equal under theeyes of the law in every state.”

—Governor Mike Huckabee

25. “There is always a reason to be thankful.”—Pastor Dwight McKissic

26. “I need to keep pressing on until I am thoroughly thankful.”—Joyce Meyer

27. “Appreciation is one of the rarest but one of the most beautifulvirtues.”

—Selected

28. “Let never a day nor night unhallow’d pass, but still rememberwhat the Lord hath done.”

—Shakespeare

29. “And though I ebb in worth, I’ll flow in thanks.”—John Taylor, the Water-Poet

85

30. “I’ve heard of hearts unkind, kind deedsWith coldness still returning;Alas! The gratitude of menHath oftener left me mourning.”

—Wordsworth

31. “But whether we have less or more,Always thank God therefore.”

—Unknown

32. “The key word here is expectations. They set us up fordisillusionment. There is no greater distress in human experiencethan to build one’s entire way of life on a certain theologicalunderstanding, and then have it collapse at a time of unusual stressand pain. A person in this situation faces the crisis that rattled hisfoundation...he must also deal with the anguish of rejection. TheGod whom he has loved, worshipped, and served turns out toappear silent, distant, and uncaring in the moment of greatestneed. Do such times come even to the faithful? Yes, they do,although we are seldom willing to admit it within the Christiancommunity.

Wasn’t that precisely what happened to Job? This Godfearingman of antiquity had done no wrong, yet he suffered a series ofstaggering losses in a matter of hours. I have heard many sermonsbased on the life of this remarkable Old Testament character,but the source of Job’s most intense frustration (his inability tofind God) has often been overlooked. That is a vital point in thestory. Job lost everything—his children, his wealth, his servants,his reputation, and his friends. But those tragedies, as terrible asthey were, did not create the greatest agitation for him. Instead,Job fell to the ground in worship and said, ‘Naked I came frommy mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lordgave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of theLord.’ (Job 1:20-21).”

—Dr. James Dobson

86

33. “The real joy of the season is found not only in memories of thepast, but in the happy present, celebrating with our family. Theseare the times that make us truly grateful, when we put all elseaside to remember how lucky we are to be together again.”

—First Lady Laura Bush

34. “When one forgets God’s blessings, then he cannot be gratefulfor those blessings.”

—Main St. Monitor

35. “I love Thanksgiving. I truly do. Every last thing about it iswonderful. I love getting together with family and friends. I lovethe meal. I love the football. I love the four-day weekend withouthaving anything that particularly has to get done. And of course,I love the fundamental idea behind it—giving thanks for all thegood people and good things in your life.”

—Governor Bill Richardson

36. “He who does not thank for little will not thank for much.”—Estonian Proverb

37. “Come ye thankful people, come,Raise the song of Harvest-home!”

—Henry Ford

38. “Heap high the board with plenteous cheer, and gather to thefeast,

And toast the sturdy Pilgrim band whose courage neverceased.

Give praise to the All-Gracious One by whom their steps wereled.

And thanks unto the harvest’s Lord who sends our ‘dailybread.’”

—Alice Williams Brotherton

87

39. “Too many of us are low-voiced and shallow-streamed in ourgratitude.”

—Selected

40. “Thanksgiving day, I fear,If one the solemn truth must touch,Is celebrated, not so muchTo thank the Lord for blessing o’erAs for the sake of getting more!”

—W. Carleton

41. “God is glorified, not by our groans, but by our thanksgivings.”—Anonymous

42. “Comparison kills gratitude.”—Michael Easl

43. “God has two dwellings: one in Heaven and the other in a meekand thankful heart.”

—Izaak Walton

44. “‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: because Hismercy endureth forever’ Psalm 118:1. This year, as we observeour season of thanksgiving, let us be grateful not only in word butalso in deed. Let our gratitude find expression in a resolve to livea life more unselfish and more consecrated to Jesus Christ. Whenwe sit around our tables laden with sumptuous delicacies, let usnot forget that half the world will go to bed hungry. As we enjoythe comforts of our cozy homes, let us not forget that greatnumbers in other parts of the world have no homes to go to.When we step into our sleek automobiles, let us not forget thatmost of the people in the world cannot afford even a bicycle. Inthe Lord’s Prayer as recorded in the 6th chapter of Matthew,we read, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ Scripture teaches

88

that the good things of this life are the gifts of God, and that He isthe donor of all our blessings. Thanksgiving? Yes. Let us get onour knees humbly and thank God for the blessings He has givenus, both materially and spiritually. They have come from His hands.‘You bring me such abundance Almighty God. As I think ofThanksgiving Day, may my heart be completely consecrated toYour Son, Jesus Christ, so that through Him my life will show mygratitude to You.’”

—Billy Graham

45. “Be careful for nothing;Be prayerful for everything;Be thankful for anything.”

—D. L. Moody

46. “An old lady said she just had two teeth and she thanked Godthey met.”

—Anonymous

47. “Because we cannot see just what God is saving us from, wevent our foolish reproaches; if we could see this, we would oftenkneel down and thank God for certain trials as the richest of Hismercies.”

—Selected

48. “It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence ofAlmighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits,and humbly to implore His protection and favour.”

—President George Washington

49. “God is a great giver, let us be great in giving thanks.”—Selected

50. “If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will

89

not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and aman.”

—Mark Twain

51. “We have all known ingratitude, ungrateful we have never been.”—Diane de Poitirs

52. “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven;we have been preserved these many years in peace andprosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as noother nation has ever done.”

—President Abraham Lincoln

53. “I’m going to fight to make sure every American has every reasonto thank God, as I thank Him: that I’m an American, a proudcitizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work,strong faith and a little courage, great things are always withinour reach.”

—Governor Sarah Palin

54. “Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the souls.”—H. W. Beecher

55. “It is therefore recommended…to set apart Thursday theeighteenth day of November next, for solemn thanksgiving andpraise, that with one heart and one voice the good people mayexpress the grateful feelings of their hearts and consecratethemselves to the service of their Divine Benefactor.”

—Samuel Adams

56. “One finds little ingratitude so long as one is in a position to grantfavors.”

—French Proverb

90

57. “Let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnetfinds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenlyblessings.”

—Henry Ward Beecher

58. “Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, isthe true measure of our thanksgiving.”

—W. T. Purkiser

59. “Every meal is a Thanksgiving celebration.”—Daniel Whyte III

60. “Gratitude is a sign of noble souls.”—Aesop

61. “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have intoenough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into ahome. A stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of ourpast, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

—Melody Beattie

62. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that thehighest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

—President John F. Kennedy

63. “Ingratitude is nothing but a form of spiritual amnesia.”—Selected

64. “Gratitude is the heart’s memory.”—French Proverb

65. “Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be

91

expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart aswell as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.”

—President Theodore Roosevelt

66. “Gratitude is a burden upon our imperfect nature.”—Lord Chesterfield

67. “Being infinitely amazed, so do I give thanks to God, Who hasbeen pleased to make me the first observer of marvelous things,unrevealed to bygone ages.”

—Galileo

68. “While I would fain have some tincture of all the virtues, there isno quality I would rather have, and be thought to have, thangratitude. For it is not only the greatest virtue, but even the motherof all the rest.”

—Cicero

69. “Gratitude is one of those things that cannot be bought. It mustbe born with men, or else all the obligations in the world will notcreate it.”

—Lord Halifax

70. “Gratitude is a fruit of great cultivation; you do not find it amonggross people.”

—Samuel Johnson

71. “Justice is often pale and melancholy; but Gratitude her daughter,is constantly in the flow of spirits and the bloom of loveliness.”

—W. S. Landor

72. “While never willing to bow to a tyrant, our forefathers werealways willing to get to their knees before God. When catastrophethreatened they turned to God for deliverance. When the harvest

92

was bountiful, the first thought was Thanksgiving to God. Prayeris today as powerful a force today in our nation as it has everbeen. We as a nation should never forget this source of strength.And while recognizing the freedom to choose a Godly path is theessence of liberty, as a nation we cannot but hope that more ofour citizens would, through prayer, come into a closer relationshipwith their Maker.”

—President Ronald W. ReaganNational Day of Prayer Proclamation

73. “Thank you God for angels on the nose, the tail and the wings.”—Joyce Meyer

74. “The spirit of Thanksgiving rests in our recognizing the blessingsin our lives, and as we all take stock, I hope you will join me inexpressing sincerest thanks to our soldiers serving in harm's wayin Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. May God bless youon this day of thanks, and may God protect our troops.”

—Senator Joe Biden

75. “The gratitude of most men is nothing but a secret hope ofreceiving greater favors.”

—La Rochefoucauld

76. “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.”—Jean Baptiste Massieu

77. “If we pause to think, we’ll have cause to thank.”—Selected

78. “I want to be the most thankful man on the face of the earth.”—Ben Furrow

79. “Gratitude is a nice touch of beauty added last of all to the

93

countenance, giving as classic beauty, an angelic loveliness, tothe character.”

—Theodore Parker

80. “If you do anything well, gratitude is lighter than a feather; if yougive offense in anything, people’s wrath is as heavy as lead.”

—Plautus

81. “Evermore thanks, the exchequer of the poor.”—Shakespeare

82. “God be thanked for that good and unspeakable gift. The giftunspeakable: His life, His love, His very self, in Christ Jesus.”

—Maltbie D. Babcock

83. “We give thanks for unknown blessings already on the way.”—Ritual Chant

84. “Swift gratitude is sweetest; if it delays, all gratitude is emptyand unworthy of the name.”

—Anonymous

85. “They say late thanks are ever best.”—Francis Bacon

86. “What soon grows old? Gratitude.”—Aristotle

87. “When you are a thankful person it releases joy.”—Joyce Meyer

88. “Some people always sigh in thanking God.”—Samuel Johnson

94

89. “I am glad that he thanks God for anything.”—E. B. Browning

90. “The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. NoAmericans have been more impoverished than these who, neverthe less, set aside a day of thanksgiving.”

—H. U. Westermayer

91. “Thanksgiving is a duty before it’s a feeling.”—Selected

92. “Thanks begins with the thankful. It is not dependent upon anyoneelse. Speak it. Give it. Live it.”

—William O. Vickery

93. “Accept my thoughts for thanks; I have no words.”—Hannah Moore

94. “Though my mouth be dumb, my heart shall thank you.”—Nicholas Rowe

95. “Such thanks as fits a king’s remembrance.”—Shakespeare

96. “I am thankful for our democracy, liberty, and prosperity, andthat so many Americans have dedicated their lives to improvingour country and our world.”

—Congressman Alcee L. Hastings

97. “Praise the bridge that carried you over.”—George Colman the Younger

98. “A thankful heart enjoys blessings twice—when they’re received,and when they’re remembered.”

—Selected

95

99. “Ingratitude is always a form of weakness. I have never knowna man of real ability to be ungrateful.”

—Goethe

100. “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parentof all other values.”

—Cicero

101. “All our discontents spring from the want of thankfulness forwhat we have.”

—Daniel Defoe

102. “It is easy to be thankful when we remember just how totallydependent upon God we are.”

—Main St. Monitor

103. “Your dedication and tireless work with the hostage thing, withCentral America, gave me cause for great pride in you, and thanks.Now go get some turkey.”

—Vice President George H. W. Bush in a writtenexpression of gratitude to Oliver North, aboutThanksgiving 1985. Read by North during his

interview with Ted Koppel on “NightLine.”

104. “I imagine that it saddens the heart of God when we murmurand complain, instead of being thankful after He’s been so goodto us.”

—Joyce Meyer

105. “Gratitude shouldn’t be an occasional incident but a continuousattitude.”

—Selected

96

106. “If you can’t be thankful for what you receive, be thankful forwhat you escape.”

—Selected

107. “When the song is over, the mikes turned off, the lights dimmed,all the glitter and glamour shed, and I am left alone with my ownthoughts, free to contemplate the paths that led me to where Iam today, I pause to give thanks.”

—CeCe Winans

97

LET GOD BE THANKED:A LIGHT REFLECTION ON

THANKSGIVING

by Mrs. Tracie Thomas

Thanksgiving is a very special time of the year for my family and me.It is a time when we really reflect on the many things that we shouldbe thankful for. As my pastor has noted in this book, many of thethings that we are thankful for are serious, but some of thesmaller things can be humorous, and we thank God for those aswell.

Now, of course, the serious things that I am thankful for include:family, health, and a place to stay. I also thank God for His provisionsfor us.

On the lighter side, I am thankful that I have family members whocan cook better than I can for the Thanksgiving dinner. What wenormally do for Thanksgiving is, we all bring something for the dinner.My sister may bring potato salad. (I am thankful she does not bringthose canned baked beans that she always brings for the Fourth ofJuly.) My mother brings the turkey or the ham. Thank God for momswho know how to cook. As for me, I might bring vegetables. (I’msure my sister will say she is thankful I don’t bring collard greens tothe Thanksgiving dinner because I can’t cook them right.)Thanksgiving is really a fun time for our family. The children playtogether. The men are thankful not only for the food, but also for thetelevision set as they love to look at the football games that are on allday long.

Yes, Thanksgiving is a lot of fun. But let us all remember that it is His

98

day, the Lord’s Day, and we should really honour Him and thankHim for all that He has done for us on Thanksgiving Day.

ON THANKSGIVING DAY AND EVERY DAYOF THE YEAR—LET GOD BE THANKED!

99

THANKSGIVING

ARTS &CRAFTS

FORCHILDREN

101

“IT’S A PARTY ” INVITATIONS

YOU WILL NEED:Construction paper (different colors)LeafPencil ScissorsDecorating materials such as colored markers and glitter

1. Fold a sheet of construction paper in half the short way.2. Place base of leaf on the fold and trace around the leaf.3. Cut out the construction paper leaf. You will cut through 2 layers

of construction paper.4. Repeat steps 1 –3 to make as many invitations as you need.5. Use materials such as colored markers and glitter to decorate

your invitations. Be sure to write the date, time and place of yourparty.

THANKFUL HANDS PILGRIM GIRL

YOU WILL NEED:Paper plate without plastic coatingBlack & white construction paperConstruction paper in the skin color of your choiceYarn for hairRibbonScissorsWhite glueMarkers

1. Draw a face on your paper plate. Cut bits of yarn and glue themon for hair.

102

2. Cut a triangle-shaped piece from black paper and glue the pointbehind the head so that the bottom forms shoulders.

3. Trace your hands onto skin-colored construction paper and cutthem out. Glue them on each side of the Pilgrim as though theywere being held “palms up” in front of her. Cut cuffs and collarfrom white paper and glue them in place.

4. On the right hand write “On this Thanksgiving I am thankful for…”and on the left-hand write what you are thankful for and the date.

5. Cut 3 long rectangles from white paper and glue them across thetop and sides of the head to make a hat. While the glue is still wet,fold the bottom corners of the hat up and glue a piece of ribbonunder each side of the hat. Tie the ends of the ribbon in a bow atthe bottom of the face. Glue the bow to the plate. (If you aremaking a Pilgrim boy, cut out a black hat and do not use ribbons.)

6. You might want to make a boy Pilgrim as well and hang themtogether.

HEADBAND NAPKIN RINGS

YOU WILL NEED:Construction paper scrapsMarkersCardboard paper towel tubeScissorsWhite glue

1. Cut a cardboard circle from the tube about ¾ inch wide for eachnapkin ring you want to make.

2. Use markers to draw a Native American design on the tube.3. Cut a tiny feather from construction paper. Fringe both sides to

make it look more feather-like. Glue the base of the feather insidethe band.

*Make lots of napkin rings using different designs and colors.

103

CORNUCOPIA DOOR HANGING

YOU WILL NEED:5 white paper plates with ruffled edgesWhite glueBrown poster paintStaplerNewspaper to work onHole puncherPaintbrushYarnScissorsPictures of food from magazines and supermarket flyers

1. Overlap and staple 4 paper plates together in a row so that theruffled edge of each one is showing on the right. Cut the plates intoa horn-shape that curves on the end.

2. Cut the center out of paper plate and staple the rim to the left sideof the cornucopia to form the opening. Paint the cornucopia brownand let it dry.

3. Cut out pictures of fruits and vegetables from magazines andsupermarket flyers. Fill the opening of the cornucopia with thepictures. Glue the pictures in place.

4. To hang your cornucopia, punch two holes at the top and run apiece of yarn through them. Knot the ends together. This cornucopiawould look wonderful on your front door this Thanksgiving.

TURKEY WREATH

YOU WILL NEED:Paper plate without plastic coatingHole puncher

104

Brown poster paintPaintbrushNewspaper to work onScissors PencilWhite glueYarnRed, orange, blue, green, yellow and brown construction paper

1. Cut the center out of a paper plate so that the rim forms a wreath.Paint the rim brown and let it dry. Punch a hole in the plate and tiea loop of yarn through for a hanger.

2. Cut a head for the turkey from brown paper and glue it to thebottom front of the wreath. Cut eyes, a beak, and a wattle frompaper and glue them in place on the head. Cut legs from orangepaper and glue them so they hang below the head.

3. To make feathers for the turkey, cut lots of 4-inch strips fromdifferent colors of paper. Wrap each strip tightly around a penciland carefully slide the pencil out of the rolled paper. Fill the entirewreath with paper curls.

SET THE TABLE PLACE-MATS

YOU WILL NEED:Yellow construction paper – 12 X 18 inchBlue construction paperPaper napkinsColorful paper plates and cupsWhite glueScissors Crayons

105

1. The large sheet of yellow paper will be the place mat. Decorateit with crayons and write your name at the top.

2. Glue the paper plate to the middle of the mat and the cup to thetop right-hand corner. If your plate and cup are plain, you candecorate them with crayons.

3. Cut knife, fork and spoon shapes from blue paper. Use realsilverware as patterns for tracing.

4. Fold a paper napkin and glue it shut. Glue the napkin to the maton the left side of the plate. Glue the fork on top of the napkinand the knife and spoon on to the mat on the other side of theplate.

FALLING LEAVES CENTERPIECE

YOU WILL NEED:5 large leaves (different shapes and sizes)Construction paper of different colorsPencil Scissors1 toilet paper tubeWhite liquid glueMasking tapeTracing paper

1. Place a leaf on construction paper and trace around it. Repeatwith remaining 4 leaves using different colors of construction paper.Cut out leaves.

2. Cut toilet paper tube in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 1 inchcurved strips.

3. Glue one or two of the curved strips to the back of eachconstruction paper leaf to give it a curved surface. Secure theglued strips with tape (You can cover the curved strips withconstruction paper if you like.)

106

4. Group your leaves in an interesting arrangement and glue themtogether on the underside. Secure the leaves with tape.

107

CHILDREN TALK ABOUTWHAT THANKSGIVING

MEANS TO THEM

A 12 YEAR OLD REFLECTS ON THANKSGIVINGby Daniella (Danni) Whyte

THANKS—A SENSE OF PRAISE

Thanks, to me, is a sense of praise; something that you look at andsay, “Thank you Lord.” We have thousands of things to be thankfulfor. Many human souls are not as blessed as we are, but yet wecomplain of all our problems. Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks.A time for giving thanks to God.

I thank God for so many things: a home, a family, food, health andlife. As I look around, I see so many homeless people who stand onthe street corner. Do you know that these people are some of themost grateful people in America? And we, the fortunate, say I havenothing to thank God for. Don’t look at others with their wealth andgold, but look up and remember that Jesus said:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe alsoin me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were notso, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And ifI go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receiveyou unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Andwhither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”

—John 14:1-4

When Thanksgiving time comes around, it is a time to give the ultimatethanks to God—just plainly thanking Him for allowing me to seeanother day. Thanksgiving is also a time to spend with your family—

108

to have a big feast of Thanksgiving food. Thanksgiving is a relaxedtime, a moment to recognize the year is coming to its end; a periodof time has past. It is a time to look and see all the accomplishmentswe have completed and all the failures we have overcome. It is atime to look back with tears of joy and a bounty of laughter and say,“Oh, boy, I can’t believe I did that,” and, “I sure won’t do thatagain.” It is a time to plan for the New Year so that on New Year’sDay we can say, “What a great year this is going to be! What a newday!” with all thanks to God and Jesus Christ.

May the joy of Thanksgiving be around you and yours this newThanksgiving.

A 10 YEAR OLD REFLECTS ON THANKSGIVINGby Daniel Whyte IV

WHAT THANKSGIVING TRULY IS

What Thanksgiving traditionally is about, is also what it is not about.Truthfully, the holiday Thanksgiving is not all about the turkey.Thanksgiving is not all about relaxing and watching a football game.In a sense it is about those things as well, because they are a customamong Americans.

Thanksgiving is not all about the Pilgrims. As of itself, it is a fact ofhistory. They did help in starting this great country called America.The Thanksgiving dinner they had started this great holiday calledThanksgiving. But why did they call this holiday Thanksgiving? Turnit around and you get giving thanks. Who were they giving thanksto? God.

That is what Thanksgiving is all about—giving thanks to God. Wethank God for all of the things that have happened to us during the

109

past year. We thank Him for the good, the bad and the ugly. Wethank Him for the blessings and the troubles.

Thanksgiving also is a time to reflect and to plan. You reflect on all ofthe things that have happened, and you see what God has broughtyou through. You can also plan what you will do in the next year.Last of all, I believe Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family, andjust have fun. I have a lot to thank God for and if I made a list, it surewould be long. I hope you have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.

REFLECTIONS ON THANKSGIVING FROM A 10YEAR OLD, AN 8 YEAR OLD AND A 6 YEAR OLD.

Danita, Danae‘ & Daniqua Whyte

Thanksgiving to us is a time to give thanks to God for all He hasdone for us this past year, and it is also a time to help others and letthem have a Happy Thanksgiving, too.

We thank God for our family, home, clothes, and for His Son, JesusChrist, saving all of our souls. The main things that we like to do onThanksgiving Day is celebrate our sister’s birthday, write cards toour family, watch movies with our family, and help bake all the cakes,pies, cookies, and biscuits, but most importantly we give thanks toGod for allowing us to see another Thanksgiving. We are wishingyou a very Happy Thanksgiving!

REFLECTIONS ON THANKSGIVING FROM A 5 YEAROLD AND A 3 YEAR OLD.

Danyel Ezekiel and Danyelle Elizabeth Whyte

Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday to us. I thank God for my family.I thank God for my toys and play time.

110

WHAT OTHER CHILDREN HAVE TO SAY ABOUTTHANKSGIVING

Vanessa Thomas (age: 7):

1. I thank God for my mommy, daddy and brother, John.2. I thank God for Jesus Christ.3. I thank God for arms to hug John.4. I thank God for food to eat every day.5. I thank God for the trees, grass, and sunshine.6. I thank God for legs to walk to church.7. I thank God for my long hair.8. I thank God for everyone in my class.

Sophia Craword (age: 8):

Thanksgiving is a day when you have fun with your family thankingGod for giving you food and life. If it were not for God, I would notbe here. So I thank God for my life and for everyone.

Megan Wiltshire (age: 9):

I thank God for food and for a place to live. I love God because Heis always with me and He will always be there. God will always begood to me.

Marquez Jackson (age: 8):

1. I thank God for my mom, dad, sister and brother.2. I thank God for my school.3. I thank God for my hands.

111

Maria Crawford (age: 8):

Thanksgiving is a time for thanking God because if it were not forGod nobody would be here. God is all about love and family. OnThanksgiving I get to play, eat and sleep. I thank God also for myfamily and friends.

113

THANKSGIVING

BOOKSFOR

CHILDREN

115

1. Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, by Louisa May Alcott

2. 1621—New Look at Thanksgiving, by CatherineO’Neall Grace & Margaret M. Bruchac

3. Crafts for Thanksgiving, by Kathy Ross

4. The Thanksgiving Book, by Lucille Recht Penner

5. The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn’t, by DaniellaWhyte with Daniel D.P. Whyte IV

6. N. C. Wyeth’s Pilgrims, by Robert San Souci

7. Why We Have Thanksgiving, by Margaret Hillart

8. Thanksgiving Day, by Anne Rockwell

9. Fat Chance Thanksgiving, by Patricia Lakin

10. The First Thanksgiving, by Linda Hayward

11. Eating The Plates: A Pilgrim Book Of Food AndManners, by Lucille Recht Penner

12. If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, by AnnMcGovern

13. In November, by Cynthia Rylant

14. Thanks & Giving: All Year Long, by Marlo Thomas

15. Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving, by Dav Pilkey

117

THANKSGIVING

TRIVIA

119

So you think you know your Thanksgiving history.Test yourself and see how much you really know.

1. Which President made Thanksgiving Day the 4th Thursday ofNovember?__________________________________

2. Which writer and author wrote over 20 letters to Presidentssuggesting a national holiday for Thanksgiving?____________________________________________________

3. Which President made the first Thanksgiving proclamation?____________________________________________________

4. What is the Native American word for corn?_____________

5. What is a male turkey called?________________________

6. What is a female turkey called? ______________________

7. What is a baby turkey called?________________________

8. What was the first meal eaten by astronauts Neil Armstrong andBuzz Aldrin while they were on the moon?____________________________________________________

9. Name the nation’s two leading turkey-producing states.___________________________________________________

10. What three states lead the nation in cranberry production?____________________________________________________

11. When is the busiest travel day of the year?______________

120

12. Pilgrims had buckles on their clothes, shoes, and hats.TRUE or FALSE

13. What did Pilgrim boys and girls wear until they were seven yearsold? ____________________________________

14. What were children expected to do to all adults, including theirparents? ________________________________________

15. How many baths did Pilgrims take a year? Why?____________________________________________________________________________________________

16. How many people do you estimate travel between the Wednes-day and the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend?____________________________________________________

17. There are three towns in the United States named after the starof the Thanksgiving feast. Can you name them?_____________________________________________________________________________________________

18. The first Thanksgiving Day pro football game was played in1934. Which two teams played?____________________________________________________

19. In the popular Thanksgiving television special, A Charlie BrownThanksgiving, Chef Snoopy strays from the traditional to serve thegang what? _______________________________

20. How many passengers on the Mayflower still have descendantsliving today?______________________________

121

21. Eight Presidents are said to be descendents of Mayflowerpassengers. Can you name all eight of them?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. How many millions of people watch the Macy’s ThanksgivingParade on television each year?_____________________

23. At 78 feet, which television character is the longest balloon toever be featured at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade?___________________________________________________

24. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade first occurred in what year?__________________________________________________It was only canceled one time so that the rubber from theballoons could be donated to the war effort. Between whichyears was it canceled? _________________________________

25. What was the first balloon character to appear in the Macy’sThanksgiving Day Parade? _____________________________

26. What year was the first time he took flight? ______________

27. What cat has the record for the most appearances in the Macy’sThanksgiving Day Parade? _______________________

28. What year was its sixteenth parade appearance?___________________________________________________

***Turn to page 249 for answers.

123

SUGGESTED

GAMES TOPLAY ON

THANKSGIVING

DAY

125

GIVING THANKS

After everyone is seated at the table and the blessing has been said,there is no better way to spend Thanksgiving Day than to have eachperson in the family say what they are thankful for.

This is a tradition that everyone from the smallest child to the oldestgrandpa can participate in. It doesn’t matter what you are thankfulfor—it can be for your health, your family, your new job, or eventhat it is not raining.

If you are the host or hostess of the dinner you may want to start sothat everyone can get an understanding of the game. You can startby saying something like, “I am thankful for…” and then you canname one or two things that you are thankful for.

AN ALPHABET OF THANKS

For a variation on the idea of giving thanks, it would be fun to makeit easier by asking every visitor to give thanks starting with A andending with Z. Start with the eldest guest, or the person seated at thehead of the table. This person begins by saying something he or sheis thankful for that starts with the letter “A,” the next person “B,” thenext person “C,” and so on.

For a real brain-teaser, you can require each person to repeat whateveryone else has said. For instance, “I’m thankful for eggplant,Aunt Velma is thankful for dogs, Grandma Louise is thankful forchocolate, Dad is thankful for bread, and Christopher is thankful forthe apple pie.”

126

BEING GLAD

In the book Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna is therelentlessly, optimistic little orphan, who is forced to live with herunhappy aunt. If anyone had mastery over Being Glad, it wasPollyanna.

One Christmas, Pollyanna breaks both her legs and says, “I’m soglad, glad, glad it happened! For you have to lose your legs to reallylove them!” That’s where Being Glad comes in.

To play Being Glad, think of something “terrible” that happened toyou during the past year, and tell everyone at the Thanksgiving tablewhy you are glad it happened. You can start by saying somethinglike, “I’m very glad that our electricity went out last month. If ithadn’t happened I wouldn’t have learned all of the constructive andgreat things that I can do without the TV and the Internet.”

THANKSGIVING TOUCH FOOTBALL

Thanksgiving and football go hand in hand. Not only is it a great wayto burn off some of those extra Thanksgiving pounds, it is also agreat time for family exercise and bonding. Whether you choose toplay before or after dinner (we suggest that you play before so thatno one will get an upset stomach), follow these rules to make surethat everyone is on the same level.

First, choose a grassy area to be your playing field. Look for some-thing not too close to a road (just in case your quarterback is a littlewild). Set your playing field’s boundaries. Mark them off with brightcolored rags or cones. The playing field should be rectangular withend zones at every end.

127

Second, divide players evenly into two teams. When playing withfamily members of different ages, try to make sure that the ages areevenly divided between teams.

Third, give each team a few minutes to decide on who will play thevarious positions of the team (quarterback, tight-end, running back,etc). You might want to let each person play a little of each positionto find out where he or she fits in best.

Fourth, discuss between the two teams if you will play one-ortwotouch football. This will determine whether or not you need to“tackle” the ball carrier by tagging him or her with one or two hands.(Two-hand touch is a little harder than one-hand touch and tends tomake a longer game.) If you have a number of younger children itwould be easier to play one-hand touch.

Fifth, decide how you will determine the winner. The best ways areto (1) have a set time, and the team who has the highest score at theend of that time becomes the winner; or, (2) have a set score and theteam who has that score first wins.

Sixth, make a decision on whether or not you want to earn new firstdowns. Traditionally, in football games there are four downs, or tries,to gain 10-yards. If they do so they gain a new set of downs andhave another try for 10 more yards. Downs might be difficult for youto play if your playing ground does not have yard markers.

The rules that follow describe a game without downs:

1. Flip a coin to decide which team will begin playing offense.2. To play the game, place the ball in the middle of the field.3. Each team should now gather into separate huddles to plan

a strategy for the play.

128

4. Once strategies have been made, line the two teams up fac-ing one another on opposite sides of the ball.

5. The offensive player in the center, should pass the ball to thequarterback between his legs. If you don’t have enough play-ers, you can eliminate the “center” and allow the quarter-back to handle the ball himself.

6. While the “offensive linemen” block the defensive line, thequarterback hands off the ball to a running back or passesthe ball to a receiver, who then runs with the ball toward theopposite end zone while defensive players try to tag him orher.

7. Other offensive players try to keep defenders from taggingthe ball carrier by blocking him or her.

8. Once the player has been tagged, play stops and the ball isdropped where the tag was made. This counts as a downand play is repeated. Downs are also ended when a ball isdropped or a player runs out-of-bounds.

9. Once 4 downs have been completed, possession of the ballis switched and the defense then becomes the offense at thepoint where the ball was last in play. The new offense gets 4attempts to move the ball toward the opposite end zone.

10. If a team scores, earning them 7 points, possession of theball is also switched. After a touchdown is made, play be-gins again by setting the ball in the middle of the field andlining the teams up as before.

Continue playing touch football until the point or time limit is reachedor until grandma calls everyone in for dinner. Have fun!

CHARADES

Charades is a terrific family game for kids of all ages. While it startedout as a riddle game where you guessed a word, it eventually evolved

129

into the acting game we know today. It can be played with 4 (ormore) players, 2 (or more) teams.

You will need:1. A three minute timer2. Pen and paper to keep track of score and to write your charade words on3. A neutral player to keep the time and the score

The objective of Charades is for players to act out a word, an idea,the name of a person, song, book, movie, or television show in theshortest amount of time possible.

Pick some categories that will be fun to guess. Write the titles onsmall scraps of paper and throw them into a hat for the other team topull out. The first team pulls a scrap of paper from the title that theother team has created. A team member has to act out the title orword without speaking. Team members guess until they get the an-swer right, when they get the answer right the timer stops immedi-ately. When a player guesses part of the answer correctly, point tohim or her and nod excitedly. One point is scored per correct an-swer per team. The team with the most points wins! When the timeis up you are out—even if you did not get the answer correct and nopoints were scored.

Here are some helpful hand movements to help your team membersguess the correct word or title:

� A movie: Pretend you are cranking a projector.� A TV show: Make a box in the air with your hands in front of

your body.� A book: Hold open your hands, palms up, as if you are

holding a book.

130

� Quote or phrase: Make quotation marks in the air with yourfingers.

� Song: Pretend that you are singing, open your mouth wide.� Length of word: Make a little or big sign with your hands;

hold your index and thumb close together to make the littlesign, and hold hands wide apart (as if measuring a fish) tomake the big sign.

� First word, second word, etc.: Hold up your finger to showwhat word you are acting out (one finger to signify the firstword, two to signify second word, etc.).

� Numbers: Show on your fingers.� Sounds like: Pull at your ear lobe.� Number of syllables: Hold up fingers to show number and

then tap fingers on opposite outstretched arm.

SHARING THE THANKS

After reading all about what the Pilgrims had to go through duringtheir first few years in the New World, and then sharing all of thethings that you and your family have to be thankful for, it is only fairthat you feel compelled to share your wealth.

Volunteering during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, is popu-lar, but, surprisingly, there are still a number of organizations thatneed your help (see our “Thanksgiving Charities” chapter). Whetheryou decide to work in a soup kitchen or help out at your local church,volunteering to help those who are less fortunate than we are, issomething that the whole family can do together.

If you are volunteering, ask the organizers of the event or organizationif there is a special need that young children can fulfill. If not, plansomething that will make the young kids feel needed. They could

131

decorate the house, set the table, or clean the dishes. If you areputting together a Thanksgiving basket make sure that you includethe children in getting things that they would like to donate as well.

Whatever you decide on doing remember that there are peopleand organizations that need your help. Here are a few things thatyou can do that can get the whole family involved:

♦ Call a local shelter, soup kitchen, or your local church andvolunteer to work on Thanksgiving Day. Many organizationshave great places for children to work.

♦ Contact a nursing home or senior center to see if any of theseniors would want to spend Thanksgiving Day with yourfamily. Or see if you can bring Thanksgiving dinner over to asenior.

♦ Invite a homeless person or family, a family from a batteredshelter, or a homeless shelter to spend Thanksgiving dinnerat your house.

♦ Ask all of the people who come to your Thanksgiving din-ner to bring food and/or clothing that can be given to thehomeless, a homeless shelter or your local church.

♦ Make Thanksgiving dinner for a person who is sick andcan’t make his or her own Thanksgiving meal.

♦ Prepare a Thanksgiving basket for a civic or social serviceagency that can give it to a foodless family who wouldotherwise have nothing to eat. Or you can give it to themyourself.

♦ Contact a local church or organization and ask them if theyknow of a family in need. Make a gift basket for that familyor buy them a gift certificate or shopping card from yourlocal store and give it to them.

♦ Look into your local Meals-on-Wheels organization.

133

TRADITIONAL &NONTRADITIONAL

LAST MINUTERECIPES THATWILL HELP YOU

GETTHROUGH

THETHANKSGIVING

HOLIDAY

135

A THANKSGIVING PRAYER

O Lord, help me to survive this holiday week! Keep me from nib-bling on all the ingredients as I prepare this festive meal. Stop mefrom continuing to taste-test the stuffing long after I know it is sea-soned correctly. Help me to remember that onion dip is only anappetizer and that soon I will be eating a full meal. Keep me fromusing bleu cheese dressing on my salad instead of diet French.

Let me remember that although mushrooms have little or no caloricvalue, the gravy that they are floating in does. Guide my hand awayfrom the butter that I would like to glob on the vegetables. Allow meto admit I know that an average yam has more calories than a me-dium-sized baked potato, and that a third of a cup of cranberrysauce is more fattening than both of them combined.

Prevent me from forcing down a piece of pumpkin pie when I amalready filled beyond belief. And if I don’t heed the message, don’tlet me put whipped cream on top. Guide my feet away from therefrigerator in the days that follow, that I may not repeat the sins ofmy weak will with the leftovers.

—Ruth Rosenfeld inThe Austin-American Statesman

137

TURKEY

Safety Tips for Cooking Turkey

1. Never fry or grill a turkey indoors, in a garage, or on awooden deck. This can cause a fire. Always place your fryeror grill on level dirt or grassy area.

2. Do not stuff turkey for deep-frying.

3. When choosing a pan to roast your turkey in, make sure it isa high-sided roasting pan with handles. The sides will pre-vent the juices from overflowing and making a mess. Thehandles are very important for helping you carry and movethe heavy bird.

4. Do not use a disposable or lightweight pan. They can leak.They are flimsy and can be dangerous when trying to liftyour turkey from the oven.

5. You do not need to truss your turkey, as this will prevent hotair from circulating around the leg and thigh. They will notcook at the same rate as the breast.

Key points to keep in mind while shopping:

Canned pumpkin vs. canned pumpkin pie mix: The pie mix con-tains spices and sugars. To make a pie, you add evaporated milkand eggs – and be sure you put it in a deep-dish pie pan.

Evaporated milk vs. sweetened condensed milk: Evaporatedmilk is milk that has been cooked down to remove about half thewater, making it thicker than fresh milk. Sweetened condensed milk

138

also has had water removed, but it contains added sugar. They arenot interchangeable in recipes, so read your recipe and your labelcarefully.

Here’s Who to Call if You Need Help with Your Turkey

Toll-free telephone services and websites offer a variety of specialistanswers to cooking and questions during holiday preparation times.

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline:1-888-674-6854. Year round Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3p.m., except Thanksgiving Day, when hours will be from 7 a.m.to 1 p.m. www.fsis.usda.gov.

2. Empire Kosher Poultry Customer Hotline: 1-800-367-4734,or 1-717-436-5921. Year round Monday through Thursday, 7a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.www.empirekosher.com.

3. Ocean Spray Consumer Help Line: 1-800-662-3263. Yearround, weekdays (open Thanksgiving Day; but not ChristmasDay, New Year’s Day and other major holidays) 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.www.oceanspray.com.

4. Reynolds Turkey Tips Line: 1-800-745-4000. Year round24-hour automated hot line. www.reynoldskitchens.com.

5. http://www.turkeyhelp.com

139

PAPA WHYTE’S FAMOUS ROYALBACON-WRAPPED TURKEY

Ingredients:Turkey Onions Bragg Liquid AminosBacon Celery SpikePork Sausage Garlic VegesalStuffing Black Pepper(Some of these seasonings are found at your local health food store.)

1. Wash turkey, sausage and bacon.

2. Slice sausage.

3. Slice onions, celery and garlic in abundance. Generously sprinkleseasonings all over turkey.

4. Layer bottom of pan with generous amounts of bacon, sausage,onions, celery and garlic. Wrap generous amounts of baconaround turkey. Use skewers to hold bacon on to turkey. Usingtoothpicks, place sausage, celery, onions and garlic all overturkey and let marinade overnight.

5. Stuff turkey with seasoned stuffing, mixed with small pieces ofbacon, sausage, celery, and onions. Cover loosely with foil.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 4 hours or until tender. Basteoften with resident juices and with Bragg and Soy Sauce.

7. Add more seasoning throughout the baking process.

(Warning: Too much of this great tasting turkey will raise your bloodpressure, give you a heart attack and put you in the hospital or killyou. But you will die happy.)

140

FABULOUS FRIED TURKEY

Ingredients:12-15 lbs. Turkey2 Tbsp Tony Chachere’s seasoning3 Tbsp Chef Paul’s Poultry seasoning1 Tbsp red pepper1 chicken bouillon cube½ stick butter1 tsp garlic powder2 tsp accent seasoning4½ cups water

1. While stirring, boil all ingredients except butter. Let ingredientscool for one hour to let the water absorb the seasoning.

2. Boil and stir the water once more.

3. Strain the water to remove large pieces of seasoning to keep theneedle from clogging.

4. Add the butter, stir until melted.

5. When the water is cool enough to handle, inject the turkey allover at different depths.

6. Use the paste left over to coat the outside of the turkey.

7. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Use the wire brace hookedaround the legs of the turkey to lift it in and out.

8. Fry in peanut oil at 300 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes for a 12 to15 pound turkey.

141

SOUTHERN DOWN-HOME DEEP-FRIED TURKEY

You Will Need:

40 to 60 quart pot with basket, burner, propane gas tankMeat thermometerHeavy wire to lift turkey in and out of potOil (for an 8 to 10 pound turkey you will need appr. 5 gallons ofoil)

1. Add oil and heat to 350 degrees. This normally takes between45 min. to 1 hour.

2. Remove built-in thermometer from turkey.

3. Rub the outside of turkey with a dry rub. To season turkey,place it in a pan and fill your favorite marinade into a hypodermicmeat injector. Inject the marinade in several places on the turkey.

4. When done, massage a big handful of dry rub onto the outsideand all around the cavity.

5. Once oil is at required temperature, slowly lower turkey intopot. When cooking time is up, remove turkey and check internaltemperature with a meat thermometer by sticking thethermometer into the thigh and breast. The temperature shouldreach 170 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees F in thethigh.

6. Let turkey stand for 15 minutes before carving.

142

GRILLED TURKEY

CHARCOAL GRILL:1. Remove the giblets and neck, drain all juices and pat the turkey

dry with paper towels. Do not stuff.

2. Tuck legs and turn wings back. Brush all sides of the turkey withvegetable oil.

3. Prepare grill by removing cooking grate and opening all vents.Place the drip pan in the middle of the charcoal grate and place25 to 30 briquettes along each lengthwise side of pan. Burn untilthey are covered with a gray ash, about 30 minutes. When ready,place the cooking grate back in the grill.

4. Place unstuffed turkey, breast up on a cooking grate over thedrip pan. Cover grill leaving all vents open. Add 6 to 8 briquettes,not infused with lighter fluid s every 45 to 60 minutes.

5. Cook the turkey to an internal thigh temperature of 180 degreesF and breast temperature of 170 degrees F on a meatthermometer. A 10 to 18 pound turkey will take between 2 to 3hours.

GAS GRILL:1. Make sure turkey fits under the lid of your grill with at least 1

inch of space between the top of the turkey and grill.

2. Prepare turkey as given above. Once the grill has been preheated,turn temperature down to medium (about 350 degrees F). Placeturkey breast up on the cooking grate and over a drip pan. Closelid and cook. You may need to turn turkey half way aroundabout midway through the cooking time to cook evenly. Letstand 15 minutes before carving.

143

TOFU TURKEY

Ingredients:1 lb. firm tofu 1 slice bread, cubed1 tsp. Vegesal ½ tsp. sage¼ tsp. dried marjoram ½ tsp. rosemary¼ tsp. dried savory ½ tsp. thyme¼ tsp. spike/pepper 2 tbsp. water¼ cup butter 1 tsp. BBQ sauce½ red onions, finely diced ½ tsp. prepared mustard½ cup celery 1 tbsp. orange jam¼ cup chopped mushrooms 1 tbsp. sesame seeds1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. orange juice2/3 cup water 2 tbsp. vegetable oil1 (12 ounce) package dry bread stuffing mix (unseasoned)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Drain and rinse tofu; in a food processor or blender, processtofu until smooth. Stir in salt, marjoram, savory and spike/pepper.Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place over an empty bowl.Place tofu mixture in strainer and press against sides to form adeep well in the middle. Place more cheesecloth over tofu andrefrigerate for 2 hours.

3. In medium frying pan, saute` onions, celery and mushrooms inbutter until tender. Add garlic, 2/3 cup water, vegesal and spiketo taste. Add stuffing mix, bring to a boil; lower heat and simmerfor 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.Fluff with fork. Add bread cubes, sage, rosemary, thyme and 2tbsp water to stuffing.

4. After chilling tofu for 2 hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees. 142Grease baking sheet with vegetable oil.

144

5. Remove top layer of cheesecloth. Keep tofu in the shape of awell. Spoon the stuffing mix into the well and smooth the surfacewith a spoon. Invert tofu mold on to a prepared baking sheet.Remove remaining cheesecloth and shape tofu if it has lost itsshape.

6. Bake for 30 minutes.

7. Prepare the glaze by combining the barbecue sauce, mustard,orange jam, orange juice, sesame seeds and oil. After bakingfor 30 minutes, brush with glaze. Return to oven and bake another20 minutes.

8. When finished, broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until tofu is brownedand crispy.

145

STUFFING

GRANDMA’S CORNBREAD DRESSING

Ingredients:½ cup finely chopped onions (yellow/white)5 cups cornbread, broken into small chunks3 tbsp. buttercoarse black pepperSpikeSalt¼ cup grated onions (optional)chicken stock or broth6 tbsp. butter3 slices of regular white or wheat bread, cubed1 1/2 cups green onions4 garlic cloves (pressed)2 cups chopped celery

1. Prepare your fresh cornbread.2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.3. Saute` garlic, celery, and onions in 3 tbsp. butter. Add to baking

dish. In the same baking dish, crumble the cornbread and whiteor wheat bread together. Add salt, black pepper, and spike tofit your taste. Put 5 tbsp. of butter on top of the dish. If youreally like the taste of raw onions, add ¼ cup of grated rawonions.

4. Put enough chicken stock/broth to thoroughly soak all the bread.When you touch the top of the dish little pools of stock shouldrise to the top.

5. Bake this dish for 25 minutes or longer if the stuffing seems toosoupy.

146

PECAN STUFFING

Ingredients:2 tbsp. butterturkey giblets6 cups whole wheat bread crumbs4 eggs, beaten2 tbsp. honey2 cups boiling water1 tsp. coarse black pepper1 tsp. cloves¼ tsp. cayenne pepper½ melted butter1 ½ tsp. vegesal3 cups chopped pecans

1. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a skillet pan on medium heat.Add the turkey giblets and brown on all sides. Cut up the cookedturkey giblets into small pieces and set them aside.

2. Mix the vegesal, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, andbread crumbs together. Stir in the boiling water, melted butter,and honey. Set aside to cool.

3. Add the beaten eggs to the other ingredients. Mix well. Stir inthe cooked turkey giblets and chopped pecans. Now you haveyour pecan stuffing!

147

SWANSON’S MOIST & SAVORY STUFFING

Ingredients:1 can (14 oz) Swanson’s Chicken Broth (1 ¾ cups)Generous dash pepper 1 stalk celery1 small onion4 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing

Mix broth, pepper, celery and onion in saucepan. Heat to a boil.Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until vegetables aretender. Add stuffing. Mix lightly.

MEXICAN CORN STUFFING CASSEROLE

Ingredients:5 cups crumbled corn bread1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn¾ cup diced onion¾ cup diced red bell pepper1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese1 large egg, lightly beaten2 tsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro½ tsp. ancho chile powder

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.2. Bake the crumbled corn bread on a baking sheet, stirring occa-

sionally, for 20 minutes, or until lightly toasted.3. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add corn bread;

toss to evenly combine. Do not over mix.4. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Cover. Bake for 35 to 40

minutes; uncover. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until heatedthrough and top is brown.

148

COUNTRY SAUSAGE and CORN BREAD STUFFING

Ingredients:1 pound pork sausage4 tbsp. butter or margarine3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped1 large onion (12 ounces), coarsely chopped1 red pepper, coarsely chopped1 (14 ½ ounce) can chicken broth or 1 1/3 cups homemadechickenbroth½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper¾ cup water1 (14 ounce) package corn bread stuffing mix¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Addsausage and cook, breaking up meat, until browned, about 10minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl.Discard all but 2 tablespoons sausage drippings.

2. Add butter or margarine, celery, onion, and red pepper to skil-let. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden brownand tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, black pep-per and water. Heat to boiling, stirring until browned bits areloosened from bottom of skillet.

3. Add vegetable mixture, corn bread stuffing mix and parsley tosausage in bowl; stir to combine well. Spoon stuffing into greased9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake for the last 30minutes of the turkey roasting time at 325F.

149

POTATOES

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients:24 small red peeled potatoes1 ½ cups milk½ tsp. ground white pepperVegesal to taste1 head of garlicOlive oil¾ cup butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Boil a large pot of water, add potatoes, and let them cook untilsoft (approximately 25 minutes). Drain well.

3. While boiling water, brush the garlic with olive oil, wrap theolive oil covered garlic in foil, and place in the preheated ovenfor 1 hour. When finished, gently squeeze the garlic out fromeach of the cloves, leaving behind the skin.

4. Put all the potatoes, butter, vegesal, ground white pepper, garlicpulp, and milk in a bowl. Blend them together to your desiredconsistency.

150

HONEYED MASHED SWEET POTATOES

Ingredients:12 sweet potatoes½ cup butterCinnamon to tasteNutmeg to tasteCoarse black pepper to tasteVegesal to tasteHoney to taste

1. Peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them into small, bite-size pieces(the smaller the pieces, the quicker the cooking time).

2. Put the potato pieces into a large pot and cover them with coldwater. Boil until soft.

3. Drain the water. Sprinkle the potatoes with vegesal and blackpepper. Add the butter and mash until it has the desired texture.

4. After you have mashed all the potatoes, add cinnamon and nut-meg to your taste. Then mix in honey to your taste.

151

CHEESEY MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients:1 lb. potatoes 2 ½ cups Parmesan cheese½ cup butter 1 ½ cup cream cheese½ cup garlic 1 cup freshly chopped chivesVegesal and spike to taste

1. Peel all the potatoes. Cut them into small chunks preferablybite-size pieces. Place potato pieces into a large pot and coverwith cold water. Boil until the potatoes are tender but keep thepotatoes firm. Drain.

2. Add the cream cheese, chives, Parmesan cheese, butter, garlic,vegesal, and spike. Beat until smooth and then serve.

MOCK MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients:Nonstick cooking spray 20 oz cauliflower2 tbsp. heavy cream White pepper, to taste1 tbsp. mayonnaise ½ tsp. salt2 tbsp. butter (melted ¼ stick), plus 1 tbsp non-melted

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray.Steam the cauliflower until very soft. Drain thoroughly, cool slightly.Puree in a food processor with all the remaining ingredients exceptthe 1 tablespoon of butter until completely smooth. Place in thecasserole dish and set aside for 20 minutes. Dot the top of the mockpotatoes with butter, and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes.

152

SCALLOPED POTATOES

Ingredients:1 cube butter 6 potatoes¼ cup Bisquick Salt to taste2 cups milk Pepper to taste2-3 tsp. Cheese Whiz Garlic to taste

Melt butter, add Bisquick, milk and Cheese Whiz. Bring to boil untilthick. Sprinkle over potatoes with salt and black pepper and garlic.Put in cake pan. Pour sauce over potatoes. Bake at 350 for 1-1/2hours.

ORANGE PECAN SWEET POTATOES

Ingredients:Mazola Pure Cooking Spray 2 tbsp. butter½ cup chopped pecans, toasted 1 cup brown sugar2 tbsp. Argo corn starch 1 cup orange juice1 tsp. Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract3 lbs. (4 large) sweet potatoes, peeled, chunked and cooked

1. Spray 3-quart (13x19 inch) baking dish with cooking spray.Add sweet potatoes and pecans.

2. Combine brown sugar and corn starch in a small saucepan.Gradually add orange juice, whisking to blend.

3. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Re-duce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat;add butter and vanilla. Pour over sweet potatoes.

4. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45 minutes, until edges arebrowned and bubbly.

153

VEGETABLES

IROQUOIS SUCCOTASH

Ingredients:1 ½ cups fresh corn kernels1 lb. stew meat, diced in bite-sized pieces3 tbsp. butter1 ½ cups fresh lima beans2 tbsp. creamCoarse ground pepper to tasteSalt to tasteCornstarch

1. Boil ¼ cup of water. Add the fresh lima beans to the pot andreturn to boil. Cover beans, reduce the heat of the stove, andsimmer until soft for about 30 minutes. Drain well.

2. Boil 2 tbsp. of water. Add the fresh corn and return to boil.Cover, reduce the heat of the stove, and simmer until soft forabout 30 minutes. Drain well.

3. Melt the 3 tbsp. of butter. Add the stew meat and brown on allsides over medium heat. Sprinkle with a dry seasoning (salt,pepper, spike, etc.) of your choice to taste.

4. Stir the cooked lima beans and corn into the meat.5. Add the cream.6. Mix the cornstarch with ¼ cup of water, stir until smooth.7. Add to the meat and stir gently until the sauce thickens (this

should take about 3 minutes).8. Serve at once.

154

COUNTRY-STYLE CABBAGE

Ingredients:1 large head cabbage2 tbsp. water¾ tsp. chicken bouillon granules1/8 tsp. ground black pepper2 tbsp. cider vinegar

1. Clean and trim cabbage. Cut into 1 inch pieces.

2. Place water in bottom of skillet or Dutch oven. Add cabbage,bouillon granules, and black pepper. Cover and cook over me-dium heat. Stir occasionally for 15 minutes or until cabbage iswilted and tender.

3. Stir in vinegar and serve hot.

155

SOUTHERN GREENS

Ingredients:5 to 6 pounds assorted greens—collards, kale, mustard, turnip1 cup chopped onion1/4 cup vegetable oil1 or 2 jalapeno or serrano chile peppers, seeded and minced1 smoked turkey leg, smoked pork chops, or ham hockSeasoned salt and ground black pepper or seasoned pepper

1. Tear the greens into large pieces. Wash the greens well in a sinkfull of cold water, lifting greens out and letting grit stay on bot-tom of sink. Drain sink, change water and wash again; repeatwashings until there is no grit on the greens.

2. Cut away tough stems; roll large leaves and cut in strips or chop.

3. In a large kettle, combine the chopped onions, 2 cups water, oil,and chile pepper, if using. Bring to a boil over high heat.

4. Gradually stir in the greens, allowing each batch to wilt beforeadding more greens.

5. Put turkey leg or smoked meat in greens. Season with salt andpepper to taste.

6. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occa-sionally, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, to your taste.

7. Remove meat from bone; chop and return to pot. Using a slot-ted spoon, transfer the greens to a serving dish; serve hot.

157

CASSEROLES

CHICKEN, SAUSAGE, BEEF CASSEROLE

Ingredients:Canned white chicken meat Cream of mushroomSausage (pork or beef) GarlicGround beef OnionsFrench onions Green pepper—cubedButter Mozzarella cheeseBlack pepper Soy sauceKraft sharp cheddar cheese Canned green peasElbow macaroni (can substitute with white rice or spaghetti)

1. Boil macaroni adding salt, butter, black pepper, soy sauce, someonions to season. Drain and keep warm. Cut into cubes gener-ous amounts of onions, green pepper and garlic – set aside.

2. Brown ground beef adding onions, garlic, soy sauce and blackpepper to taste.

3. Lightly boil sausage, slice, then cut in quarters; saute` in a littlebutter.

4. Drain canned chicken; saute` in a little butter, add seasoning totaste.

5. Add water to cream of mushroom but still maintain some amountof thickness, then add to macaroni in a casserole dish.

6. Gently stir in drained ground beef, saute`ed sausage and 156saute`ed chicken. Also stir in cheddar cheese, cubed onions,cubed green pepper, canned green peas drained, butter. Sprinkle

158

on salt, black pepper and soy sauce to taste.

7. Single layer of sliced mozzarella cheese on top.

8. Sprinkle on French onions.

9. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese begins to melt and begins tocrust around edges.

10. Remove from oven and let cool. Dig in!

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:2 cans whole cut green beans1 ½ tsp soy sauce1 can cream of mushroom1 can fried onion rings4-6 tsp Cheeze Whiz or Velveeta

Mix ingredients in ovenproof casserole dish. Bake at 350 degreesfor 20 minutes. Top with onion rings and bake 10 more minutes.

159

DANNI’S SHRIMP ‘N’ NOODLE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:3 lbs. shrimp12 packages Ramen Noodles6 cloves garlic1 white onion1 yellow onion2 large cans French Onions1 green, yellow and red pepperOil2 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce1 small box fish fry1 medium bottle lemon or lime juice

1. Cook noodles adding 3 tsp lemon or lime juice and 2 clovesgarlic.

2. Clean shrimp, batter in fish fry and fry; drain; add to noodles.

3. Cut up peppers, and half of each onion; add to noodles. Stirtogether.

4. Place one layer of French Onions on bottom of baking pan; addlayer of shrimp/noodle mixture. Alternate French onion andshrimp/noodle mixture.

5. Place in oven and bake until lightly brown. Lightly sprinkle lemonjuice on top. Serve warm.

160

HARVEST VEGETABLE & CHEESE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:1 tsp. Olive or Canola oil1 cup onion peeled and chopped1 large clove peeled and minced1 small jalapeno minced (optional)2 large tomatoes chopped2 lbs. zucchini or yellow squash, cut into ½ inch pieces1 ½ - 2 cups corn kernels (can be frozen)6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, gratedSalt (optional)Black pepper

1. In large skillet heat oil, add onion and saute` until softened(Medlow).

2. Add garlic, jalapeno, tomatoes, squash, corn and cook stirring,8-10 minutes or until squash is tender.

3. Reduce heat to low, stir in cheese, salt and pepper, cover thepan, simmer 30 seconds to melt cheese.

161

PINEAPPLE-SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients:3 lbs. sweet potato (6 med/large)2 cans (8 oz each) crushed pineapple in juice undrained¼ tsp. ground cinnamon4 tsp. ground butter-flavored sprinkles1/3 cup chopped pecans or golden raisins (optional)1 ¾ cups miniature marsh-mellows

1. Bake sweet potato at 400F for about 45 minutes or until tender.Set aside to cool; peel then cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. Place in large bowl, toss with remaining ingredients exceptmarshmellows. Coat a 2 ½ quart casserole dish with nonstickcooking spray. Place mixture in dish. Top with marshmellows.

3. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until mixture is bubbly andtop is lightly browned. If top browns too quickly, loosely coverwith aluminum foil during last 10 minutes. Serve hot.

163

OTHER THANKSGIVINGDISHES

BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE

Ingredients:4 cups water1 tbsp. salt3 cups of elbow macaroni½ cup butter + 1Tbsp softened2 large eggs2 cups evaporated milk1 tsp. salt2 dashes of Tabasco sauce1 lb extra sharp cheese grated & mixed with ½ cup American cheese½ tsp. sweet paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil water and salt; add macaroni;boil until tender; about 12 minutes—stirring occasionally. Drainand rinse with a little cold water. Mix with butter and set aside.

2. In small bowl beat eggs until light yellow. Add milk, salt, Tabascosauce. Grease a 9 inch casserole dish; alternate layers of cookedmacaroni with layer of mixed cheeses, ending with cheeses ontop. Pour egg mixture slowly and evenly over macaroni & cheese.

3. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake 30-40 minutes until egg custardtopping is firm, bubbly and golden brown.

164

MERIQUA’S JAMAICAN STYLEDSTEAMED CHICKEN

Ingredients:Chicken Bragg Liquid AminosOnions OilBlack Pepper

1. Cut up the chicken.2. Season with generous amounts of black pepper and bragg.3. Brown pieces in small amount of oil.4. Drain and add chicken to pot.5. Add in generous amounts of onions and bragg.6. Add water to cover and cook until tender.7. Serve with rice.

CRACKLING CORN BREAD

Ingredients:2 cups yellow cornmeal 2 eggs beaten1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 2 tbsp. bacon or½ tsp. baking soda Ham drippings1 1/2 tsp. salt½ cup commercially prepared cracklings

Preheat oven to 400F. Sift cornmeal, baking soda, baking powderand salt together. Add crackling, eggs, drippings and milk. Spreadbatter in a greased 8 inch square pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

165

PAPA WHYTE’S POOR MAN’S MEAL

Ingredients:Ramen Noodles 1 can corn (drained)Onions 1 can peas (drained)1 lb. Ground beef GarlicFried Okra

1. Boil water; add onions, garlic and noodles. Cook until tender(about 3 minutes); drain.

2. Brown ground beef and drain.

3. Mix noodles, ground beef and seasoning packet together. Addone can of corn and one can of peas. Can be added as a sidedish or eaten by itself.

4. Sprinkle fried okra on top.

JAMAICAN FRIED DUMPLINGS

Ingredients:Flour Baking PowderOil Salt

1. Heat generous amount of oil in frying pan.2. Combine flour, salt and baking powder; add water and knead

into a semi-stiff dough.3. Break off and shape into medium sized balls. Flatten slightly.4. Place into frying pan and brown on all sides. Can be served at

breakfast time with bacon, sausage, eggs or as a bread at dinnertime.

166

PAPA WHYTE’S BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE

Ingredients:Whole Wheat macaroni Bragg Liquid AminosButter VegesalBlack Pepper SpikeChopped Onions ¾ cups milkChopped Garlic Velveeta CheeseGround Beef Sausage

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring water to a boil. Add WholeWheat macaroni, chopped onions, chopped garlic, butter, blackpepper, spike, vegesal, and bragg to taste.

2. Boil, stirring constantly to desired tenderness. Do not over cook.Drain. Add more seasoning to taste.

3. Brown ground beef. Drain. Boil sausage. Slice, and cut into quar-ters.

4. Add ground beef and sausage to macaroni mixture. Stir in Velveetacheese.

5. Place a layer of Sharp Cheddar cheese on top.6. Bake until crust forms.

HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients:1 cup water1 cup sugar1 12oz. pkg, fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and drained

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add cran-berries and return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 min-utes, stirring occasionally. Pour sauce into bowl, cover, and coolcompletely at room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

167

GRAVY

OLD-FASHIONED TURKEY GRAVY

Ingredients:Milk or canned turkey or chicken broth½ cup of flour or ¼ cup of cornstarchTurkey giblets (if desired)

1. Pour turkey drippings from the pan into a 4-cup measuring cup.

2. Remove ¼ cup of fat from the top of the drippings in your mea-suring cup. Place the drippings back into the roasting pan.

3. Use a piece of bread to soak up the rest of the fat on the top ofyour measuring cup. To do this: simply place the bread on top ofthe drippings and toss out when soaked.

4. Add broth or milk to the drippings in the measuring cup until itequals 4-cups.

5. Using a whisk, blend ½ cup of flour or ¼ cup of cornstarch withthe fat in the pan. Gradually blend in liquid from the measuringcup until smooth.

6. Bring to a boil, stir, and simmer about 5 minutes.

7. Add finely chopped, cooked giblets if desired.

168

PERFECT TURKEY GRAVY

Ingredients:1 package McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix2 tbsp. all purpose flour1 ½ cups cold water½ cup turkey pan drippings on turkey broth½ cup cooked, chopped turkey giblets

1. Combine Turkey Gravy Mix and flour in a medium saucepan.Using a whisk, gradually stir in water, turkey drippings and turkeygiblets.

2. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduceheat and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened.

CRANBERRY TURKEY GRAVY

Ingredients:3 ½ tbsp. of flour1 ¼ cups of canned chicken or turkey broth7 ½ tbsp. of turkey pan drippings¼ cup of cranberry juiceSalt and freshly ground pepper to taste½ cup of whole berry cranberry sauce

1. Heat pan drippings in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk; cook for oneminute (be careful not to let the flour mixture brown).

3. Slowly whisk in the turkey or chicken broth until smooth.

169

4. Whisk in the cranberry juice and continue to stir until the mixturecomes to a boil and thickens.

5. Reduce heat to low and stir in the whole berry cranberry sauceuntil thoroughly mixed.

6. Season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Keep warm over very low heat until ready to serve.

VEGETARIAN GRAVY

Ingredients:½ cup of vegetable oil 1/3 cup of chopped onion5 cloves of garlic, minced ½ cup of all-purposed flour4 tsps nutritional yeast 2 cups of vegetable broth¼ tsp. of ground black pepper½ tsp. of salt½ tsp. of sage 4 tsps. all-purpose flour4 tbsp. of light soy sauce or Bragg

1. In a saucepan over medium to low heat, combine the oil, garlic,and onion; cook until onion is translucent.

2. Add the flour, yeast, and soy sauce to make a paste.

3. Gradually mix in the broth, stirring constantly.

4. Put in the seasonings.

171

DESSERTS

CHEESE CAKE

Ingredients:10 oz Graham cracker5 tbsp. butter12 oz cream cheese3 eggs separated½ cup granulated sugar6 tbsp. lemon juice½ cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place Graham cracker into a cleanplastic bag and roll out with a rolling pin until crumbly.

2. Melt butter and add crumbs. Stir until butter is well mixed in.

3. Pour mixture into an 8 inch greased spring form pan. Press flatwith back of spoon. Bake 10 minutes.

4. Beat cheese and egg yolk. Add sugar, cream and lemon juice.

5. Wisk egg whites until it forms peaks.

6. Make cutting movements with metal spoon, gently add egg whitesto creamy mixture.

7. Pour mixture into the crumb crust and cook 45-50 minutes untilfirm. Refrigerate 1 hour before removing the outside of pan.

172

OLD-FASHIONED APPLE PIE

Ingredients:2 9-inch unbaked pie crusts¾ cup of white sugar2 tsp. of lemon juice1 tbsp. of butter½ tsp. of ground cinnamon2 tbsp. of all-purpose flour¼ tsp. of ground nutmeg7 cups of thinly sliced apples½ tsp. of lemon zest4 tbsp. of milk (if desired)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest;set aside.

3. Line one crust in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.

4. Layer 1/3 of the apple into the pie crust. Sprinkle with sugarmixture and repeat until done.

5. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.

6. Place second pie crust on top of filling and flute the edges. Cutvents in the top crust and brush with milk if desired for a glazedappearance.

7. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.

173

OATMEAL CAKE

Ingredients (found at local health food store):1 ¼ cups boiling water1 cup quick oats½ cup soy margarine1 ¼ cups sucanat or turbinado sugar2 tsp. vanilla flavoring½ tsp. cardamon1 cup unbleached white flour½ cup whole wheat flour2 ½ tbsp. energy baking powder1 tsp. salt1 tsp. ground coriander

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine hot boiling water, quick oatsand margarine. Cover bowl and let mixture stand for about 20minutes.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.3. Place batter in a 9 x 13 pan.4. Bake at 350 degrees (oven already preheated) for 35 minutes

or until done.5. Spread topping onto cake and put cake under broiler brieflyonly until slightly browned.

TOPPING FOR OATMEAL CAKEMix in bowl:½ cup soy margarine at room temp.2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes1 tbsp. vanilla flavoring1 cup sucanat or turbinado sugarEnough Vitasoy milk to mix and to hold ingredients above togetherto get a nice spreading consistency.

174

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE

Ingredients:1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust3 eggs2/3 cup of white sugar½ tsp. of salt1/3 cup of margarine, melted1 cup of light corn syrup1 cup of pecan halves2 cups of sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the pie shell.2. Beat the eggs, sugar, salt, margarine, and syrup with a hand

beater.3. Stir in the pecans and the chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell.4. Bake until set (40 to 50 minutes). Let cool before cutting.

GRANNY’S CRANBERRY BREAD

Ingredients:2 cups of sifted all-purpose flour1 cup of sugar1 ½ tsp. of baking powder1 tsp. of salt½ tsp. of baking soda¼ cup of butter/margarine1 egg, beaten1 tsp. of grated orange peel¾ cup of orange juice1 ½ cups of light raisins1 ½ cups of fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

175

1. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into alarge bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

2. Add egg, orange peel, and orange juice all at once. Stir untilmixture is evenly moist.

3. Fold in raisins and cranberries.

4. Spoon into a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick or butter knife insertedinto the middle comes out clean.

5. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

If you want to, you can substitute cranberries for the raisins if youwant an all cranberry bread.

AUTUMN PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Muffin Ingredients:1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour1 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. ground cloves 1 tsp. ground cinnamon1 tsp. ground nutmeg ½ tsp. salt2 cups canned pumpkin 1 cup Crisco Canola Oil3 cups sugar 3 eggs1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup raisinsCrisco No-Stick Cooking Spray (or your favorite Crisco oil)

Orange Glaze Ingredients:1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar 1 tsp. grated orange peel6 tsp. orange juice Additional chopped

walnuts

176

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Using Crisco No-Stick Cooking Spray,spray 18 muffin tin openings.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon,nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

3. In bowl of an electric mixer, combine pumpkin, Crisco Oil, sugarand eggs, and then mix until well blended.

4. Add the set-aside dry ingredients and mix well.

5. By hand, stir in walnuts and raisins.

6. Pour batter evenly into prepared muffin tin openings. Bake 20-23 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

7. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool com-pletely.

For Orange Glaze: Combine confectioner’s sugar, orange peeland orange juice in small bowl. Stir with spoon to blend. Spoonglaze over top of cooled muffins, letting excess glaze run down sides.Sprinkle with additional nuts before glaze hardens.

SPICED HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:1 cup butter, softened1 ¼ cups sugar1 egg2 tsp. McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract2 1/3 cups flour1 tsp. baking soda

177

¼ teaspoon McCormick Ground Nutmeg1/8 teaspoon saltColored sugars or jimmies

Glaze Ingredients:3 to 4 tsp. milk½ tsp. McCormick Vanilla Extract3 to 4 drops McCormick Food Color1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Beat butter in large bowl with an electric mixer on medium highspeed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix flour,baking soda, nutmeg and salt; gradually stir into mixture. Chilldough until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 375F. Roll to 1/8 inch thickness on lightly flouredsurface. (Note: Thicker cookies will yield fewer cookies). Cutinto shapes with favorite cookie cutters. Sprinkle with coloredsugar, if desired.

3. Bake on greased baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes or until lightlybrowned. Cool cookies 1 minute on cookie sheet then removeto wire rack. Cool. Glaze and decorate.

Glaze: Mix all ingredients. Add additional water or milk asneeded to thin or more powdered sugar to stiffen. Blend in 3 to 4drops of food color. If desired, divide the icing among separatesmall bowls and tint each one with different colors by stirring in 1to 2 drops food color.

Tip: Combine ¼ cup flour and ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar to usefor dusting surface.

178

EASY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Ingredients:1 can (20 oz) Dole Pineapple Slices in Juice¼ cup butter or margarine, melted2/3 cup packed brown sugar10 maraschino cherries1 package (18.25 oz) yellow or pineapple-flavored cake mix

1. Drain pineapple slices; reserve ¾ cup juice.

2. Stir together melted butter and brown sugar in 12 inch skilletwith heat proof handle. Arrange pineapple slices in sugar mixture.Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.

3. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, replacingsome of the water with reserved ¾ cup juice that is needed toprepare the batter. Pour batter evenly over pineapple.

4. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted incenter comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. Loosen edges andinvert onto serving platter. Makes 10 servings.

179

WELL, WHATDO I DO

WITHTHANKSGIVING

LEFTOVERS?

181

Figuring out what to do with the leftovers after that great ThanksgivingDay can become a source of major concern for mothers. After all,how many turkey sandwiches can a person eat? Well, we have thesolution. Below is a collection of recipes that will make eating thatday-old or maybe that week-old turkey so exciting, you will want toeat turkey all year round.

TURKEY AND POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients:2 ( 2 pounds) packages frozen hash brown potatoes½ cup chopped onions2 (10 ¾ ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup1 (10 ¾) can condensed cream of mushroom soup2 tbsp chopped chives¼ pound butter, melted1 (8 ounce) container sour cream½ cup shredded cheddar cheese2 cups shredded leftover turkey½ cup crushed potato chips or bread crumbsSoy sauce/bragg to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a 6-quart casserole dish, mix together all the ingredientsexcept the potato chips. Bake the casserole covered for45 minutes.

3. Uncover, sprinkle with potato chips, and bake for anadditional 15 to 25 minutes or until the casserole has justbegun to bubble around the edges.

182

PILGRIM’S PIE

Ingredients:2 pounds potatoes (or 2 pounds leftover mashed potatoes)2 tbsp. butter ¼ cup milk3 onions1 pound leftover turkey, cut into small pieces1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas, thawed1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels(or the leftover corn from your dinner)1 tbsp. paprika 1 pinch ground nutmeg1 pinch dried sage 1 pinch vegesal1 pinch ground black pepper 1 pinch spike


2. If you do not want to use leftover mashed potatoes, boilsome potatoes and mash with milk and 2 tbsp butter ormargarine. Add seasoning. Set aside.

3. Saute` the onions with the paprika and vegesal and spike.Add the leftover turkey and sage, and toss until the turkeyis well coated.

4. In a saucepan, blanch the frozen vegetables for 5 minutesin boiling water. Drain.

5. Spread a thin layer of potatoes in the casserole dish. Addhalf the peas and corn, then the turkey, then the rest of thepeas and corn. Top with mashed potatoes.

6. Dot the top with flakes of butter, nutmeg, paprika,vegesal, spike and pepper. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes oruntil golden brown.

183

TURKEY ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce1 (10 ¾ ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles2 cups shredded turkey2 cups grated cheddar cheese10 large flour tortilla shells


2. In a small bowl, mix together enchilada sauce andmushroom soup. Set aside.

3. Place each tortilla shell flat on the counter and fill with oneheaping teaspoon each of the green chiles, turkey andcheese.

4. Roll and place in a 9x11-inch pan. Continue until thetortillas fill the pan.

5. Pour your sauce mixture over the tortillas, being carefulthat each one is thoroughly covered. Bake.

6. If desired, serve with sour cream, guacamole, dicedtomatoes, and shredded lettuce. Broil 2 to 3 minutes untilthe top of the scallop is browned.

184

CRISP TURKEY SCHNITZEL

Ingredients:1 ¼ lbs. turkey breast slices (1/4 inch thickness)1 ½ tsp. ground cumin½ tsp. paprika½ tsp. turmeric½ tsp. salt¼ tsp. ground black pepperPinch of cayenne pepper¾ cups dry bread crumbs unseasoned2 large eggs1/3 cup vegetable oilLemon wedges for serving

1 . Arrange turkey single layer on plate. Mix cumin, paprika,turmeric, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together.Sprinkle on both sides of turkey meat and rub into meat.

2. Preheat oven 275F. Spread flour on plate. Spread breadcrumbs on second plate. Beat eggs in bowl. Lightly coatturkey slices in flour. Shake to remove excess. Dip in egg.Then dip both sides in bread crumbs. Completely coverturkey. Handle lightly so coating does not fall off.

3. Heat oil medium-high heat. Sauté turkey until goldenbrown on both sides. About 1 minute per side. Turncarefully. Keep warm in oven. Serve hot.

185

PAPA WHYTE’S TURKEY SUB

Ingredients:Sub bread (wheat) Leftover turkeyLettuce TomatoPickles Miracle WhipSpicy mustard Oil & VinegarParmesan Cheese Swiss CheeseBanana peppers Bragg Liquid AminosOregano Black OlivesSalt & Pepper Onions

1. Finely shred lettuce; thinly slice tomato; and thinly sliceonions. Slice turkey.

2. Warm bread in oven if desired.

3. Spread Miracle Whip on bread. On the top bread sprinklelettuce, add tomato slices and onions. Add pickles, blackolives, and banana peppers.

4. On the bottom bread add a single layer of Swiss Cheese.Place turkey on top of cheese.

5. Pour on oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, and Parmesancheese. Also, put on Bragg and spicy mustard.

6. Enjoy!

186

DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING FIESTA SALAD

Combine in Large Bowl:

½ cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise½ cup prepared salsa

Add:

6 cups torn Romaine lettuce leaves2 cups diced cooked turkey4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbledSalad Fixin’s

Toss and Serve

Note: Try tomatoes, cheese, onions, black beans and/or olives.

187

PAPA WHYTE’S TURKEY SALAD

Ingredients:Iceberg Lettuce Redberg LettuceBoston Lettuce TomatoesOnions GarlicCarrots (thinly sliced) Turkey (Cubed)Ken’s Ranch Dressing Black PepperBragg Liquid Aminos Real Bacon BitsKraft Sharp Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 . Wash lettuce, tomato, carrots, and onions.

2 . Lightly grill cubed turkey with onions, garlic, blackpepper, and Bragg.

3 . Finely cut up lettuce, onions, garlic, and carrots. Cut thetomatoes in bite-size pieces.

4 . Toss all ingredients together in one bowl. Add grilledturkey to the bowl and toss.

5 . Sprinkle on top of salad black pepper, real bacon bits,Bragg, and Kraft cheese.

6. After all this has been put in individual serving bowls addRanch dressing to one’s taste and

ENJOY!

189

14BEAUTIFUL

THANKSGIVING

POEMS

191

BEAUTIFUL THANKSGIVING POEMS

THANK GOD FOR THE SMALL THINGS

Thank God for clothes to wear;For food to eat;

For people who care;And for money under the car seat.

—Daniel Whyte III

GOD LOVED AND GAVE HIS SON

How often do I wonderThat Christ should love me so;

But never can I answerWhy He such love should show;

It passeth understanding,Outreaching human thought,

That, He, the Lord of gloryMy soul with blood hath bought.

—E.G. K. Wesley

THANK YOU LORD FOR LOVING ME

Thank you Lord for loving me,Taking my sins to Calvary,Making a way so I could be free,Thank you Lord for loving me.

192

Thank you Lord for saving me,From this hell-bent world to the Heavenly,Forever I’ll sing and shout with Thee,Thank you Lord for saving me.

Thank you Lord for being my Friend,Holding me strong until the end,Making me fit for Your Heaven,Thank you Lord for being my friend.

Thank you Lord for loving me;Love so deep—

Deeper than the deepest sea.Love greater than—

All the powers that be.Thank you Lord for loving me.

—Daniella Whyte

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Count your blessings instead of your crosses,Count your gains instead of your losses.Count your joys instead of your woes,Count your friends instead of your foes.Count your smiles instead of your tears,Count your courage instead of your fears.Count your full years instead of your lean,Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.Count your health instead of your wealth,Count on God instead of yourself.

—Selected

193

CHRIST MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Heaven above is softer blue,Earth beneath is sweeter green,

Something lives in every hue,Christless eyes have never seen!

Birds with sweeter songs o’erflowFlowers with newer beauty shine,

Since I know as now I knowI am His and He is mine!

—Selected

I GIVE THEE HUMBLE THANKS

For all the gifts that Thou dost send,For every kind and loyal friend,For prompt supply of all my needs,For all that’s good in word or deed,For gift of health along life’s way,For strength to work from day to day,I give Thee humble thanks.

For ready hands to help and cheer,For listening ears Thy voice to hear,For yielded tongue Thy love to talk,For willing feet Thy paths to walk,For open eyes Thy Word to read,For loving heart Thy will to heed,I give Thee humble thanks.

For Christ who came from Heaven above,For the cross and His redeeming love,For His mighty power to seek and save,

194

For His glorious triumph over the grave,For the lovely mansions in the sky,For His blessed coming by and by,I give Thee humble thanks.

—Selected

DO GIVE THANKS

We do thank GodFor this life on earth—This one that we count so small.

We do thank God,For fire in the hearth—That warms us one and all.

We do thank God,For clothes to wear—To keep us warm.

We do thank God.For the brownest mare—The one that plows the farm.

We do thank God,For the rain that falls—That causes fruit to bear.

We do thank God,For people who share—And always show us love.

We do thank God,For His wonderful care—And Who sheds His grace from above.

—Daniel Whyte IV

195

“IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS!”

Mid sunshine, cloud or stormy days,When hope abounds or care dismaysWhen trials press and toils increase,Let not thy faith in God decrease—

“In everything give thanks.”

All things we know shall work for good,Nor would we change them if we could;‘Tis well if only He commands;His promises will ever stand—

“In everything give thanks.”

He satisfies the longing heart,He thwarts the tempter’s cruel dart,With goodness fills the hungry soul,And helps us sing when billows roll—

“In everything give thanks.”—Selected

WHAT GLORY GILDS

What glory gilds the sacred page!Majestic, like the sun,

It gives a light to every age;It gives, but borrows none.

The power that gave it still suppliesThe gracious light and heat;

Its truth upon the nations rise;They rise, but never set.

196

Lord, everlasting thanks be ThineFor such a bright display,

As makes a world of darkness shineWith beams of heavenly day.

My soul rejoices to pursueThe steps of Him I love,

Till glory breaks upon my viewIn brighter worlds above.

—William Gardiner

THANKSGIVING

Once again our glad thanksgivingRise before our Father’s throne

As we try to count the blessingsOf the year so swiftly flown;

As we trace the wondrous workingsOf His wisdom, power and love

And unite our “Holy! Holy!”With the seraphim above.

As we gather round our firesidesOn this new Thanksgiving Day

Time would fail to count the blessingsThat have followed all our way.

Grace sufficient, help and healing,Prayer oft answered at our call;

And the best of all our blessings,Christ Himself, our All in all.

He has blessed our favoured countryWith a free and bounteous hand;

197

Peace and plenty in our borders,Liberty through all our land.

And although our sins and folliesOft provoke Him to His face,

Mercy still restraints His judgements,And prolongs our day of grace.

While we love to count the blessings,Grateful for the year that’s gone,

Faith would sweep a wider vision,Hope would gaze yet farther on.

For the signals all round usSeem with one accord to say,

“Christ is coming soon to bring usEarth’s last, best, Thanksgiving Day!”

—A. B. Simpson

NOVEMBER IN THE SOUTH

The livelong day I listen to the fallOf hickory nuts and acorn to the ground,

The croak of rain crows and the blue jays’s call,The woodman’s ax that hews with muffled sound.

And like a spendthrift in a threadbare coatThat still retains a dash of crimson hue.

An old woodpecker chatters forth a noteAbout the better summer days he knew.

Down in the orchard hang the yellow pears,Half honeycombed by yellowhammer beaks;

Nearby a dwarfed and twisted apple bearsIts fruit, brown-red as Amazonian cheeks.

—Walter Malone

198

A SONG

It is a little thing—a song,And yet it brings the warmth of May,

And helps to make a faint heart strong,And gives a joy to each new day.

It is a little thing—a song,A lullaby to soothe the young;

A cheerful hum when tasks are long;A hymn of hope when hearts are wrung.

It is a little thing—a song,Yet Heaven would be a lonely place,

Despite the vastness of its throng,Without a choir to praise God’s grace.

—Dorothy R. Larson

THE PRAISE OF GOD

Speak, lips of mine!And tell abroadThe praises of my God.

Speak, stammering tongue!In gladdest tone,Make His high praises known.

Speak, sea and earth!Heaven’s utmost star,Speak from your realms afar!

Take up the note,And send it roundCreation’s farthest bound.

199

Speak, heaven of heavens!Wherein our GodHas made His bright abode.

—Selected

EVERYDAY THANKSGIVING

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm ringseach morning,

Thank you, Lord, that I can hear.There are those who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed against the morninglights as long as possible,

Thank you, Lord, that I can see.There are many who are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off the physical effort ofrising,

Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise.There are many who are bed-fast.

Even though the first hour of the day is hectic, when socksare lost, toast is burned and tempers are short,

Thank you, Lord, for my family.There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures inthe ladies’s magazines, and the menu is at times unbalanced,

Thank you, Lord, for the food we have.There are many who are hungry.

200

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.There are many who have no work.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day, andwish my modest circumstances were quite not so modest,

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life.—Selected

201

MY TOP12

THANKSGIVING

SONGS

203

MY TRIBUTEby Andre Crouch

How can I say thanks for the thingsYou have done for meThings so undeserved yetYou give to prove Your love for me?The voices of a million angelsCould not express my gratitudeAll that I am or ever hope to beI owe it all to Thee.

To God be the gloryTo God be the gloryTo God be the gloryFor the things He hath done.With His blood He has saved me,With His pow’r He hath raised me;To God be the glory for the things He hath done.Just let me live my life;

Let it be pleasing Lord, to Thee.And should I gain any praise,Let it go to Calvary.With His blood He has saved me;With His power He has raised me;To God be the glory for the things He has done.

204

FREE AT LAST

Free at last, free at lastThank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Surely been ‘buked and surely been scorned,Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last.But still my soul is a heaven born,Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last.

If you don’t know that I been redeemed,Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last.Just follow me down to Jordan’s stream,Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last

—Old Negro Spiritual

GIVE THANKS

Give thanks with a grateful heart.Give thanks to the Holy OneGive thanks becauseHe’s given Jesus Christ His Son.

And now let the weak say I am strongLet the poor say I am richBecause of what the Lord hath done for us.

205

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGSby Johnson Oatman

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed;When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,Count your many blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

CHORUSCount your blessings, name them one by one;Count your blessings, see what God hath done;Count your blessings, name them one by one.Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?Count your many blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,Think that Christ hath promised you His wealth untold;Count your many blessings money cannot buyYour reward in Heaven, nor your home on high.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,Do not be discouraged, God is over all;Count your many blessings, angels will attendHelp and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

206

THANKS TO GOD

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,Thanks for all Thou dost provide!Thanks for times now but a mem’ry,Thanks for Jesus by my side!Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,Thanks for dark and dreary fall!Thanks for tears by now forgotten,Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,Thanks for what Thou dost deny!Thanks for storms that I have weathered,Thanks for all Thou dost supply!Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,Thanks for comfort in despair!Thanks for grace that none can measure,Thanks for love beyond compare.

Thanks for roses by the wayside,Thanks for thorns their stems contain!Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,Thanks through all eternity.

—Swedish Hymn

207

WE GATHER TOGETHER

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessings,He chastens and hastens His will to make known;The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,Sing praises to His name, He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,Ordaining, maintaining His Kingdom divine;So from the beginning the fight we were winning,Thou, Lord, wast at our side, the glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, thou Leader in battle,And pray that Thou still our Defender wilt be.Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;Thy name be ever praised: O Lord, make us free!

—Anonymous

NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GODby Martin Rinkart

Now thank we all our God, With heart and hands and voices,Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices;Who, from our mother’s arms, Hath blest us on our wayWith countless gifts of love, And still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God, Thro’ all our life be near us,With ever joyful hearts, And blessed peace to cheer us;And keep us in His grace, And guide us when perplexedAnd free us from all ills, In this world and the next.

208

All praise and thanks to God, The Father now be given,The Son, and Him who reigns, With them in highest heaven,The one eternal God, Whom earth and heav’n adore;For thus it was, is now, And still be evermore.

COME, YE THANKFUL PEOPLE, COMEby Henry Alford

Come, ye thankful people, come; Raise the song of harvest home!All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin;God, our Maker, doth provide, For our wants to be supplied;Come to God’s own temple, come. Raise the song of harvesthome.

We ourselves are God’s own field, Fruit unto His praise to yield;Wheat and tares together sown, Unto joy or sorrow grown;First the blade, and then the ear, Then the full corn shall appearLord of harvest, grant that we, Wholesome grains pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, And take His harvest home;From His field shall purge away, All that doth offend that day;Give His angels charge at last, In the fire the tares to cast;But the fruitful ears to store, In His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord quickly come, Bring Thy final harvest home;Gather Thou Thy people in, Free from sorrow, free from sin;There, for ever purified, In Thy presence to abide;Come, with all Thine angels, Raise the glorious harvest home.

209

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESSby Thomas O. Chisholm

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,There is no shadow of turning with Thee;Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,Join with all nations in manifold witness,To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,Blessings, all mine, with ten thousand beside!

“Great is Thy faithfulness!Great is Thy faithfulness!”Morning by morning new mercies I see;All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

AS MEN OF OLD THEIR FIRST FRUIT BROUGHTby Frank von Christierson

As men of old their first fruits brought, Of orchard, flock and field,To God the Giver of all good, The source of bounteous yield,So we today first fruits would bring; the wealth of this good land,Of farm and market, shop and home, Of mind, and heart and

hand.

210

A world in need now summons us, To labor, love and give;To make our life an offering, To God, that man may live.The church of Christ is calling us, To make the dream come true;A world redeemed by Christ-like love; All life in Christ made new.

In gratitude and humble trust, We bring our best to Thee,To serve Thy cause and share Thy love with all humanity.O Thou, who gavest us Thyself, In Jesus Christ Thy Son,Teach us to give ourselves each day, Until life’s work is done.

LET ALL THINGS NOW LIVINGby Katherine K. Davis

Let all things now living A song of thanksgivingTo God the Creator triumphantly raise.Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,Who guideth us on to the end of our daysHis banners are o’er us, His light goes before us,A pillar of fire shining forth in the night,‘Til shadows have vanished and darkness is banishedAs forward we travel from light into light.

His law He enforces, the stars in their courses,The sun in His orbit, obediently shine.The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,The deeps of the ocean proclaim Him divine.We too, should be voicing our love and rejoicing,With glad adoration a song let us raise,‘Til all things now living unite in thanksgivingTo God in the highest, hosanna and praise.

211

SING TO THE LORD OF HARVESTby John S. B. Monsell

Sing to the Lord of Harvest,Sing songs of love and praise;With joyful hearts and voicesYour alleluias raise.

By Him the rolling seasonsIn fruitful order move;O sing to the Lord of Harvest,A song of happy love.

Bring to His sacred altarThe gifts His goodness gave,The golden sheaves of harvest,The souls He died to save.

Your hearts lay down before HimWhen at His feet you fall;And with your lives adore Him,Who gave His life for all.

213

TOP10

PRESIDENTIALTHANKSGIVINGPROCLAMATIONS

1. First Known Thanksgiving Proclamation2. George Washington

3. Abraham Lincoln4. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

5. Harry S. Truman6. John Fitzgerald Kennedy

7. Jimmy Carter8. Ronald Reagan

9. William Jefferson Clinton10. George W. Bush

215

COPY OF FIRST KNOWNTHANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION

1676(SEAL)

At a Council, Held in Charlestown, June the 20th, 1676.

The holy God having by a long and Continued Series of his Afflictivedispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Nativesof this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his ownCovenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discernthat in the midst of his judgments he hath remembred mercy, havingremembred his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure againstus for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his FatherlyCompassion, and regard: reserving many of our Towns fromDesolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving usespecially of late with our Confederates many signal Advantagesagainst them, without such Disadvantage to our selves as formerlywe have been sensible of, if it be of the Lords mercies that we arenot consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, whenour Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed: andfearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of hisreturning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as notstanding before him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him withour Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:

The COUNCIL have thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th

day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praiseto God for such his goodness and Favour, many Particulars of whichmercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensibleof Gods Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us;and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering praise andthereby glorifying him; The Council doth Commend it to theRespective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly

216

and seriously to keep the same. Beseeching that being perswadedby the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer upour bodies and Souls as a living and Acceptable Service unto Godby Jesus Christ.

—BY THE COUNCIL, EDWARD RAWSON, Secr.Copy of the earliest known extant Thanksgiving Proclamation.

Original Broadside in the Possession ofMassachusetts Historical Society,

Boston, Mass.

217

THANKSGIVING DAY—1789BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA—

A PROCLAMATIONGEORGE WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providenceof Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, andhumbly to implore his protection and favor—and Whereas bothHouses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me“to recommend to the People of the United States a day of publicthanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging withgrateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially byaffording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form ofgovernment for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day ofNovember next to be devoted by the People of these States to theservice of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Authorof all the good that was, that is, and that will be—That we may thenall unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—forhis kind care and protection of the People of this country previousto their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies,and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which weexperienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for thegreat degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have sinceenjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner in which we havebeen enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safetyand happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted,for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and themeans we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and ingeneral for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleasedto confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers

218

and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseechhim to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable usall, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several andrelative duties properly and punctually—to render our nationalgovernment a blessing to all the People, by constantly being agovernment of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly andfaithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereignsand Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) andto bless them with good government, peace, and concord—Topromote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, andthe encrease of science among them and Us—and generally to grantunto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he aloneknows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day ofOctober in the year of our Lord 1789.

—George Washington

219


A PROCLAMATIONABRAHAM LINCOLN, PRESIDENT

It has pleased Almighty God to vouchsafe signal victories to the landand naval forces engaged in suppressing an internal rebellion, and atthe same time to avert from our country the dangers of foreignintervention and invasion.

It is therefore recommended to the people of the United States thatat their next weekly assemblages in their accustomed places of publicworship which shall occur after notice of this proclamation shall havebeen received they especially acknowledge and render thanks toour Heavenly Father for these inestimable blessings, that they thenand there implore spiritual consolation in behalf of all who have beenbrought into affliction by the casualties and calamities of sedition andcivil war, and that they reverently invoke the divine guidance for ournational counsels, to the end that they may speedily result in therestoration of peace, harmony, and unity throughout our bordersand hasten the establishment of fraternal relations among all thecountries of the earth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the sealof the United States to be fixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 10th day of April A. D. 1862,and of the Independence of the United States the eightysixth.

(Seal) Abraham Lincoln.By the President:

William H. Seward, Secretary of State.

220


A PROCLAMATIONFRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, PRESIDENT

I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America,do set aside and appoint Thursday, the thirtieth day of November1933, to be a day of Thanksgiving for all our people. May we onthat day in our churches and in our homes give humble thanks for theblessings bestowed upon us during the year past by Almighty God.

May we recall the courage of those who settled a wilderness, thevision of those who founded the Nation, the steadfastness of thosewho in every succeeding generation have fought to keep pure theideal of equality of opportunity and hold clear the goal of mutualhelp in time of prosperity as in time of adversity.

May we ask guidance in more surely learning the ancient truth thatgreed and selfishness and striving for undue riches can never bringlasting happiness or good to the individual or to his neighbors.

May we be grateful for the passing of dark days; for the new spiritof dependence one on another; for the closer unity of all parts of ourwide land; for the greater friendship between employers and thosewho toil; for a clearer knowledge by all nations that we seek noconquests and ask only honorable engagements by all peoples torespect the lands and rights of their neighbors; for the brighter day towhich we can win through by seeking the help of God in a moreunselfish striving for the common bettering of mankind.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the sealof the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washingtonthis twenty-first day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen

221

hundred and thirtythree and of the Independence of the United Statesof America the one hundred and fifty-eighth.

(Seal) —Franklin D. Roosevelt.

By the President:William Phillips, Acting Secretary of State.

________________________________________________________*This Thanksgiving Proclamation was signed unusually late that year(not until after the President arrived at Warm Springs, Ga., whenand where he was spending a short vacation). His Secretary, Mr.Earley presented the final copy to him, as he sat in his car standing infront of Georgia Hall, and he signed it with the automobile steeringwheel as a desk.

222


A PROCLAMATIONHARRY S. TRUMAN, PRESIDENT

In this year of our victory, absolute and final, over German fascismand Japanese militarism; in this time of peace so long awaited, whichwe are determined with all the United Nations to make permanent;on this day of our abundance, strength, and achievement; let us givethanks to Almighty Providence for these exceeding blessings.

We have won them with the courage and the blood of our soldiers,sailors, and airmen. We have won them by the sweat and ingenuityof our workers, farmers, engineers, and industrialists. We have wonthem with the devotion of our women and children. We have boughtthem with the treasure of our rich land. But above all we have wonthem because we cherish freedom beyond riches and even morethan life itself.

We give thanks with the humility of free men, each knowing it wasthe might of no one arm but of all together by which we were saved.Liberty knows no race, creed, or class in our country or in the world.In unity we found our first weapon, for without it, both here andabroad, we were doomed. None have known this better than ourvery gallant dead, none better than their comrade, Franklin DelanoRoosevelt. Our thanksgiving has the humility of our deep mourningfor them, our vast gratitude to them.

Triumph over the enemy has not dispelled every difficulty. Manyvital and far-reaching decisions await us as we strive for a just andenduring peace. We will not fail if we preserve, in our own land andthroughout the world, that same devotion to the essential freedomsand rights of mankind which sustained us throughout the war andbrought us final victory.

223

Now, Therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United Statesof America, in consonance with the joint resolution of Congressapproved December 26, 1941, do hereby proclaim ThursdayNovember 22, 1945, as a day of national thanksgiving.

May we on that day, in our homes and in our places of worship,individually and as groups, express our humble thanks to AlmightyGod for the abundance of our blessings and may we on that occasionrededicate ourselves to those high principles of citizenship for whichso many splendid Americans have recently given all.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused theseal of the United States of America to be affixed. Done at the Cityof Washington this 12th day of November in the year of our Lordone thousand nine hundred forty-five and of the Independence ofthe United States of America the one hundred and seventieth.

—HARRY S. TRUMAN

224


A PROCLAMATIONJOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY, PRESIDENT

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.”

More than three centuries ago, the Pilgrims, after a year of hardshipand peril, humbly and reverently set aside a special day upon whichto give thanks to God for their preservation and for the good harvestfrom the virgin soil upon which they had labored. Grave and unknowndangers remained. Yet by their faith and by their toil they had survivedthe rigors of the harsh New England winter. Hence they paused intheir labors to give thanks for the blessings that had been bestowedupon them by Divine Providence. This year, as the harvest drawsnear its close and the year approaches its end, awesome perils againremain to be faced. Yet we have, as in the past, ample reason to bethankful for the abundance of our blessings. We are grateful for theblessings of faith and health and strength and for the imperishablespiritual gifts of love and hope. We give thanks, too, for our freedomas a nation; for the strength of our arms and the faith of our friends;for the beliefs and confidence we share; for our determination tostand firmly for what we believe to be right and to resist mightilywhat we believe to be base; and for the heritage of liberty bequeathedby our ancestors which we are privileged to preserve for our childrenand our children’s children.

It is right that we should be grateful for the plenty amidst which welive; the productivity of our farms, the output of our factories, theskill of our artisans, and the ingenuity of our investors.

But in the midst of our thanksgiving, let us not be unmindful of theplight of those in many parts of the world to whom hunger is no

225

stranger and the plight of those millions more who live without theblessings of liberty and freedom. With some we are able to shareour material abundance through our Food-for-Peace Program andthrough our support of the United Nations Freedom-from-HungerCampaign. To all we can offer the sustenance of hope that we shallnot fail in our unceasing efforts to make this a peaceful and prosperousworld for all mankind.

Now, Therefore, I, John F. Kennedy, President of the United Statesof America, in consonance with the joint resolution of Congressapproved December 26, 1941, which designates the fourth Thursdayin November of each year as Thanksgiving Day, do hereby proclaimThursday, the twenty-third day of November of this year, as a dayof national thanksgiving.

I urge all citizens to make this Thanksgiving not merely a holidayfrom their labors, but rather a day of contemplation. I ask the headof each family to recount to his children the story of the first NewEngland thanksgiving, thus to impress upon future generations theheritage of this nation born in toil, in danger, in purpose, and in theconviction that right and justice and freedom can through man’s effortspersevere and come to fruition with the blessing of God.

Let us observe this day with reverence and with prayer that willrekindle in us the will and show us the way not only to preserve ourblessings, but also to extend them to the four corners of the earth.Let us by our example, as well as by our material aid, assist allpeoples of all nations who are striving to achieve a better life infreedom.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused theSeal of the United States of America to be affixed. Done at the Cityof Washington this twenty-seventh day of October in the year of our

226

Lord nineteen hundred and sixty-one, and of the Independence ofthe United States of America the one hundred and eighty-sixth.

—JOHN F. KENNEDY

227


A PROCLAMATIONJIMMY CARTER, PRESIDENT

Although the first years of America’s struggle for independence wereoften disheartening, our forebears never lost faith in the Creator, intheir cause, or in themselves. Upon learning of the American victoryat Saratoga in 1777, Samuel Adams composed the first NationalThanksgiving proclamation, and the Continental Congress calledupon the governors of every state to designate a day when allAmericans could join together and express their gratitude for God’sprovidence “with united hearts.” By their actions they extended arevered regional custom into a national tradition.

Precisely two centuries have now passed since that time. We havetamed a continent, established institutions dedicated to protectingour liberties, and secured a place of leadership among nations. Butwe have never lost sight of the principles upon which our Nationwas founded. For that reason we can look to the future with hopeand confidence.

Now, Therefore, I, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States ofAmerica, in accord with Section 6103 of Title 5 of the United StatesCode, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 24, 1977, asThanksgiving Day. I ask all Americans to gather on that day withtheir families and neighbors in their homes and in their houses ofworship to give thanks for the blessings Almighty God has bestowedupon us.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day ofNovember, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-seven,

228

and of the Independence of the United States of America the twohundred and second.

—JIMMY CARTER

229


A PROCLAMATIONRONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT

America has much for which to be thankful. The unequaled freedomenjoyed by our citizens has provided a harvest of plenty to this nationthroughout its history. In keeping with America’s heritage, one dayeach year is set aside for giving thanks to God for all of His blessings.

On this day of thanksgiving, it is appropriate that we recall the firstthanksgiving, celebrated in the autumn of 1621. After surviving abitter winter, the Pilgrims planted and harvested a bountiful crop.After the harvest they gathered their families together and joined incelebration and prayer with the native Americans who had taughtthem so much. Clearly our forefathers were thankful not only for thematerial well-being of their harvest but for this abundance of goodwillas well.

In this spirit, Thanksgiving has become a day when Americans extenda helping hand to the less fortunate. Long before there was agovernment welfare program, this spirit of voluntary giving wasingrained in the American character. Americans have alwaysunderstood that, truly, one must give in order to receive. This shouldbe a day of giving as well as a day of thanks. As we celebrateThanksgiving in 1981, we should reflect on the full meaning of thisday as we enjoy the fellowship that is so much a part of the holidayfestivities. Searching our hearts, we should ask what we can do asindividuals to demonstrate our gratitude to God for all He has done.Such reflection can only add to the significance of this precious dayof remembrance.

Let us recommit ourselves to that devotion to God and family thathas played such an important role in making this a great Nation, and

230

which will be needed as a source of strength if we are to remain agreat people.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United Statesof America, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 26, 1981, asThanksgiving Day.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day ofNovember, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America thetwo hundred and sixth.

—RONALD REAGAN

231


A PROCLAMATIONWILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, PRESIDENT

From the beginnings of our Nation, we have sought to recognize theprovidence and mercy of God with words and acts of gratitude,indeed with effort and energy toward helping others wherever needoccurred. In the colorful days and weeks when the autumn of theyear brings ripe and fruitful harvest across our land, Americans givethanks for many blessings. It is a time of bounty and generosity, atime to come together in peace.

This is the true spirit of Thanksgiving: acknowledging God’sgraciousness, and in response, reaching out in service to others. Thisspirit was apparent in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621, whenPilgrim immigrants sat down with native Americans and celebratedtheir common harvest.

This same spirit of Thanksgiving inspires our great nation and ourpeople to act with justice and concern toward all the peoples of theworld and toward one another here at home. We are grateful for thedramatic progress made towards a comprehensive peace in theMiddle East and for the Agreement signed in our United States; weare thankful for the relief efforts that our Nation and others haveundertaken where natural disasters have struck unmercifully. Still, inthis final decade of the twentieth century, we face great challenges.The troubled areas of our world continue to challenge our ability tofind peaceful and equitable solutions. On this Thanksgiving Day, thehospitality and harmony of loved ones, friends, and neighbors, remindeach of us that we belong to the larger family of mankind.

As we gather together during this sacred and cherished time, let uspledge to build a new America where everyone will have a place at

232

the table, and no one will be left out. In this way we will truly maintainthe spirit of thanksgiving that has enriched our country since itsbeginnings. While recognizing the importance of individualresponsibility, we will continue to place the strength and benevolenceof this great Nation at the service of all its people, indeed of all thepeoples of the earth. Then, in these richer years, we will reap a trueand fruitful harvest.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United Statesof America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitutionand laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday,November 25, 1993, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encouragethe citizens of this great Nation to gather in their homes, places ofworship, or wherever they may choose to express heartfelt thanksfor the abundance bestowed on us throughout our history. In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day ofNovember, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America thetwo hundred and eighteenth.

—WILLIAM J. CLINTON

233


A PROCLAMATIONGEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT

Nearly half a century ago, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimedThanksgiving as a time when Americans should celebrate “theplentiful yield of our soil…the beauty of our land . . . The preservationof those ideals of liberty and justice that form the basis of our nationallife, and the hope of international peace.” Now, in the painful aftermathof the September 11 attacks and in the midst of our resolute war onterrorism, President Eisenhower’s hopeful words point us to ourcollective obligation to defend the enduring principles of freedomthat form the foundation of our Republic.

During these extraordinary times, we find particular assurance fromour Thanksgiving tradition, which reminds us that we, as a peopleand individually, always have reason to hope and trust in God, despitegreat adversity. In 1621 in New England, the Pilgrims gave thanksto God, in whom they placed their hope, even though a bitter winterhad taken many of their brethren. In the winter of 1777, GeneralGeorge Washington and his army, having just suffered greatmisfortune, stopped near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to give thanksto God. And there, in the throes of great difficulty, they found thehope they needed to persevere. That hope in freedom eventuallyinspired them to victory.

In 1789, President Washington, recollecting the countless blessingsfor which our new Nation should give thanks, declared the firstNational Day of Thanksgiving. And decades later, with the Nationembroiled in a bloody civil war, President Abraham Lincoln revivedwhat is now an annual tradition of issuing a presidential proclamationof Thanksgiving. President Lincoln asked God to “heal the wounds

234

of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with theDivine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity,and Union.”

As we recover from the terrible tragedies of September 11, Americansof every belief and heritage give thanks to God for the many blessingswe enjoy as a free, faithful, and fair-minded land. Let us particularlygive thanks for the self-less sacrifices of those who responded inservice to others after the terrorist attacks, setting aside their ownsafety as they reached out to help their neighbors. Let us also givethanks for our leaders at every level who have planned andcoordinated the myriad of responses needed to address thisunprecedented national crisis. And let us give thanks for the millionsof people of faith who have opened their hearts to those in need withlove and prayer, bringing us a deeper unity and stronger resolve.

In thankfulness and humility, we acknowledge, especially now, ourdependence on One greater than ourselves. On this day ofThanksgiving, let our thanksgiving be revealed in the compassionatesupport we render to our fellow citizens who are grievingunimaginable loss; and let us reach out with care to those in need offood, shelter, and words of hope. May Almighty God, who is ourrefuge and our strength in this time of trouble, watch over ourhomeland, protect us, and grant us patience, resolve, and wisdom inall that is to come.

Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United Statesof America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitutionand laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday,November 22, 2001, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourageAmericans to assemble in their homes, places of worship, orcommunity centers to reinforce ties of family and community, expressour profound thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and reach outin true gratitude and friendship to our friends around the world.

235

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth dayof November, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of theIndependence of the United States of America the two hundred andtwenty-sixth.

—GEORGE W. BUSH

237

PRAYERMODELSFOR THE

THANKSGIVING

DINNERTABLE

239

PRAYER MODELS FOR THE THANKSGIVINGDINNER TABLE

OUR THANKS TO THEE

For food and shelter and for toil,For all Thy gifts from sun and soil;For cares that help us to grow strong,For thought that guides toward right from wrong,For tears that cleanse, and the need to beCloser in our touch with Thee,For every care Thy love bestows,For every joy each glad heart knows,For all good things we feel or see,Dear loving God, our thanks to thee!

—Solveig Paulson Russell

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

Help us, dear Lord, our good to shareWith those who have no one to care,So that they, too, may sayThis is a blest Thanksgiving Day!

—Edna Mae Busch

240

A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Lord, behold our family here assembled.We thank TheeFor this place in which we dwell;For the peace accorded us this day,For the hope with which we expect tomorrow;For the health, the work, the food,And the bright skies that make our lives delightful,For our friends in all parts of the earth, and our friendly helpers…Let peace abound in our small company.

—Robert Louis Stevenson

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Almighty God, you have given me real lifeThrough Jesus Christ.My soul praises You.Lord God, I know that I amCompletely dependent upon you.Thank you for daily providingAll my body needs.You bring me such abundance,Almighty God.As I think of Thanksgiving DayMay my heart completely consecratedTo your Son, Jesus ChristSo that through HimMy life will show my gratitude to You.

—Billy Graham

241

A THANKSGIVING PRAYER

We thank Thee, Lord, for all the goodThat we have had this year:

For raiment, shelter, and for food,For all the friends so dear.

We praise Thee for Thine only Son,Who died to set us free;

We praise Thee for the victories,And for the light we see.

We thank Thee for Thy keeping power,And for Thy saving grace;

For blessing us each day and hour,With Thy sweet, smiling face.

We praise Thee for Thy blessed truth,And for Thy love divine,

That leads us from our very youthUntil our years decline.

We thank Thee for Thy guiding hand,And for the way of life,

That guides us safely through this land,Of darkness and of strife.

We praise Thee, Lord, for peace and rest,That fills our very hearts;

For blessing us with all the bestThat Heaven can impart.

We thank Thee for Thy precious Word,That feeds our hungry souls;

We thank and praise Thee, blessed Lord,Who keeps us well and whole.

—Author Unknown

243

THANKSGIVING

CHARITIES

245

1. WorldVision34834 Weyerhaeuser Way, SouthP.O. Box 9716, Mail Stop 207Federal Way, Washington 98063-9716http://www.worldvision.orgWorldVision exists to feed the hungry and help those who are inneed worldwide, as well as tell them the Good News that Jesussaves.

2. America’s Second Harvest35 East Wacker, Suite 2000Chicago, IL 60601-2200http://www.secondharvest.orgAmerica’s Second Harvest has a national network of more than twohundred food bank and rescue programs nationwide.

3. Feed the ChildrenPO Box 36Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73101-0036http://www.feedthechildren.orgFeed the Children is a worldwide organization that is dedicated tohelping children who live in poverty.

4. The American Red CrossPO Box 37243Washington, DC 20013http://www.redcross.orgThe American Red Cross is a humane organization. Its purpose is tohelp people stop, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

5. Action Against Hunger875 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1905New York, NY 10001http://www.aah-usa.org

246

This organization provides a worldwide humanitarian relief network.It focuses on famine and malnutrition internationally.

6. American Jewish World Service, Inc. 45 West 36th St., 10th FloorNew York, NY 10018This is a nonsectarian organization founded to help ease humansuffering, poverty, hunger, and disease.

7. Life TodayP.O. Box 982000Fort Worth, TX 76182-8000http://www.lifetoday.orgLife Today is a ministry dedicated to taking the Gospel and love ofJesus Christ to all nations.

247

15WEBSITES

FORTHANKSGIVING

249

1. www.ThanksgivingLovers.org

2. www.Thanksgiving.org

3. www.FoodNetwork.com

4. www.KiddyHouse.com/Thanksgiving/

5. www.EatTurkey.com

6. www.Plimoth.org

7. www.History.com/minisites/thanksgiving/

8. www.Holidays.net/thanksgiving

9. www.TheHolidaySpot.com/thanksgiving/

10. www.Scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/

11. www.Kate.net/holidays/thanksgiving

12. http://home.Aristotle.net/thanksgiving

13. www.InfoPlease.com/spot/thanksgiving.html

14. www.Wilstar.com/holidays/thanksgv.htm

15. www.Rats2u.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving_index.htm

16. www.TheThanksgivingThatAlmostWasnt.com

251

YOURTHANKSGIVING

MEMORIES

252

Date: __________________________Place: _____________________________________________________________Guests: ____________________________________________________________Notes: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Place Picture Here.


Place Picture Here.


Place Picture Here.

253

ANSWERSTO

TRIVIAQUESTIONS

254

1. Abraham Lincoln2. Sarah J. Hale3. George Washington4. Maize5. Toms6. Hens7. Poults8. Roast turkey & trimmings9. Minnesota & North Carolina10. Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey11. Friday after Thanksgiving12. False13. Gowns14. Bow and/or curtsy15. Few….unhealthy16. 32 million17.Turkey, Texas; Turkey Creek, Louisiana; Turkey,North Carolina18. Detroit Lions & Chicago Bears19. Popcorn and toast20. 2521. John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Zachary Taylor,

U.S. Grant, James A. Garfield, F.D. Roosevelt,George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush

22. 60 million23. Spider-man24. 1924…1942 – 194425. Felix the Cat26. 192727. Garfield

255

Visit us on the Web at:www.ThanksgivingLovers.org

or

www.MoneyUndertheCarSeat.com

mutcs

Documents

thanksgiving traditions

thanksgiving books

timeline of thanksgiving

thanksgiving verses

thanksgiving trivia

light history of thanksgiving

thanksgiving arts crafts

thanksgiving state of