Thanksgiving III ~

2-8 October:  This week I have been thankful for a radiant, glowing dawn that welcomes this new day; to be wishing another "Happy Birthday!" to eldest D.D.; and for these words from the Amplified Bible as it speaks of the Creator: " Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle" (Psalm 103:5, AMP); thankful for the blessing of snoozing in my chair after a nearly sleepless night - no class-room to attend, no time-clock where I must 'punch-in' (and thankful it isn't an every night occurrence!); I'm thankful for the privilege of prayer as a part of growing in Jesus; and for this promise from 1 Peter 1:3,4: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. . . ." (ESV); for another new day - mental processes relatively intact, and on my feet; I'm thankful to be part of the family of God - a worldwide fellowship of all who follow the Savior and trust His Word; and thankful, too, for the warning of Proverbs 27:1 - "Never brag about what you will do in the future; you have no idea what tomorrow will bring" (ERV); I am thankful this morning - thankful for a lifetime of blessing (not always perceived as such!) by which my heavenly Father has led me; I'm thankful to be a part of a group that sees His Law as eternal, and calls others to share that view before Jesus returns; and thankful for these words of encouragement from Isaiah 55:1-3,6,7: “Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water!  Are you penniless?  Come anyway—buy and eat!  Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.  Buy without money—everything’s free!  Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?  Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest.  Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.  Seek God while He’s here to be found, pray to Him while He’s close at hand.  Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking.  Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness" (MSG); I am thankful for the "next day" delivery of the books I ordered from the Spokane ABC (Adventist Book Center); thankful for the readers of these daily messages who have shared their appreciation for almost three years - I never dreamed I'd still be writing at seventy-seven years of age; and I'm thankful for this beautiful assurance from Isaiah 26:4: "Trust in the Lord forever: for in the Lord God is strength forevermore" (GNV); thankful to have ears that - while not as good at hearing as once they were - can still recognize a favorite song coming over the airwaves; thankful that I rarely have problems hearing over the telephone; I am thankful, too, for the assurance from Deuteronomy 4:35,36: "The Lord wants you to know He is the only true God, and He wants you to obey Him. That’s why He let you see His mighty miracles and His fierce fire on earth, and why you heard His voice from that fire and from the sky" (CEV); So thankful to be observing a new Sabbath with the message given by rarely seen friends who work at a mission serving Canadian Native people; I'm thankful for the heavenly sunlight stealing through the cloudy layer of a morning; and I am thankful for the message of God through Isaiah in chapter 43:11,12: "I am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. Whenever you have thrown away your idols, I have shown you my power. With one word I have saved you. You have seen me do it; you are my witnesses that it is true" (TLB).