Thanksgiving XII ~

13-19 April:  During the past week, I was thankful for my sister, beginning a new trip around our star  - Happy Birthday, Evie!; I was thankful for the concept of April showers bringing May flowers; thankful for the assurance that one can experience a fresh start by being "born again" - "You have been reborn—not from seed that eventually dies but from seed that is eternal—through the word of God that lives and endures forever." (I Peter 1:23; VOICE. See also II Corinthians 5:17); thankful to start my day with a prayer copied from a favorite book and used, morning by morning: "Take my heart, I cannot give it, it is Your property ...."; thankful to know the message God has given in His Word (and to be learning more, day by day); thankful as I experience the truth of these words from Lamentations 3:21-24 where we read: "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,'therefore I will hope in Him.'” (Revised Standard Version); thankful for rain, the"female rain", the Dine' people call it, that gently waters a thirsty earth ("male rain" is rain of a different sort!); thankful that the Creator formed both female and male in fauna AND flora species as evidence of a relational nature among the Godhead; thankful for the Scripture's admonition found in Romans 13:4-6 where it is written: "... The ruler is a servant of God called to serve and benefit you. But he is also a servant of God executing wrath upon those who practice evil.... So submission is not optional; it’s required. But don’t just submit for the sake of avoiding punishment; submit and abide by the laws because your conscience leads you to do the right thing. Pay your taxes for the same reason because the authorities are servants of God, giving their full attention to take care of these things." (VOICE) - cf Matthew 22:21.

I was thankful for another new day and all the blessings that will come with it; thankful for the grace and mercy from God that are new EVERY morning (Lamentations 3:22-23); and thankful that our Father still hears and answers prayers; thankful for the hope of the promised resurrection given us in Jesus; thankful for all the wonderful promises in God's Word, what hope we have as we take them for ourselves; so thankful that every day I am "[crowned] with lovingkindness and tender mercies" (Psalm 103:4; New King James Version); thankful for another sunrise - streams of golden and pink light reflecting off a streaked cloud layer; thankful for the bird-feeders hanging in the big tree outside my window and attracting busy flocks of goldfinches (and sometimes a squirrel or two!); and I was thankful for this truth from Romans 10:9-10 where we read: ". . . If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and in your heart you have faith that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Trusting with the heart leads to righteousness, and confessing with the mouth leads to salvation" (Common English Bible).

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