Thanksgiving VII ~

24-30 May:  This past week, I have been thankful to live in a country where we are still free to worship God - or not - as we choose; thankful for those who are willing to go to places where this freedom is unknown to share the good news of Jesus Christ (and for all who are supporting their efforts); thankful for the clarity of these words of Jesus from Matthew 24:14: "... This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (KJV); thankful that a distracted brain CAN recover; thankful to have an Artisan Loaf of whole-wheat bread made, two half-gallon jars of KimChi working, along with lacto-ferment pickles and a jar of sprouts started - did I say distracted? And I was thankful for this admonition from James 1:19-20 where we read: "Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to grow angry. This is because an angry person doesn’t produce God’s righteousness." (CEB); thankful that sunshine can be seen even when there are showers in the forecast - much like the way blessings can be found in spite of life's difficulties!  I was thankful for a new recipe that makes plain brown lentils taste wonderful; thankful for the precious message of John 3:17 that tells us: ". . . God did not send-forth the Son into the world in order that He might judge the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." (DLNT); thankful to have my garden boxes on the patio all filled with sprouts and seeds, protected from kitty-paws by a fine mesh fence (thanks to D.S.I.L), and water readily available (more thanks to him!); thankful for sunlight through my window (and for the heavenly sunlight in my heart!); thankful for this affirmation from Acts 20:22,24 where it is written: "... Now I am on my way to [the future], not knowing what I will encounter there; but I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace." (VOICE); thankful for the beauty of the world the Creator has provided for me in this place; thankful for a D.D.who knows how to speak "grace-notes" - my parents were NOT at all unkind, but compliments were rarely - if ever - heard, and my family suffered from my learned focus on correcting what was "wrong" rather than focusing on what was positive; thankful for these words from Paul, found in Colossians 4:6 where we read: " Let your conversation be always full of grace ...." (NIV); thankful that the precipitation has stopped and it is drier for our out-of-doors activities (at least for NOW!); thankful for the rain that moistens the earth - and especially thankful when it comes at night and dries off in the daylight hours; thankful for these words from Zechariah 10:1 where we read: "Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, who gives showers of rain to you, the vegetation in the field to everyone." (NRSV); thankful for the return of the Sabbath - a weekly gift from our Creator that was provided to help us remember His blessings (Mark 2:27; Genesis 2:2-3); thankful for all the media ministries that provide - in print, and over the air waves - material that lifts up Jesus as Savior and King; and thankful as I reflect on this message from Psalm 56:4 where it is written: "In God—whose word I praise—in God I place my trust. I shall not let fear come in, for what can measly men do to me?" (VOICE).