Southern History and Topics

Important Announcement

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As many of you know we are fast approaching the holidays. It's that busy time of year when people absolutley go nuts running here and there, buying this and that, and when they finally take a breather to figure up their cost, many are astonished to see that they have went above and beyond their means of spending.

In these economic times when money is a precious commodity and about as rare as hens teeth I am reminded of the first Thanksgiving.The pilgrims didn't have a whole lot. Fact is, they were barely surviving. But it was their faith in God and with the help of some friendly Natives, they were sustained.

Now folks, we are in some pretty dire straits now, what with the uncertainty of this new president, and the new cabinet members that will be coming in, and we are all on pins and needles as to what the future holds for us. Let us not forget that everything that is happening now, is in God's perfect plan for us. There is nothing new under the heavens. Our faith....now more than ever has to be strong to sustain us for what is yet to come.

If you study your scripture, you will see that we are most certainly living in the end times. But I ask each of you, because I was once guilty of this myself. How much dust has accumulated on your bible since you last opened it? Is it still sitting there on your coffee table or bookshelf just gathering dust? How often do you read the good book? Do you have a quiet time that you spend with God each day just talking to him? Do you just sit quietly and listen for him to speak to your heart?

In John 15:5 (NIV) I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:12 (NIV) My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Friends ask yourself, are you truly living your life according to God's will? We post so many things in this group, and a lot of it is not so nice, and I've been guilty of it too, isn't it time that we as fellow human beings start counting our many blessings that we do have, and instead of hating our enemies....pray for them? I find that the more I read my bible, the more I learn about myself.

There is so much power in prayer. This Obama fellow, is going to need all the prayers he can get. He just dosen't have a clue yet what kind of mess he's getting ready to walk into. We need to pray for this country and all it's leaders. They are lost without it. The Good Lord is going to take good care of his children, he has promised us that. And I will take his word before I take any politicians any day.

My expenditures this year are slim to nil, but for some reason I have been blessed and all my needs have been taken care of, because I put my faith in God and not in the Government or mankind.

What this all boils down too folks is that we (all of us) are God's children. God dosen't pick Yanks over Rebs, black over white, Catholics over Baptist. We are all precious in his sight. This year I plan on doing things a little different for the holidays. There's not going to be much gift giving, but what I find most precious is the time we can spend with our family and friends. Our days are numbered folks. And for most of us, time is about the only thing we can afford to give, and in the long run, it can mean so much to others.

So I ask of you, this year, try something different. Give your love and time instead of putting yourself in the poorhouse by giving gifts, and make the one book in your house that you will read the most be your Holy Bible. Share it with your family and friends. Share it with strangers, but don't let it sit there and gather dust.

I am sorry for all the negative things that I have introduced and participated in, in our group. Being a Christian is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Jesus himself said that I will be persecuted just as he was.I just try a little harder each day to be a better person. Yeah I slip and fall sometimes, but the Lord always picks me up and puts me back on my feet again.

Our forefathers,when this great nation was first coming into being,relied heavily on God, and their faith in him. Nothing was done until it was prayed over and God's blessings were asked. We suffer now because sadly,God has been put on the back burner. (Big Mistake) And we will continue to suffer until we make him Number 1 again.

I make no apologies for going on for so long. I just wanted to make it known that I'm human, I make mistakes, I judge others, which is wrong, because I am nobody to judge anyone else. I can't remove the splinter from my brother's eye until I remove the log from my own.

In conclusion here, I just want ya'll to know that even though I do not know each of you by name, I pray for this group as a whole, and that each of us will find our own separate peace in knowing what blessings await us when we surrender over to Our Master. God Bless each and everyone of you, and may your holidays be filled with love, laughter, joy, good health, and a closer relationship with the one who created us.

Your friend in Christ

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

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

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

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

"George Washington Papers: Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation" is at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/GW/gw004.html .President Jefferson Davis of the CSA has his Thanksgiving Proclamation at http://www.scvcamp67.org/thanksgiving.htm .Thanksgiving and Christmas are my two favorite holidays. Teresa A THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION, 1861
WHEREAS, it hath pleased Almighty God, the Sovereign Disposer of events, to protect and defend us hitherto in our conflicts with our enemies as to be unto them a shield.
And whereas, with grateful thanks we recognize His hand and acknowledge that not unto us, but unto Him, belongeth the victory, and in humble dependence upon His almighty strength, and trusting in the justness of our purpose, we appeal to Him that He may set at naught the efforts of our enemies, and humble them to confusion and shame.
Now therefore, I, Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States, in view of impending conflict, do hereby set apart Friday, the 15th day of November, as a day of national humiliation and prayer, and do hereby invite the reverend clergy and the people of these Confederate States to repair on that day to their homes and usual places of public worship, and to implore blessing of Almighty God upon our people, that he may give us victory over our enemies, preserve our homes and altars from pollution, and secure to us the restoration of peace and prosperity.
Given under hand and seal of the Confederate States at Richmond, this the 31st day of October, year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty one.
By the President, JEFFERSON DAVIS

By the way, that was a full two years before Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving proclamation October 3, 1863.

"The Settlement Of Jamestown - 1607" is at http://www.nationalcenter.org/SettlementofJamestown.html ."First Thanksgiving" is at http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?FeatureID=50 .Virginia is the state that started Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Teresa

Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
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