Thanksgiving III ~

9-15 October:  I've been thankful this week for the kind words about these "Thanksgiving . . . ." entries received; thankful, too, for the precious fellowship with my church family; and I am thankful for this precious promise from Isaiah 46:4: "I will be your God through all your lifetime, yes, even when your hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you. I will carry you along and be your Savior" (TLB); for assurances of my heavenly Father's love to be found as I read from His Word, the Holy Bible; thankful for the evidence of that love to be seen in all the beauty of the natural world around me; and so thankful for this love-letter to His people found in Jeremiah 31:3,4: ". . . I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails. I will build you up again. . . ." (NIRV); I'm thankful to be able to "help" a bit in this busy home - I've never been a "go-getter" but can still handle little chores and generally clean up after myself,PTL; every day I am thankful for limbs that move as directed by my thoughts; and I am thankful for the assurance of Psalm 62:1,2: "My soul rests quietly only when it looks to God; from Him comes my deliverance. He alone is my rock, my deliverance, and my high tower. . . ." (ISV); thankful to have found two little prayers to add to those I lift to the Father each morning - "help me to do it NOW" and "help me not to miss Your prompt to act as Your hands"; thankful, too, for the attractive magazines from Amazing Facts - for sharing the good news - Jesus is coming!; and for this promise from Isaiah 49:8: “. . . When the time’s ripe, I answer you. When victory’s due, I help you. I form you and use you to reconnect the people with me" (MSG); I am thankful that God's Word calls us to unity in Him, through the Spirit, and NOT uniformity - a much different construct (with the emphasis on the FIRST syllable); I'm thankful for the "bright blue skies" overhead earlier this week - makes the winterey gray much more bearable for me; and I am so thankful for this beautiful promise from Jeremiah 31:11: "I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for" (MSG); for the machines that make doing my laundry such a simple thing - and bless all those who must haul water (or clothes TO the water) to get the job done; I'm thankful for lists - such a help in staying focused on the task at hand; and I'm thankful for the straight counsel from Romans 12:2: "Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect" (ERV); I am thankful for another Sabbath - the day our Creator gave for worship and fellowship with Him and with our families; thankful for having access to Hope Sabbath School on my computer; and I am thankful for this understanding of the Creator, found in 2 Samuel 7:22: "Therefore You are great, O Lord God; for none is like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all [You have made] our ears to hear" (AMPC).