Thanksgiving VIII ~

26 September-2 October:  During the past week, I was thankful for the assurance that this world is not my home, I'm just passing through (John 14:1-3); thankful for word pictures of the home being prepared for me (Isaiah 11:4-8; ch.65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-5; 10-27; ch.22:1-5); thankful for the promise in Deuteronomy 33:25, ". . . as thy days, so shall thy strength be." (KJV); thankful for the pleasant jaunt to Riggins for lunch and shopping at the Fiddle Creek fruit stand - with delight at the opportunity to visit with those I knew during the years I lived in Riggins; thankful I was able to ask if I could ride along when this friend mentioned she was going to go to Fiddle Creek for more fruit - don't know WHY it is so difficult for me to ask a favor; thankful as I consider this passage from Matthew 6:31-33 where it is written: "... Do not consume yourselves with questions: What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions; they don’t realize that your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too." (VOICE); thankful for the "little rain" that is coming down out-of-doors - and the promise God has given to pour the "latter rain" of His Spirit on His people in these "last days" (Joel 2:28); thankful for the assurances and counsel the Father has provided in His Word; thankful for this affirmation found in 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 where it is written: "... We do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit. Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis." (Good News Translation); thankful for our Father's patience with us who are slow to learn the lessons He is trying to teach us; thankful to see His hand in the processes of homeostasis - the balancing act in our bodies among physical and chemical conditions that occur without us thinking about them (we ARE fearfully and wonderfully made!); thankful as I consider this concept from John 3:19-21 where it is written: "... This is the condemnation: that light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light, because what they were doing was evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light; people like that don’t come to the light, in case their deeds get shown up and reproved. But people who do the truth come to the light, so that it can become clear that what they have done has been done in God." (New Testament for Everyone); thankful to have had a VERY good sleep - not one single moment of wakefulness! I was thankful in the morning for no evidence of frost on the ground outside (and no forecast of any frost in the week ahead - more ripe tomatoes on the vines!); thankful as I consider the words of Job 37:5-13 where we read: "... His mighty acts stagger our understanding. He orders the snow, ‘Blanket the earth!’ and the rain, ‘Soak the whole countryside!’ No one can escape the weather—it’s there. And no one can escape from God. Wild animals take shelter, crawling into their dens, When blizzards roar out of the north and freezing rain crusts the land. It’s God’s breath that forms the ice, it’s God’s breath that turns lakes and rivers solid. And yes, it’s God who fills clouds with rainwater and hurls lightning from them every which way. He puts them through their paces—first this way, then that— commands them to do what he says all over the world. Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love, He makes sure they make their mark." (The Message);  thankful for another night of good sleep - for the refreshing that sleep provides; thankful for the beautiful colors that appear as the trees get ready for their winter sleep; thankful for the age-old promise God made to Noah after the deluge - "As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat; winter and summer, day and night." (Genesis 8:22; CEV); thankful for my D.D., the one who is celebrating the completion of her 63rd trip around the sun - Happy Birthday! I was thankful for the grace that covers us when we respond to the Father's wooing of our hearts; and thankful for the wisdom found in the words Proverbs 29:25 where this is written: "The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that." (MSG).

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