Thanksgiving XI ~

 10-16 March:  In the week that has just passed, I was thankful for mercy - that our heavenly Father ". . . has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10); thankful for His grace - the complement to His mercy in not giving me what I rightly deserve - grace gives me all I do NOT deserve; thankful for this assurance from 2 Corinthians 5:21, ". . . He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (New King James Version); thankful for the "retired" status the allows me to arise on my schedule and not someone else's; thankful for all the timekeepers that automatically reset themselves - only the clock on my wall requires adjustment twice every year (and now-and-then replacement of its batteries); thankful to read this description of our God from Deuteronomy 7:8 where it is written: "... Remember that the Lord your God is the only God, and you can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kindness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations." (Easy Reading Version); thankful for all the "I will . . . ." promises I find in God's Word - all the blessings He gives with assurances He will do exactly as He says (e.g. Ezekiel 36:16, 25-27); thankful for another promise every parent should know, Isaiah 49:25; thankful for a lifetime of experiencing a loving heavenly Father; thankful to see robins - the first I've seen this year - flocking on our lawn (much to Dandee's dismay!); thankful for the longer evenings with - another indication spring is on its way - the return of Daylight Saving Time (an oxymoron if I ever heard one! But I AM thankful for the longer evenings); thankful for these words from Romans 8:28: "We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose" (Common English Version); thankful that the sun - though obscured by clouds - is ever, always shining; thankful for the snow and rain that water the thirsty earth; thankful for the apostle's counsel in 1 Peter 1:5-8 where we read: "This is why you must make every effort to add moral excellence to your faith; and to moral excellence, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, godliness; and to godliness, affection for others; and to affection for others, love. If all these are yours and they are growing in you, they’ll keep you from becoming inactive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Common English Bible); thankful for sunlight coming straight thru' my window - Spring is ALMOST here!  I was thankful for the continual grace that surrounds me - another kind of "spring" , for my heart; thankful for the message of Acts 4:12: "There is salvation in no one [but Jesus], for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved!” (Tree of Life Version); thankful for my dear family - sons and daughters, near and far away (HAPPY BIRTHDAY! to you, Robert!) - and the DS&DDIL, the grands and great-grands they've added to the family; thankful that God's Word has been preserved through the years and is still applicable for us who believe; and I was thankful for this message from 2 Timothy 3:16 - "Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character," (Common English Bible).