Thanksgiving X ~

 155-21 October:  In the past week, I have been thankful to know that "helping" is not always helpful - and seeking to recognize the times it has become enabling; I was thankful for the times when help promotes personal growth; thankful to join in the words of praise found in 2 Samuel 7:22 where they are recorded: “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!" (New Living Translation); thankful for the absolute confidence that comes as we put our trust in our loving Father; thankful that He knows our every trial and its solution as we give our cares to Him; thankful for the precious words written by the prophet, Jeremiah: "'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you', saith the Lord, 'thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.'" (Jeremiah 29:11-13; King James Version); thankful for the ride via Prairie Transport up to Lewiston for the prescribed physical therapy to treat lymphedema in my legs; thankful for Psalm 108 - a beautiful song of praise; thankful for the promise of Ezekiel 11:19-20 (and repeated in Ezekiel 36:26-27 and in Hebrews 8:10-12) : "And I will give (you) one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of (your) flesh, and will give (you) an heart of flesh: that (you) may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and (you) shall be my people, and I will be (your) God." (Adapted); thankful for the good words from the physical therapist working with me for the swelling in these old legs; thankful for photos that are reminders of a visit for leaf-peeping in New England a few years back - autumn beauty abounds there (and in other spots 'round the world that hold precious memories of fall foliage); thankful to read these words from Psalm 27:14 where the psalmist wrote: "Don’t be impatient. Wait for the Lord, and He will come and save you! Be brave, stouthearted, and courageous. Yes, wait and He will help you." (The Living Bible); thankful to see the morning sunlight  - another day with fair skies to start!  I was thankful to know that God's Law - the Ten Commandments - is still in effect as the guide for our lives; thankful for the message of Psalm 37:4 (especially after I discovered that the Hebrew word that is translated here as "delight" means "to bend to", as to the lead in dancing): "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (New King James Version); thankful for a driver (other than D.D.!) who will get my helper and me to the city for twice weekly PT sessions; thankful for the patches of blue seen in the sky of a morning; thankful for this beautiful tho't from Habakkuk 3:17-18: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." (New International Version); thankful as I wake to a new Sabbath morning, anticipating a day filled with fresh opportunities for worship and praise; I was thankful to have had safe travel with a new driver as we traveled to the urban area north of us for the twice-weekly appointment; and I am thankful for this message from Galatians 6:9-10 where we read: "Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in. So then, while we [as individual believers] have the opportunity, let us do good to all people [not only being helpful, but also doing that which promotes their spiritual well-being], and especially [be a blessing] to those of the household of faith." (Amplified Bible).