Thanksgiving IX ~

2-8 January:   During the past week, I was thankful to wake with a determination to seek three things: a closer walk with my Savior; a daily search for ways to bring blessing for those around me; and to be able to find my "place" in working for the Master; I was thankful for this reminder re faith: "Faith isn’t about a particular outcome; rather, it’s about full confidence in [the] One who already knows the outcome."; I was thankful for fresh beginnings as found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 where we read: "So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!" (CEB); thankful to remember the "I will ...." promises that are found in God's Word - those direct quotes from our heavenly Sovereign that tell us His ways; thankful as I am able to see all the ways He has protected that Word from those who attempted to destroy it - may we all do our part to help preserve its influence; thankful for the counsel for believers in Titus 2:11-12 where it is written: "God's loving kindness has come. It is through that blessing that all men [can be] saved. It teaches us to say no to the things that are not true of God, and to the things of this world. It teaches us to use good sense, to do what is right, and to please God while we live in this world." (WE); thankful to be anticipating a day of sunlight in place of snow clouds - for MOST of the day, at least; thankful for the space heater in the laundry room that fills in for the yet un-repaired/replaced heater in the wall; thankful for these words from Isaiah 12:2 where we read: "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.” (NKJV); 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 for the message from God's Word that lets us know that loved ones no longer living are at rest, not watching from heaven (or hell!) - they will "sleep" 'til wakened by the One who is "the Resurrection and the Life"; thankful for His promise to come and get His people - all who have chosen to follow Him; thankful for this message from John 14:1-3 where we read: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (NKJV);

thankful for an early start in doing my weekly laundry (and that I am ABLE to do laundry for myself, and not needing to use a scrub-board to accomplish that!); thankful for the caring family in which I live; thankful to be part of the family of God, as is affirmed in 1 John 3:1-2 where we read: "Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children. And in the same way the world didn’t recognize Him, the world does not recognize us either. My loved ones, we have been adopted into God’s family; and we are officially His children now. The full picture of our destiny is not yet clear, but we know this much: when Jesus appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is." (VOICE). When we feel like we are not good enough to be loved by God, we should remember that God’s love is greater than our doubts. We must silence the sounds of condemnation so we can hear the voice of God’s loving assurance and remember that He has selected us to be part of His family. 

I was thankful for the weekly pause the Creator provided when He gifted us with the Sabbath - not a "Jewish" rest day but a blessing for the world He'd just made (Genesis 2:1-3); I'm thankful for D.D.'s kindness when an attempt to "do it myself" was a total disaster resulting in scalding hot soup on me and all over the kitchen floor; and I was thankful for this counsel from Amos 5:14-15 where it is written: "Search for good and not for evil so that you may live; that way the Eternal God, the Commander of heavenly armies, will be at your side, as you yourselves have even said. Hate what is evil, and love all that is good; apply His laws justly in the courts at the city gates, and it may be that the Eternal God, the Commander of heavenly armies, will have mercy ...." (VOICE).