Thanksgiving X ~

 29 January-4 February:  This past week, I was thankful for my family and the love, the prayers we share with - and for - each other; thankful, VERY thankful, for a place in the family of God (John 1:12); thankful as I considered this passage from The Voice translation and commentary: "It is only natural for the disciples to wonder which of them will be His right-hand man.... Fortunately Jesus overhears what is said and is quick to respond in mercy to correct their mistake. Greatness in His eyes doesn’t consist of seeing wonders or performing miracles or even fasting and praying. Instead, greatness is about humility and service. These are the heart of the kingdom of heaven. He sat down with the twelve to teach them. Jesus: 'Whoever wants to be first must be last, and whoever wants to be the greatest must be the servant of all.' " (Mark 9:35; VOICE); thankful to be one called "beloved" by our Creator (as are all those who know Him as Savior); thankful that He promises to provide all the I need in this life, and the next; thankful for the admonition found in Ephesians 4:1-3: ". . . I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace" (Contemporary English Version); thankful to be given another day of life, with limbs that respond to directions from the control center and eyes that can see; thankful for the promise of strength for my day (Deuteronomy 33:25); thankful for the assurance provided in these words from Psalm 86:4-5 where we read: "Bring joy to Your servant’s life, because I turn to You, Lord. For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, rich in faithful love to all who call on You. Lord, hear my prayer...." (Holman Christian Standard Bible); thankful for the sunlight that sneaks thru' the overcast above; thankful, too, that another month of winter is finished for this year - the precip is a necessary part of life on the prairie, but spring is coming!  I was thankful for this message from our Father telling us how to live: ". . . He has told you, mortals, what is good in His sight. What else does the Eternal ask of you but to live justly and to love kindness and to walk with your True God in all humility?" (Micah 6:8; VOICE); thankful to believe the truth of these words: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you."(Jeremiah 31:3); thankful for the long-suffering love of our heavenly Father, who is "not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9); thankful for faith in the promises of God - to know that "... As the Scriptures say, 'No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard and it has never occurred to the human heart all the things God prepared for those who love Him.'" (1 Corinthians 2:9; VOICE); thankful for an almost immediate source of heated water from the tap - without the hassle of buckets and wash-tubs; I was thankful for the snow outside that reminds me of God's promise to make me "white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18); thankful for the call to fast. I don't know how or why fasting can make prayer more effective, but there is a clear inference in the words of Jesus (Matthew 17:21), and He gave some instructions on how to do it (Matthew 6:16 which reads: "... About fasting. When you fast, declining your food for a spiritual purpose, don’t do it publicly, as the hypocrites do, who try to look wan and disheveled so people will feel sorry for them. Truly, that is the only reward they will ever get." (Living Bible); thankful for a new Sabbath-day and the technology that allows me to attend the worship service on my smart-phone; thankful for our faithful pastoral team who travel many miles in service to the four churches they serve; and I was thankful for the message of Psalm 18:1-2: "I love you, Lord. You give me strength. The Lord is my rock and my place of safety. He is the God who saves me. My God is my rock. I go to Him for safety. He is like a shield to me. He’s the power that saves me. He’s my place of safety" (New International Reader's Version).