"...set apart a day of Thanksgiving and Praise..."

Sometimes I feel like I'm playing Six Degrees of Separation - it seems like any prominent day on the calendar has some link to Abraham Lincoln!  Thanksgiving is no exception!

On October 3, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Thanksgiving Proclamation, setting apart the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to the benevolent God who, despite a raging domestic war, had preserved the safety of America and her people from outside enemies, among other blessings.

Today, Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays that is actively celebrated by the country as a whole.  No matter who we thank for our blessings, we all have things to be thankful for. 

I'd like to send out a great big, special thank you to all the men and women who serve this great nation to protect our freedoms.  I'm thankful for all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo courtesy of www.saturdayeveningpost.com