Thanksgiving VIII ~

Sorry for this extra long post - with hospitalization at the end one week, remaining "brain fog" at the end of the week following, I really got behind!

 

15-30 October:  During the past three weeks (including five days of hospitalization after what was apparently another CVA), I have been thankful to see sunlight over my shoulder as I type in these words - "showers likely", according to the forecast; thankful for the mango, all prepared for breakfast and waiting for me on the counter; thankful as I consider the message from Proverbs 19:20 (and remember the music provided by Trilogy to go with this passage!) - we read there: "Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days." (NKJV); thankful to be part of a group that is working to share our Father's love with the world around us; thankful that God works in and through us to accomplish His purposes; and thankful for the message with which the psalmist was inspired when he wrote: "God, the one and only—I’ll wait as long as He says. Everything I need comes from Him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, an impregnable castle: I’m set for life." (Psalm 62:1-2; MSG); thankful that I was able to cut back and dispose of the tomato vines growing on the patio in back - before they were destroyed by frost (took three trips to the trash cans, carrying a bundle of vines in my walker, but it's done!); I was thankful for the mobility that walker provides; thankful for this promise when life presents difficulties: "Even though the Lord has fed you the bitter food of adversity and offered you the water of oppression, your great Teacher will reveal Himself to you; your eyes will see Him. 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." (Isaiah 30:20-21; VOICE); thankful for the persistent wooing of God's Spirit within our hearts calling us closer to Him; thankful for the angels who travel with us as go out onto streets and highways in wheeled conveyances; thankful for this promise from Jeremiah 29:11-12 where it is written: "... 'I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you.'" (AMP); thankful for the sunshine beaming thru' my window; thankful for the sunlight put in my heart by the Father of us all; thankful for this admonition from Romans 12:2 where it is written: "Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete." (VOICE); thankful for the update on the D.G.D. and her family that are moving house to Florida and have been experiencing blizzard and wind and several traffic related slow-downs as they've traveled - God, be with them! (I'm thankful to know they are now safe in the new place!).  I was thankful that the work in the garage renovation is nearly complete, and D.S.I.L.'s parents will be joining our household soon; thankful to be part of the family of God, for as it says in His Word, "He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him]. He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own—His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him. But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name— " (John 1:10-12; AMPC) - - -

I was thankful to be back at home after a short stay in our local hospital, not too much the worse for wear; thankful that the renovation downstairs is all but complete, and folks are all in their proper spots as of this moment; thankful to consider this promise from Genesis 28:15 where it is written: "Now pay attention! I’m here with you, and I’m going to be watching over you wherever you go. I’m going to bring you back ..., because I won’t ever leave you until I’ve accomplished what I’ve promised about you.” (International Standard Version); thankful for absolute confidence that comes as we put our trust in our loving Father; thankful that He knows our every trial and its solution as we give our cares to Him; thankful when I recall these precious words written by the prophet, Jeremiah, as I first learned them: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart:(Jeremiah 29:11-13; KJV); thankful for the so great love shown by our heavenly Father to me day by day; thankful that my brief hospital eradicated any need to do laundry on the "Preparation Day"; thankful for the grace of God that can make me clean - I love the beautiful promise from Malachi 3:1-3 where this is written: “'See, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to His temple, the Messenger of the covenant you desire—see, He is coming,' says the Lord of Hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming? And who will be able to stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire and like cleansing lye. He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify [His people] and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness." (Holman Christian Standard Bible); thankful for another Sabbath day; thankful to know that others are lifting me in their prayers, may we ALL be praying for each other as we travel along the paths where our Father leads us; thankful for this message from Galatians 6:2 that suggests the reason for such prayers: "Be carrying one another’s burdens, and in this manner you will fulfill the law of Christ." (DLNT).

 Through this past week, I have been thankful for the "instruction in righteousness" that is found in God's Word, the Bible; thankful for the measure of health and strength that remains to me, in my eighty-third year (we're promised seventy, and "if by reason of strength, eighty" in Psalm 90:10); thankful for this statement from the pen of King Solomon, who was said to be the wisest man who ever lived: "The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight." (Proverbs 9:10; AMP); thankful for gradually returning strength after a few days in the hospital; thankful that our Father hears and answers our prayers for help; thankful for this counsel from Ephesians 5:18-20: "... Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (KJV);  thankful for rest (if not SLEEP!) during the night hours (and that sleepless hours don't happen too often!); thankful for the sunlight streaming thru' my window; thankful for this admonition from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 where we read: "The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone." (The Living Bible);  thankful for rain that falls in the night hours and lets me wake up to blue skies and sunlight! thankful, always, for the Sonshine that fills my heart when skies are dark; thankful as I consider these words from Hebrews 4:12 where we read: "... Whatever God says to us is full of living power: it is sharper than the sharpest dagger, cutting swift and deep into our innermost thoughts and desires with all their parts, exposing us for what we really are." (The Living Bible); thankful for all the stories in God's Word that reveal His great power (like 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 and Matthew 8:24-27); thankful for confidence in the Creator's ability to manage my situations - if I LET Him; thankful for the assurance of this passage from 1 Peter 1:24-25 where we read: "As the Scriptures say, 'People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord remains forever.' And that word is the Good News that was preached to you." (NLT); thankful for another "Preparation Day" (one of the two days of the week that are named in God's Word, the Bible! The other five days are designated only by their ordinal numbers); thankful for getting my sense of balance back in order - a gradual process, but it is happening; thankful to consider this message from Romans 12:1-2 where we read: "So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect." (Good News Translation); thankful to be blessed by another Sabbath, the weekly reminder of a Creator/Sustainer God who set the day aside for all to rest from labor and enjoy what He had made for us; thankful for internet access to worship services and Bible study; and I was thankful for this thought from Ephesians 2:8-9 where it is written: "... By grace you have been saved by faith. Nothing you did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the love gift from God that brought us to Christ! So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving." (The Passion Translation).