Eucharisteo

I had never heard of this word until about a week ago when I started reading, One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp. This book has been out for year and many of you may have already devoured it, but I am just now really digging in.

This Greek word, Eucharisteo, means Thanksgiving -- not like November, Pilgrims and turkey -- but giving thanks in the every day, every moment. This book shows what joy and freedom can be found in giving thanks in the big, small, hard, and easy.

Ann takes a dare from a friend to name 1,000 gifts that she is thankful to the Lord for and finds a whole new way of life.

I have started my journey of counting 1,000 gifts that I am thankful to the Lord for. I feel like in general I am a pretty "thankful" and "positive" person, but I can honestly say I have seen such a difference in my whole day's outlook as I search for things to be thankful for to add to my list. It's easy to just thank the Lord in a general way for all the gifts He gives us each day, but we miss out on so much by not being specific and not being on the lookout.

Looking for things to be thankful for in that exact moment also helps me be "all there" as Jim Elliot would say. As I'm focusing on what I'm thankful for right then, I'm not jumping ahead of myself (or behind myself to the past).

I am also learning from this book to keep my hands open to whatever the Lord brings my way. I am very quick to decide what is "good" and what is "bad" or "hard" in my life. I must remember and remind myself that God is the author and that He is always good. He is trustworthy and He promises to work all things for my good, your good, and His glory. Romans 8:28

I agree with Ann that counting and naming blessings from the Lord helps us build trust in the Lord. We thank for the present things and thank for things we remember and we see that God is trustworthy.

"In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory."
Ephesians 1:11-12

We do have so much to be thankful for and I am going to keep counting, to 1,000 and beyond.

Here are a few things I've added to my list:

Thank you God for:
--prancing puppy paws
--scents in glass bottles
--birds singing in the morning dew
--my Daddy's voice saying, "Hey, Jacq-O"
--medicine for Mom's RA
--my husband that loves to do things together


Let me know if you start counting!

Visit Ann's website at:
www.onethousandgifts.com

Or at:
www.aholyexperience.com