Today at our dinner table, we’ll remember to give thanks to God for our many blessings, for our great country entrusted to us by our forefathers, and our military serving this day in far away places. And we’ll also pray for a special measure of grace to those with an empty chair at their dinner table.

From our earliest days. we are a nation steeped in thankfulness. THIS – one of my favorites – from an immortal historian.

“In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast. They invited the great Indian chief Massasoit, who brought ninety of his brave Indians and a great abundance of food. Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests. Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that went something like this: ‘We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice. Amen.’” –Linus Van Pelt, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Further, we all know that our first president, George Washington, delivered an incredibly inspiring Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1777. But it was President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 – some 200 years after the Pilgrims – that made Thanksgiving a national holiday following the bloody Battle of Gettysburg. Congress made it official in 1941.

Our early Thanksgiving history is inspiring, don’t you think? In spite of all the chaos around us, I think it’s also very comforting. On this day we as Americans should remember the lessons of our ancestors, our common DNA, and set aside our very considerable differences, by practicing thanksgiving for our many blessings. Hard to do – I know – but the value is immeasurable.

We at Victory Girls hope your day, and those that follow, are filled with much joy and great gratitude. Thank you for being here with us. Happy Thanksgiving from Kate, Cassy, Deanna, Jodi, Jen, Nina, Kim, Gail, Amy, Lisa, Jenny, Marybeth, and Toni!