Official Visit Strong Lodge #443 – Nov. 11, 2008
By R.W. Bro. Gerald Stillar, DDGM

MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

Brethren, we as Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving Day about a month ago, our neighbours to the South will be celebrating their Thanksgiving Day in a couple of weeks. We as Masons can be thankful all year round.

The bounty of the great architect of the universe showers good things upon us in so many ways. He is loving and kind, forgiving and merciful. His blessings are too many to count. And yet we ask for so many more things from him. He in return asks for only one thing: to be seekers of the light.

We ask for health, prosperity and peace of mind to name but a few. Our physical, emotional and social well being, are usually at the forefront of our prayers to Him.

We as Masons, are truly blessed. Masonry provides us with the means to be seekers of the Light and fulfill many of our own desires. And we should be thankful for that opportunity.

We should be thankful because we have become associated with men with whom it is a pleasure to be associated. We should be thankful because we have received moral instruction that has guided us in the right direction. We have been led to higher, nobler and better things. Morally we have benefited, spiritually we have benefitted and mentally we have benefitted from Masonry.

We have developed an attitude toward life that has given us many hours of pleasure. We have found in Freemasonry the wisdom of the ages, and some of the fleeting joys of the moment in a well balanced program.
 

Brethren we must not ever forget the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the good of others in the world. To this we must also be extremely thankful.

At this time I would like to share a Thanksgiving Poem with you:

A Thanksgiving Thought

I am only one,
But Still I am one,
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
So
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
Be grateful for the kindly friends that walk along your way,
Be grateful for the skies of blue that smile from day to day.
Be grateful for the health you own, the work you find to do,
Remember there are others less fortunate than you.
 

Brethren Masonry has given so much to all of us, it is now up to each of us to give to Masonry in return! Be proud to stand forth as a Brother Mason - be a living example of Masonry at work in your community. The more you participate in Masonry in your community and in your own Lodge the greater will be your awareness of all there is to be thankful for.

If we act as true and faithful Masons the people of Muskoka-Parry Sound District will be thankful for us in their community.
Thank you my brethren.
 

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