Thanksgiving III ~

22-28 May:  This week I have been thankful for the family that is seeking the beautiful and willing to invest time and resources to add to the beauty around us here; I'm thankful to have five senses intact - to be able to see, feel the textures of the four-legged friends around me, smell different fragrances, taste, and hear - adequately when face-to-face (or to be warned with a shout!); and I am thankful for the promise of Isaiah 46:4,5: ". . . I will still be carrying you when you are old. Your hair will turn gray, and I will still carry you. I made you, and I will carry you to safety. Can you compare Me to anyone? No one is equal to Me. You cannot understand everything about Me. There is nothing like Me" (ERV); to live in a country where we are still free to worship God - or not - as we choose; thankful for those who are willing to go to places where this freedom is unknown and share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (and for all who are supporting their efforts); and thankful for the clarity of these words of Jesus from Matthew 24:14: ". . . this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come"; for every new day and all the blessings that come with it - family and friends, a cozy room, food aplenty and to share - all I've needed my Father has generously provided; I'm thankful, too, for the opportunity to share these thanksgiving thoughts with friends far and near; and for this counsel from Romans 12:9-11: "Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves. Do not be lazy but work hard, serving the Lord with all your heart" (NCV); for the variety of religious programming on You-tube - I watched the first program of a David Asscherick series this morning and Morris and Lee Venden's More About Jesus messages are our regular Friday evening devotionals - and there's so much more; I'm thankful for all those who are sharing their knowledge of the Savior in the way they treat others, in their speech, and in the messages posted on fb and other sites; and thankful for this counsel from James 1:19,20: " Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us]" (AMP); thankful to have re-joined our local Bible study group after several weeks of missing the meetings - multiple families out-of-town, surgeries, and other commitments - good to be back! I'm thankful to have a care-provider who listens to my concerns; and thankful for these words from John 3:17: "You must understand that God has not sent His Son into the world to pass sentence upon it, but to save it—through Him" (Phillipps); for the continuing flower show outside my window - I never dreamed the Horse-chestnut blossoms would last this long; I'm thankful for all the machine-ical [sorry, inside joke!] helpers installed in the house by the previous owners - what a blessing! And I am thankful for the counsel I find in 1 Samuel 12:23,24: ". . . As for me, I would never stop praying for you. If I stopped praying for you, I would be sinning against the Lord. . . . . But you must honor the Lord. You must serve him sincerely with all your heart. Remember the wonderful things he has done for you" (ERV); thankful for waking to another Sabbath morning - it's the high point of my life as I anticipate study and worship with family and friends; thankful for all the blessings of the past week - the "enough" principal is vibrantly alive! I am thankful, as well, as I read these words from 2 Samuel 22:3,4: " My God is my Rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my Savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and He saved me from my enemies" (NLT).