Thanksgiving III ~

21-27 August:  This week I have been thankful for the family gathered in this place for now - and for the settling of my lil' sister's next adventure, not so close but in a spot dear to her heart; thankful for pancakes (no, crepes!) for breakfast this morning; and thankful for the message in Psalm 42:8: "By day the Lord commands his faithful love; by night his song is with me — a prayer to the God of my life" (CEB); thankful  for a ride to Riggins to touch bases with folks dear to me; thankful that there is a forecast for good weather for the D.S. and lil' sis as they make their way north; and I am thankful for the precious message of Romans 8:31 & 32: ". . . If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" (AMP); thankful for the message of James 5:16 to those of us who care for others who are ailing; thankful that our Father still hears and answers prayers; and for this assurance from Psalm 94: "Whenever I feel my foot slipping, Your faithful love steadies me, Lord. When my anxieties multiply, Your comforting calms me down" (vss 18,19; CEB); thankful for things that are beautiful - the yard outdoors, the plants growing outside our doors (and around the community!), for those beauties that others share from their fb pages; I'm thankful, too, for the bounties of the harvest that pass by on the street outside - truck after truck loaded with grain from the fields near us; and for the words of 2 Samuel 22:50: "That is why I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations and make music to praise Your name" (GW); thankful when the Dandee is a QUIET guest as he was last night - D.D. and D.S.I.L. gone for a two-night getaway before school starts;  I'm thankful for the list of manageable tasks for this day and the next; and for the message of Psalm 119:165: "Those who love your teachings will find true peace. Nothing can make them fall" (ERV); so thankful for the little Houdini's (Dandee!) prompt return after he escaped while I was letting a kitty into the house - Dandee's allowed out only with a lead attached but speedily takes advantage of freedom when he sees an opportunity! I am thankful that the D.D. and D.S.I.L. were able to take this brief time away from "it all"; and I am thankful for the truth Paul writes about in Romans 12:4,5: ". . . Just as in one [physical] body we have many parts, and these parts do not all have the same function or special use, so we, who are many, are [nevertheless just] one body in Christ, and individually [we are] parts one of another [mutually dependent on each other]" (AMP); and so thankful this morning for another Sabbath to celebrate the Creator and His marvelous work, with Bible study, praise, and worship among sisters and brothers; thankful that His salvation is available to everyone who is willing to put self aside and follow His ways; and thankful for these words from Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], because she trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation]" (AMP, adapted).