Thanksgiving XII ~

 2-8 February: During this past week, I was thankful for the blessing of promises and affirmations from the Word; thankful for the blessing of fresh fruit - even mangoes! - in the wintertime; thankful for this promise from 1 Corinthians 2:9: ". . . As Scripture says: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him” (God's Word); thankful for a brain that is still at work and limbs that respond appropriately to its directions; I was thankful for the wonderful ways our Creator made us to self-repair when injury or illness cause damage - just consider, for example, the mending of broken bones or rebuilding of tissue after being lacerated; thankful, every day as I consider these words from Psalm 59:16 where we are told: ". . . I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble" (Holman's Christian Standard Bible); thankful for the quiet hush of my world during a snowfall - the usual noise from the daytime is dampered and my place is a peaceful spot; thankful that my carer didn't get buried when she drove up from Kamiah in the snow - she surely has angels that accompany her on the way up and back in this wintry weather!  I was thankful the words from King David's heart (that are mine as well) that are recorded in Psalm 18:1-2 where we read: "I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my safe-covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower." (New Life Version).  

I was thankful for warmth and shelter; thankful for Dorothy Eaton Watts' little book "Prayer Country", with its suggestions for enriching one's prayer life; thankful for this assurance from Psalm 33:4-5 where it is written: "... The word of the Eternal is perfect and true; His actions are always faithful and right.

He loves virtue and equity; the Eternal’s love fills the whole earth." (VOICE); thankful for the hymns and songs that hang in memories corridors - joyful music in my mind; I was thankful to have seen a family of squirrels yesterday - two adults and a half-grown one - vying to be first at the hanging bird-feeder;  thankful for the promise found in Isaiah 41:13 which reads: "I am holding you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God—and I say to you, 'Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you'" (The Living Bible); thankful for the bright light reflecting through my window - light always cheers my day; for the Sonlight in my heart - what a precious blessing!  I was thankful for the promise of Malachi 4:2: ". . . For you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays." (New International Version from the United Kingdom); thankful for another Sabbath, the day God set aside at the end of Creation week as a blessing for all He'd made (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11 - even the animals to be given rest!); I was thankful for waking early with thoughts of praise in my head; and thankful for the admonition of Jesus, who said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]." (Matthew 5:43-45; Amplified Bible).