Thanksgiving 2017

Posted on 11.20.2017

Thanksgiving 2017

Not being a history buff, all I know about the establishment of Thanksgiving is what I was taught in school, which was that the Pilgrims - those who had undertaken the long pilgrimage to the new world to find freedom of religion and get out from under the thumb of an oppressive European Monarchy and its attendant assortment of Lords, Earls, Dukes, and aristocracy - got together to give thanks to God for providing for them in the new world.

I know that the official holiday of Thanksgiving was set by President Roosevelt in 1941 to be the fourth Thursday in November and has remained that way ever since.

Our peripheral view of Thanksgiving has, unfortunately, been reduced to displays of fall colors, turkeys, stuffing, football and an excuse to begin the Christmas shopping season.

As in so many things the true meaning of Thanksgiving, a day set aside to give thanks for all things, has been shoved to the side by the secular circus of sales, specials and the vision of tables loaded with enough food to feed a small village.

My family and myself have an awful lot to be thankful for and there will be a prayer of thanks at our house, with all family and dinner guests holding hands and ending in The Lord’s Prayer, and hopefully giving all in attendance pause, to stop and think about their own blessings.

I have so many things to be thankful for, that if they were committed to writing they could well paper the south wall of the Grand Canyon.

Did you ever stop to think that every beat of your heart, every breath you take, every step, the ability to see, speak, hear, comprehend, communicate, think, the motor skills you take for granted, reason, make decisions, to love, and the conscience that guides you are all blessings from our Creator?

In my case, God has given me a wonderful woman to spend my life with and after 53 years of marriage I can honestly say that I love her even more than I did on that Sunday morning in 1964 when we were married.

My son has been a constant source of joy to me and God has brought two grandchildren into our lives.

God has healed me from cancer, stroke, some heart problems and various broken bones that could have put an end to my career. Had He not intervened in a couple of accidents, they could have been devastating.

He has protected me through millions of miles of travel, traversing icy roads and moving around war zones while entertaining our troops.

He has let me live in a free nation where, despite all our problems, we still have rules of law and constitutionally protected rights to pursue our dreams just as far as our individual talent and tenacity will allow us.

He has given me so many desires of my heart and let me follow my dreams and do exactly what I want to do for a living for sixty years.

He has surrounded me with an extended family of employees who all pull their weight and can be depended on to get the job done.

He constantly provides me with new opportunities, fresh ideas, different projects to pursue.

Yes, God has been so good to me.

But far and away the most valuable and precious thing He ever did for me, for you and for all mankind is to send His Son, Jesus, to - by the shedding of His spotless blood - establish a New Covenant that offers eternal salvation to all who will believe and accept it.

I have lived 81 years and don’t ever let anybody tell you that productive life should stop at 65 or some other arbitrary retirement age.

Every day is a miracle, every day is a wonder, every day is an opportunity and every day is a blessing.

From all us folks at the CDB, Twin Pines Ranch and our immediate and extended family we wish you a blessed, safe and joyous Thanksgiving.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, our police and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

— Charlie Daniels

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Feel free to comment on Charlie's soapboxes, but please refrain from profanity and anonymous posts are not allowed, we need a name and you MUST provide a valid email address. If you provide an email address, but leave the name as "Anonymous" we will pick a name for you based on your email address. No one other than website administrators will see your email address, not other posters. If you post without a valid email address, your comment (whether positive or negative) will be deleted. — TeamCDB

Comments

History

I love ya Charlie, the way you speak your mind and sing your songs. It would be great to see you in New Orleans...just moved here from Memphis and spent alot of time in Nashville. Not a big fan of the City, nor the big recording mafia dictating the way some are treated. I did security for Tracy Lawrence and he got booted after the Vegas fiasco...none of are perfect. OK, I will shut up now, Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Posted by Guy

Give a ear

Young people this is a man worth paying attention to. He has made his living by giving back, he has spent his life reminding us as Americans what we use to be. He has shown us that if we don't start finding our way back we may end up being a social experiment that failed. The ways of those in the past are often they way to the future. There is no new crisis that we have not dealt with before. All the bad we see, all the hate and worry is just the same old stuff with a new name. Why fight a fight when someone else has fought the battle before and has already been won? Learn from people like this man and save yourself a lot of work.
Posted by Walt

Thanksgiving

Amen, Amen & Amen Charlie we all have much to be thankful for, at my house we give thanks to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 365 days a year, just like He said in Deuteronomy 28: 1-14. Wishing y'all a very Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving, Plowboy
Posted by Plowboy

Thanksgiving 2017

Everything you said about thanksgiving hit the nail on the head! God bless you and your family. Hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving, christmas and new years!
Posted by David

Rock ON, CDB

Mr. Daniels, your tweets and these Soapboxes genuinely inspire me. But I want to tell you why: Seeing you tweet every working day from a new venue makes me believe that, at 55, it's not too late for me to hit the road and play my guitar.
Posted by blah

Thanksgiving 2017

Love reading your article. The world would be a great place if all had a heart of love like you. Thank you for all you have done for our military. Blessings to you and all your family!
Posted by Greg

Thank you

Me. Daniels, Thank you for this great read and for your positive influence over the last 60 something years. I especially appreciate and agree with your sentiment on �retirement�. I�m 44 and about to leave a job as a school principal and BEGIN medical school. I hope and pray that I can practice for 40 years! Age is only a number. God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving and on into the Christmas season.
Posted by Eric

Just a thank you

Just wanna say thanks for all you do. I've loved your music since the first song I ever heard you sing. I actually met you once at Cumberland University (my alma mater). You recorded a video in Baird Chapel. You're a stand up guy and I'm grateful men like you are unafraid to stand up for what is right and speak truth. Thanks again and keep on making music. Just don't let Hannity sing again.... ever. Its just horrible.
Posted by Kevin

Thanksgiving

Thank you Mr. Charlie Daniels for your soapbox . As I am thankful for a soapbox myself . I too have received divine healing . Mine was from irreversible nerve damage to my lower back and ability to instantly stop having to take strong pain medicines, pain patches and a Tenz unit that I had been in constant need of for years having stopped them all at the same time without withdrawals . Being Blessed to enjoy my Children , Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren Free From pain. I saw you in concert one time on New Years at Super Ball 78 in Atlanta Georgia . I am thankful for My God Loving Family , This God Loving Country And God Loving World we are so Blessed By God's Grace to live in. I wish Folks had been taught to understand the True History Of The Native People Whom we were taught about in schools . The reason they feel the way they do about Thanksgiving . And how even the Pilgrims recieved reputations of mixed understanding because of a few that came to celebrations with the Indians to celebrate the feasts of the lands . I am thankful for those honest pilgrims whom came in peace and loved the Indians and the Indians whom have put their trust in God Creator of Life and Love . I Pray The tribes gain an understanding that those whom wronged them were not the true pilgrims but were the ones whom came appearing as Pilgrims but were instead the wolves in sheeps clothing that gave an unjust understanding of God's people . I pray that All Nations come together in Harmony Peace and Unity and Celebrate Love , Life and Trust in God To guide heal and protect all humanity and creation . To gain Truth in Understanding that Love shall lead the way that we are All Brothers and Sisters and Have The Spirit Of Love By the Grace and Love of God Through Jesus Christ ! Blessings to All. Peace On Earth Good Will To All Creations of Humanities !
Posted by Brenda

Thank You

Thank you of giving me a good memory with performing for SHAPE, Belgium back in ~1980 where I was stationed while in the US Army.
Posted by Rose

Thanksgiving

I love reading your soapbox. We all ha e so much to be thankful for even though we've had a hard year. We always ha e Christ to turn to. He's brought me through 3 surgeries this year that has been and still having trouble getting better. My husband and I got to see you ma y many years ago. Loved your show. Hope you and your family has a wonderful Thanksgiving. God bless you and God bless our country and our military.
Posted by Angie

Thanksgiving

My father always said the prayer at thanksgiving after losing him I now do it and Yes God had sent his Son For all to live again I look forward to the day I Will See my Father again🙏🙏🙏Happy Thanksgiving To all AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL🙏
Posted by Eva

Soapbox

Very well thought out. Yes His blessings are given everyday, but we often too busy to see them. As I sit here, I am thinking and praying for the family of a friend of mine who was found dead from a heart attack yesterday. The Lord called him at the age of 60. Gonna be a hard holiday for them.
Posted by Craig

Thanksgiving

Really enjoy your music and your posts! Would like to say if you only have the history of Thanksgiving if you are in Massachusetts go to Plymouth and the Pilgrims Museum. Pictures of the people, artifacts and the true story.
Posted by Les

Thanksgiving

I echo your sentiments wholeheartedly. Thank you for the words. I agreed so much that I posted on my Facebook page. I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving brother God bless.
Posted by Brett

Thanksgiving

Charlie; To your immediate and extended families, God bless you all and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Because of Jesus, we can!!! Jim G
Posted by Jim

thanks charlie

I sat down to the computer, after helping my very sick wife out of bed,cleaning the kitchen, feeding the dog etc. I opened charlies soapbox section and begain to read, I was touched by this message and in our ages at 67, we received hope even as my wife and I have lost all but one family member. he is in jail for shooting me with a 45 dec 28 2014 2 inches from my heart, my wife saw it, we never got to go court, received 44 months. plea was for intent to kill with stolen weapon. as I read his thanksgiving day message I think of all the great thanksgiving days I spent at my moms, and was in the kitchen,getting a ham to go in the oven this thanksgiving day and Charlie,s message saved me from the fear and pain we now live with. I received his message of faith,and hope he was surely sending and felt a need to renew my on relationship with the lord. I bet that is one wonderful day ,today at Charlie,s house and promise to do the best I can to make him proud of us. saw Charlie at al smith dodge long ago standing in parking lot along by his self, waiting for someone to fill a seat. thanks Charlie, 8.30 thankgiving morning see you soon , read you everyday robert
Posted by robert

Proud

Ever since i have been little i have listened to your music. You sing from the heart and have no fear of who offend. You stand for the red,white and blue. Our troops and America.
Posted by Neil

Thanks Charlie for all you do

Charlie you are one of my Favorite musicians, I like you down home God fearing tenacity, and Rebel like love for the real things in life, because of your Heart in my opinion you help the Skynryd get back on their feet after the crash and I believe God used you in so many ways, I was born in 1964 the year you and your wife Hazel hitched, your my fellow brother and believer in Christ and I'm so grateful your still pickin that fiddle, you are a true American and proof that a Country Boy can Survive on God , Grace, and pure musical genius, I live over in Boise ,Idaho, if you ever get a chance to play here I hope we all get to see ya once again brother if I don't get to meet you on Earth I just wanted say thank you for Soo much awesome music, God's blessings to you and your family...
Posted by Sean

Thanksgiving

I wanted to say Thank You for being the man of God that you are. It’s not who you are it’s what you are. A God fearing man with love to God & all of God’s Children. With in your heart you share your abundant Blessings & your great love! Thank you for the inspiration that you give to each of us on a daily bases! I guess what I want to say for these things alone know that you are truly loved by all!
Posted by Carrie

Many years of enjoyment listening to CDB

Thanks Charlie for being real in every sense of the way and standing up for what you believe in. I remember the first time I heard Uneasy Rider and have been a fan of your music ever since. I live in Gallatin which is only a few minutes away. If the good Lord was ever willing, I’d love to sit out on the porch with you and share stories someday! May God continue to bless you and Ms. Hazel!!
Posted by Dale

Great post

Charlie that was a great post. I have enjoyed your music since the release of “Fire on the Mountain “. I appreciate your insight and the willingness to share you faith with everyone. Your are a blessing and a inspiration. God bless you and your family.
Posted by Matt

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