THANKSGIVING 2012..... a time to remember all the gifts given to us by our Father . . .  a time to gather together with family and friends to share stories and make memories..... a time to join with the community around us to share the bounty of our lives... a time to begin preparations for celebrating the birth of God's Son. Thanksgiving: a time to remember the Pilgrims and their voyage to a new land to be able worship God in the way that fed them.. a time to remember the way it used to be. Oh, but wait...

While all this may be true for many people, this year in the states of Connecticut, New Jersey, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Virginia, many members of many churches, including many Daughters of the King, will find they cannot celebrate the holiday in the traditional ways their families and communities have always celebrated.

Let's take a look at these two scenarios separated by almost 400 years:

November 1620

Pilgrims, having arrived in the New World, open their eyes daily to unfamiliar landscapes and hardships never before endured. Winter brings days of snow and cold, making it very difficult for them to find food and build shelter. They were accustomed to celebrating days of Thanksgiving as part of their worship, but in those days their celebrations were days of prayer and fasting and not days of feasting. These Pilgrims were weakened by their voyage and it was only with the help of the native people of the area that they survived and were able to celebrate their first successful harvest with a feast in the autumn of 1621. It is only within a community and with the help of other communities that they could overcome this strange new land. The native community stopped what they were doing and aided the Pilgrims each day, always returning home each night. . If the native community had not done so, the Pilgrims would never have survived.

November 2012

Pilgrims, having survived a storm phenomenon like none seen before, open their eyes daily to unfamiliar landscapes and hardships. Winter brings days of snow and cold, making it very difficult for them to find food and to clean and re-build shelter and buildings for business and school and worship. They were accustomed to celebrating Thanksgiving with feasting and merriment as part of their family and community life. Now they are weakened physically, emotionally, and financially by the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and it is only with the help of the people of the national community that they will survive and be able to successfully rebuild their lives. It is only within each community and with the help of other communities that they can overcome this strange new land. The national community must stop what they are doing and aid the Pilgrims each day.

These Pilgrims of 2012 are on a journey not of their choosing. . . To continue to read the reflection, click here.

Patsy Thomson

Spiritual Formation Chair

 "If the only prayer we ever said was 'Thank you' that would be sufficient." -- Meister Eckhart

During their recent meeting, our National Council attended Sunday worship service at the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta. (Photo was taken in the Atrium of the Cathedral by a parishioner.)

Donna Abramov

donnaabramov@doknational.org

Province II
Janet Papa

janetpapa@doknational.org

Province III
Laura Richards

laurarichards@doknational.org
 

Province IV
Lindy Kirk

lindykirk@doknational.org

Province V
Pam Sebura

pamsebura@doknational.org

Province VI
Lyn Zolman
lynzolman@doknational.org

Province VII
Brenda Amos
brendaamos@doknational.org

Province VIII
Carrie DaCosta

carriedacosta@doknational.org

Email the National Office at
dok1885@doknational.org
or Call 770-517-8552  

Every year on the fourth Thursday in November, this great country of ours celebrates Thanksgiving! We give thanks for those who went before us and blazed trails to develop and build this prosperous nation that we call the United States of America. As Americans, we celebrate this holiday every year on the same day, but as Daughters of the King, we have much to celebrate and be grateful for every day in November. Personally, I am grateful for four things this month.

First, we begin November with All Saints Day: when we give thanks and remember the saints who came before us, those men and women who make up the body of Christ. We remember the saints and martyrs who gave their lives for their faith in Christ, thereby strengthening our faith.

Second, my faith was strengthened on election day November 6th. My faith in God and my faith in this country was strengthened as I exercised my right to vote for the next President of the United States. I am thankful for this right and privilege, and I have faith that God will bless the United States of America and its next President. As Daughters, we are not political but prayerful, and even as we vote, we pray for God's will to be done in our great country and in the world.

Third, I am grateful for the 1,777 Daughters at Large (DAL) around the country. DAL are in a unique position where we must reach out and create community in our areas. It is a challenge, but it can be done. I am thankful to those already reaching out to others through prayer partnering and our online avenues. Also, following are the numbers of DAL by province: Province 1 has 34; Province 2 has 72; Province 3 has 183; Province 4 has 664; Province 5 has 136; Province 6 has 97; Province 7 has 335; and Province 8 has 256. Check with your Diocesan President and see who you can reach out to and meet. You and the DAL will be grateful that you did!

Finally, I am grateful for our National Council Retreat Meeting. Your newly elected National Council met November 7-12 in Atlanta. We began with a retreat where we prayed and sought God's guidance to direct us to be of one mind and of one Spirit before doing the work God has given us to do. I give thanks for the work of  Celebration Chapter as we seek to further the work of His Kingdom within the Order of the Daughters of the King.

Be blessed! Be grateful! Most of all, give thanks every day! Happy Thanksgiving! 

Chesley Vohden

DAL Chair 

National Council Saturday Night Dinner as interpreted by Pastor Joe McKeever, a cartoonist dining at the next table. God has made laughter for us.　 Let us be thankful!

"O Lord that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!" --

William Shakespeare

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