Thanksgiving X ~

 23-29 April:  Last week, I was thankful for the privilege of prayer - for family and friends, for all those in local, state, and federal government positions (and the leaders of nations 'round the world!); thankful for the promise in John 14:13-14 that as we pray in Jesus' name our prayers are answered -"Yes!", "Not now", "I have something better!" or "That's not good for you"; thankful to read this "exceeding great and precious" promise from Jeremiah 31:33-34 where it is written: "... 'This is the new covenant I will make with [My] people ... after those days,' says the Lord. 'I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, "You should know the Lord." For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,' says the Lord. 'And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.'” (New Living Translation); thankful for another day of life and for the measures of strength and health that remain after all the years that have passed; thankful to be blessed with my wonderful grown-up sons and daughters (and their spouses); thankful for this counsel for believers from 1 Peter 1:18-19 where we read: "You know that a price was paid to redeem you from following the empty ways handed on to you by your ancestors; it was not paid with things that perish (like silver and gold), but with the precious blood of the Anointed, who was like a perfect and unblemished sacrificial lamb." (VOICE); thankful for a fresh lemon to juice for my regular morning libation (hot water plus a couple tbsp. of lemon juice); thankful to be able to see the leaf buds on the Horse-chestnut swelling - getting ready to burst, and produce the beautiful blossom clusters that tell me spring is REALLY here; thankful for the message of Colossians 1:27-28, where it is written: "God wanted to make the glorious riches of [His] secret plan known among the Gentiles, which is Christ living in you, the hope of glory. This is what we preach as we warn and teach every person with all wisdom so that we might present each one mature in Christ." (Common English Bible) - I'm no "preacher", but I am one who believes we are all, as believers, called to share God's good news in our circles of family and friends!  I was thankful to be blessed with dear family who love and care for me; thankful to have the dwelling place our Father has provided in a rural community; thankful as I read these words about Jesus,"... [Who] holds His priesthood unchangeably, because He lives on forever. Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them." (Hebrews 7:24-25; Amplified Bible, Classic Edition); thankful for a day trip over the hill to the Clearwater's south fork and visiting with a dear friend;  thankful D.D. was hostess for lunch at the China Cafe in Kooskia (most authentic Chinese food I've tasted outside of China!); thankful as I consider this passage from Luke 19:10 where it is written: "... The Son of Man came to look for and to save, from the punishment of sin, those who are lost.” (New Life Version); thankful for the prayers and praise of the psalms - words that so often fit my needs when I can't find words of my own; thankful for warm, sunny weather in the forecast; thankful for this counsel given in Philippians 2:5-8 where we read: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross." (Revised Standard Version); SO thankful to finally get fb to load using another browser; thankful to have been able to attend worship services in-person; and I was thankful for this counsel from Ephesians 4:15 where it is written: "... By truth spoken in love, we are to grow in every way into Him—the Anointed One, the head." (VOICE).