It is the season when we stop and remember Your bountiful goodness to us and we are filled with gratitude. And yet how shameful that we do not consider every day one of thanksgiving and rejoicing. You have done so much for us; have provided for our needs and many of our wants; have blessed us with a great nation and a strong leader for these perilous times; but, most importantly, You have given us the gift of fellowship with You through the life and sacrifice of Your Son and our Savior Jesus. How can we refrain from offering you a continuous sacrifice of praise? Your goodness and mercy, Your glory and majesty are beyond compare! We come to You now, Lord, in humble thanksgiving that You are our Holy God and that You have adopted us in to Your family through the blood of the Lamb. All praise and glory to You, the Almighty One!
Lord, we thank You for bringing our President home safely from his trip to South America. We thank You for the courage and straightforwardness of this good man. Let his time of vacation in Texas be a time of true re-creation for him that he may be invigorated and renewed for the tasks ahead. Let him stay steeped in Your Word that he may follow Your will for his life and for our country, gaining wisdom and strength from You. We pray for Laura, asking that You draw her ever closer to You that she may continue to be such a wonderful helpmeet and companion to her husband. Bless Barbara and Jenna as they celebrate their birthdays. Lead them down the path of righteousness that they may live their lives in accordance with Your plans for them.
As we in the states gather with friends and family, we are ever aware of those in our military, far from home, dealing with war and bloodshed, homesick for the fellowship of loved ones. Keep them in the palm of Your hands, O Father, and be their Comforter and their Shield. Many have been injured in battle and we pray for their healing. Many more have seen horrors beyond our imagination in a land where brutality has been common for far too long; bring them peace and strength to deal with the images they have faced. For those families who have an empty place at the holiday table that will never again be filled with their loved one, be their Solace and wrap Your loving arms around them.
Lord, as we dwell on our nation's beginnings, we are filled with wonder at how You have watched over America throughout our history. We thank You for those brave souls who fled oppression to come to this land and we thank You for being with them as they faced harsh conditions. We are grateful for their endurance and their faith that saw them through those first years. Lord, if they could stop to thank You for their blessings when they had so little compared to our bounty, then how much more so should we offer our praise to You. There is much wrong in our nation these days but there is still so much that is right and good. Let us dwell on those things during this season; and help us to remember to do good and to share with others that our thoughts and words and deeds might be pleasing in Your sight. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
The President's Thanksgiving Proclamation for 2004All across America, we gather this week with the people we love to give thanks to God for the blessings in our lives. We are grateful for our freedom, grateful for our families and friends, and grateful for the many gifts of America. On Thanksgiving Day, we acknowledge that all of these things, and life itself, come from the Almighty God.
Almost four centuries ago, the Pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast to thank God after suffering through a brutal winter. President George Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, and President Lincoln revived the tradition during the Civil War, asking Americans to give thanks with "one heart and one voice." Since then, in times of war and in times of peace, Americans have gathered with family and friends and given thanks to God for our blessings.
Thanksgiving is also a time to share our blessings with those who are less fortunate. Americans this week will gather food and clothing for neighbors in need. Many young people will give part of their holiday to volunteer at homeless shelters and food pantries. On Thanksgiving, we remember that the true strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of the American people. By seeking out those who are hurting and by lending a hand, Americans touch the lives of their fellow citizens and help make our Nation and the world a better place.
This Thanksgiving, we express our gratitude to our dedicated firefighters and police officers who help keep our homeland safe. We are grateful to the homeland security and intelligence personnel who spend long hours on faithful watch. And we give thanks for the Americans in our Armed Forces who are serving around the world to secure our country and advance the cause of freedom. These brave men and women make our entire Nation proud, and we thank them and their families for their sacrifice.
On this Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for His blessings and ask Him to continue to guide and watch over our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 25, 2004, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship to reinforce the ties of family and community and to express gratitude for the many blessings we enjoy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Thanks for the ping. I offer up my prayers for President Bush to make wise and just decisions and for our troops. Protect our soldiers, Lord, and lead them to victory. Thank you for the freedoms that they protect for us. Watch over their families and give comfort to their hearts. Amen.
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"Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? FOR FROM HIM AND THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS. TO HIM BE THE GLORY FOREVER! AMEN"
Rom.12:33-36
Allelujah and Praise to the God of the Universe, who sent His Son Jesus to save us, and who places His Holy Spirit in us!
Thank you Father for our President, please continue to be his guide and his strength. Thank you Lord for a free nation that is does not suffer the magnitude of religious persecution that other nations do. Thank you Lord for the brave and courageous men and women fighting in the world to set the captives free. But most of all, thank you Lord for salvation, the free and unmerited and matchless gift from our Savior Jesus Christ, ours for the asking.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here! In the love of our God and Savior Jesus, fbg
My prayers are always Incoming For President Bush and all our people in uniform defending America. God Bless America and all who Love and Defend her no matter when we did it.