Thanksgiving IX ~

24-30 July:  Through the past week, I have been thankful for our Father's tender mercies, His marvelous grace, and His steadfast love; I was thankful for my precious family and the love that flows around and through us; thankful for the message from Psalm 112:4-6: "Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people— God’s grace and mercy and justice! The good person is generous and lends lavishly; No shuffling or stumbling around for this one, but a sterling and solid and lasting reputation. Unfazed by rumor and gossip, heart ready, trusting in God, spirit firm, unperturbed, ever blessed, relaxed among enemies, they lavish gifts on the poor— a generosity that goes on, and on, and on. An honored life! A beautiful life!" (Message); thankful for an all-pervading spirit of gratitude that allows thoughts of thankfulness in all situations - not that the situations themselves are something for which to be thankful, but for the conviction that our God is good ALL the time, under ALL circumstances (Jeremiah 29:11);  thankful for the little window air-conditioner that provides cooling as the weather heats up (and for my ability to cover up and avoid getting TOO cool!); thankful as I consider this admonition as it is written in Jeremiah: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10, New Living Translation); thankful to know of the exceeding great love of the Creator for all His children here on planet Earth; thankful that all who know Him are entitled to share this good news in any way we know how; thankful for this message from Hebrews 11:1-6 where the Word reads: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for [one] that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He [rewards those who] diligently seek Him." (KJV, my paraphrase); thankful that we here on the prairie are subject to temperatures at least ten degrees less than the one hundred plus forecast for the towns along the river north of us; thankful for the helpers that assist in polishing our home to a high shine; thankful for the message of Psalm 130:7 - ". . . Put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with Him is redemption in abundance." (Holman Christian Standard Bible); thankful for God's Word and its affirmation of my status as a daughter of the Most High (John 1:12); thankful for the Bible and its word pictures of life as it was in days long ago; thankful for this message from Philippians 3:10-14 where it is written: "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him .... Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (New International Version); I was thankful to observe the loving care provided to D.S.I.L.'s mom as her life is slowly coming to a close - what a blessing to see the efforts made by all in this situation; thankful for the hospice care provided (now on "hold" for D.D. and me as we are too "stable", symptoms are not progressing!) for the other elders in the house; thankful as I read this from Isaiah 46:4 where it is written: "Even to your old age I am He, and even to your advanced old age I will carry you! I have made you, and I will carry you; be assured I will carry you and I will save you." (Amplified Bible); thankful that while a heatwave is in the weather forecast, "hot" here on the Camas Prairie is twenty to thirty degrees cooler than "hot" where I used to live; I was thankful that hell-fire is NOT an eternal punishING, but an eternal punishMENT - there is a huge difference; thankful that our God has promised that He "... shall be with them, and will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death shall be no more, and never again shall there be sorrow or crying or pain. For all those former things are past and gone.” (Revelation 21:4; Phillips).