Why WE Are Thankful In October
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Thanksgiving & Praise O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 107:1. This time last year, I was recovering from a mild stroke which had happened at the beginning of September. That stroke came at the tail end of seven months of excruciating pain. That was a scary experience for the whole family. But in the midst of it all, I had much to be thankful for. In God's providence, we had moved to our current home just two months before the stroke. At the old home, the paramedics would have had a difficult stairwell to navigate. In our new home, we enjoyed the convenience of an elevator instead. In our old home, the doorway was difficult to navigate because of the steps to the ground level. In our new home, the doorway was wide enough for the gurney, with plenty of room to manoeuvre. Our old home was fifteen minutes from the hospital; our new home was three minutes away, where I had great medical care. And I am thankful that even though I had to use a walker and a cane for a little while, the Lord has restored me so that I can function normally. I live each day with heartfelt thanksgiving and praise. Canadian Thanksgiving Day is just a few days away. WHAT are you thankful for? What is Canada's history of giving thanks in October? Do you know? The History of Canadian Thanksgiving The first Thanksgiving Day celebration in Canada began with Martin Frobisher in 1579. While searching for the Northwest Passage in July, his fleet of 15 ships encountered a freak storm and was separated. Thankfully, they were reunited again in August in what is now known as Frobisher Bay in Nunavut. Martin Frobisher and his crew were thankful their lives were spared. In the winter of 1604/1605, Pierre Du Gua de Monts and Samuel Champlain brought eighty French men to establish the very first settlement on St. Croix Island. Forty men died of scurvy and poor nutrition. In 1605, they moved from St. Croix Island to Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal) in Nova Scotia. That winter, they encouraged the men to be active in what they called 'The Order of Good Cheer'. They held regular feasts with their First Nation friends. That winter, only twelve men died from scurvy. On November 14 1606, Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt arrived as the Lieutenant Governor of Acadia in Du Gua's stead. Champlain, his fellow settlers, the writer Lescarbot, and their First Nations friends held a thanksgiving feast, complete with a theatrical performance written by Lescarbot. They were thankful that fewer men had died of scurvy that winter. 1763, after the British conquered New France, the citizens of Halifax celebrated a special Day of Thanksgiving for the end of the French-Indian War. On May 21 1816, in Lower Canada, and June 18, in Upper Canada, people celebrated Thanksgiving for the end of the War of 1812. In 1838, Lower Canada celebrated a day of thanksgiving for the end of the Lower Canada Rebellion. On April 6 1872, a civic holiday was proclaimed to celebrate the Prince of Wales' (later King Edward VII) recovery from typhoid fever. After 1879, Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving annually. Sometimes it was celebrated in October; sometimes in November. After World War I, and beginning in 1921, the Armistice Day Act was amended so that both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the Monday of the week of November 11. In 1931, Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day, and Thanksgiving was celebrated on a different day, creating two different holidays. From 1931 to 1957, the Governor General set Thanksgiving by proclamation, usually on the second Monday in October. In early January 1957, an Act of Parliament fixed Thanksgiving as the second Monday in October. On January 31 1957, the Governor General of Canada, Vincent Massey, issued a proclamation which stated that Thanksgiving was "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the second Monday in October. Lunch N'Learn REMINDER Wednesday, October 21: Sir Joseph Flavelle - (Methodist - Meat packer) In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Sherbourne Street Methodist Church in Toronto was known as 'The Millionaires' Church'. This was because many wealthy businessmen were members. The story begins with the rags-to-riches story of Sir Joseph Wesley Flavelle, owner of a meat-packing business which morphed into today's Maple Leaf Meat Processors. ---------------------- Wednesday November 18: George Albertus Cox (Methodist - Life Insurance) -------------------------------------- Lunch N' Learn Session #11 Wednesday, January 20: The Masseys (Methodist - Massey-Ferguson Farm machinery innovators) NOTE: Vincent Massey became the first native Canadian to become Governor General. He signed the Bill for Thanksgiving Day in Canada. ------------------------------------- For the last three weeks, I have seen glittering, decorated Christmas trees and inflatable winter animals at Costco. I thought, 'Wait a minute now! We still have Thanksgiving and Halloween before Christmas'. Then I realized that I should get cracking on my calendar designs. I will use the 12 photos in the tri-fold flyer (below) because that is where you see the bulk of the Scripture verses. Here is a close-up of the one in the East Window. This year I will take my doctor's advice and avoid the stress of last-minute requests for 10 to 15 calendars as Christmas presents. I am on a mission to encourage you to shop early for Christmas. Calendars will be printed by the last week of October, so you will have all of November to order. I'll remind you each week to sign up so I can give the printer the final numbers by October 23. From November 1 to 30th, there will also be sales on everything in the store. Join the Waitlist so I can print the correct number of calendars. These go like hotcakes, so please help me print the right number in one print run ASAP. Ps Here are 2 ways you can support our work and spread the message in the email: |