We are meant to thank and praise God.
If we don't, the rocks will cry out.
It's my desire to think on what is right and good and pure. Looking back, there are two historical degrees that express that spirit of gratitude I want to share... then, a very fun praise:
George Washington set aside Thursday, November 26 as "A Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer." "to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God."Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America,
"do set aside and appoint Thursday, the thirtieth day of November 1933, to be a Day of Thanksgiving for all our people.
May we on that day in our churches and in our homes give humble thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us during the year past by Almighty God.
May we recall the courage of those who settled a wilderness, the vision of those who founded the Nation, the steadfastness of those who in every succeeding generation have fought to keep pure the ideal of equality of opportunity and hold clear the goal of mutual help in time of prosperity as in time of adversity.
May we be grateful for the passing of dark days; for the new spirit of dependence one on another; for the closer unity of all parts of our wide land; for the greater friendship between employers and those who toil; for a clearer knowledge by all nations that we seek no conquests and ask only honorable engagements by all people to respect the lands and rights of their neighbors; for the brighter day to which we can win through by seeking the help of God in a more unselfish striving for the bettering of mankind."
May we on that day in our churches and in our homes give humble thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us during the year past by Almighty God.
May we recall the courage of those who settled a wilderness, the vision of those who founded the Nation, the steadfastness of those who in every succeeding generation have fought to keep pure the ideal of equality of opportunity and hold clear the goal of mutual help in time of prosperity as in time of adversity.
May we be grateful for the passing of dark days; for the new spirit of dependence one on another; for the closer unity of all parts of our wide land; for the greater friendship between employers and those who toil; for a clearer knowledge by all nations that we seek no conquests and ask only honorable engagements by all people to respect the lands and rights of their neighbors; for the brighter day to which we can win through by seeking the help of God in a more unselfish striving for the bettering of mankind."
YEAH. WHAT THEY SAID.
But now for praise: You've GOTTA go watch his video from the small Yupiq Eskimo Village of Quinhagak, Alaska. It was a school computer project intended for the other Yupiq villages in the area. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LyviyF-N23A
Didn't that just make your day?
Hush, you rocks. You don't need to cry out.
We're raising our voices to thank and praise God!
love,
Cathy
love,
Cathy
OH CATHY!!! I LOVE this video!!! (with your permission I'd like to share it with others) ~ Oh my, I've got HAPPY tears and goosebumps...those precious children (and adults) holding up the words to this most glorious song DID make my WEEKEND!!! Thank you soooo much for sharing, and I have to add that for years I've said if I could only choose ONE very favorite song, it would be The Hallelujah Chorus---undoubtedly my all-time FAVORITE!!! ~ Love, Patti Jo :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with Patti Jo. Had to share on FB and Twitter right away. Thanks, Cathy!
ReplyDeletePJ please do share it! It's suddenly taking off, and I can't imagine anything better than for it to become viral. What a thrill for us to start the season out with voluble praise. Can't you imagine how delighted the citizens of that small town must be? THey're sharing their hearts with the world, and the world is listening!
ReplyDeleteRobin--isn't it fun to pass on a blessing? There are also YouTube videos of silent monks who stand on stage and hold up the word cards as the music plays. They do it with quite a bit of humor, too. I'm still trying to figure out how they managed it since they couldn't talk about how to do the program and plan it. Hmmmmm.
Cath
Cathy, your post came at the right time! I read it yesterday morning, and then Erik and I went out to breakfast. He seemed a bit off, and I asked him what was wrong. He said he feels like he's not been focusing on God lately. I then mentioned the last couple lines of your post: "Hush, you rocks. You don't need to cry out. We're raising our voices to thank and praise God!" You see, on Wednesday we made the extra effort to list our blessings from God in the last year. And since, on several occasions, we've given specific credit to Him on things that have happened.
ReplyDeleteWhen I told him this, he's like "I'm just giving myself a hard time, huh?" Thank you for letting God use your post! It could not have come at a more perfect time!