Thanksgiving XII ~

18-24 May:  In the past week, I was thankful for all the blessings of the Father's mercy, His graces that are fresh every morning (Lamentations 3:22-24); thankful that my U. S. passport is adequate to provide "real" identification in today's world; thankful for this beautiful promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (English Standard Version); thankful for the gift of life God has granted - my 86th year has been filled with blessings galore and I'm eager for the tomorrows to be revealed; thankful for the greetings coming from family and friends;  thankful for these words from Psalm 9:1-2: "O Lord, I will praise you with all my heart and tell everyone about the marvelous things you do. I will be glad, yes, filled with joy because of you. I will sing your praises, O Lord God above all gods" (The Living Bible); thankful for all the HAPPY BIRTHDAY! wishes that have arrived from family and friends far and near; thankful for feast planned with carer and driver today - what fun!  I was thankful for the precious message from John 1:12: ". . . To as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—" (Amplified Bible); thankful for blue skies and sunlight gleaming from the roofs of buildings on the hill above us - promises of a fine morning; thankful for waking to enjoy this sunrise; I was thankful to echo the psalmist who wrote Psalm 31:7 where we read: "I will be glad and rejoice in Your lovingkindness, for You have seen my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities."(Modern English Version); thankful this day for the family that is seeking the beautiful and willing to invest time and resources to add to the beauty around us here; thankful to have five senses intact - to be able to see, feel the textures of the four-legged friends around me, smell different fragrances, taste, and hear - adequately when face-to-face (or to be warned with a shout!); thankful for the promise of Isaiah 46:4-5: ". . . I will still be carrying you when you are old. Your hair will turn gray, and I will still carry you. I made you, and I will carry you to safety. Can you compare Me to anyone? No one is equal to Me. You cannot understand everything about Me. There is nothing like Me" (Easy to Read Version); thankful to live in a country where we are still free to worship God - or not - as we choose; thankful for those who are willing to go to places where this freedom is unknown and share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (and for all who are supporting their efforts); thankful for the clarity of these words of Jesus from Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come." (Revised Standard Version); thankful for ALL the blessings of the week that is past; thankful for the peace that the Sabbath brings; for enough - and so much more!

Thanksgiving XII ~

11-17 May:  During the past week, I was thankful to be alive, to be breathing and to have brain cells kicking into gear with adequate speed; thankful that the littlest family member is sleeping more of the night-time hours; thankful for the heavenly Father whose steadfast love and tender mercies cause Him to be seeking us in spite of our wrong-headed fear and distrust of Him (Jeremiah 31:3); thankful for the greetings I received yesterday in celebration of Mothers' Day; thankful for the gift of all my children and the love with which they've filled my life; thankful for the message found in the MESSAGE Bible - 1 Chronicles 16:8-12: "Thank God! Call out His Name! Tell the whole world who He is and what He’s done! Sing to Him! Play songs for Him! Broadcast all His wonders! Revel in His holy Name, God-seekers, be jubilant! Study God and His strength, seek His presence day and night. . . ." 

I was thankful for the blessings of sunshine and rain with the understanding that all good gifts have been given by our heavenly Father; thankful for His Word that explains much of what can be hard to understand by human reckoning; thankful as I peruse this message written in Job 28:28 where we read: "He said to human beings, 'Have respect for the Lord. That will prove you are wise. Avoid evil. That will show you have understanding.'” (New International Reader's Version); thankful for the years blessed by living with a wise and wonderful mother who lived a "can do" life relying on our Father for every trial that crossed her way; thankful for the privilege of motherhood (and especially that my children are still speaking to me after all the mistakes I made during their lives!); thankful for this thought from Psalm 139:13-14: "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it." (The Living Bible); thankful for how often I find, reading in Psalms, a call to gratitude and praise; thankful for the multitude of blessings our Father has provided through the more than 85 years of my life; I was thankful for daily renewal of His grace and mercy for all - ". . . new every morning. . . ." Lamentations 3:23; thankful for the privilege of prayer.   What a blessing to be able to come, confidently, before God's throne with our praise, our thanks, and our requests, because we've been invited; thankful for the dear grand-children and great-grand children (and great-great-grands!) with which I've been blessed, what a joy as I watch them grow and develop into the people they were meant to be; and I was thankful, too, for the faithful counsel of the Scriptures - as true today as when Paul wrote: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that [God's people] may be complete, equipped for every good work" 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (English Standard Version).

I was thankful for dear carers and others who have added to my joy with visits through the past week; thankful that the forecasts of "rain" in the coming week do NOT mean there will be no sunlight, no patches of blue; and I was thankful for the depth of these words from Romans 11:33 where they are written: "Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand His decisions or explain what He does?" (Common English Version).

Thanksgiving XII ~

4-10 May:  In the past week; I was thankful for the privilege of living life as the daughter of the King;  thankful for the privilege of prayer - the knowledge that our Father's ears are tuned to the praise and supplications of His children; thankful for the promise found in 2 Chronicles 7:14-15: "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer that is made. . . ." (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition); thankful to see the beautiful blossoms developing on the tree outside my window - the leaves and flower-buds have looked sick, but today life has been restored; thanks, too, for the Master's healing touch in our sin-sick minds; thankful for these words from a favorite passage in Philippians 4:6-7: " Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus" (Common English Bible); thankful for the new raspberry bushes D.D. has transplanted in our yard - summer delights in store; thankful for lilac blossoms that are a delight to both eyes AND nose; thankful for these words from James 5:15-16: "Prayers offered in faith will save those who are sick, and the Lord will cure them. If you have sinned, you will be forgiven. So admit your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you will be healed. Prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective" (God's Word); thankful for all the "whosoever" promises of Jesus - they surely include me; thankful for the multitude of everyday blessings that grace my life; I was thankful to read this beautiful admonition from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 where it is written: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (King James Version); for the assurance that our Father is a faithful promise-keeper - as Joshua told the people at his life's end, ". . . not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed" Joshua 23:14. He's still the same, His promises are sure. The answers are not promised in MY time, but His - I may feel His response is delayed, but ". . . the vision is yet for an appointed time; . . . at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" Habakkuk 2:3. He knows what's ahead and when it will be most needed. We can trust Him, for not one word of those promises will fail! 

I was thankful for another day with bright sunshine coming through my window; thankful for the "heavenly sunlight" shining in my heart: thankful for these words from Romans 8:1-2: ". . . There is now no condemnation for the ones in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set you free from the law of sin and death!" (Disciples Literal New Testament); thankful for the beautiful example of aging gracefully my mother provided during her mature years - never complaining, always with some helpful thing to do; thankful for the mothers among my daughters and dear-daughters-in-law - you are greatly esteemed! And I was thankful for the grace given by my heavenly Father in adopting me as a daughter in His family.

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).

Thanksgiving XII ~

20-26 April:  During the past week, I was thankful for the assurances of our Father's great love for each of His children; thankful for each day with sunny skies in the forecast; thankful for the message of Zechariah 13:9 that reads: "Then I will purify them and put them to the test, just as gold and silver are purified and tested. They will pray in my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'You are my people,' and they will reply,'You, Lord, are our God!'” (Common English Version); thankful for more sun shine; thankful for angel companions who whisper words of correction and encouragement to me; thankful for the affirmation and promise found in John 10:28-30 where it is written: "I give them a life that is unceasing, and death will not have the last word. Nothing or no one can steal them from My hand. My Father has given the flock to Me, and He is superior to all beings and things. No one is powerful enough to snatch the flock from My Father’s hand. The Father and I are one." (VOICE); thankful for re-engaging with W.W. - a program which has adapted in many ways since its beginning and now is friendly to those who choose a P.B.W.F. (plant-based whole-foods) style of eating; thankful, as always, to see the sunbeams dancing outside my window; and thankful for the message of Psalm 30:4-5 where it is written: "Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life;Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (New King James Version); thankful for the privilege of prayer - prayer for family and friends, for all those in local,state, and federal government positions (and the leaders of nations 'round the world!); thankful for the promise in John 14:13-14 that as we pray in Jesus' name our prayers are answered; thankful to read this "exceeding great and precious" promise from Jeremiah 31:33-35 where it is written: "... 'This is the covenant which I will make ... after those days', says the Lord: 'I will put My law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest,' says the Lord; 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.'” (Revised Standard Version); I was thankful for God's perfect peace, peace that passes all understanding, that He gives in difficult situations; thankful for this thought from Tim Hansel: "Happiness is a FEELING; joy is an ATTITUDE, a posture,a position, a place."; thankful to agree with these words from Isaiah 25:1 where they are written: "O Lord, You are my God. I will praise You. I will give thanks to Your name. For You have been faithful to do great things, plans that You made long ago." (New Life Version);

thankful for a fresh lemon to juice for my regular morning libation (hot water plus a couple tbsp. of lemon juice); thankful to be able to see the leaf buds on the Horse-chestnut swelling - getting ready to burst, and produce the beautiful blossom clusters that tell me spring is REALLY here; thankful for the message of Colossians 1:27-28, where it is written: "God wanted to make the glorious riches of [His] secret plan known among the Gentiles, which is Christ living in you, the hope of glory. This is what we preach as we warn and teach every person with all wisdom so that we might present each one mature in Christ." (Common English Bible) - I'm no "preacher", but I AM one who believes we are all, as believers, called to share God's good news in our circles of family and friends!  And I was thankful for the blessing of the Sabbath - the pause in our busy round of everyday activities that refreshes my spirit and promotes relationship with the eternal; thankful for all the "whosoever" promises of Jesus - they surely include me; and I was thankful for the multitude of everyday blessings that grace my life.

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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Thanksgiving XII ~

 6-12 April:  During the past week, I was thankful for the energy given me day by day; thankful for the robins checking out possible nesting sites in the tree outside my window; thankful for the message given in the Worldwide English Bible (Luke 9:58): "Jesus said, `Foxes have holes to live in. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lie down to rest" - and He's given me a lovely home in my old age; thankful that our Father still hears and answers the prayers of our hearts when we call on Him for help;  thankful for springtime on the Camas Prairie - the flowers are coming!  I was thankful for these words from Jeremiah 24:7 where this is written: "... I will give them a heart that they might know me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." (Jubilee Bible 2000); thankful for the dear daughter with whom I join to celebrate the day of her birth - wishing you a delightful day and a year of blessings to follow!   I was grateful for assistance in keeping the upstairs element of this big house tidy; thankful for the blessings God has given me through the lives of ALL my children!  I was thankful to see sunshine flooding through my window and a weather forecast that predicts a "mostly sunny" day; thankful that my D.S.I.L. was willing and able to assist in my bedtime routine (D.D. was away tending to another family member); thankful for this description of our Savior from Hebrews 1:1-3 where it is written: "Long ago in many ways and at many times God’s prophets spoke His message to our ancestors. But now at last, God sent His Son to bring His message to us. God created the universe by His Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son. God’s Son has all the brightness of God’s own glory and is like Him in every way. By His own mighty word, He holds the universe together. After the Son had washed away our sins, He sat down at the right side of the glorious God in heaven." (Common English Version); thankful to see big patches of blue overhead - may not last all day, but I was thankful for something other than precipitation; thankful for the showers of blessing that are raining down day after day; thankful for the message written in Romans 5:6-8 where we read: "For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. But God commends His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (World English Bible); 

thankful for the gifts our Father pours out for me day after day - life, health, the measure of strength that remains, and SO much more; thankful for the gift of the Spirit and His work in my life; and I am thankful for the greatest gift God gave us, His Son, who "He took on our sins in His body when He died on the cross so that we, being dead to sin, can live for righteousness. As the Scripture says, “Through His wounds, you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24; VOICE);

thankful for the love and mercy with which our Father covers us day by day; thankful for the assurances of protection as He keeps us in His care - we may "sleep" for a moment, but the 'forever" life He's promised is secure; and I was thankful for these words from John 3:35-36: “The One that God sent speaks God’s words. And don’t think He rations out the Spirit in bits and pieces. The Father loves the Son extravagantly. He turned everything over to Him so He could give it away—a lavish distribution of gifts. That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn’t see life. . . ." (Message).

Thanksgiving XII ~

30 March-5 April:  During the past week, I was thankful for the assurance that the Father knows our difficulties and troubles (Psalm 34:19, Isaiah 63:9 and many others), that He knows our pain and suffers with us; that there WILL come a day when there will be "no more" of these things that cause heartache (Revelation 21:4); for the peace that comes when I remember that He truly does have the world in His hands, I was thankful that ". . . the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7); thankful for a trip into the "big city" north of us for the annual hearing evaluation; thankful, ALWAYS, for safe travel out and back; thankful as I remember these powerful words from Isaiah 53:5-6 as we move toward the observance of Resurrection Sunday: "... He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all." (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition); thankful for another bright and beautiful sunlight-filled morning; thankful for the years of my life past the "threescore and ten" the Bible calls "the days of our years" (Psalm 90:10) - like any life, there have been paths I'd rather not travel again, but the Master is faithful and He's NEVER left me alone; thankful for this promise from Hosea 14:4: ". . . I will cure you of . . . faithlessness, and my love will know no bounds. . . ." (The Living Bible); thankful for a night of sound sleep and the restoration that it brings; thankful for the creative cooks and their recipes (illustrated in various media) focused on the things that promote good health; thankful for the precious gift of prayer - no cost to the pray-er, and immediate connection with heaven!  I was thankful to know spring has come in spite of what I see as I look from my window - yesterday was an interesting mix of fluffy snowflakes and wind with periods of sunshine and blue skies!  I was thankful for the blessing of tissue repair and healing that occurs after an injury - nothing less than a miracle; thankful to read this counsel from Hebrews 12:2 where it is written: "We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne." (Easy to Read Version); thankful for a toasty abode that keeps me warm and dry in April snow; thankful for the family that surrounds me with love and affection; thankful for this message from Ephesians 1:7-10 where we read: "In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him, [He planned] ... to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth." (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition);

thankful for a new day of life and the promise of strength for the day; thankful that I can live confidently as a daughter of our heavenly Father, who is love; and I was thankful for the message of 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 where it is written: "We are ruled by Christ’s love for us. We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died. And Christ did die for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us." (Common English Bible).

Thanksgiving XII ~

 23-29 March:  During the past week, I was thankful for each new day of life and strength to meet its challenges; thankful for the "blessed hope" of a soon returning Savior; thankful for this message from James 1:12: "Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They will receive the life God has promised to those who love him as their reward." (Common English Bible); thankful for the books on my bedroom shelves - good friends for many years (some of them), others that are new acquaintances; thankful for the porridge waiting for my breakfast; and thankful for this promise from Malachi 3:10: "The Lord All-Powerful says, “Try this test. Bring one-tenth of your things to me. Put them in the treasury. Bring food to my house. Test me! If you do these things, I will surely bless you. Good things will come to you like rain falling from the sky. You will have more than enough of everything" (Easy to Read Version); thankful to be able to sleep and rest in the night hours; thankful to know that, according to Jesus - and to others through whom the Word of God was given - what happens when our physical body stops working is dreamless sleep from which all will awake to their eternal reward when Jesus returns (John 11:11-15; Daniel 12:2); I was thankful for this message in 1 John 1:9 where it is written: "If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]." (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition); thankful for another night of sound sleep and the defragging that sleep provides for a weary brain; thankful to wake to a brand new day - with anticipation for seeing the blessings that will come; thankful as I read again a favorite promise from God"s Word - in Ezekiel 11:19-20 where it is written: "I will give them a new heart and a new mind. I will take away their stubborn heart of stone and will give them an obedient heart. Then they will keep my laws and faithfully obey all my commands. They will be my people, and I will be their God." (Good News Translation); thankful for all the books that have brought blessings into my life; I'm always thankful for sound sleep, two nights in a row is a rare occurrence; thankful to know that "My help and glory are in God—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—So trust Him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for Him. God is a safe place to be." (Psalm 62:7; Message); thankful that I have learned a bit about the beautiful KOI fish that grace ponds in many parts of the world - all from seeking for something "fancy"; thankful to the fellows in the big truck who come by every week to haul away our trash; thankful to read this message from Jeremiah 15:20-21, a message to all who are experiencing a time of uncertainty: "'... I am with you. I will help you, and I will save you.' This message is from the Lord. 'I will save you from these evil people. They frighten you, but I will save you from them.'” (Easy to Read Version);

thankful then to be keeping my weekly appointment with the Creator on the day He made holy (Genesis 2:3) and told us to remember (Exodus 20:8); thankful for the beautiful daffodils that brighten even the grayest days; and SO thankful for my Father's provision of all my needs - and many "wants" too!