Thanksgiving XII ~

27 April-3 May:  In the past week, I was thankful for the sunshine glowing on the hilltops I see from my window - promise of another fine day; thankful for the memory of an old song, "There is Sunlight in My Soul Today" and the extra boost of courage it can give when there IS no sunshine on the hills around here;  thankful for this promise from the Word; "God is indeed my salvation; I will trust and won’t be afraid. Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my shield; He has become my salvation.’”(Isaiah 12:2, Common English Bible); thankful for the songs my heart remembers - from the songs of childhood ("Jesus Loves Me") and youth through yesterday's melodies; thankful for those who compose the music and write the songs for us to enjoy; thankful for this musical passage from Scripture; "“The Lord your God is in your midst, a Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (Zephaniah 3:17; Amplified Bible); thankful for the ways in which our Father makes His ways known to us, alerting us when our plans don't agree with those He has for our future; thankful each time travel is completed without flats, break-downs, or other mishaps; thankful for this message from Job 19:25: "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth" (New American Standard Bible); thankful for a new day with all the blessings that come along with it; for my family here - and all the dear ones from the next state, and across the country - you are loved!  I was thankful for the hope of a future where boundaries of space and time will no longer keep us apart - heaven is in our future, Jesus is coming soon!

I was thankful for the blessed gift of faith - faith from above and in our Father, faith in those around me proven trustworthy; thankful for each new day of life and the strength that will come with it (Deuteronomy 33:25); thankful for this definition of faith from Hebrews 11:3,6 where it is written: "By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him." (Amplified Bible); thankful for more warm sunshine flooding thru' my window; thankful for the Good Book that is filled with the Father's counsel, His promises, and for this message from that Book: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15, New King James Version);

thankful to see the foliage and flower-buds on the tree outside my window showing more strength than in the past several weeks; thankful for spring, for sunlight, and for sunshine in my heart; and I was thankful for this counsel from Philippians 4:8: "Here is a last piece of advice. If you believe in goodness and if you value the approval of God, fix your minds on the things which are holy and right and pure and beautiful and good" (PHILLIPS).