"On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence."
                                                                                                          ~ William Jennings Bryan  

When I was a Cub Scout leader, I used to ask the boys how many blessings they could name before they even left home for school:  a roof, their bed, their pillow, a toothbrush, running water, a flushing toilet, air conditioning, clean pajamas, cold orange juice, (etc)  The boys were excellent at naming all the small but important material comforts we so easily take for granted.  But - like most adults - they often forgot the biggest blessings of all: Faith, Family, and Freedom.

Our forefathers, whether slave or free, cherished these values.  In many cases, Faith, Family, and Freedom defined the very purpose of life itself.   They were very much aware that each of these values could only be ascribed to a Power much greater than themselves.

Today, I fear that the pursuit of material comforts has displaced our vigilance of these values.  Nothing provides more evidence of this than seeing Christmas decorations on sale after Halloween... completely displacing our national day of Thanksgiving.  And, as has been well-reported, church congregations continue to shrink.  Who needs God when we've got it so good?

Yet these values remain as important as ever, even while many in our society seem willing to readily cast them aside.  Let us promise to make it a sacrosanct responsibility to teach our children and our grandchildren the importance of Faith, Family, and Freedom.  It might be easier than you think:  Faith - Let your children and grandkids see you pray on your knees.  They will never forget that sight, and your humility will be a physical display of God's preeminence over self. Family - Love and time.  It is a simple formula, and one that might not bear fruit for years.  But after all, such a great blessing should require great devotion.  Freedom - Teach your children the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, basic civics, and the who's who of our Founding Fathers.  Ours is a nation built on sacrifice and - yes - error, but we have continued to be a beacon of hope because of our founding principles and not despite them.

May the blessings of Faith, Family, and Freedom burn brightly in your heart this Thanksgiving and throughout the year.
                                                                                                                             ~ AJ Bergeron, DSR President