Thanksgiving Quotes

QUESTION: Thanksgiving quotes: What makes them unique?

ANSWER:

We need not be famous to share a common bond of gratitude with another. The following Thanksgiving quotes relay that.

“It is therefore recommended . . . for solemn thanksgiving and praise, that with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor . . . .”– November 1, 1777 (adopted by the 13 states as the first official Thanksgiving Proclamation) – Samuel Adams

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown.” – Abraham Lincoln

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”– John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving quotes: Are they essential to celebrating the holiday?
Yes, Thanksgiving quotes compel us to evaluate what we treasure most.

“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” – William Faulkner

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” –W. T. Purkiser

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”– Cicero

“How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child's personality. A child is resentful, negative, or thankful. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness, they draw people.” – Sir John Templeton “If I have enjoyed the hospitality of the Host of this universe, Who daily spreads a table in my sight, surely I cannot do less than acknowledge my dependence.” – G. A. Johnston Ross

Thanksgiving quotes: Why place the emphasis on God?
Long before that first Pilgrim gathering or legal holiday, God’s presence in our lives stirred a thankful heart.

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done” (1 Chronicles 16:8).

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good . . .”(Psalm 100:4-5).

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 136).

“And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”(Ephesians 5:20).

“Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done”(Colossians 2:7).