As Thanksgiving approaches, why not begin thinking now about all that for which you are thankful to God? Even in awful circumstances, there remains that for which we give  thanks to God for he sustains us in ways we often do not notice or acknowledge. Although we associate the beginnings of the holiday with Pilgrims, who were thankful for a successful harvest and their relationships with the Indians, Thanksgiving was not declared a national holiday until 1863 in the midst of the Civil War. Read Abraham Lincoln’s declaration here: http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm.