The Sacrifice of Thanks giving

"Let them sacrifice the sacrifice of Thanks giving, and declare HIS works with rejoicing." Psalm 102:22

There was a time in my life when i did not understand what that verse meant, "the sacrifice of thanks giving" but now I do. When times for a family are tough and times for the nation are worst, and times for the world at large is even worst, then giving thanks takes an attitude of sacrifice. An "I don't feel much like praising you GOD but I am going to obey Your word and do it anyway" determination. Lifting up the Holy and Sacred Name of God the Father when one is far from home, and one's family is distraught, and one's children are "growing emotionally, spiritually, psychologically with angst" [my description,not theirs], and one's tiny grandchildren are lonely and miss their "nanny" and one's husband has turmoil, then for me, it takes a "bulldawg*" perseverance to forget all those problems for a while,and praise the Name of God, and remember all of His excellent interventions on my behalf and on behalf of my children and grandchildren. So here is my list of Thanks giving today, the official thanksgiving day but I am thankful every day for:
A merciful and loving God who has so much compassion and pity for me and my children and grandchildren; who loves me; and HIS written word, the Bible;
A husband who loves me; and whom I love;
Children who are healthy, intelligent, in good health, with inquistive minds and the knowledge of The HOLY God; and are precious to me;
Grandchildren who are sweet, adorable, unselfish, kind and all together wonderful and who are precious to me;
A mother living, and brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews by the almost dozen, and cousins in the dozens too;
having grown up on a farm that taught me to love the land, and to work hard, and to witness the way the physical earth
produces food for humans and animals, and have a sense of being a part of that;
a legacy of having continuity in my family and in my life by being involved in something bigger than me, the Poole family that
spans centuries, and included in the mighty Murray family that originated in Scotland and now spans the globe, and the Bliss family that has accomplished so much for the world;
a warm, safe environment;
enough food and clean water daily, in fact usually more than enough;
talent that is a gift from God that enables me to write poetry, prose, essays, and paint beautiful paintings with oils and acrylics, and draw with pen and ink, and pencil, and create jewelry and websites, blogs, decorate cakes, and make dolls and costumes, and sing praises to God and just sing! How I love to sing!
a good University of Georgia education in business management,, and Georgia Baptist in nursing;
the Georgia Baptists for their upbringing of me that taught me the pure love of God and the Scriptures, and who as a group in convention commit to stay true to the Bible, and the words of God;
my father's discipline and faith in me that allowed me to have confidence in myself and have a get it done attitude;
my father's love and living a lifestyle nearly puritan in some ways, with no turning to the right or to the left on some issues who set the standard of absolute fidelity to one's spouse, and truth, and decency, and community service; whose "no" meant "no" and there was no doubt about his views or his beliefs; a man who was like the rock of Gibraltar in many, many ways;
the equipment I need to write and publish scriptures and the prolife message of the right to life for all;
a comfortable Executive chair that replaced the uncomfortable one this year;
beautiful weather and sunshine;
roses! Oh I love roses and some of that love came through the generations because both my grandfather and father had rose gardens;
Sunflowers, and lilies, irises, and camellias, and azaleas in bloom, orchids especially purple, dogwood blooms and Magnolia trees in full bloom with their lovely scent;
swimming anywhere; oceans, lakes, heated pools, unheated pools, cold water streams, anywhere;
boating, and bicycling, and water skiing;
good health, good mind;
the places I traveled too, especially Scotland, I loved Scotland --it felt like home to me;
my extended trip to London,and every place I have traveled too in Europe, Florence, Edinburgh,Inverness,Belgium,Germany;
CHILDREn, I love all children;
goodness in people.