November 22, 2023
Being Thankful for What We Have
By: Ski Ingram
Most of you know that my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. A few but not all of the reasons are, the days and nights are becoming cooler after the normally hot summers. The leaves on the trees are turning a beautiful yellow, brown, and orange. Families gather around the dinner table and express their love for each other, and we set aside a day to thank the Lord for this country and all it stands for in the world.
George Washington, America’s first President and the Father of our Country, inspired us with a Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789. It states, “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God…”
A few weeks ago, I asked my readers to email me what they are thankful for. I am happy to report that many of you responded. Many people listed as their first “thankful” their belief and faith in God and Jesus Christ. The second thing they listed was their family, especially their spouse. Third and fourth things they listed was living in the United States and their friends. Some of the other things they are thankful for are their service to others, their health, their intellect, their cognitive skills and knowing good from evil. These are some of the things that make life great.
Just as George Washington I am thankful for my faith in God our Eternal Father and his Son Jesus Christ. I am thankful to have been born in the freedom of the United States of America, and freedom where I have been blessed to raise my family. I am grateful for a family who loves and supports each other. I am grateful for having many friends with whom I have had the pleasure of serving with at church, the Boy Scouts, the Army, and the police department. Many of these friends I have had for more than 55 years.
I am thankful for our forefathers and the guidance they received from God while writing the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. Yes, I understand that they were flawed men, but who isn’t? They pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor so we could live in freedom. I do not know of many politicians who are willing to do that today.
One thing many of you are thankful for is your ability to recognize the difference between good and evil. I am beginning to think that that ability is fading from people’s lives. With the recent terrorist attack in Israel, I see many people who are supporting Hamas and are accusing Israel of war crimes. I understand that terrorism is evil, and it saddens me to see misguided Americans failing to see Hamas as a terrorist organization.
I am thankful that for more than 247 years America has been a land of opportunity for all who live here. It saddens me when I see our executive branch, our legislative branch, and our judicial branch of government working so hard to take away our freedoms and opportunities to live and prosper in this country. I am thankful for the First Amendment and the Second Amendment for without it there would be no way to ensure the protection of the First.I am thankful that I and so many others understand that our Constitution limits the power of our government not the power of the people.
I am grateful, as many of you stated, for living a life of service to our country, our youth, and our fellow men. I believe we were all put on this earth to serve and support each other. I am thankful that I was able to serve in this way and that so many of you have also lived a life of service.
I am thankful that I understand the evil in wokeness. I am thankful for men such as Elon Musk who understands this when he said “At its heart, wokeness is divisive and hateful. It gives mean people a shield to be mean and cruel, armored in false virtue.”
I am very thankful for many of my friends who understand that there are people in America who wish to destroy our freedom. I am grateful for those who are not afraid to speak up and voice their support for this great country. Ayn Rand warned us about not supporting this country years ago when she said, “Do not keep silent when your own ideas and values are being attacked. If a dictatorship ever comes to this country, it will be by the fault of those who keep silent.”
I am grateful for leaders who have helped to shape my belief system, who have taught me right from wrong. Individuals such as Ronald Reagan and Rush Limbaugh. And in my personal life, my Boy Scout leaders, my church leaders, and those I was fortunate to serve with in the Army and as a police officer. I am also thankful for you, my readers, who support me in what I do, reminding people that America is a blessed country. A country founded on the principle that all men are created equal, that our rights come from God and not from men, making America the best country on earth today.
Ski Ingram is a life member of Lester Keate Post 90 of the American Legion in St. George, Utah. He now lives in Gilbert, Arizona. He is a combat veteran and is a life member of six different veteran’s organizations as well as the NRA. He can be reached at Ski@Skiingram.com or www.Skiingram.com.
