Thanksgiving X ~

5-11 November:  In the past week, I was thankful for the "new" view from my window as the big leaves fall from the tree that provides shade from the summer sun; thankful for the catalogs that give access to items we'll need for winter up here on the prairie (and all the ways they can be delivered); thankful for this precious assurance from Psalm 126:5-6: "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. [Those] who continually go forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing . . . sheaves with [them]." (New King James Version); thankful for continuing connections with dear ones via internet options; thankful to know of the three angels of Revelation 14 and their end-time message for humanity; thankful, too, for these words from Ephesians 1:9-10: "God revealed His hidden design to us, which is according to His goodwill and the plan that He intended to accomplish through His Son. This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth" (Common English Bible); thankful for each breath I take - a function given by my Creator that takes no effort, no "remembering"; thankful, too, for the marvelous pump that circulates the oxygen-rich blood to my brain and body, then carries out the "trash" and is refilled with oxygen - over and over again; thankful to read the words of praise in Psalm 139:13-15: "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion!" (Today's Language Bible); thankful for all the promises that can be found in the Word of God (2 Corinthians 1:29); thankful that our Father hears our prayers (Psalm 34:15); thankful, too, to read of God's faithful from times past - of their witness: “... Maybe you don’t want to serve the Lord. You must choose for yourselves today. Today you must decide who you will serve. .... You must choose for yourselves. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15; Easy Reading Version); thankful for "the blessed hope" I have, that our Savior is soon coming in the clouds to take His people to be forever together with our Father, in His kingdom; thankful that today's difficulties don't last long; thankful for this beautiful promise from Isaiah 1:17-19 where we read: " 'Learn to do good, to be fair, and to help the poor, the fatherless, and widows. Come, let’s talk this over', says the Lord; 'no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool! If you will only let Me help you, if you will only obey, then I will make you rich!'" (The Living Bible); thankful for this peace that is beyond my ability to understand, a peace that can only be the gift our Savior promised (John 14:27); ALWAYS thankful for our heavenly Father's watch-care over our wandering ones - those who've lost their way and those who've not yet found their way to a life of fulfillment in His love; and I was thankful for past experiences that have laid a firm foundation of trusting Him, no matter the circumstances.