Thanksgiving X ~

 25 May-10 June: During these days, I was thankful to the soldiers and sailors, the marines and coast guardians and airmen whose unselfish dedication to country we've celebrated recently; I was thankful for all who are now serving in each branch of the military; thankful for the apostle Paul's words, words that remind us of the continuing warfare in each of our lives as written in Ephesians 6:10-18 where we read:: "... Put on God’s armor so that you can make a stand against the tricks of the devil. We aren’t fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens...." (Common English Bible); I was thankful for the gifts of life and the measure of health that I enjoy; thankful to have a D.S. and D.G.D. here as they made a detour from their direct route home to spend the night with us; thankful to read these words in Psalm 56:4 - words that echo my own thoughts: ". . . When I am afraid, I will put my confidence in You. Yes, I will trust the promises of God. And since I am trusting Him, what can [anyone] do to me?" (The Living Bible); thankful for the delightful beauties of springtime - the regrowth out of dormancy and blossoms everywhere; I was thankful for the promise of edible fruit in many of those blossoms; thankful for the promise of Jesus returning, just as He said, as the apostle Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a mighty shout and with the soul-stirring cry of the archangel and the great trumpet-call of God. And the believers who are dead will be the first to rise to meet the Lord. Then we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever." (The Living Bible); thankful for our Father's steadfast love for ALL His children here on this planet - He's not willing that ANY should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9);  thankful for the parable if the Prodigal Son (which is really more about a father's love than about the wayward son!); thankful for this invitation found in Revelation 22:16-17 where we read: “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' And let everyone who hears say, 'Come.' And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift." (New Revised Standard Version); thankful for good sleep, in my own bed, with an assistive device that allows me to turn over and sleep on my side rather than being trapped in a marshmallow mattress that doesn't let me move!  I was thankful for the traveling mercies that kept us free from dents, from bruises as we journeyed, from even any apprehension of danger - confident that real angels were traveling along with us; thankful for this thought from Psalm 90:2 (very appropriate as we went thru' range after range of mountains in beautiful British Columbia!): "Before mountains were born, before You fashioned the earth and filled it with life, from ages past to distant futures, You are truly God." (VOICE); I was thankful for eyes to see the little finches at the feeder outside my window; thankful for the testimony of those who have shared stories of divine aid, protection, and healing in books - real faith-builders: thankful for this message from Habakkuk 3:18-19: "Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation! The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army]; He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet and makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility]" (Amplified Bible); thankful for the mixed blessings of wet and dry weather - rain and sunshine - sometimes even on the same day; thankful for the love and care of my children and their spouses - not always true in some families; thankful for this cautionary message from Matthew 7:13-14 where we read: “Enter through the narrow gate, because wide is the gate and broad is the road leading away to destruction—and many are the ones entering through it. How narrow is the gate and constricted is the road leading away to life— and few are the ones finding it." (Disciples Literal New Testament); thankful for the sunshine of God's presence in my life - Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, has promised He will NEVER leave us, nor forsake us (would that we were so faithful to Him!); I was thankful for Dandee, the resident LhaSh-ChOrkie (LhasaApso X Shitsu plus Chihuahua X Yorkie); and I was thankful for this counsel from Colossians 3:13 where it is written: "Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]." (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).