Thanksgiving II !

19-25 July:  This week I have been thankful for safe travel - no bumps, dents, or flats - as we traveled to G'ville and back; for the lovely fellowship with our yearly potluck at a dear friend's home; and for these words from Psalm 18:46,49: "The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. Therefore will I give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name"; for each new day and the bountiful supply of blessings that come with it; for the electric hot-water pot that makes my morning libation quick work - even faster than I can extract the juice from my lemon; and for these words from Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer"; for the new messages from fb friends and family - keeping in touch is part of the joy in life! I'm thankful, too, for another day to spend at ETC. - my next-to-the-last to be able to do this before we move north; and for these words from Psalm 20:4,5: "May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans. We will [shout in] triumph at your salvation and victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions"; for the trip out to Fiddle Creek to buy from a delicious assortment of fruit at that place; for a special friend's stop for a little visit while I was spending my day at ETC.; and for these words: "You make me to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make me exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence. For I trust, rely on, and am confident in the Lord, and through the mercy and steadfast love of the Most High I will never be moved" adapted from Psalm 21:6,7; for the simple joys available to all of us with no cost except time - music performed or simply appreciated, visits with family and friends, reviewing pleasant memories, and so much more; for sunshine and blue skies; and for these words from Hosea 2:19,20: ". . . I will bind you to me forever with chains of righteousness and justice and love and mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and love, and you will really know me then as you never have before"; thankful after receiving the good news that there is another great-grand-baby on the way (Congrats to grand-daughter, Nevada, and her hubby, Quinn!); to be at the end of this week of preparation for the big move a week from today; and for these precious words from Psalm 23:4: "Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me" - especially precious as the years pass; for the weekly "pause" setting our Creator provides with His Sabbath - how well He knew the all-too-human tendency of many to keep at it as tasks are added to unfinished tasks; thankful for the reminder (below) that the words we say have an effect on those to whom we speak (and many believe our "self-talk" affects self!) for good - or NOT good; and for this prayer from Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

A "reminder" -  CREATE ~ see Genesis 1:1-25 and Psalm 33:2-9 for the Bible version of the power of the Creator's WORD; our own words, too, have power to create the world in which we act and re-act with those around us - "O be careful little lips what you say . .