| THANKSGIVING - NOVEMBER 25, 2004:
Throughout our lives we have come to know many reminders for giving thanks to God. In the Book of Psalms ther are many references to "Give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever"; ancient hymns remind us, "Now thank we all our God, With heart, and hands, and voices, Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices; Who from our mother's arms Hath blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today." I guess together we could recount many more remembrances to offer thanks to the ONE TRUE CREATOR GOD ETERNAL. In this day and age when our daily lives are hounded bt threats of wars and terrorism, maybe we should take some time to read again those marvelous words written by President Abraham Lincoln in his national Thanksgiving message on October 3, 1863, during another time of trial in our beloved country. As you read, perhaps you will see where these words written during our Civil War also pertain to America in 2004. President Lincoln declared that we Americans have been "the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. But we have forgotten GOD. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the GOD that made us." Lincoln concluded with these words: "It has seemed to me fit and proper that GOD should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a Day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens." Good Ole Abe hit the nail on the head. I pray all of ASAKOREA membership will enjoy a blessed, thanks-giving THANKSGIVING DAY with the love of family, friends and country. And may we sing with the ancient hymn, "O may this bountiest GOD through all our life be near us! With ever-joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us. And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed, and free us from all ills In this world and the next. Amen" God be with you my dear friends. Keep the faith and praise God, now and forever. Rev. Charles "Preacher" Knappenberger, Chaplain, ASA KOREA |
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