2020.11.17 – Aiken County Council Speech on November 17, 2020.

This is the speech that Vicki Simons delivered to Aiken County Council during the Informal Meeting of the Whole.

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Chairman Bunker and members of Aiken County Council, my name is Vicki Simons. I live in Mr. Napier’s district.

As we approach Thanksgiving, it is good to consider and answer the question:

Why should we give thanks, to whom, and for what?

First, the attitude of thanksgiving is good for both the giver and the receiver.

As one saying goes, it is better to be humbly grateful than to be grumbly hateful.

Second, we should give thanks first and foremost to our Creator:

• Psalm 100:3 says, “Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

• John 3:27 records John’s words: “A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.”

• 2 Timothy 3:1-4 tells us that in the last days, difficult times will come and that men will have certain ungodly characteristics, two of which are being lovers of self and being ungrateful.

Third, we should thank God year-round for who He is and for all of His wonderful attributes.

We should thank God for all that He has given to us, including:
• Many unalienable rights, which cannot be taken away from — or given away by — the possessor

• Family and friends

• Life and health

• Our homes

• The ability to think, reason, create, and interact with others

• The ability to work, make a profit, meet our needs, and give to others

• His Word, the Holy Bible

• His principles for interacting with others as are written in Exodus 20

• His principles for good government

• His qualifications for public office holders as are written in Exodus 18, Deuteronomy 16, and 2 Samuel 23

• His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and

• How He demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, in order to cleanse us of all of our sins, if only we will trust Him for that.

One small but meaningful thing for me is thanking God every time I see in the sky the Big Dipper and/or Little Dipper constellations, which, to me, symbolize His creative genius and sovereignty.

We read in 1 Timothy 2 where Paul urged Timothy “that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

Why?

“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Since you are lesser magistrates, I encourage you
• to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,
• to live upright, honest, truth-loving lives, and
• to rule in the fear of God.

Let each of us give thanks to our Creator. Thank you.
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