Eucharisteo | v. 2

eucharisteo: yoo-khar-is-teh'-o               to be grateful, feel thankful, give thanks. 

"The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning “grace.” Jesus took the bread and saw it as graceand gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning “joy.” Charis. Grace. Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Chara. Joy." -Ann Voskamp

Being thankful for the little gifts that He gives us in every day life. These posts of "things to be happy about"  will be sporadic until i've reached 1,000. Some will be beautifully worded. Some will be broken. Some will be a short sentence. All will be gifts.

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number eleven: long-awaited for gatherings and fellowship with dear friends. talks of G-d's goodness. laughter over "bisque" (you know who you are...). this, to me, is a form of celebration. 

number twelve: the warmth of the first cheery fire and mugs of hot chocolate- with dollops of whipped cream, of course. though the fire took place at the above gathering, there is something that just draws you in almost immediately.  the chill outside is wonderful; coming into a room warmed with a fire in the fireplace just makes this season all the more wonderful. 

number thirteen: the gift of music. my students are putting the finishing touches on their "Holiday Recital" pieces, and, more importantly, enjoying themselves in the process. music is bountiful in supply this time of year, and i just want to raise my voice and join in with the rest of the world. ah... love. 

number fourteen: my puppy Lilly's cuddles. it's incredible to me how she can sense when i'm feeling happy (she skips and prances around waiting for me to run "away" with her), when i'm feeling down (she'll creep up and just sit waiting for me until i pick her up, and then she just gives me hugs with her paws- it's the strangest thing). 

number fifteen: the (inspirational, nearly) sound of wind whistling through our high tree-tops. the chirping of birds in the early morning hours. the pounding of rain on the rooftop. the autumn garlands adorning everything. 

number sixteen: this song. for all Your goodness i will keep on singing... ten thousand years and then forever more. it's been on repeat often these days. being able to rise up and sing it with many other believers in church was quite the experience... i'm getting chills now just thinking about it. actually, there was a time during t.b.c. a few years ago (goodness- has it really been that long?) when we talked about our first reaction upon seeing our G-d face-to-face... i couldn't- and i still cannot- imagine. but i know that i will be praising Him forever. 

number seventeen: celebrating an early "Thanksgiving" get-together with Grandma, something we haven't been able to do in the longest time since we haven't been able to drive her anywhere. watching her face light up with laughter. my heart smiles. 

number eighteen: the quotes of the infamous Sunday-School class. *laughing* i'm learning new things about the Bible from their perspective every week. 

number nineteen: i might think this is obvious... but i feel i can never be thankful enough for the family G-d has given to me. my sisters and i have our moments, but we never cease to have fun and laugh at the smallest things. my parents do... ah, too much to even name. i am in awe of how they both juggle so much, and yet have time to find us individually and say, "i love you" through anything and everything. 

number twenty: simply time. i'm learning to treasure and cherish it more than ever. i remember when i turned eight, and my little mind thought... "wow. that year went fast." little did i know how much faster the following years would seem. looking through baby pictures at my Grandma's... really brought that to life for me. Grace-Hope counts down the days until the end of the year, and i beg her to stop.. to give me a few more hours. i'm learning to use each moment for the glory of G-d, even in the small things- the mindset of, "i'm doing this to the best of my ability." G-d is equipping each of us now, and things that happen now are a part of the big picture... and that is a gift. 

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would you care to join me on this journey? a reader asked if i would be willing to add a linky list to these posts, and i was delighted with the idea. link to your "thankful for"pinterest board... your thankfulness post... and each will be viewed by yours truly. absolutely no inappropriate links or your link will be promptly deleted. i can't wait to hear from you... thank you! :)