Eucharisteo

Eucharisteo - a Greek verb meaning to be grateful, to feel thankful, to give thanks.

I am on a journey this year to practice eucharisteo in everything. In the latter part of 2010 I realized my desperate need to grow in gratefulness - not just in the good (that's the easier part) but in the difficult, frustrating, disappointing and hurtful things. To be sure I am not alone in struggling to be thankful for these seemingly undesireable things.

Yet I wonder, are they "undesireable"? At first glance yes but upon further investigation the undesireables are actually necessary and even good.

Have you ever considered what it would be like to be blind like the men in Matthew 9:27-31? To have the faith to be healed and then to see for the very first time? Can you imagine how overwhelming that experience must have been?

Or how about Saul (in Acts 9) who was on the road to Damascus fully able to see being struck blind for a time? As he obeyed the word of the Lord he received his sight again.

In both of these cases, the blindness was physical and faith was the key to the cure. I can only imagine how these men were forever changed by the power of receiving their sight. Greater than that, they met with Christ. Their healing was greater than physical, it reached into the depths of their souls.

Blindness is not limited to the physical realm, it is a very real malady in the spiritual realm. Blindness ranges from limited vision to completely eliminating vision. It impairs perspective and our ability to interact with the world around us properly.

On the "undesireable" side we are blind and in need of a Savior, a Healer - yet because of that "undesireable" state we are brought to the "good"- the recognition that we need a Savior, a Healer. Without blindness we risk missing the beauty, the gift of seeing. This brings us to the good side, being given sight and healing to our broken, bleeding hearts and souls. So you see that it is really just 2 sides to the same coin, the "undesireable" and the "good" working together to give us more perfect sight.

What undesireable am I facing today?

How can I "see" the good in it, the healing, the grace, the purpose in it?

For what good is God working all of those difficult, frustrating, disappointing and hurtful things in my life? (Romans 8:27-29)

Am I willing to completely trust Him that He is good and the He will be faithful to complete the work which He has begun in me? (Philippians 1:5-7)

Will I yield to His perfect plan for my life and all that the plan might require? Even (or especially) the "undesireables" ?

I agree wholeheartedly with the apostle Paul when he says:
"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:12-14

A Great Exercise in Praise

When I lay down to sleep and the thoughts in my mind are tumbling around like old shoes in a dryer I need something to bring my mind to rest. Here's one of my favorite things to do:

Think on the attributes and names of God and Christ in alphabetical order! (You know, I don't usually get past M before I fall asleep.) Here are just a few ideas that come to mind.... hopefully I won't fall asleep!
I'd love to hear other attributes that you come up or even other "slow your mind" exercises :)

A- awesome, Alpha, Adonai, Abba, author (of our salvation)
B - beautiful, benevolent, blessed
C- Creator, counselor, cornerstone
D - deliverer
E - everlasting, eternal, Elohim, El Elyon
F - Father, faithful, fortress, forgiving, friend
G - gracious, good, God
H- holy,
I - indescribable, infinite, invisible, immutable
J - just, justifier, judge, jealous, Jehovah
K - King of Kings
L- Lord of Lords, loving, living, longsuffering, Lamb of God, lovely
M - Master, majestic, magnificent, merciful, Messiah
N - near (to those who are His)
O - Omega, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent
P - perfect, patient, powerful, Prince of Peace, protector
Q - Qedosh Yisrael (had to look this one up)
R - (El) Roi, Rock of Ages, restorer, righteous
S - Savior, sovereign, self-existent, Shepherd
T - trustworthy
U - undeniable, unchanging
V - victorious
W - wonderful, wise
X - Xcellent ;)
Y - Yahweh
Z - zzzzz zzzzz.......

Weddings

" Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.' " Genesis 2:18

Good godly weddings are good for marriages :) They are like little pep talks along the way that keep our feet firmly on the right path.

I happen to love weddings... especially at our church. I'm biased I know but somehow I just seem to be so blessed by those weddings. Here are just a few reasons why {and some really great ideas in case you need them :) } .

Our pastor is so practical, encouraging, and straightforward with his messages. He always exhorts the couple getting married as well as reminding us "already marrieds" what a godly marriage is supposed to be like.

Many of the couples have waited until their wedding day for their first kiss - so sweet and so rare.

A few have had a band of our own young adults play worship music to begin the ceremony- how perfect of a start is that?

The level of joy and rejoicing is always so high - it's a celebration!

And the number one reason I love weddings at our church... Christ is exalted. With Christ at the center of marriage from the ceremony forward, that marriage will succeed by His grace. Now there's a reason to rejoice!