My Year of Thanksgiving ~

21-27 September:  This week I've been thankful for the joy of Sabbath worship with our family of believers in G'ville; for Pastor Steve Roger's Bible study suggestions; for the warm fellowship as some stayed after services to enjoy a shared lunch  - how good it was; for the beautiful place our Father has promised all His faithful children when Jesus comes to gather them from graves where they've been waiting, from sickbeds, and from that "great tribulation" which precedes His coming and take them to their forever home with Him; for the words of Scripture that guide and encourage; for the blessing of family and friends; for the gift of fresh figs - sweet as honey; for the opportunity to volunteer  time at ETC. and help support the After School Kids program; for the privilege of prayer; for the Adventist World magazine, especially this month's article on answer's to the prayers of God's people; for revealing the mystery of my phone's notification system that so rapidly deleted the charge and triggered the blinking light that was so irritating; for blessing upon blessing, every day of my life; for each new day and the blessings that come with it; for some time at the new lodgings to put books from boxes into their new places; for reminding me that untruthfulness in anything is not pleasing to our heavenly Father - there are no small deceits, no "white lies"; for the assurance that this world is not my home, I'm just passing through (John 14:1-3); for beautiful word pictures of that home being prepared for me (Isaiah 11:4-8, ch.65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-5, ch.22:1-5; 1 Corinthians 2:9); for the promise in Deuteronomy 33:25, ". . . as thy days, so shall thy strength be."  Thankful, too, for restful sleep and waking to this beautiful Sabbath morning; for ". . . psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. . . ." with which to greet this day commemorating God's wonderful work of Creation; for the reminders that help keep me focused on His gifts rather than my present chaos.