Thanksgiving IX ~

20-26 March:  This past week, I have been thankful to share a "sit-down" breakfast with members of my family; thankful for church family willing to share books they've read - I brought five books home from church yesterday!  I was thankful as I perused this message from Hebrews 13:15-16 where it is written: "... Let us keep offering to God our own sacrifice, the praise of lips that confess His name without ceasing. Let’s not neglect what is good and share what we have, for these sacrifices also please God." (VOICE); thankful as I consider the blessings remaining in my life - a cozy spot in the home that's just right for us all, the ability to see, to enjoy the aromas of food preparation, the fine folks with whom the place is shared - to name just a few!  I was thankful for opportunities to reach out into the world of cyberspace with a word of hope in a world that seems to be growing ever darker as time goes by; thankful as I remember the words of Jesus as recorded in John 16:33 where He tells us: "I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world.” (The Living Bible); thankful to be in this cozy dwelling, warm and dry inside rather than damp and chilly out-of-doors; thankful for all that the Lord has done - and IS doing - for His people each and every day; thankful for these words from Ephesians 6:10-11: "Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and his powerful strength. Put on God’s armor so that you can make a stand against the tricks of the devil" (Common English Bible); thankful for another day of life and the strength to meet its challenges; thankful for the "blessed hope" of a soon returning Savior; thankful for this message from James 1:12: "Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They will receive the life God has promised to those who love him as their reward." (Common English Bible); thankful for rest when sleep is disturbed (rest, along with an interesting travelogue to while away the hours!); thankful for the instruction in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast ALL our concerns on the One who so deeply cares for us; and I was thankful for the assurance of Romans 6:23 where it is written: "The payoff for a life of sin is death, but God is offering us a free gift—eternal life through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King." (VOICE); thankful for the weekly Preparation Day and its opportunities to finish the "re'd'ing up" for the Sabbath tomorrow; thankful for the concept of prayer and trusting God for the answers; thankful for this promise found in 1 John 1:8-9 where we read: "If we say that we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done." (Easy-to-Read Version); thankful to be celebrating another Sabbath - the day our Creator chose to be a weekly reminder of His work (Genesis 2:2-3); thankful to see refilled (and NEW!) bird-feeders outside my window this morning - thanks to the D.D. who does that! And I was thankful for this Scripture, another reference to the Sabbath, found in Exodus 20:8-11 where this is written: "You and your family are to remember the Sabbath Day; set it apart, and keep it holy. You have six days to do all your work, but the seventh day is to be different; it is the Sabbath of the Eternal your God. Keep it holy by not doing any work—not you, your sons, your daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, or any outsiders living among you. For the Eternal made the heavens above, the earth below, the seas, and all the creatures in them in six days. Then, on the seventh day, He rested. That is why He blessed the Sabbath Day and made it sacred." (VOICE).