My Year of Thanksgiving ~

13 - 19 July:  I've been thankful this week for the gift of life now and the promise of life everlasting when Jesus returns; for the fragrance of newly cut grass and the ability to sense and to appreciate the sweet aroma; for anticipation of seeing a dear but far-away friend at the end of this week; thankful that sleep finally comes on a hot summer night; for a survival trick learned from another nurse while working at the hospital in Monument Valley - splashing cool water on my nightwear provides evaporative cooling when I crawl back into bed; and the sure knowledge that summer doesn't last forever; for the thoughtfulness of the fellow who is watering while my landlord is away when he stopped to explain why he was watering in the evening instead of in early morning; thankful for company at lunch; for the love with which my family surrounds me; for rest and refreshing that comes with sleep; for good things from the garden to nourish me; for a busy day at ETC Tuesday, for patience under stress, and being able to help where I can; thankful that sleepless nights don't come often and for the blessing that naps bring; for vibrant blossoms thick on the morning-glory vine at the end of the house; for freedom from the need for MORE - what a blessing!  I'm thankful for another day of life - that my brain is busy with thoughts and plans, that all my limbs are moving; for this beautiful place in which I live; for the preservation of the Word through the centuries - and that the counsel I find in its pages is still trustworthy; for another Sabbath morning; for anticipation of joining with others to worship the Lord of the Sabbath; to be traveling in cooler morning hours.