Thanksgiving VII ~

12-18 January:  This week, I have been thankful for the daily blessing in recognizing our Father's faithfulness to His Word; for the house we live in and its many comforts; and for this message from Isaiah 43:1-3: ". . . Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One. . . ." (TLB); thankful for the safety provided by angel guardians as we go out and return on roads covered with ice and snow; thankful, too, for the service folks who keep things plowed, filled, connected in this winter-y weather: and thankful for these words from Galatians 3:26-28: "You are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (CEB);  thankful for the luxury of waking when sleep is finished - as I recover (I prefer early rising, for I have become a "morning person", but I guess I need to get to bed earlier if I want to be awake for the most of my productive hours!); I was thankful for answered prayers, my own and those of others in my behalf; thankful for these words from Isaiah 45:5: "I am the Eternal One; there is no other God but Me, and even though you don’t know Me, I am preparing you for victory." (VOICE); thankful to see clear blue skies overhead and a warm slice of sunlight over the hill southeast of our domicile; thankful for the guiding, convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life; thankful to read this message from Jesus in John 8:31-32 where it is written: "If you hear My voice and abide in My word, you are truly My disciples; you will know the truth, and that truth will give you freedom." (VOICE); thankful for all the evidences of our loving Creator in the natural world around us; thankful for the messages in His Word, its guidelines for a life of blessing ; thankful, too, for all the promises therein, especially those where God says, "I will . . . ." (see Ezekiel 36:22 and onward - as an example); thankful for sunlight streaming through my window; for  enough of ALL I need; thankful for this counsel in Philippians 2:14-15 where it is written: "Do all things without complaining or bickering with each other, so you will be found innocent and blameless; you are God’s children called to live without a single stain on your reputations among this perverted and crooked generation. Shine like stars across the land." (VOICE);  thankful for Jesus - perfect example, perfect sacrifice; thankful for the anticipation of sitting at His table with the saved from ALL ages; and thankful for this promise from 1 Corinthians 10:13 where it is written: "Any temptation you face will be nothing new. But God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. But He always provides a way of escape so that you will be able to endure and keep moving forward." (VOICE).