Thanksgiving X ~

25 June -1 July: Thru' the past week, I was thankful for an attitude of gratitude; thankful to know our Father calls us ALL to listen for His promptings to prayer and praise; thankful for the promise of Jeremiah 23:23-24: ". . . 'I am God, and I am always near. I am not far away. Someone might try to hide from Me in some hiding place. But it is easy for Me to see that person,' says the Lord, 'because I AM everywhere in heaven and earth.'” (Easy Reading Version); thankful for the dear lady who comes to care for my feet - what a blessing!   I was thankful for all who serve others with humble, gentle hearts; thankful for this counsel from Leviticus 19:17-18 where we read: ". . . If your neighbor does something wrong, tell [her] about it, or you will be partly to blame. Forget about the wrong things people do to you, and do not try to get even. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord." (New Century Version); thankful for another day of life and the sunshine our Father has provided to my heart; thankful for the many ways He has provided ALL that I need; thankful for this counsel: ". . . Jesus said to his followers, 'If any of you want to be my follower, you must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will find true life'" (Matthew 16:24-25; Easy Reading Version); thankful for the blessings poured out on us day after day without pause; thankful for the words to an old song, "God Cares for Me", that were rattling 'round my brain cells; thankful as I re-read these words from 2 Peter 3:8-9 where it is written: "... Do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to Him the two are the same. The Lord is not slow to do what He has promised, as some think. Instead, He is patient with you, because He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins." (Good News Translation); thankful for the gifts of delectable fruit that's available to us year-round and the seasonal fruits given in summer and winter - what a blessing; I was thankful for the mild temperatures, glad to still be wearing long pants and a sweater at times; thankful for this affirmation from Psalm 138:8 where it is written: "Lord, You will show that I was right to trust You. Lord, Your faithful love continues forever. You have done so much for us, so don’t stop now." (New International Revised Version); thankful for clear mental processes - the ability to think ahead, to plan my day (trusting my plans into the will of my Father, always); thankful for a dear friend's offer of cherries to be preserved for use later; thankful for early morning sunlight filtering through leaves of the tall trees next door - and for the heavenly sunlight that brightens the dark places in my heart;

thankful to be celebrating this new Sabbath morning - the day our Lord called His own - with plans for study, praise, worship, and fellowship with my delightful church family in G'ville; I was thankful for the suggestions of little, twice-a-day, leg-strengthening exercises I can do at home; and thankful for this counsel to us believers from Romans 12:2-3: ". . . Let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect. God has given me a special gift, and that is why I have something to say to each one of you. Don’t think that you are better than you really are. You must see yourself just as you are. Decide what you are by the faith God has given each of us." (Easy Reading Version).