Thanksgiving X ~

 20-26 August:  In the past week, I was thankful for mission projects available on-line - I'm not able to go to these far away places any more, but I can be part of a support system for them!   I was thankful for the confidence in the promises of the Bible - other pledges might fail, but if God gives His word it is a sure thing; thankful for the truth of these words from Psalm 16:7-9: "I will bless the Eternal, whose wise teaching orchestrates my days and centers my mind at night. He is ever present with me; at all times He goes before me. I will not live in fear or abandon my calling because He stands at my right hand. This is a good life—my heart is glad, my soul is full of joy, and my body is at rest. Who could want for more?" (VOICE); thankful for the many ways my Father uses to provide all that I need; thankful for the delights of family and friends; thankful for this message from Psalm 42:8 where we read: "By day the Lord shows His faithful love, and at night I have a song for Him—a prayer for the God of my life." (Easy Reading Version); thankful for the everyday mercies God provides - counting these mercies brings increasing awareness of them!  I was thankful for August days that are more temperate than others I remember; thankful for the message of Romans 8:31-33 where it is written: "What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself]." (Amplified Bible); thankful for the message of James 5:16 to those of us who care for others who are ailing; thankful that our Father still hears and answers prayers; thankful for this assurance from Psalm 94:18-19; "Whenever I feel my foot slipping, Your faithful love steadies me, Lord. When my anxieties multiply, Your comforting calms me down" (Common English Bible); thankful for things that are beautiful - the yard around the house, the plants growing outside our doors (and around the community!), for those beauties that others share from their fb pages; I was thankful for the bounties of the harvest that pass by on the street outside - truck after truck loaded with grain from the fields around us; thankful for the words of 2 Samuel 22:50: "That is why I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations and make music to praise Your name" (God's Word); thankful for the little blessings that are easy to overlook - because they are consistent, everyday things - like leafy shadows under the trees, squirrels playing tag in the yard, clean dishes on the shelves, and so much more; thankful to know that our heavenly Father is the provider of "every good gift" that comes to us through our days; thankful for these words from the psalmist: "Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your instruction; nothing makes them stumble. Lord, I hope for Your salvation. . . ." Psalm 119:165-166 (Holman's Christian Standard Bible); thankful to be free from any of the discomforts that growing older brings, to be able to move around with my fancy Euro-style walker; thankful for all the prayers ascending for our upcoming "GOOD NEWS!" series; and I was thankful for this message from Romans12:3-6 where it is written: "... I can respectfully tell you not to think of yourselves as being more important than you are; devote your minds to sound judgment since God has assigned to each of us a measure of faith. For in the same way that one body has so many different parts, each with different functions; we, too—the many—are different parts that form one body in the Anointed One. Each one of us is joined with one another, and we become together what we could not be alone. Since our gifts vary depending on the grace poured out on each of us, it is important that we exercise the gifts we have been given...." (VOICE).