Thanksgiving IX ~

10-16 July:  In the past week, I have been thankful for "enough" - resources to see me thru' month-to-month, garments to cover me in every kind of weather, the edibles that nourish me, and SO much more; thankful for friends near-by (and those farther away, as well!); thankful for this "exceeding great and precious promise" to be found in Philippians 1:6 where it is written: "... He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (New International Version); thankful for the privilege of prayer - the praise that comes to mind as we consider the character of our great God, thanksgiving for all He has given us, petitions for our needs and the needs of others are only a few of the elements which we can include in our prayers; I was thankful for the freedom of a retirees schedule;  thankful, and in agreement with this thought from Jeremiah32:17 where it is written: “Eternal Lord, with Your outstretched arm and Your enormous power You created the heavens and the earth. Nothing is too difficult for You." (VOICE); thankful for days filled with a beauty that delights my eyes and heart;  thankful for promises of a forever future with our Father, in a place where sin, sorrow, sickness, and death are eternally banished from our lives; thankful as I consider this passage from Isaiah 25:1 where it is written: "O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your plans formed of old are faithfulness and truth." (Modern English Version); thankful for another day, with the strength He has provided to meet its needs; thankful for the measure of faith that has been endowed in each of us; thankful for this wonderful promise: "Because she has set her love upon Me, therefore will I deliver her; I will set her on high, because she knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake her, no, never]. She shall call upon Me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor her." (Psalm 91:14-15; AMPC [my paraphrase]);thankful for a lo-o-o-ng period of restful sleep in the night hours - a pretty rare occurrence; thankful for the persistent work of the Spirit in areas of my life where I make persistent stumbles; thankful for this promise as it is recorded in John 15:10 where we read: "Follow My example in obeying the Father’s commandments and receiving His love. If you obey My commandments, you will stay in My love." (VOICE); thankful that - in spite of my imperfections - I still can be used by the Creator to bless someone else; thankful to know that when things begin to close in, I can follow Jesus' example - to slip away and find a quiet place to pray; thankful for the cautionary message of Jeremiah 17:9-10: “Nothing can hide its evil as well as the human mind. It can be very sick, and no one really understands it. But I am the Lord, and I can look into a person’s heart. I can test a person’s mind and decide what each one should have. I can give each person the right payment for what they do." (ERV); thankful for another Sabbath and the opportunity for "virtual" worship with my church family; thankful for the continuing emphasis on daily Bible reading I find in "Believe His Prophets"; and I was thankful for this - "Lord, who shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill? [One] who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in [the] heart." (Psalm 15:1-2; Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).