Thanksgiving IV ~

3-9 September:  This week I have been thankful for the lovely visit among friends at the beautiful country home of one couple following church services - what a blessing! I was thankful for the beginning of a new week, awaiting the blessings that will unfold morning by morning; thankful for the message of Isaiah 48:16,17:: "Come even closer, and hear: from the beginning I spoke, not hiding away in hushed secret. I Am and will be; I was before anything was at all....The Eternal One, who rescued you, the Holy One ...I am the Eternal One your God. I have given you My instruction for living well and right, leading you in how you should be and do.'" (VOICE); thankful that, while the skies overhead are showing effects of the wildfires in the areas around us, we are not dealing with an impenetrable smokey sky - pray that rain soon comes for Montana, for the entire Northwest; thankful for the delight our four-legged friends bring to our hearts; thankful for the counsel from these verses in 2 Timothy 1:13,14 where we read: "Hold fast and follow the pattern of wholesome and sound teaching which you have heard from me, in [all] the faith and love which are [for us] in Christ Jesus. Guard and keep [with the greatest care] the precious and excellently adapted [Truth] which has been entrusted [to you], by the [help of the] Holy Spirit Who makes His home in us." (AMPC); thankful this morning to have many precious memories from our China years transferred from photos to a geek stick so that I have access from my computer; so thankful for D.G.D.'s patient efforts to accomplish this task; and thankful for the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 where we read: ". . . Having come to them, Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'All authority in heaven and on earth was given to Me. Therefore . . .  go, make-disciples-of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you. And behold— I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the age'”. (DLNT); thankful for another day of life in the beautiful world the Creator has provided for us; thankful for the long life He has given me, though I'm so undeserving; and thankful for this message from John 14:22-24: "Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but his other disciple with that name) said to Him, 'Sir, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us disciples and not to the world at large?' Jesus replied, 'Because I will only reveal myself to those who love me and obey me. The Father will love them too, and we will come to them and live with them. Anyone who doesn’t obey me doesn’t love me. And remember, I am not making up this answer to your question! It is the answer given by the Father who sent me.'" (TLB); thankful to remember that I am loved by God (Jeremiah 31:3); thankful for the "forever" future He has planned for all who've responded to His love (John 14:2,3); and thankful for this message from Colossians 1:27,28: "God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to {us} how great ... are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among {us}, the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory. We proclaim Him, warning and instructing everyone in all wisdom [that is, with comprehensive insight into the word and purposes of God], so that we may present every person complete in Christ [mature, fully trained, and perfect in Him—the Anointed]." (AMP); thankful for opportunities to share the love of our Savior and soon coming King with others - though pretty much home-bound, the internet is a wonderful tool to use in accomplishing this; thankful for the forecast of autumn showers beginning next week - and praying the forecast proves accurate; and thankful for these words from Psalm 143:10 where we read: "You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path." (CEV); so thankful for another Sabbath day, a day to celebrate with the Creator the beauty of the the world He made for us; thankful that I've responded to His bidding and followed where He is leading; and thankful for this counsel from Titus 2:3-5 where we read: "...Tell the older women to be reverent in their behavior, teaching what is good, rather than being gossips .... That way they can mentor young women to love their husbands and children, and to be sensible, morally pure, working at home... so that God’s word won’t be ridiculed." (CEB).