It's nearly Thanksgiving Day in the US - though of course that doesn't mean we aren't thankful the other days.
Please welcome Tamera Lynn Kraft.
In 1620, the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. The first thing they did was to fall on their knees and thank God for keeping them safe through the journey. But their troubles weren't over. That winter over half of the pilgrims died, most from starvation, cold, and disease.
Here
are the statistics:December - six people died.
January - eight people died.
February - 17 people died.
March - 13 people died.
Four entire families died, and there was only one family that didn't lose at least one member.
Of 18 married women, 13 died. Only three of 13 children perished. This seems to indicate that mothers were probably giving their share of food to the children.
The winter was, by local standards, a fairly mild one. The Plymouth settlers were simply not used to living on an awful diet and being exposed to the elements. Had it been a really severe winter, it's likely that all of them would have been wiped out.
When the "Mayflower" was prepared to return to England in April. 1621, its captain offered to take any survivors with him at no charge. None of the remaining pilgrims took him up on his offer.
After harvesting their crops in early Autumn, the who were still alive invited the Indians for a feast to celebrate the goodness of God.
That's how Thanksgiving got started. Sometimes I think that we Americans have become a spoiled people. We expect things to always go our way and when they don't, we don't remember to thank God for the many blessings He has given us. We forget to thank Him.
Here's some things I'm thankful for this year:
My wonderful husband of 35 years.
My two grown children who serve the Lord.
Two of the cutest grandchildren in the world.
A house to live in.
Food to eat - especially the Thanksgiving feast I'll stuff myself with.
Time saving gadgets. Remember the Pilgrims didn't even have matches to light their fires.
The publication of two of my books, Soldier'sHeart and A Christmas Promise.
Revival Fire 4 Kids, the ministry God has allowed me to lead.
My nation. United States of America is still the greatest nation on Earth.
Freedom to worship. Many Christians from other countries endanger their lives by following God.
My Salvation. No matter what else I lose, Jesus Christ died for my sins so I could have a relationship with Him. Nothing else compares to that.
So
what are you thankful for?
.jpg)
A Moravian Holiday Story, Circa 1773
During colonial times, John and Anna settle in an Ohio village to become
Moravian missionaries to the Lenape. When John is called away to help at
another settlement two days before Christmas, he promises he’ll be back by
Christmas Day.
When he doesn’t show up, Anna works hard to not fear the worst while she
provides her children with a traditional Moravian Christmas.
Through it all, she discovers a Christmas promise that will give her the
peace she craves.
Available at these online stores:
About the Author:
TAMERA LYNN KRAFT has always loved adventures and writes Christian
historical fiction set in America because there are so many adventures in
American history. She is married to the love of her life, has two grown
children, and lives in Akron, Ohio.
You can contact Tamera online at these sites:
And come visit me, Lisa Lickel, on Word Sharpeners today at
this link.
I'll give away a copy of my new book, Brave New Century, during this special promotion.
