Thanksgiving II ~

12-18 July 2015:  This week has been filled with thanksgiving for sunlight painting the hills around our town; for the 3ABN coverage of the 2015 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists that I watched yesterday as the 60th G.C. ended - God is working in marvelous ways among those who claim Him as Lord! And I'm thankful for these words from Psalm 11:1,3,4: "In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, 'Flee as a bird to your mountain'? What can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the [children] of men"; for the lovely rain-shower that cooled our afternoon Sunday; for the gathering of family and friends that came to the early celebration of Agnes' 90th birthday; and for this assurance from the Scriptures: '“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,' says the Lord; 'I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.' The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times" (Psalm 12:5,6); for another cooling rain-shower yesterday afternoon; to find that the miscellaneous flours we had to store on a shelf (no room in the fridge) are still useable; and for this assurance from Psalm 13:5,6: ". . . I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and loving-kindness; my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me" (Amplified Bible); for the $100+ day at ETC. Tuesday - not too busy, but several big purchases; for summer abundance of fresh fruit - a veritable Garden of Eden in the produce section!   I'm thankful, too, for these words from Scripture: "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity]" Psalm 14:2 - may He always see me as one who seeks His face; for the refreshment of a night of sound sleep - something not always available to this old lady!  I'm thankful, too, for the continuing emphasis on daily Bible reading I find in "Believe His Prophets"; and for this - "Lord, who shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill? He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart", Psalm 15:1,2; for enough - enough of all I need to accomplish the duties and desires of this day; for the recognition that my eldest D.D. was needing a ride home from an overnight visit that showed no signs of ending; and for this, from Psalm 16:1,2: "Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge, and in You do I put my trust and hide myself. I say to the Lord, You are my Lord; I have no good beside or beyond You"; for another Sabbath and for plans to be with our G'ville church family for study, praise, and worship (and looking forward to weekly gatherings with these folk); for the look of a home prepared for the Sabbath - even with the clutter of moving-box stacks; and for these words: '"If you watch your step on the Sabbath and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage, if you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, God’s holy day as a celebration, if you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’ making money, running here and there— then you’ll be free to enjoy God! Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all. . .' Yes! God says so!" Isaiah 58:13,14 (Message Bible).