Thanksgiving XI ~

30 June-6 July:  During this past week, I was thankful to have been freed from a whining spirit, frustration with the things I am unable to control; I was thankful for a desire to see my life through my Father's eyes and for His Word to guide me; thankful as I look forward to the day ". . . the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one." (Zechariah 14:9; King James Version); thankful of a morning for sound sleep and a sense of refreshment on awakening - what a blessing rest provides!   I was thankful to see patches of blue in sky where only grey showed yesterday; thankful for this promise: “I will seek the lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up the broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. . . ." (Ezekiel 34:16, Darby Translation); thankful that - in spite of my imperfections - I still can be used by the Creator to bless someone else; thankful to know that when things begin to close in, I can follow Jesus' example - to slip away and find a quiet place to pray; thankful for the cautionary message of Jeremiah17:9-10: “Nothing can hide its evil as well as the human mind. It can be very sick, and no one really understands it. But I am the Lord, and I can look into a person’s heart. I can test a person’s mind and decide what each one should have. I can give each person the right payment for what they do." (Easy to Read Version); thankful for God's promise to forgive when I confess my errors, my unwillingness to do life His way; thankful that He knows my heart when I'm unable to pray; thankful, too, for these words from Psalm 77:11 - good counsel for us today: "Once again I’ll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; I’ll ponder all the things You’ve accomplished, and give a long, loving look at Your acts." (Message); thankful to live in what is still a land where I am free to live with few restrictions for choosing "righteousness"; I was thankful to be here in "the home of the brave" - many who have put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms; thankful to be one who has responded to the Father's desire to make us His OWN - "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance." (Psalm 33:11-12; New American Standard Bible);  thankful for the beautiful colors painted in the skies by the Creator's hand in the sunrise; I'm thankful to see the huge buds on the yellow rose in front of the house - lots of them; and I am thankful to read these words from Isaiah 12:3-5 where it is written: "... With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation. And in that day you will say,'Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name [in prayer]. Make His deeds known among the peoples [of the earth]; proclaim [to them] that His name is exalted!' Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done excellent and glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth." (Amplified Bible).