eucharisteo.

in greek, and so often in the new testament, thanksgiving is referred to as "eucharisteo". it's a beautiful word with an even more beautiful meaning. i have always understood the act of giving thanks to be very much alive, lived out in our words and our deeds. the act of giving thanks has been a joyful experience for me, one lived out in such sweet moments with friends and family. after all, i have had so much to be thankful for in my life. it wasn't until recently that i started questioning my understanding of jesus' words, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me" (John 11:41), spoken after he experienced the raising of Lazarus. Thanksgiving, eucharisteo, held so much power then. Jesus' gratitude, expressed in reverent thanksgiving, was so characteristic of his time walking the earth. He even expressed deep and real eucharisteo at the Last Supper, knowing the hours until his death were short. With thanksgiving he shared one last meal with his closest friends, fully aware of their impending betrayal. With thanksgiving he called out to his Father to spare him the cup that had already been poured, which would bring salvation to us all. Thanksgiving. The giving of Thanks. Eucharisteo. Such a joyful act, yet somehow I have found it more and more difficult to experience and even more challenging to express.

why, when i have so many opportunities to give thanks, do i instead choose to remain in my own self-pity? how can i more live the life of gratitude that paul exhorts his fellow believers to live when he says, "be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father" (ephesians 5:19-20). have i ever expected god to provide a life free from trial and strain? how could i when His own Son's life was marked by betrayal, condemnation and eventually a traitor's death? yet, in all things, He offered his life as a pleasing sacrifice, giving thanks in all things. i think, as christians, that is our highest and ultimately most challenging responsibility in this life. i think we can do nothing that pleases God more than living a life of thanksgiving, a life of active eucharisteo, of giving thanks in all things. Psalm 50:23 says, “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God”.

i have always known that it was through my deeds that i would show the love and light of Christ in this world, but i have forgotten the very real power of eucharisteo. what if living a life of thanks really does please and honor God? what if though my attitude and actions of giving thanks, others around me are encouraged to seek after the face of God? what if through the process of recognizing the countless reasons i have in my life to be thankful, my heart becomes softer and closer to the heart of God? would i give thanks then?

i recently finished reading a book, "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskkamp, in which the author accepts a challenge to count and then write about one thousand gifts she can recognize in her own life. i carefully and thoughtfully read her experiences, challenged and convicted, by how many different ways she was able to see the hand of God in her life. when was the last time i expressed gratitude for the ways that soap bubbles carry the reminder of God's Promise, in the form of a rainbow, as they escape from my sink of dirty dishes? do i believe in this act of eucharisteo, God is blessed?

while imprisoned Paul wrote to the Philippians about his discovery of finding contentment and fulfillment in all things (Philippians 4). i think he was referring to thankfulness. the bible promises we have all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and i have come to learn that this begins with our hearts. i have recognized the need in my life for more gratitude, for more regular thanksgiving, for true eucharisteo. this is where it all starts for me. this is how i draw closer to god and how i make sense of the crazy world around me. this is how i honor Him with my life, when i feel like it's really of no consequence at all. this is how i bring grace and encouragement to those around me.

eucharisteo is so powerful and i'm very grateful for the reminder this Thanksgiving season to express my thanks in and for all things.

happy eucharisteo.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas... and a baby ;)

this will be short...just a few updated pictures of life here in honduras

bambino's nook in our bedroom

our baby stash

our beautiful view

our office

the living room

the living room

our kitchen

our kitchen

our dining room

36 week bump

getting so excited!

34 weeks and bed-rest free!

Yep! At my appointment today we learned that Bambino moved out of birthing position and is no longer "engaged". In medical (and somewhat graphic terms, sorry), my cervix is closed and long, the baby has flipped back over "sunny side up" and is not lodged in my pelvis. Now we hope he/she stays this way for at least the next 2-3 weeks. Thank you for your prayers, support and encouragement. My week at home resting was difficult emotionally at times, but I was able to rest, think and read a lot more. It also gave me some ample planning time. Yesterday I made and froze three full meals for us for after Bambino arrives, Jason deep cleaned out apartment and we "got our nursery together". Which really means that we moved around a book shelf in our bedroom, found and cleaned a chair from storage and moved in the pack-n-play. Oh, and I had a little bit of fun with stickers :). I also packed the baby's hospital bag, early I know, but I truthfully don't think this baby is going to wait until the middle of December. We'll see, though, but I definitely feel better when I'm prepared :) Here's a brief description of the changes Bambino is facing this week, as copied from one of my many weekly pregnancy emails:

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

And now a couple of updated pictures. My belly shot is really for my mom, sorry for everyone else who really doesn't care what an almost 9 month pregnant stomach looks like :) And the last one is taken in our bedroom, right by the Bambino's nook. Enjoy!