What Happened to Thanksgiving?

As Halloween and All Saint's fade away, one would think that the next thing on people's mind would be Thanksgiving. But alas, Christmas has found its way into the stores, onto the radio stations, on houses, and on checklists and shopping lists. My question is, what happened to Thanksgiving? 

America is one of the few countries in the world to have a day of Thanksgiving. We remember the history of the Pilgrims celebrating a day of thanks. Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a day of thanks in 1863 for all of the states to observe, which became a holiday during the 1870s. In 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the day of Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November. 

All the history aside, what does Thanksgiving represent? Why do we celebrate it? Is it just a day to eat way too much, watch the parade, and watch football? I think there are more reasons than just those to celebrate Thanksgiving and why we shouldn't just cast it aside and launch right into Christmas. 

God calls us to be thankful and to praise Him for His blessings. Psalm 100:4 says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." God wants us to remember and give thanks for everything in our lives. At times, this may be very hard to do and may be hard to find things to be thankful for, but there is always something God has given us for which we can be thankful. 

This year, I am going to write down something every day that I am thankful for during the month of November. I encourage others to join me on this adventure and see how God blesses each day. I want Thanksgiving this year to be more than just about the food and the football; it is will be a day of giving thanks. Christmas can wait. 

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." ~ Colossians 3:18