Thanksgiving X ~

 7-13 May:   In the past week, I have been thankful for all the "whosoever" promises in God's Word to us - they surely include me; I was thankful for the multitude of everyday blessings that grace my life; thankful to read this beautiful admonition from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 where it is written: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (KJV); thankful for the assurance that our Father is a faithful promise-keeper - as Joshua told the people at his life's end, ". . . not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed" Joshua 23:14. He's still the same, His promises are sure. The answers are not promised in MY time, but His - I may feel His response is delayed, but ". . . the vision is yet for an appointed time; . . . at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" Habakkuk 2:3. He knows what's ahead and when it will be most needed. We can trust Him, for not one word of those promises will fail!  I was thankful to be reminded of the psalmist's "Be still, and know ...." message (Psalm 46:10); thankful to read from 1 Samuel 3:9-10 how one should respond to a message from God (most often as it comes through His Word) - be an active listener; thankful for the freedom offered in Jesus; as it is written in Romans 8:1-2: "So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death." (Easy-to-Read Version); thankful for the postal service and other carriers that provide service to our community, delivering parcels to our doors (or nearby) so we don't necessarily have to go to the city to make purchases; thankful for the persistent work of the Holy Spirit - inviting, encouraging, and counseling - in my life and in the lives of those dear to me; thankful to read this counsel from Matthew 18:15 where it is written: “If your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong, go and tell them what they did wrong. Do this when you are alone with them. If they listen to you, then you have helped them to be your brother or sister again." (Easy-to-Read Version); thankful to be alive, to be breathing and to have brain cells kicking into gear with adequate speed; thankful for the D.D. who takes me out across the prairie for a meal at the local restaurante; thankful for the heavenly Father whose steadfast love and tender mercies cause Him to be seeking us in spite of our wrong-headed fear and distrust of Him; "The Lord appeared to us in the past. He said, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails." (Jeremiah 31:3; New International Revised Version); thankful for a new "preparation day" - a time to "ready up" for the blessing of the Sabbath by cooking, clean-up, and the little tasks that make the Sabbath a delight; I was thankful for the mighty machines that make laundry a breeze instead of toil; thankful for this passage from Psalm 18:2-3, words which echo my own thoughts: "The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my safe-covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower. I call to the Lord, Who has the right to be praised. . . ." (New Life Version); thankful for a new Sabbath morning and the opportunity to be able to enjoy worship with my church family thru' a streaming connection; thankful for access to Hope Sabbath School and its resources through via Hope Channel; and I was thankful for these words from Proverbs 31:30-31 where we read: "Charm can be deceptive and physical beauty will not last, but a woman who reveres the Eternal should be praised above all others. Celebrate all she has achieved. Let all her accomplishments publicly praise her." (VOICE). I'm thankful to have known many of these women over my lifetime!