Thanksgiving XI ~

 7-13 January:  In the past week, I was thankful for the ministry of our Pastor, Steve, and his wife, Becky, who cover the needs of four separate communities, and do this well; I was thankful for our church family that meets in Grangeville week by week; thankful to see this counsel in Ephesians 5:1-2 where we read: "You are God’s dear children, so try to be like him. Live a life of love. Love others just as Christ loved us. He gave himself for us—a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God." (Easy Reading Version); thankful for blessing upon blessing that is an everyday occurrence in my long life - even the days that have brought pain have also brought blessings; I was thankful for the marvelous physical blessings of automaticity in heartbeat, respiration, and other body functions that our Creator designed; thankful as I read these words from Amos 5:14-15 where they are written: "Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said.  Hate evil and love good, and establish justice ...." (New Revised Standard Version); thankful to have had positive words from my nephrologist at our visit yesterday; thankful that the roads were not icy as we drove up to Moscow (Idaho, not the other one!) yesterday; thankful for the counsel of Jesus from Matthew 6:19-21 where it is written: "Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice—don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (VOICE); thankful for the wise words I found in an old fb post - old, but absolutely true; thankful for the hugs that come from family and friends; thankful, too, for the cautionary message of Jeremiah 7:23-24: ". . . I told them, 'I will be your God, and you will be My people. Follow Me every step of the way into a life that is good.' But they didn’t trust Me. They didn’t obey My voice. They refused to listen to Me. Instead they followed the plans of their own stubborn hearts. Each step was a step backward, not forward" (VOICE); I was thankful for the daily blessing in recognizing our Father's faithfulness to His Word; thankful for the house we live in and its many comforts; thankful for this message from Isaiah 43:1-3: ". . . Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One. . . ." (The Living Bible); thankful for a new day and the strength that is given to meet its needs;  thankful for the songs with which the Father fills my heart; thankful for this precious message from Isaiah 44:3: ". . . I will pour water on [one] who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring." (World English Bible); thankful for a new Sabbath morning with all the blessings - more than just adequate strength for the day and clear mental processes - our Father provides; thankful for the programming that is available on Hopetv.org, 3ABN, and other sites via my computer; and I was thankful for this message from 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 where we read: "... God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And He has given us the work of sharing His message about peace. We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God." (Contemporary English Version).