November 19, 2025 – Thanksgiving: The History and the Heart

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Please and Thank You

I can’t wait to enjoy the traditional American feast with friends and family next week! It is my favorite holiday! And not just on this one day, but the Scriptures tell us that God desires a people of thanksgiving; not a tradition, rather a lifestyle. So, how do we cultivate a heart of thanksgiving, day in and day out, especially when we don’t feel it?

Here’s how. We practice what we teach. We teach our children to say thank you to everyone, for anything, in every circumstance. After all, they are children who should show honor and respect and kindness to all they meet. We need to allow that teaching to reach our own hearts and remember to say thank you to God for anything, everything, and in every circumstance. Why? We honor and respect Him, and He alone is worthy of our thanksgiving. We would have no good thing apart from Him.

But worse than just forgetting to be thankful is harboring a complaining or entitled heart; a selfish heart that only demands no matter what it has already received. A heart that always says please, but never thank you. We dislike this in our children. Before we reproach them for their entitled natures, let’s look a little closer to home in our own hearts. 

Can you imagine if the only communication you received from your spouse or children was a list of things to do for them? Or always complaints and never thanks? You will never have that peace that God offers if all you do is give Him lists of requests or endless complaints. We must cultivate the “thank you,” for it is in our thanks that we acknowledge Who He Is and His merciful provision. He takes away our anxiety, provides for our needs, and changes our thinking from worry to worship. Thanksgiving is where peace begins.

Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6, 7).

When we are filled with gratitude, we have no room for a spirit of heaviness. We have no room for a complaining, selfish heart. We have shifted the focus from our feelings and our temporal needs to the very God who meets every need. 

Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 7:12).

From all the staff at The Old Schoolhouse®, a blessed Thanksgiving to you and your family. 

~Deborah

More from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine:

“The Power of Please and Thank You” by Deborah Wuehler

“Make a Joyful Noise This Thanksgiving” by Marcia K. Washburn

“An Attitude of Thanksgiving All Year Long” by Kristin Heider 

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Roger Smith

Receiving Giving Thanks

Sometimes Thanksgiving holidays can feel like we simply list what has been good in our lives without the sense of thanking a Person for those things.

Years ago, we began a tradition of blessing one another in our family, and it is a great training tool for “giving” thanks. To give thanks, it must be directed to a specific person who hears it and senses if it is sincere, genuine, and authentic.

Here’s how it played out for us on birthdays, which was our training tool. The birthday person at the table was silent while he listened to the words spoken to him and about him from everyone else at the table, regardless of age. Each was to describe something he admired about the honoree, and to say it directly to him.

Often it turned to laughter, but it was mostly good feelings all around.

As the children grew older, they got much more adept at giving honor and giving thanks to their siblings. That translated to more effective giving of thanks to Him we cannot see.

 “ . . . for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20) 

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About the author

Dr. Roger Smith is a family doctor in rural Louisiana, where he and his wife, Jan, raised four adventurous children who are all grown, making their own mark in the world. He speaks and writes on parenting issues and produces brief videos that can be found on Facebook @ParentingMattersNow.

November is the perfect time to start planning for a fresh start in the new semester! The Language Arts: Reading, Writing, and Grammar Resource Guide in the fall issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is packed with tools and curriculum to help you find the perfect fit. Whether you want to spark a love of reading, strengthen writing skills, or simplify grammar, this guide highlights resources that can bring new energy and focus to your homeschool for the second half of the school year.

Alexandria Letkeman

Struggle and Gratitude

Thanksgiving is more than a date on the calendar or a feast of turkey and pie. At its core, it’s a reminder that gratitude can grow even in the hardest seasons. The very first Thanksgiving in 1621 was born through struggle. After loss, hunger, and uncertainty, the Pilgrims gathered with the Wampanoag people and chose to give thanks for survival and God’s provision.

For homeschool families, that story feels familiar, doesn’t it? We all know what it’s like to face challenges, whether it’s a tough day of math through tears, juggling housework with lessons, navigating family storms, or wondering if we’re doing enough. But, just like the Pilgrims, we get the chance to pause and be thankful in the middle of the hard things.

For our kids, that lesson is more powerful than any history book. When they see us choosing gratitude in the middle of messy days, they learn that thankfulness isn’t about everything being perfect. It’s about resilience. It’s about noticing God’s provision, even when life feels overwhelming.

That’s why Thanksgiving is such a gift to homeschooling families. It’s not just a chance to study the past, it’s a chance to live it out around the table. When we share what we’re thankful for or laugh over a meal we cooked together, we show our children that joy can exist alongside struggle, and gratitude can win over the storms.

This season, I encourage you to slow down and really soak it in. Notice the growth in your children, the little victories in your homeschool days, the strength God gives when you’re tired. The Pilgrims left us a reminder worth carrying forward: gratitude isn’t just for the good days. It’s for all days. And when we live that out, we leave our kids a legacy that lasts far beyond Thanksgiving.

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About the author

Alexandria Letkeman began homeschooling with her family in middle school and has recently graduated with honors in 2020. Together with her husband, she has developed a passion for financial literacy, classical writing, and the freedom that homeschooling provides. In pursuit of those passions, she and her husband aim to continue the legacy of The HomeScholar and continue helping homeschool parents homeschool with confidence. One day, Alex plans to start a homesteading farm in Texas featuring mini cows.

Beth Mora

Seven Lessons from the First Thanksgiving

We can learn a great deal from the First Thanksgiving . . .

1. Praise God in Hard Times
History: More than half of Pilgrim’s congregation had died. Those who still had any breath in them praised God in complete surrender. 
Your Home: Did you have a challenging year, too? Lift your hands and praise the One who holds you with a strong, loving arm.

2. Praise God in Good Times
History: Thanks to Squanto and the Pilgrims’ hard work, the harvest was bountiful!
Your Home: Are you enjoying abundance, my friend? Stop and shout your thanks to the One who provides!

3. Promise to Treat Each Other Well
History: The Pilgrims and the Wampanoags made an agreement to treat each other well and fairly. 
Your Home: This Thanksgiving, reach across the table to those relatives and friends who are in need of the kindness of Christ’s love. 

4. Leave Your Weapons at Home
History: Both the Pilgrims and Native Americans agreed to leave their bows and guns at their homes.
Your Home: At your Thanksgiving feast, put away all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

5. Your Friends Are my Friends 
History: They accepted each other’s friends. 
Your Home: Open your heart and home to all who need a place and a plateful. 

6. Maintain the Peace
History: The treaty between the Pilgrims and Wampanoags lasted fifty years.
Your Home: Continuously build relational bridges, never compromising the Gospel but seeking peace if it is up to you. 

7. Eat for Three Days
History: The first Thanksgiving lasted three days.
Your home: One always has Thanksgiving leftovers, so why not invite more to your table? 

The heart of Thanksgiving is an opportunity to love and serve, and most importantly, to give thanks to our God!

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1)

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About the author

Beth Mora is a staff writer for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC and lesson designer for www.Schoolhouseteachers.com. She is the creator/teacher-on-camera for Here to Help Learning’s Homeschool Writing Program Grades 1-6, and a homeschool conference and women’s events speaker. Meet up with Beth at Home To Home, one of her favorite places to encourage. Everything she does, whether laughable or heart-gripping, is done to honor her Lord and Savior, Jesus. God’s grace is the salve that has healed her own life and is what she offers liberally to others. Did you know, Here to Help Learning’s Writing Program Grades 1-6 is part of your subscription to SchoolhouseTeachers.com subscription?

This Thanksgiving, explore both the story and the spirit of gratitude with SchoolhouseTeachers.com. The History of Holidays in America and American History for Beginners courses bring the Pilgrims’ journey and God’s providence to life for your whole family. Rekindle thankfulness as you learn about the faith that shaped our history. Jump into history and more with SchoolhouseTeachers.com!