"I can't believe it's Thanksgiving already!"
I said it. You've said it. We've all said it. This year we celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the earliest date possible in November. Halloween decorations have only recently been put back in the box, and those Thanksgiving decorations - if you put them up - will be gone soon. Of course, they may already be gone since Christmas decorations are going up - or may already be on display in the front of houses and in living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, etc.
We are now in the "holiday jungle," where Halloween, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day become a jumble, with the true meaning of Thanksgiving Day lost in the rush to get to Christmas. When I worked in retail stores, Black Friday was the official start of the Christmas shopping season. A year like 2012 meant the longest Christmas buying season. It would have been an abomination if stores were open on Thanksgiving back in the 1970s and 1980s when I worked in local stores.
But that's not the case these days. Advertising for Christmas began before Halloween in some cases, at least on the Internet. I've seen several Black Friday fliers already. It used to be a surprise to find out what was going to be on sale, learning it from newspaper fliers on either Wednesday or Thanksgiving Day. Not anymore. The lackluster economy has every retailer pushing to get the holiday bucks that are available as soon as possible. Nothing is wrong with that. Sales pay salaries, keeping people working. It also helps local taxes. However, the reason for the seasons - Thanksgiving and Christmas - gets really lost in the shuffle, and I think Thanksgiving more than Christmas is the bigger loser.
The idea of Thanksgiving Day is to "be thankful. "Give thanks." As I have written before, who are we being thankful to? There can be a lot of good things in your life, and you can be thankful to your spouse, parents and friends, having a good (even a not-so-good) job, teachers, etc., but don't leave God out of the equation. He's in there somewhere. He's the prime mover. I know some people don't believe in God, or in at least one who gives any attention to us, but there has to be something much greater than ourselves.
"It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor."
- George Washington
Here are some Bible versions on being thankful to God. As we go into the week and on Thanksgiving Day, maybe take some time from cooking, feasting and watching football and parades and reflect on them. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!
- Psalms 119.62 - "At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments."
- Philippians 4:6 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
- Psalm 100:4, 5a - "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good."
- Nehemiah 12:46-47 - "For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron."
- Psalm 105:1-2 - "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts."
- Psalms 50:14 - "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay your vows unto the most High."
- Psalm 147:7-9 - "Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call."
- Proverbs 3:5,6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."
- Psalms 75:1 - "Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare."
- Revelation 11:17 - "We give thanks to you, Lord God almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign."
- Psalm 75:1 - "We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds."
- Psalm 50:23 - "Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me; And to him that orders his way aright will I show the salvation of God."
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Are you taking out those old cookie sheets and finding them covered with burned-on oils from years of baking? Well, here is an idea that I found on a Facebook post (Thanks, Elaine!) that might help clean them up and keep you from throwing them away. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to.
Here goes: Sprinkle your cookie sheet with a layer of baking soda, then pour on hydrogen peroxide and sprinkle another layer of baking soda on top. Let it sit for a couple of hours. Then wipe off. Considering the thickness of the baked-on crud, it could take multiple applications. Someone who replied to the post said vinegar could be used as a substitute for the hydrogen peroxide, although it will create a big fizz, and a good chance to get rid of some older vinegar.
So, give it a whirl. It might help save some cookie sheets or baking pans.
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If you like or love Christmas music, then go to the Internet for the Christmas Radio Network (www.christmasradionetwork.com). Lots of great music from all genres (pop, classic, religious), inspirational stories and more in a format that doesn't forget that "Jesus is the reason for the season." Enjoy.
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"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country."
- Noah Webster, "On the Education of Youth in America," 1788
(Staff writer Usalis can be reached at jusalis@republicanherald.com)