Thanksgiving VIII ~

22-28 August:  This week, I have been thankful to read the mild temperatures forecast for the period that is SO often "the dog days of summer" - days when we feel like puppies panting in the heat (but more accurately called "dog days" because ancient Romans called the hottest, most humid days of summer them that because they associated the hottest days of summer with the star Sirius, known as the “Dog Star" because it was the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major); I was thankful for clearing skies along with those cooler temps, sunshine always makes me happy; thankful as I read this passage from Romans 8:32 where it is written: "... If God is for us, who can be against us? He that did not hesitate to spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all—can we not trust such a God to give us, with Him, everything else that we can need?" (PHILLIPS); thankful for the "quiet time" that begins the day - no need to rush and hurry, but time for reflection and prayer; thankful for the tools that help us oversee our health and are so readily available; thankful to concur with this thought from Psalm 94:18-19 where it is written: "When I said, 'My foot is slipping!' Your unfailing love, O Eternal One, held me up. When anxiety overtakes me and worries are many, Your comfort lightens my soul." (VOICE); thankful for mercies our Father showers on us "morning by morning", as the old hymn says; thankful for the beautiful ceramic box in the fridge that holds the lemons D.D. provides for my daily hot water/lemon juice potation; thankful to confirm this thought from Psalm 116, the shortest psalm in the Psalter, where we read: "I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my prayers. I will call on Him as long as I live, because He has turned His ear to me." (NLV);  thankful that the Creator God in heaven is listening for the words that come to Him in our prayers (Isaiah 65:24); thankful that the Bible tells us that our Father "inhabits the praise of His people" (Psalm 22:3); thankful as I read this from Psalm 119:165 where it is written: "Those who love Your law have an abundance of peace, and nothing along their paths can cause them to stumble." (VOICE); thankful for the everyday blessings our Father pours out on us - blessings like sight, fragrance, music, and the activities that make up a day of life; thankful to be part of the family of God here on earth (John 1:12); thankful for this affirmation found in Romans 12:4-5 where it is written: "For in the same way that one body has so many different parts, each with different functions; we, too—the many—are different parts that form one body in the Anointed One. Each one of us is joined with one another, and we become together what we could not be alone." (VOICE); thankful for "in-house" laundry spot - no need for trips to a laundromat facility or to, like in many parts of the world, to some other source of water to beat clothes clean; thankful for the many conveniences of modern life AND for personal knowledge of how to live without such help if necessary; thankful for the truth of these words from Isaiah 26:3-4 where we read: "You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You. Trust in the Lord forever, because in Yah, the Lord, is an everlasting rock!" (HCSB); thankful for the anticipation rising as I look forward to meeting my church family for worship, for study, for praise and fellowship today - the day our Creator chose for His own (Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:10-11, Mark 2:27-28); thankful for His invitation in Matthew 11:28-29 - "Come to Me ...."; and I was thankful as I considered this passage from John 6:27-29 where it is written: " 'Do not work for food that does not last. Work for food that lasts forever. The Son of Man will give you that kind of food. God the Father has shown He will do this.' Then the people said to Him, 'What are the works God wants us to do?' Jesus said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you put your trust in the One He has sent.'” (NLV).