My Year of Thanksgiving ~

8-14 June 2014      This week I've been thankful for a challenging study on Christ and His Law at the Forest Park SDA Church in Everett, WA; for long views of Puget Sound and some of its many islands; for a beautiful and tasty fruit salad that will also provide breakfast; for eyes to see the beauties of places on the Olympic Peninsula; for a heart that responds to beauty; for roadsides covered with golden Scotch Broom and lawns decorated with rhododendron in full bloom, in many colors; for the salty tang of the air along the shore of the Salish Sea (AKA Strait of San Juan de Fuca on the Canadian side); for effective analgesic relief when discomfort interferes with sleep; for the beautiful beds of edibles and ornamentals our hostess has created from what was once a grass-filled lot; for every good and perfect gift that comes to us day-by-day from our loving Father's hand (James 1:17); Stefanie's safe arrival as our traveling group reconnects; for a delightful day with our hostess; for a sound night's sleep; for traveling mercies as we made our way back to Riggins; for the grandeur of the mountains along the coastal side of Stevens Pass in the Cascades; for the warm color in a field of sunflowers; to be home before dark; for all the daylillies blooming in front of my living-room window; for food, clothing, and shelter that has been provided (Matthew 6:25,26); for the blessing of my children and their families; for a quiet Sabbath morning reminder of my Creator and Deliverer (Exodus 20:11; Deuteronomy 5:15); for the successful gluten-free adaptation I made to the recipe for Strawberry Summer Cake; for our Father's ability to calm emotional storms just as Jesus stilled the storm on Galilee.