Thanksgiving VI ~

6-12 October:  This past week, I have been thankful for my six children and their families - all so dear to me; thankful for the commandments and counsel that are found in God's Word; thankful for this message from Isaiah 26:3-4 where it is written: "People with their minds set on you, You keep completely whole, steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing." (MSG); thankful for sunshine through my window - it warms my life even in these cool autumn temps; thankful to have been successful in coaching (can't be much PHYSICAL help) one who had fallen, back into a standing position; thankful to read of others who share my longings for more as David as in Psalm 63:1 where this is written: "O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust. I seek You with every fiber of my being. In this dry and weary land with no water in sight, my soul is dry and longs for You. My body aches for You, for Your presence." (VOICE); thankful for the legs that can still carry me through each day; thankful to my heavenly Father for the eyesight with which to see the beauty of the world around me; thankful for this message from Isaiah 43:11-12 where it is written: "'I, I am the Lord, and there is no Savior besides Me. I announced, I saved, I proclaimed, not some stranger among you. You are my witnesses,' says the Lord, 'and I am God.'" (CEB); thankful for a place that is warm and protected from snow and wiind; thankful for the mental defragmentation that happens as we sleep - the Creator's wisdom is beyond our wildest imaginings; thankful for this counsel in Deuteronomy 13:3-4 where it is written: "... The Eternal your God is testing you to see whether you really do love Him completely, with your whole heart and soul. Remain loyal to Him! Fear Him and obey His commands. Listen to His voice. Worship Him alone. Be fervently devoted to Him." (VOICE); thankful for God's promises that HIS purposes will be fulfilled; thankful for sunlight coming through the leaves on the Horse-chestnut tree outside my window; thankful for this message from Proverbs 19:20-21 where it is written: "Heed counsel, act on instruction, and you will become wise later in life. The impulses of the human heart may run wild, but the Eternal’s plan will prevail." (VOICE); thankful for the weekly day of preparation for the Sabbath - a busy day, but very fulfilling; thankful for the little song, "Jesus Loves Me", that's chasing itself around in my head (and thankful that the song is a true statement of reality!); thankful to be able to agree with the psalmist who wrote these words: "My soul quietly waits for the True God alone; my salvation comes from Him." (Psalm 62:1; VOICE); thankful to know and observe the day of rest chosen by our Creator when the world began (Genesis 2:2-3); thankful for anticipation - anticipation of MORE Sabbath blessings to come this day; thankful to remember the jargon my father used (he used smelting as an occasional vocation) and the way that vocabulary clarifies this message: "When I turn My attention to you, I’ll refine your dross as in a furnace. I’ll remove all your alloy." (Isaiah 1:25; ISV).