Eucharisteo ~ Eucharisteo ~ Eucharisteo

Thankful for my experience of delightful European coffee!

Luke 22:19 “And he took bread, gave thanks (eucharisteo) and broke it, and gave it to them….”

Eucharisteo Definition:

Gave thanks, give thanks, to be grateful, feel thankful

Eucharisteo. One day, I happened upon Ann Voskamps blog A Holy Experience, and I am so thankful I did. Please check it out for yourself and see how God puts her pen to paper and causes beautiful, meaningful, heartfelt words of truth to flow out. God, pen, paper and a blog. God ordained and God blessed.

Ever since I found her blog and her book one thousand gifts, I have been challenged. Challanged to live a life of Eucharisteo, one of daily giving thanks. For all things. In all situations. For the here. For the now. For life that happens daily right in front of me. Hardly, a day goes by when I don’t remember Eucharisteo. A life of giving thanks for everything. I remember that if he broke bread and gave thanks, then I should also. His body broken, the bread broken in remembrance of his broken body. He gave thanks, I can give thanks. For all, for everything, for this life to live for him.

You see. I am in a season. I suppose we all are. I am a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, lover of God and keeper of the home. I am many things, to many people. I am me. I am who he created me to be. I am to be a thankful daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and lover of God and yes even to live eucharisteo in my home as I keep it for him, for my husband, for others. I wear different hats at different times, some more graciously then others and during those hard moments, I hear the gentle reminder of Eucharisteo. Will I live that? Will I trust that he is more than enough to give thanks for? I feel the breeze, I hear the summer sounds, nature’s creatures and a baby, making their sweet noises and I breathe in and remember, yes, I can do this. I can do this thing called eucharisteo. Psalm 139 tells me he knows everything about me, if that is true, and I know it is, then I am enough. And for that I give thanks to him. The creator of all things. The creator of this life he has given me to live.

Some days, life is hard, and I don’t remember to give thanks. I had one recently and my daughter said “what three things are you thankful for today?” I had to smile (as I thought very hard about that question) she was learning with me!

Thanksgiving! What if we lived each day with joyful thanksgiving? Even in the hard times, hard days, hard pushing to get through this life. The nit and grit of the daily grind, what if? I can only see an attitude of gratitude forming. Gratitude for all he gives and lets us live in this life.

Won’t you join me, as I join Ann, and each day jot down three things you are giving thanks for? Just hop on board, get out your pen and paper and start right here, right now. Let the pen flow and your heart take wing as you decide to live a life of Eucharisteo!
~Joyce~

Music springs! New life! New Joy! New hope!

She plays. I listen. Beautiful music she makes. Even if she is in the review process. It’s from her heart; there is a spring in her fingers. Beautiful spring, in her fingers. Love springs. Joy springs. Hope springs. God heals. God restores. We are ever so grateful. Spring has sprung, new life has begun. God has done wonders. We submit to his discipline, and revel in the joy of his blessings. God knows. We don’t. God creates new life. New joy. New hope. New peace. God. Did you hear that, God. He speaks and the winds obey. He speaks and heals our hearts. Our hurts. Our pains. God. Only God, in his mercy, can rescue us from what would be destruction in our lives. We question. He is patient. We cry. He is loving. We learn to embrace bad, for our good. For the good he brings into it. For the joy he brings out of it. JOY. Pure JOY!

(it is no coincidence that her middle name is: HOPE, it’s a God thing!)

The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad! Psalm 126:3

 You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than [they know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly. Psalm 4:7

 O satisfy us with Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning [now, before we are older], that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14

Rejoicing with thanks,

~ Joyce ~

Wife. Mother. Daughter. Grammy.

Yep. That. Is. Me.

Would you please pray for me? I have a load to balance. A life that needs prioritized. So many things pressing in, needing attention, attention that must be had. My goal in life? To please Christ in all I do. I fear I fail many times. In my words, to everyone I am trying to love and help. In my actions, to those same folk. This is it, a new phase in life. I told myself “I don’t know how to do this.” How? HOW? I told a friend “I don’t know how to do this.” She said … many things to me. ALL of which was an encouragement to me. A sister, coming alongside to strengthen and encourage me and let me lay my burdens out for her to hear and identify with. Oh yeah and the best thing this friend did? Point me to Christ! Amazing. I. Know. What better person for me to run to! Sometimes, we just need someone to tell us what we already know.

Thank you!
~ Joyce ~

My. Daddy. He. Loves. Me.

Ok so its been awhile since I posted. Lots of things going on and running through my mind.  I just came from a counseling conference where I learned A LOT about helping others, biblically.  Great information and lots of encouragement.  The word of God has a lot to say about our trials, troubles and suffering.

I Peter 1:6-7

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

So our trials and tests are for what?  Let’s read that again: so that the tested genuineness of our faith…. tested by fire…. may be found to result in praise and glory and honor.  Wow… this is something worth facing, submitting to the Lord’s will, responding properly to the tests and trials so that who can be glorified???  Jesus Christ!

So now… its time for me to practice what I learned….

My dad, is in the hospital.  He is weak and fragile.  Recuperating from having a pacemaker put in.  I am so very grateful to the Lord for rescuing my dad this week.  You see, his heart wasn’t working so well.  We didn’t know it.  God allowed signs to surface.  He allowed doctors wisdom.  He allowed my dad a new chance for a few more years.   Now a pacemaker will keep his heart going.   But really, God keeps the pacemaker going.  God decides what works and for how long.    He is 84.  This man that is my daddy.  He taught me to drive.  To wash a car properly.  To wash dishes properly.  To never be late on my curfew!  He worked hard.  At one time 3 jobs at once.  He trusts God.  I trust God.

I pray that the Lord grants me the peace and grace to walk out my faith and trust in my almighty, sovereign God!

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Hope!  I have HOPE because of CHRIST!

~Joyce~