In 1883, it is said that in New England the Sun didn't rise! The people awoke to an eerie darkness. They went outside to do their chores in stony silence. No rooster crowed, no birds chirping, none of the usual sounds of a new day. At the very start, people began to gather in small groups to question what was happening, to wonder and discuss what was taking place. Slowly, people began to make their way to the Churches. They say that by twelve noon every Church in New England was filled to overflowing with people on their knees crying out to God. There were cries for mercy, people begging for forgiveness and others confessing their sins. They say that there were few people who didn't pray the day the sun didn't rise. The Churches were full late into the night.

As the next morning neared, great crowds began to gather on the hilltops and the high places near their homes and churches. People were staring toward the eastern horizon. Every eye was fixed on that point where the sky touched the land. Every eye was watching, hoping to catch a glimmer of the first rays of the Sun. As the sun began to come up over the horizon, people began to shout and sing praises to God, they clapped, danced and rejoiced because the Sun shined on the land again. As if in one voice, they began to praise the Lord for the sunlight, the warmth and the joy of God's new day.

They had no idea that on the Island nation of Indonesia, the sleeping giant of a volcano, Krakatoa, had come to life. They had no idea that this great mountain exploded sent a huge cloud of dust and ash into the upper atmosphere. This black cloud would be carried around the world by the jet stream. It was said to cover whole regions, covering the sky from horizon to horizon. Few people had any idea that a volcano, half way around the world, could create such a cloud that could block out the Sun. Yet for most of those people that the very first time they ever thanked God for the warmth and wonder of the Sun.



The Wonder Of Thanksgiving!!

Isn't it strange? These people had never considered the Sun a great blessing from God. It wasn't until they thought that they had lost that glorious Sun that they began to appreciate it's blessing. Listen, that is the wonder of Thanksgiving Day! The beauty of Thanksgiving is discovering the wonderful blessings of God that are ours that we so often fail to appreciate.

We have all these images of the original Thanksgiving feast. We see a table laden with turkey, corn, potatoes and thousand delights. We see fat Pilgrims and noble Indians sitting down to eat of the riches of the new land. We think of it as a celebration of abundance. It wasn't that at all.

The Pilgrims arrived far to late to plant the needed crops for the coming winter. The ground was sparse and the hunting was meager. The leaders called for a time of prayer and fasting but one man stood and challenge that idea. He said that people should not pray and fast but that they should celebrate the goodness of God. He pointed out that God had brought them safely across the sea, he given them a rich land and friendly Indian neighbors. "Most of all, we have a place where we can lift our voices and give God thanks for his goodness." Thanksgiving was born out of want not out of abundance. It was a cry of trust that said God is good even in the hard times. Thanksgiving said there are rich blessings all around us, in each of our lives, that we fail to see.

The Key to a Great Thanksgiving!!

We live in a grumpy and gripe-y world. People are always looking and finding things that are wrong. The sad truth is that very few things are that bad. Most people have a wonderful life and just don't realize it. We sit down to a wonderful meal and the rolls are a little well done and we forget about the rest of the meal and complain about the "burned" rolls. Instead of grumbling and griping over the few things that are wrong in our lives and in this world, we need to recognize what a wonderful life that we have.

We are rich beyond measure. I am not speaking of material things. Material things don't make people happy. If a new car makes you happy why do you want another the next year?  Does a bigger television, a louder stereo or more clothes really make you happy? No! They satisfy for a day, a week and then we go on to wanting something else.

We are rich because we know how to love. We are rich because have family, friends and people in our lives that care for us. We should find "joy" in the people who touch our lives and the relationships we have with one another. God has placed some pretty wonderful people in our lives.

We are rich beyond measure because we have a God who loves us. A God who desires to bless His children if we will just let Him. You might ask, "How do I know that God loves me?" That question was answered two thousand years ago at a place called Calvary. When God showed His great love for us by allowing His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cruel cross, that we might be saved. God loves you. God wants you to have a good life. He wants to do more for us, but most of the time, we ignore Him until we get in trouble.

Let God love you. Open your heart to him, right now, and say, "Lord, I want more of You in my life. Help me to see your blessing and be open to your reaching out to me. Help me to accept and receive your love and blessing." Listen, all it takes is a simple prayer like that to begin to open your heart to God. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord.. you can. If you want to give your heart to Jesus, just double click on this.. Yes I want to be a Christian.

Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving..

Let's celebrate Thanksgiving by praising God for the gift of life, for the joy of friendship and love, and for all the wonderful people that He has brought into our lives. Let's thank Him for the Sun shining in the sky, the wonder of a star filled night, the excitement of the first snow and comfort of a warm fire and a hot cup of chocolate.

Let's celebrate God's love that is poured out on this world in mercy. A love that sent Jesus to cross and called us to be children of God (I John 3:2). Let's lift our faces to the heavens and shout out, "Thanks be to the Living God for His goodness to me, a sinner saved by grace."