Thanksgiving VII ~

20-26 September:  This past week, I have been thankful to see clear skies and sunlight through my big east-facing window - what a blessing after days of gray, smoke-filled air! I was thankful for the rain-showers that provided the cleansing needed; thankful for this promise from Joel 2:23 where it is written: "... Celebrate! Be glad in your God. He’s giving you a teacher to train you how to live right— Teaching, like rain out of heaven, showers of words to refresh and nourish your soul ...." (MSG); thankful for more sunshine - was growing weary of the gray, dreary days; thankful for strength to get around my little town with assistance from my "seat available" walker; thankful to share this greeting from the apostle Paul that's found in 2 Corinthians 13:12-13 where we read: "A handshake all round, please! All the [Believers] here send greeting." (PHILLIPS); thankful for all the helpers responsible for planning, cooking (and, if requested, delivering!) the weekly meals for seniors in our community; thankful for the all-encompassing ministry of Jesus, our Savior; thankful for this counsel from Romans 15:5-7 where it is written: "I pray that our God, who calls you and gives you perseverance and encouragement, will join all of you together to share one mind according to Jesus the Anointed. In this unity, you will share one voice as you glorify the one True God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, our Liberating King. So accept one another in the same way the Anointed has accepted you so that God will get the praise He is due." (VOICE); thankful for the daily blessings of mercy and abundant grace provided by our Father; thankful for His promise to forgive all wrongs I confess to Him, and to "... cleanse me from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9); thankful for this affirmation from Romans 5:1, 3-4 where these words are written: "Since we have been acquitted and made right through faith, we are able to experience true and lasting peace with God .... And that’s not all. We also celebrate in seasons of suffering because we know that when we suffer we develop endurance, which shapes our characters. When our characters are refined, we learn what it means to hope and anticipate God’s goodness." (VOICE); thankful for the "little rain" falling outdoors to water the earth; thankful as I anticipate the autumn-y days to come; thankful as I consider these words from Hebrews 10:35-36 where we read: "Remember this, and do not abandon your confidence, which will lead to rich rewards. Simply endure, for when you have done as God requires of you, you will receive the promise." (VOICE); thankful for the assist a D.S. is getting in his battle against wicked cancer cells (and for all the prayers ascending in his behalf!); thankful for this preparation time to get ready to meet our Savior when He appears; thankful to share this message from a favorite translation of God's Word, The Voice: "The word “sin” has virtually disappeared from modern conversation. Afraid of sounding judgmental, we call sin something else—a mistake, an addiction, a tendency, a bad decision—and ignore it as normal and natural behavior. But John is calling the church to a radical holiness where those in the church will regularly remember their sins and seek God’s forgiveness. Each sin, small and large, injures us or someone else; it imprints on our soul, makes us imperfect, and separates us from the perfect God. If we confess our sins to God each day, then He will purify our hearts and draw us closer to Him." It then quotes 1 John 2:1 "You are my little children, so I am writing these things to help you avoid sin. If, however, any believer does sin, we have a high-powered defense lawyer—Jesus the Anointed, the righteous—arguing on our behalf before the Father." (VOICE); thankful to be celebrating another of the Creator's gifts to humanity, the precious Sabbath, given us after He'd finished forming this world and filled it (Genesis 2:2-3); I was thankful that there are - almost always - periods of dry half-hours for walking in rainy days; and thankful to repeat this message from Isaiah 12:2 where it is written: "Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song; yes, He has become my salvation." (AMP).