Life of Eucharisteo

　 I love the smells of this season. I take comfort in the familiar. Every year the farmers sow their seed and in the Fall we all reap the bounty. For the farmers, their crop, and for me the sights and smells of the familiar. The smells of Fall. Cotton on the stalk. Bales of hay. Freshly dug peanuts. Then there’s boiled peanuts! Smoke from the grills filling the air at a football stadium. Candy corn. Turkey and dressing. Pecan Pie. Those are some of the smells of the season here in the South. Today I’m thankful that God saw fit for me to spend my life here. I feel so fortunate to have grown up in a place so rich with the beauty of God’s creation. So full of heritage and history. A place central to oceans, rivers, creeks, mountains. I’ve had a taste of it all. So often people in small towns want to hurry up and get out. I was one of them. God let me leave this place. He let me see life outside of Small Town, Alabama. I’ve seen wondrou...

　 Do you ever look back on some months and wonder how so many things could go wrong in four short weeks? We’ve not had a record month, but we’ve had our share of days where we just shook our heads and sighed…”Really!!” We’ve had a busted toe, a trip to the ER, and slip down the stairs. All this to one kid. We’ve had things to fix. Brakes and hubs and car a/c to repair. We’ve had days of noses turned up at the food set before them. Mouths saying “I don’t really care for that.” They get points for being polite about it, but scolding because they should just be grateful they aren’t going to bed hungry. In other words….we’ve had LIFE this month. We’ve also had a choice. We chose between dwelling in the moment or looking beyond. If we choose to dwell we get stuck. Stuck in the moment of the hurt toe or the milk spilled on the carpet. We lose ourselves. We put on the blinders that cause tunnel vision. These are the times when the careless words...

　 Last week I was floundering. I dedicated two posts to the acts of indecision and discontentment . I was spending far to much of my emotional energy on these feelings. Apparently God thought so too. My girls and I came to Pennsylvania this summer to be with our #1 man. Let me just say that the transition from South Alabama to PA was like going from Earth to Jupiter. ( I might be exaggerating...just a little )  Just when I was feeling a little like I’d moved out of my skin, God sent the most wonderfully wise woman to deliver a message to my heart.  The very moment I needed it most, I opened my inbox and read this…. 　 The words flew through my head as I read your post: "Be still and know that I am God". Sometimes that is our assignment: to just be still and be aware - nothing else. Your ministry is not in a pause phase just because you are not in your usual place doing the things you do so beautifully. Your ministry continues even while...

Romans1:8 - "First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world." My MacArthur commentary tells me that in almost every letter Paul wrote, he expressed his gratitude. If thankfulness was that important to Paul, then I think I should take note and learn from his words of gratitude. I take particular note that Paul thanked God "first". A few months ago I read Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts . It was life changing for me. The portrait she paints of thanks is astounding. Since finishing the book I've started my own journal of thanks. I'll be sharing some of those lists of thanks with you throughout the month of November as I participate in the 30 Days to Being Thankful Challenge . I thank my God for... 181. a quiet house after everyone has gone to bed. 182. the chance to hear about the Godly influence my girls are being to their friends and teachers at school. Thankful more than ...

Friendly Obstacles Anonymous For every hill I've tried to climb, For every stone that bruised my feet, For all the blood and sweat, and grime, For blinding storms and burning heat, My heart sings but a grateful song These are the things that made me strong! For all the heartaches and the tears, For all the anguish and the pain, For gloomy days and fruitless years, And for the hopes that lived in vain, I do give thanks, for now I know These were the things that helped me grow! 'Tis not the softer things in life Which stimulate man's will to strive; But bleak adversity and strife Do most to keep man's will alive. O'er rose-strewn paths the weaklings creep, But brave hearts dare to climb the steep. For about two weeks now my daughter has studied these words. Words that I've heard her recite....words that I've checked to make sure she was reciting correctly....but also words that I've not really heard until today. As my eldest reci...

I just love it when God speaks to me in unexpected ways. No matter how unexpected they may be, they are most always clear. Today's clear message came in the form of a package. A package from Blessings Unlimited(Dayspring) *smile* I love that name. It is such a perfect description of God's blessing....they are unlimited. HE's unlimited.  Hmmm....ok...back to the message. So I open this box of welcome surprise to find a bright and shiny, fancy nancy, new journal! WooHoo!!! You see, I have a weakness for all things stationary. Pens, pencils, paper, note cards, journals. I just love the stuff!  Now I can retire my worn out little spiral notebook, and open up the crisp, unmarked pages of my new jewel, I mean journal. The cover of my new treasure is filled with words of affirmation. Words like...Valued, Irreplaceable, Accepted, Wonderfully Made, Delightful, Loved. But the word that jumps off of the cover, and hits me right smack dab in the face/heart is the word God ...