Thanksgiving Message

THANKSGIVING MESSAGE
by Dr. Laura E. McCollum, Interim Head of School

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”—G. K. Chesterton

I wonder if you know the origins of our country’s national day of Thanksgiving. Throughout our history, from the “first autumn feast of thanks” in 1621 between the Plymouth colonists and the native Wampanoag people, to the 1789 “Thanksgiving proclamation” issued by George Washington, we have been encouraged to prioritize an attitude of gratitude.

It was in 1863, that President Abraham Lincoln declared the first, official Thanksgiving Day. His Secretary of State, William Seward drafted the official proclamation fixing the national observation of Thanksgiving on the final Thursday in November; a move the two men hoped would help “heal the wounds of the nation” after the divisions of the Civil War. Lastly, in 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt modified the official celebration to the fourth Thursday in November (to stimulate retail sales during the Great Depression).

For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time of joy, fellowship, and feasting wherein we gather with family and friends to celebrate and recount all of the heavenly graces and earthly riches we have experienced during the last year. As we prepare to celebrate this  Thanksgiving Day, we pray that you can/will have time to reflect on all that the Lord, Jesus Christ has provided. Like the history of Thanksgiving in our country, Stillwater Christian School, is committed to give thanks for every aspect of our school.

We are grateful for the freedom to teach, and learn, without censorship. We are appreciative of the facilities that enable us to explore, and discover, the realities of truth, goodness, and beauty, which emanate from the hand of God. Lastly, we are thankful for the meaningful relationships between our students, faculty, staff, parents, grandparents, donors and friends. As we continue to prioritize Scripture, Character, and Service, we ask that the Lord, Jesus Christ will continue to bless our mission and vision and enable us to flourish!

May we “…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”~ Ephesians 5:18-20

Happy Thanksgiving!