Thanksgiving VI ~

28 April-4 May:  Last week, I was thankful for His mercy (not giving to us what we so rightfully deserve!) - His grace (giving to us what we can NEVER deserve) - and His blessings (the abundant provision of BOTH mercy and grace in our lives); thankful for all the interest in the Children's Clothing Swap at our church;  thankful for this message from Philippians 2:5-8 - a favorite passage of my own - where it is written: "Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of Himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion." (MSG). PRAISE TO GOD, HE IS RISEN!  I was thankful that I can CHOOSE to be joyful - for as Tim Hansel said, "Happiness is a feeling; joy is an attitude, a posture, a place" - I choose JOY!  I was thankful for the understanding that said joy is a two-way path - joy is a gift of God's Spirit, but I can bless the Lord as I choose His ways, with joy, and be strengthened by my choosing. I was thankful for the words of Scripture that tell me ". . . the joy of the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10 (last part); thankful for the mobility that remains to me, no need for any devices indoors or out on level surfaces (tho' always grateful for an arm offered by a friend or family member!); thankful for a warm spot on the patio in the afternoon sunshine; thankful for this message from Ephesians 4:14-15 where we read: "... We will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church." (NLT); thankful for the blessed gift of faith - faith from above and in our Father, faith in those around me proven trustworthy; thankful for every new day of life and the strength that will come with it (Deuteronomy 33:25); thankful for this definition of faith from Hebrews 11:3,6 where it is written: "By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him." (AMP); thankful to have had a batch of oatmeal and raisins cooling on the back of the stove - breakfast for several more days; thankful for the warmer weather forecast; thankful for the promise found in 1 John 5:14-15 where it is written: "We live in the bold confidence that God hears our voices when we ask for things that fit His plan. And if we have no doubt that He hears our voices, we can be assured that He moves in response to our call." (VOICE); thankful for more warm sunshine through my window; thankful to have known the dear 103 year-old sister who is being laid to rest in a secluded little family cemetery today - Auntie Evelyn will be much missed; thankful for the promise in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 where it is written: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who died while believing in Him. This is the word of the Lord: we who are alive in Him and remain on earth when the Lord appears will by no means have an advantage over those who have already died, for both will rise together. For the Lord himself will appear with the declaration of victory, the shout of an archangel, and the trumpet blast of God. He will descend from the heavenly realm and command those who are dead in Christ to rise first. Then we who are alive will join them, transported together in clouds to have an encounter with the Lord in the air, and we will be forever joined with the Lord. So encourage one another with these truths." (ThePassionTranslation); thankful for the weekly celebration that marks the completion of the Creator's work when our world was formed (Genesis 2:2-3); thankful for the building anticipation of the activities marking my eightieth trip 'round the earth-star; thankful for this promise from Isaiah 42:16 where it is written: "I will escort the blind down roads they do not know, guide them down paths they’ve never seen. I will smooth their passage and light their way. I will indeed do it—they are abandoned no more." (VOICE).