Thanksgiving V ~

12-18 August:  This week, I was thankful to be a daughter of the King of kings - praying to remember that and always act in ways that honor Him; thankful for the excellent health care providers that are in this community; thankful for the wise counsel from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 where it is written: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body." (AMP); thankful to be re-growing strength in my shaky legs - not so wobbly any more; thankful for the brief but multiple sets of leg exercises I was able to do yesterday - four tens each rather than the usual two twenties; thankful for this affirmation from Ephesians 2:10 where we read: "... We are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art] created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]." (AMP); thankful for the freedom to turn off my wake-up notice and sleep a little longer - just wasn't ready to begin my day quite yet, though no problem with sleep during the night - FREEDOM! I was thankful to my Father for the great love with which He loves and cares for me; thankful for this message from Revelation 3:19-21 where it is written: “The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God! 'Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!'" (MSG); thankful to be able to do the little tasks I've assigned to self through the day; thankful for all the ways our Father provides what I need; thankful for this message from Romans 14:8 -9 where it is written: "It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other." (MSG); thankful for the tasty fresh fruit available to me for my breakfast; thankful to live in this land of plenty (but I mourn for all who do not have access to all that is available); thankful for these words from 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 where it is written: "...each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "... 'I’ll live in them, move into them; I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people.' So leave the corruption and compromise; 'Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I’ll be a Father to you; you’ll be sons and daughters to me.' The Word of the Master, God. With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God." (MSG);  VERY thankful for the good reports from an ultrasound of my kidneys that showed no abnormalities in the arteries that supply blood to that system; thankful that the chemicals that were out of range have returned to normal readings; and thankful to the Creator who made us: "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Psalm 139:14; KJV); thankful for another Sabbath - time for study and worship with all the programming on www.hopetv.org and 3ABN (my church family is enjoying a campout up on US Hwy 12 this week-end, don't quite feel I'm up to those logistics!); thankful for the general improvement in my condition over the last week; and I've been continually thankful for Paul's message from Philippians 1:6 where we read: "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (MSG).