Thanksgiving VIII ~

3-9 January: During this week, I have been thankful for the memory of songs I sang long ago - words popping up unexpectedly in my thoughts, but in a "homogenized" fashion - SO thankful for access to Google to get those words in their proper order; thankful for the replenishing of resources that comes every month to meet my needs; thankful for this message from Titus 2:11-12 where it is written: "We have cause to celebrate because the grace of God has appeared, offering the gift of salvation to all people. Grace arrives with its own instruction: run away from anything that leads us away from God; abandon the lusts and passions of this world; live life now in this age with awareness and self-control, doing the right thing and keeping yourselves holy." (VOICE); thankful for another night of good sleep and waking to a new day of life with my family and friends; thankful for the dear little lady who comes to assist a D.D. with housekeeping (and good company!); thankful for this admonition from Micah 6:8 where it is written: "... O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (NLT); thankful for each new day of life; thankful for the Creator's constant watch-care over me and my family; thankful for this instruction from Isaiah 1:16-17 where it is written: "Wash yourselves, clean up your lives; remove every speck of evil in what you do before Me. Put an end to all your evil. Learn to do good; commit yourselves to seeking justice. Make right for the world’s most vulnerable—the oppressed, the orphaned, the widow." (VOICE); thankful to again have access to the internet on my computer (it may be that resetting the router finally did the trick!);  thankful for the "enough" that, for me, is plenty - I've discovered that more "stuff" begins to control the owner; thankful for this admonition from 1 Peter 1:13-14 where it is written: "So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. [Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation]." (AMP); thankful that breathing and a heartbeat are automatic functions that the Creator designed in human bodies - one doesn't have to remember to take a breath or think about making the "pump" work! I was thankful to understand that, as the Bible tells us, death is a dreamless sleep 'til the Lifegiver calls one to wake at His return; thankful to read this from 1 Corinthians 15:50-52 where it is written: "Now listen to this: brothers and sisters, this present body is not able to inherit the kingdom of God any more than decay can inherit that which lasts forever. Stay close because I am going to tell you a mystery—something you may have trouble understanding: we will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be transformed. It will all happen so fast, in a blink, a mere flutter of the eye. The last trumpet will call, and the dead will be raised from their graves with a body that does not, cannot decay. All of us will be changed!" (VOICE); thankful to see sunlight through the clouds overhead; thankful for the quality of forgiveness in our family; thankful for the way the Bible reveals the difference between the methods of our enemy and those of the Spirit - the enemy is called "the accuser" and works to deceive and discourage us into giving up on God while the Holy Spirit encourages us, corrects in a positive manner, as in Isaiah 30:21 "Your ears will hear sweet words behind you: 'Go this way. There is your path; this is how you should go' whenever you must decide whether to turn to the right or the left."; My prayer is for each of us to listen for that voice. I was thankful for another Sabbath - the day the Creator Himself gave to all humanity for "blessing time" with Him, with family, and to aid those in need; thankful for access to in-line worship services and study via Hope TV, 3ABN, and other favorites; and thankful for the admonition given in Matthew 6:19-21 where it is written: "Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice—don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (VOICE).