Thanksgiving VIII ~

17-22 May:  This week I was thankful for bones that do not crumple when I tumble; SO thankful for others who come to help me get back onto my feet, even at 0430!  I was thankful for this musical message from Zephaniah 3:17 where it is written: "The Eternal your God is standing right here among you, and He is the champion who will rescue you. He will joyfully celebrate over you; He will rest in His love for you; He will joyfully sing because of you ...." (VOICE); thankful for the list of agencies providing services now unavailable to me thru' the agency I've been using; thankful for the fresh breeze sliding into my room because the window is slightly ajar; thankful as I think on this message from Romans 11:33 where it is written: "We cannot wrap our minds around God’s wisdom and knowledge! Its depths can never be measured! We cannot understand His judgments or explain the mysterious ways that He works!" (VOICE); thankful for my connection to the world wide web and its many branches; thankful for early birthday greetings that have come from relatives and friends to our mailbox; thankful for all who are following the counsel from Hebrews 6:9-11 where it is written: "... I am confident you are producing the good fruit that comes along with your salvation. For God is not unfair. How can He forget your hard work for Him, or forget the way you used to show your love for Him—and still do—by helping His children? And we are anxious that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, so that you will get your full reward." (TLB); thankful to have completed another circuit around our Earth Star; thankful to realize reaching into my eighty-third year of life is a gift of God's grace (Psalm 90:10); thankful as I consider this truth from James 3:17-18 where it is written: "Heavenly wisdom centers on purity, peace, gentleness, deference, mercy, and other good fruits untainted by hypocrisy. The seed that flowers into righteousness will always be planted in peace by those who embrace peace." (VOICE); thankful for those who joined us in Moscow (Idaho, not Russia!) to help me celebrate my birthday; thankful for the many roles I've filled through these years - sister, wife, mother, student, nurse, grandmother, and great-(now great-great as well!) grandmother among many others - all praise to God!  I was thankful as I considered these words from Romans 15:5-6 where we read: "May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NLT); thankful for sunlight and patches of blue seen from my window; thankful for video's showing animal rescuers and successful releases of wildlings back into their natural environment; thankful as I read this word picture of the Fellowship of Believers from 1 Corinthians 1:10 where it is written: "My brothers and sisters, I urge you by the name of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, to come together in agreement. Do not allow anything or anyone to create division among you. Instead, be restored, completely fastened together with one mind and shared judgment." (VOICE); thankful for the weekly return of the holy and blessed Sabbath day - the day the Creator chose, in the beginning, to celebrate His finished work with out first parents (Genesis 2:2-3) and told us to remember (Exodus 20:8-11); thankful for more sunlight on Sabbath morning; and thankful for this admonition from Galatians 5:13 where it is written: "Brothers and sisters, God has called you to freedom! Hear the call, and do not spoil this gift by using your liberty to engage in what your flesh desires; instead, use it to serve each other as Jesus taught through love." (VOICE).