Thanksgiving III ~

6-12 March:  This week I have been thankful to see rain dripping through the twigs on the tree outside my window (instead of the snow with which some are still dealing ); for the wildlife visible through that window; and for the precious messages, like this one, found in the Word: "Lord, you are my God. I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, planned long ago, faithful and sure" (Isaiah 25:1. CEB); for all the ways in which I see the message of Philippians 4:19 - " My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus" (GW) - proven true in my life; for my dear children, and for each spouse, the grands and great-grands that are now part of the family; and so thankful for these words from Matthew 11:28-30: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (KJV);  for each new day and the blessings provided with each sunrise; for the rapid and effective relief from the pain of my occasional gout flare-ups provided by a short burst of the prescribed meds; and I'm thankful, too, for this reminder from 2 Corinthians 1:3,4: "May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! He is the compassionate Father and God of all comfort. He’s the one who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God" (CEB); considering these words from Psalm 90:10: "Seventy years is all we have—eighty years, if we are strong; yet all they bring us is trouble and sorrow; life is soon over, and we are gone" (GNT) - and thankful for good genes from a grandfather who lived more than 101 years, and the long term benefits of parents who provided a plant-based diet throughout my growing-up years; I am thankful, too, for my Creator who has provided healing through my life - from the hand injury and subsequent blood-poisoning before antibiotics were available. breast cancer and radical mastectomy nine years ago, a ruptured gall-bladder and liver abscesses that healed without surgery in 2013, and two rapidly resolving strokes - God has been good!  I'm thankful, too, thankful to have wakened from sound sleep without a nudge from the alarm on my missing smart-phone; for the angel-whisper that suggested a trip downstairs to see if the vehicle I'd ridden home in last evening was open (it was, and the 0600 alarm was sounding from between the seat and the console - all praise to God!); and for these words from Isaiah 65:24: "Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear" (CEB); I'm thankful today that Sabbath meals are well on the way to being prepped; that my laundry is done for this week and the winter sheets are off the bed (spring is almost here!); and I'm thankful for these words from Exodus 15:2: "The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him" (HCSB); and I'm thankful for the sunlight pouring through my window; for anticipation of study and worship with dear family and friends this morning; and for the many Sabbath promises found in God's Word - like this one: ". . .In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it" Exodus 20:11. and the message from 2 Peter 1:3,4 -"We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world" (CEV).