Southside
Baptist Church
A Place To Belong
1101 Cherry Street Talladega 256-362-7390 www.southsidetalladega.org
November 2013 Newsletter
Thanksgiving
Why Do We Celebrate It?
Americans typically date the first Thanksgiving back to the Pilgrims’ harvest celebration of 1621.
In the fall of 1620, a ship called The Mayflower brought a group of English settlers now known as the
Pilgrims to North America. They attempted to land near the mouth of the Hudson River, but after a hard and
treacherous trip, ended up in the harbor of Cape Cod instead. They began the work of establishing a village at
Plymouth. The first winter was very brutal and only about half of the colonists lived to see their first New
England spring.
Friendly Native Americans taught the pilgrims, who were weakened by malnutrition and illness, how to
cultivate corn, catch fish from the rivers, and extract sap from maple trees. The Pilgrims’ first corn harvest
proved successful and a celebratory feast was organized that fall. Now remembered as America’s “first
Thanksgiving,” the festival lasted for three days. Although we don’t have an exact menu from the Thanksgiving
celebration of 1621, it is thought that there were fowl and deer dishes.
In 1863 Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of Thanksgiving for the
final Thursday in November of that year. It became a customary celebration
until 1939 when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it up a week in an attempt to
spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Two years later, in 1941
Congress established the holiday as the fourth Thursday in the month.
Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated with parades and festive meals of
turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. And of course there
is the presidential pardon of the “Thanksgiving turkey.”
Most of all, Thanksgiving is a time for just that – giving thanks to
our Heavenly Father for His bountiful blessings upon our homes, families,
our nation, and our church.
Community Thanksgiving
Service
Sunday, November 24th
6:00 PM
At Cherry Street
Church of God
Bro. Bobby will preach the
sermon and we will have
snacks and finger foods
after the service.
W ell the Thanksgiving season is upon us again. It seems like it was
only a few days ago that we were in the middle of the holidays last year.
Where does the time go? As we near this holiday season, let me
encourage everyone to passionately seek God. Let’s make this season
all about Him.
Have you ever thought, “Just what does seeking God look like anyway?” A good measurement in showing how
you are doing in following and seeking God is to ask these two questions:
1) Did I seek God in this area? And, 2) Are my thoughts and actions in this area governed by God?
Christians often seek God with a quick prayer that expects no answer or direction while doing little to seek God’s
will in the Word. We must passionately seek and engage God in every area of our lives.
2 Chronicles 26:4-5 says, “And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that
his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding
in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.”
When you read about the kings of Israel, you see more failures than successes. In this king’s life, you see that
the simple reason for his success was he sought God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success!
Christians often believe they are seeking God in all they do and many have commitments and activities to
facilitate following God, but are they really seeking God?
Psalm 106:13 states it well, “They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel.”
Your God is not a once a week companion or even a daily companion, but the living God, Creator of the
universe, who indwells you and seeks your continual and abiding companionship, relationship, and obedience.
When you seek God in all that you do, His hand will surely be upon you!
John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you.”
Let’s make sure that as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years approach we are truly
seeking our awesome God.
In Service To Jesus!
Pastor Bobby
November Birthdays!
Joseph Strickland (01), Nate Walker (03), Jasmin Waites (05), Skyler McKinney (10), Arneta Prestridge (11),
Wayne Stewart (11), Cassie Heath (12), Autumn Nagel (18), Diona Ulmer (20), Elaine Ponder (21), Don
Carroll (21), Keith Whitten (25), Ben Whitten (26), Sara Hughes (26), Savannah Gaither (27), Colby Wheeler
(28), Jeb Durham (29), Ashleigh Mayo (29), Ruth Hollingsworth (30).