Today's Notable Quote: "Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast." - William Shakespeare.
Additional (Thanksgiving) Quotes of Note:
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." - William Arthur Ward.
"Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often." - Johnny Carson.
"Every time you read something I write here, you're giving me a gift... attention. It's getting more precious all the time, you have more choices every day, and it's harder and harder to find the time. I know. I'm grateful. I'm doing my best to make your attention worth it.
So, have a great Thanksgiving. And thanks." - Seth Godin
On a day in which our focus is placed on faith, family, feasting and fellowship...it is worth taking a few moments to reflect on the words of our 16th President, who penned the following proclamation on Thanksgiving Day of 1863:
THE FIRST IN AN UNBROKEN SERIES OF AUTUMN PROCLAMATIONS: THANKSGIVING DAY 1863
-ABRAHAM LINCOLN, THE 16th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.
In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore if, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.
Hi Steve... I noticed that you quoted Seth and I wanted to ask that you have a look at my post I just did about Seth's post. I'm not sure if you saw it in Seth's post, but doesn't it appear to be a blatant attempt to twist something into an advertisement for himself? He DOES monetize his blog. He IS making lots of money from ads on his blog and yet he tries to spin it to the readers as if he couldn't possibly 'charge' for reading his blog... well, nobody was talking about charging for it. The comment was that he should monetize it - add some ads. He could have said, I DO. I HAVE ads here.
But, instead he took us on a spin tour.
Just my idea. I like your blog - looks like you put some significant time into it! Good luck and best regards! Vern
Posted by: Vern at Aim for Awesome | November 21, 2007 at 10:35 PM