Pre-Thanksgiving Day Thoughts

True or False?

Thanksgiving Day is always celebrated the last Thursday of November.

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Let's see . . . This year, Thanksgiving Day is on November 27. Next year it will be on November 26. Then it will be on November 25 in 2010. They are all the last Thursday of the month. So, is it true that Thanksgiving Day is always celebrated the last Thursday of November?
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If you think back to last year, you may recall thinking how early Thanksgiving Day came. Look at a 2007 calendar, and you will notice that Thanksgiving Day came on November 22. Was that the last Thursday of November? No.
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Initially it was true that Thanksgiving Day was to be the last Thursday in November, when in 1863 Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that a national day of thanksgiving be held the last Thursday of November. However, FDR had an idea -- if you think about it, it shows that even back in his days, Christmas was becoming more and more commercialized. It was being looked upon as a time for stores to really increase their revenue for the year. FDR thought that if Thanksgiving Day were to be set at the next to the last Thursday of November, then that would allow more days for Christmas shopping. That meant that sometimes Christmas shopping began near the middle of November, rather than near the end; so in 1941 Congress compromised, making Thanksgiving Day the fourth Thursday of the month.
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Today it seems odd to think that the Christmas push did not begin until the day after Thanksgiving. Decorations for Christmas appear in the stores at the same time Halloween decorations appear. (I never thought that red and orange went well together.) Christmas music on radio stations begins in earnest November 1. (I'm not talking just a day for the fun of it or just Saturdays -- I mean all day every day). The same is true for music through cable and satellite.
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While I could go on about the commercialization of Christmas, that is not my message today. Today my message is this: Where is Thanksgiving Day? Why is this day not anticipated with enthusiasm? Unlike Easter, Christmas, and Halloween, Thanksgiving is not a holiday that focuses on getting things -- having the Easter rabbit come and leave me a basket of goodies; Christmas presents for me under the tree and in stockings; Halloween treats for me to get as I go door-to-door to my neighbors (and even people I don't know) or to parties.
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Stores have a push in regard to food for the Thanksgiving meal. They have some decorations. One can buy pretty napkins and disposable plates. Overall, I don't notice a massive commercial push for Thanksgiving. More and more, Thanksgiving is being lost between Halloween and Christmas.
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Thanksgiving is a rare national holiday. It is one with religious undertones, at least for people of the USA. It is supposed to be a time that has been set aside to be thankful for express their gratitude to God for His blessings. Anymore, the purpose of the holiday has been diluted. Now it is just a day to be thankful for the good things we have. No credit needs to be given to God and His graciousness in providing for us our daily needs, and often more than that.
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I don't want to lose Thanksgiving in the crush of Christmas. That's one reason why I haven't begun decorating for Christmas yet. It's why I rarely leave my radio/tv at the station/channel playing Christmas music yet. It's why I haven't sat down to work on my Christmas letters or address my cards. That all will start Friday.

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Know that the LORD, He is God!

It is He who made us, and we are His . . . .

Enter His gates with thanksgiving,

and His courts with praise!

Give thanks to Him; bless His name!

For the LORD is good;

His steadfast love endures forever,

and His faithfulness to all generations.

from Psalm 100

I would like to thank the approximately 75-80% of American Christians who do not think that it is their responsibility to vote for their part in electing Barak Obama as president.
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Am I saying that had they all voted, all of them would have voted for McCain? No, in spite of the fact that many believe that evangelical Christians vote Republican, not all of these Christians would have voted for McCain. That's a given. There are Christians who feel comfortable supporting Democrats; there are some Christians who avoid the main parties from time to time and vote some third-party choice. However, I think that enough of these potential voters would have voted Republican/Conservative, and that would have made a world of difference from the White House and U.S. Capitol down to our state houses and local governments.
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The 2004 presidential election boasted the highest voter turnout in almost 40 years. An estimated 120 million people voted. However despite the high voter turnout for the 2004 election, only about half of all eligible voters cast their ballots. (That's a statistic for all voters.) According to the Pew Research Center, in the 2000 presidential election, one of the closest elections in our nation’s history, 24 million of the nation’s 59 million evangelicals who were qualified to vote were not registered. Of the 35 million who were registered, only 15 million actually cast their ballots.
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Why don't many Christians vote?

• They believe that their vote won’t have an impact.
• They think that they have no obligation to do so.
• Some just don't care -- I know at least one of those kinds.
• Some believe it's God's business, not theirs -- after all God sees all and knows all, and He can have things turn out however way He wants them to.

I have begun to see how those Americans who lived through the Depression years and through World War II are beginning to sense that the younger Americans do not care where their great country is headed. Senior Christians do not understand why Christian youth and young adults do not view politicians' stands issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and embryonic stem-cell research important in who leads the country, the state, the local jurisdiction. Many of younger ones are caught up in CHANGE and in social issues, issues which Scripturally are not the government's to handle but rather the family's, the church's, and the local community's. Even older Christian Americans have become so used to government intervention that they have shrugged off their responsibilities to see to the needs of those around them -- to care and provide for those with legitimate needs.
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My hope is that those Christians who did not vote realize what they have done by not doing so -- by not being thrilled with what they see happening in Washington, in their state capitals, in their local jurisdictions.
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My hope is that those Christians who voted for Mr. Obama will realize that he is not truly born again. (In his own words he has said that he really has no idea what happens after death, for one thing. He just hopes he lives a good life here on earth. I have read/heard Christians say that we shouldn't judge whether or not Mr. Obama is a Christian. His own words have told on him.)
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My hope is that those Christians who voted for Mr. Obama will realize that his policy often is in direct contradiction with what the Bible teaches, and will join others in making their objections known.
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My hope is that all Christians will realize that they can effect a change; that starts with action on their part: prayer as well as participation.
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I know Christians who don't vote. That's too bad. I know Christians who voted for Mr. Obama. That's unfortunate -- but at least they voted. My core thinking is this: If a person who can vote doesn't vote, then he has no right to be critical of his government. Christians who vote are carrying out the responsibility that is theirs. They care enough to preserve a free society -- including freedom not to vote . . .

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Living in New York Is Taxing

Ever wonder why it is unions always seem to support the democrats when the democrats are the ones raising taxes and driving industry out of the state and even the country? What happens then? Jobs are cut or moved. The state loses revenue from the industry AND fewer people are paying taxes to the state, whether an income tax or a tax on items purchased (gas, clothing, etc.) Loss of revenue means that state either has to make cuts or else increase taxes. In New York, usually the taxes are raised. Who pays that taxes? The remaining industries/businesses and the people. Industry/Business decides it can't get anywhere with the tax burden. Jobs are lost. Industry moves South or out of the country. The circle goes on and on.

The other way this taxing affects carries out is this -- taxes increase, industry/business passes that on to the consumer. Consumer comes to a point when he will no longer make purchases. Others do the same. Industry has to cut back on production. Doing so, the industry lays off workers. Workers have less money to spend. Fewer items bought mean industry cut-backs. Industry cut-backs mean people out of jobs. No job, no expendable income. No expendable income, fewer purchases . . . . . .

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New York is killing itself. When Albany claims it cuts taxes, it doesn't. It increases the fees on lots of things, including paying a user fee for driving on the roads when you renew your car registration. While it is true that some New Yorkers are idiots, not all are!

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I see that California is really no better off either. I am sure it can be said there: Living in California is taxing. Added in their mix is a bigger problem with supporting the illegals than what we have in NY.

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Any suggestions on where to move? I am thinking the Dakotas or Montana/Idaho.