Celebrate your freedom this Thanksgiving

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

-- John 8:36 (NIV)

My granddaughter collects ducks of all kinds.

So when I saw the small, yellow, rubber duckies painted like Pilgrims and Indians, I thought they would be a fun display to give to her for Thanksgiving.

I love reminders of the first Thanksgiving Day. When we're preparing for our Thanksgiving celebrations, most of us give little thought to the thanksgiving meal between the early American settlers and Indians. We have grown accustomed to thinking of it as "Turkey Day."

We place our focus on meal preparations and stuffing ourselves with turkey and dressing and indulging in pumpkin pie and whipped cream for dessert. Then we sit around afterward and watch our favorite football teams. Although there is nothing wrong with these fun activities, it is good to stay mindful of the reason behind this great American tradition.

The early settlers came to America as they followed their hearts to find freedom for their religious beliefs. Coming to this new country, they suffered many hardships, yet found the freedom they were looking for. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day as a treaty of peace and to offer their thanks to God for the newfound freedom this land offered them.

This Thanksgiving, we can celebrate our freedom as well. We can bow our heads and humble our hearts and give thanks over our food just as our founding fathers did. We can share with others at our table one special thing we are thankful for.

We can all enjoy freedom. When we receive the blessing of Jesus as our Savior, we receive forgiveness and God's unconditional love. We also receive the power from God to help us find freedom to break free from the sins that the enemy of our souls tempts us with. They capture our hearts and minds and destroy our lives.

We've all been given the greatest gift of freedom. As we celebrate living in the land of the free this Thanksgiving, let us also thank God for his gift of freedom.

• Annettee Budzban's new book "Spend a Moment with God" can be ordered through bookstores or online bookstores, or by calling the toll free number (877) 289-2665.