But I don’t see that America. I see an America blessed by God with freedom, prosperity, a moral and unbeatable military and more things to be thankful for than we can even begin to count.

The United States is the richest country in the world. No other country even comes close. Nearly 70 percent of Americans now own their homes. America owns 50 million plasma and LCD flat-screen televisions and the average household in this country now has 2.4 television sets. Sixty million homes have a web-connected computer.

Eight million households have three or more cars and nearly 51 million households have at least one car. Virtually all Americans have enough food, have never had a phone disconnected for nonpayment and consider their homes safe. Even our pets are obese.

Close to 90 percent of our children complete high school compared to 79 percent just 15 years ago. And while there are some Americans sleeping on a cold sidewalk somewhere, many of them are waiting in line to be the first to get their hands on the newest Xbox or Playstation.

For the truly unfortunate, there are thousands of shelters and food kitchens preparing hot Thanksgiving meals for those truly in need across this land. We are a land of unlimited charity and compassion. Even the poor can be thankful they’re "poor" in America.

This Thanksgiving, African-Americans can proudly celebrate the first black president in history - elected by people of all colors, religions and ethnic backgrounds. I don’t see that happening in those forward-thinking and progressive countries in Western Europe. We all have many things to be thankful for. Yet we are all in danger, once again this year, of taking for granted what God has given us. Visit the oncology floor of the local children’s hospital and you will never take anything for granted ever again.

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast near Plymouth, Mass. This harvest feast is considered by many to be the very first Thanksgiving celebration, but it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks to God for a successful bounty of crops. While it is safe to say that the Pilgrims were not gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes, historians do know that venison and wild fowl were on the menu.

Every year we are treated to a barrage of attempts to disprove the "myth" of the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims weren’t the first people in America to hold a thanksgiving, the first Thanksgiving had no religious significance at all, but was merely a harvest festival, that our traditional Thanksgiving dinner has nothing in common with the Pilgrim’s meal. The attempts to devalue the religious nature of our present Thanksgiving holiday are unfortunate since Thanksgiving is one of the few remaining holidays that is not swept away with commercialism or mixed with pagan elements.

The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, has survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal. We enjoy turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, olives, cranberries, followed by baked pumpkin and apple pies covered with heaps of whipped topping. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have games scheduled every year on this day. This year they’re joined by Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals for a choice of three NFL games.

We must never forget who it is we’re thanking. Any attempt to belittle the religious component of the first Thanksgiving misunderstands the mindset of Pilgrims who were steeped in the idea of all life being "religious" and under the providential hand of God. America used to think this way. Perhaps we should again. Faith itself is something to be thankful for. Thanksgiving should be more than just a long weekend.

Make this Thanksgiving different. Make it about the things that matter. Take a look at your family and be thankful for how God wove his hand into your life and steered you into the path of the beautiful person sitting across the table from you. If the years have added a few lines to your faces, know that this too is a blessing, as wisdom and a life of cherished memories are something younger people can only look forward to.

Be thankful for the countless and forgotten number of times in the past year that your children have come home at night safely - free of drugs and alcohol. Be thankful for your daily commutes into work every morning and the housework that awaits you when you get home.

Go to church on Thursday. If you don’t have one, find one. Just go. Be thankful you live in a country where you have that freedom. Many families begin Thanksgiving by attending church prayer services in the morning. This is a special day for churches and they provide wonderful services that leave a joyful feeling in your heart. What better way to start the day?

Give mom a hand with the cooking and the cleanup. If the whole family gets involved, it’s quality time spent together that is otherwise lost forever.

Each moment not spent with your loved ones is one that can never be recovered. Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Play a game. Pick one (and only one) of the three NFL games and watch it from kickoff to the final gun. Invite family, friends and neighbors who might be spending the day alone. Volunteer at a shelter. Take pictures. Rent a chick-flick and watch it with your wife. Take a chance. Kiss someone you love and let them know why. Draw names for Christmas. Put on a skit for your parents. Make a centerpiece. Call somebody you miss. Leave the dishes in the sink and see a movie at the Rivoli in downtown Cedarburg with the family. Take a drive and look at the miraculous Ozaukee County countryside.

Take this Thanksgiving and make it special. Make it what it was meant to be - a day of faith, family, love and gratitude.