WHY BE THANKFUL?
(Psalm 100:4b)

"I do not have to thank anyone for anything I have," an old miser grumbled. "Everything I have I got the hard way-by the sweat of my own brow."

"But who gave you the sweat?" asked his neighbor.

The old miser hung his head in guilty silence. He could not ignore the fact that God had given the "sweat," the strength to work hard and gain material wealth.

Yes, everything that we are or that we possess is because of God's lovingkindness. Therefore, it is good for us all to pause at least once a year and say, "Thank You, God." Actually, everyday should be one of thanksgiving. Why? Because of spiritual and material blessings.

Mrs. Green thanked Tom, the grocery boy, for delivering a loaf of bread.

"Do not thank me. Thank Grocer Jones," Tom smiled. "He gave me the loaf to deliver."

But when she thanked the grocer, he said, "I get the bread from Baker Brown. He makes it, so he deserves the thanks."

So Mrs. Green thanked the baker. But he told her that Miller Milligan should be given the gratitude. "Without Miller Milligan's flour, I could not make bread," Brown replied.

The miller told her to thank Farmer Foster because he made the flour from Foster's wheat. But the farmer also protested, "Don't thank me; thank God," Foster said. "If He did not give my farm sunshine and rain, I could not grow wheat."

Yes, even a common loaf of bread can be traced back to God, the Giver of "every good and perfect gift" (Josh. 1:17).    

This is part 13 of  14 facts associated with THANKSGIVING. This is an all American holiday. Although the US and Canada celebrate the day on different dates, the purpose is the same.

The Traditional Main Dish? — Pumpkin:

The pumpkin and pumpkin pie has come to be associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in the United States and Canada. The exact reason for this association is unknown. There are conflicting reports and documentation as to whether pumpkins were a part of the first Thanksgiving meal of the Pilgrims and the Indians. We do know that pumpkins were a staple of the Indians long before the arrival of the Pilgrims. While pumpkin may have been eaten at the 'first' Thanksgiving in Plymouth, it most certainly was not eaten in a pie.

Pumpkin, is one of the common names for a genus of flowering plants that are characteristically spreading vines with showy yellow-orange flowers, large lobed leaves, and long twisting tendrils.
Some squash may be indigenous to Asia, but most evidence suggests that all squash, and specifically the pumpkin genus, is native to the New World. It is known that the pumpkin was widely cultivated by the Indians before European settlement. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico dating back to 5500 B.C. or earlier. Pumpkins, squash, and some kinds of gourd are the fruits of four different species of the genus Cucurbita of the family Cucurbitaceae. The names pumpkin and squash, especially in the United States, are applied inconsistently to certain varieties of Cucurbita. All four species (Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita moschata, and Cucurbita pepo) produce pumpkins.

References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." "Pepon" was nasalized by the French into "pompon." The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion." Shakespeare referred to the "pumpion" in his Merry Wives of Windsor. American colonists changed "pumpion" into "pumpkin."

The Native Americans called pumpkins isquotersquash, or isqoutm squash. They used pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed. They roasted long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and ate them. They also used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine. Native Americans also dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. When white settlers arrived, they saw the pumpkins grown by the Indians. Pumpkin soon became a staple in their diets. As today, early settlers used them in a wide variety of recipes from desserts to stews and soups. In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling. Colonists sliced off pumpkin tips; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is thought to be the origin of pumpkin pie. The colonists also used the pumpkin for medicinal purposes. It was thought to be useful in removing freckles and curing snake bites.

Today pumpkins are commonly grown in North America, Great Britain, and Europe for human food and also for livestock feed. The rind is removed, and when cooked the pulp is edible for humans. In Europe pumpkin is mainly served as a vegetable while in the United States and Canada is generally reserved for desserts – pies, puddings and cakes. Pumpkin can be used interchangeably with squash in various prepared dishes. Pumpkins are rich in Vitamin A and potassium. They are also high in fiber.