Let me see, I'm running late because the dog ate our COVID procedures. Joking only!

Happy Friday everyone here on this October 30, 2020. I bring you greetings from COVID isolation day four, I think, and, it is good to visit with everyone again. The wife says it is hard on her to be treating our Jimmy like a prisoner. She thinks that way because we take him his food and leave it at his door. Of course, these days require us to be careful. The technician I talked to who gave me my test result which was negative made some recommendations on her own. She said if we were in the same household as someone who has tested positive, and we are, that in her opinion we should operate as if we all tested positive. She also said that it often takes several days before an exposed person might test positive. We await the results from the wife's test. We should get them today. Oh well, we are getting input from different sources, and, I quickly add how thankful we are for so many who care. We are doing fine, thus far, and our approach is to take reasonable precautions and to depend on the Lord. Thanks for all the prayers offered up on our behalf. Amen. 

Speaking of thankfulness, here's one I wrote some time ago: 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009

The Basis for True Thankfulness!

I bid you greetings on a very foggy morning with very low visibility around our area. However, we can with clarity anticipate this as Thanksgiving week and I am thankful for the opportunity to use this means of communication to express my thankfulness on this Monday, November 23, 2009. Our local family is planning a huge get together for Thursday and I am an easy mark when it comes to being sentimental about this time of year. There's so many memories that flood my soul, and yes, many of them are so very precious to me. This week I want to occupy this space with some of my thoughts on the subject of having a thankful heart. Today I want to start with the basis of true thankfulness and that relates to me knowing God and Him knowing me. Sounds simple enough but to know God as Father and for Him to know me as His very own child brings forth praise and thanksgiving because there is no privilege or prize greater than this. Therefore, I am thankful that I recognize God as being Who He has revealed Himself to be, I have responded to Him by accepting the payment made for my sins by His Son, My Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and I live and breathe with His abiding presence as He through His Holy Spirit lives within me.

I love the story about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving Day celebration here in our country as well as the next fellow, and I will get to many other blessings as this week progresses, but for today I want to bask in the privilege of being a child of God. The Good News is that all who respond to God's provision through His Son can be saved, can be made whole, and can be thankful for God's grace, mercy, and His great love. Some of my favorite verses that come to mind when I think about what it means to know God and be known by Him are found in Jeremiah. In the 9th Chapter we read these words: 23) Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24) But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

The Prophet puts forth the foundation for true thankfulness and I join Jeremiah in reminding us all that to know and recognize God in a personal way transcends all that we might experience in this life. Therefore, I start this week where we all will be thinking about so many thoughts and ideas about thanksgiving with an encouragement that we envelop them all with God Himself as the basis of our thankful hearts. The writer of Hebrews said those who would please God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Read Chapter 11.) May we all focus in on our diligence this week in our seeking to honor Him with hearts overflowing with praise, worship, adoration, and thankfulness. When our thankfulness reflects the reality of Him in our lives then the rest of the details will find their rightful place. May God help each of us to honor Him by observing Him in His rightful first place in all things including our thankfulness! Amen. .....More later.