Eucharisteo: An Attitude of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is such a beautiful thing. I don’t just mean my favorite holiday of the year, where families gather and devour heaping piles of food, watch football, and sleep all evening. I love Thanksgiving, and I’m sure I’ll take the time to elaborate on all I’m thankful for and the amazing people in my life and traditions and food soon enough (we’re almost there, it’s officially less than one month away!!). But for now I want to think about another kind of thanksgiving that’s more of a daily habit than a yearly celebration.

Over the past year, I’ve been learning just how important it is to have a spirit of thanksgiving. Not just occasional thoughts of gratitude, but a daily practice that brings constant joy through counting blessings, even in the small things--the everyday, the normal, the mundane.

It all began when I was given Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts last Christmas. Voskamp wrote about her desire for fullness of joy, and how she realized the way to obtain this joy was through eucharisteo, the Greek word for thanksgiving, holding the root words of grace and joy. She began keeping track of daily eucharisteo blessings, even gifts one wouldn’t normally think twice about saying thanks for. She suggested writing down these gifts, which is what they are; yet so often they get overlooked.

She shared examples from her list of one thousand gifts:

Morning shadows across the old floors.

Jam piled high on toast.

Cry of blue jay from high in the spruce.

Leafy life scent of the florist shop.

Mismatched socks.

Dusty shelves.

Lost library book.

As I was reading, I was inspired to accept the “dare to live fully right where you are.” The book challenged me to find joy in the simple things, to count graces and joys and blessings. I downloaded the One Thousand Gifts app (which is really neat, helpful, easy to use, and free in the iTunes store), and began to keep track of my own daily gifts…

Freshly painted nails.

Laughter with the family.

Face Time conversations.

Verses that come at just the right moment.

The early signs of spring.

Writing letters.

Thin, colored Sharpie markers.

Birds chirping and voices echoing in crisp, early spring air.

Finishing ice cream straight from the tub.

Sacrifice.

The pure joy that comes from encouraging others.

Hearing a softball hitting the mitt and echoing in the gym.

Being blown away and surprised by the people I love.

Cuddling with the red fuzzy blanket.

Tickle fights.

Big, unexpected snow flakes, and snow in the hair.

I realized how easy it really was to find joy in the small things, and that the small things usually hold much more value than we often notice. As time progressed, I continued recording my blessings over the next couple of months; then along came summer and I got busy and began to forget about the app and added to my gift list less frequently.

Fast forward to July, and I was headed to Louisville, KY with my youth group to spend a week at the YWAM (Youth With a Mission) base located there. It was incredible, probably one of the most amazing weeks of my life. We spent a lot of time in the suburbs of the city, putting on parties, Bible schools, and cookouts in the local parks. Getting to know the kids was such a great experience, and saying goodbye at the end of the week was tough.

But one thing really stood out to me and stuck with me ever since the trip. Each morning, we made the twenty minute drive from the YWAM base into Louisville. And each morning, our van load of eight of us, often tired, weary, or still half-asleep, would say what we were thankful for, one by one.

It started one of the first mornings as we journeyed into the city. We had the radio on, trying to keep us awake, and Jaron turned around from the front seat, asking, “what are you all thankful for this morning?” Kaylee, our YWAM team leader thought a moment, and gave her answer, then turned to us and we continued to go around, answering the question. And so it went each morning. We circled the inside of the van, saying what we were thankful for that specific day.  

Sunshine. The turnout we had at the park the day before. Personal conviction. Team unity. That the van (which we affectionately dubbed LSV, or Legally Suspicious Van) was running properly and that the radio was working. God’s grace and mercies that are new every morning.

We continued this attitude of gratitude throughout our days; if anyone was caught complaining about a situation, the heat, or a circumstance, another of us would jump in and ask, “what’s good about it being this way?” I remember getting to a park one day over lunch. We sat down at the picnic tables, and someone commented on how far away the benches were from the table. Immediately someone chimed, “what’s good about the benches being so far away from the table?” I believe the answer was that it was easier to walk through to get through our food line. Simple? Yes. Sometimes stretched and cheesy? Maybe. Beneficial? Definitely.

I can’t say how much this positive, thankful attitude affected our group. We worked together so well, got so much accomplished, and forged so many relationships that week. It was awesome, and definitely left a lasting impact on me. Which leads me to the continuous practical application of this attitude of thanksgiving.

The week quickly came to an end and we all headed back to our hometowns. We discussed as a group the dangers of a week like this, coming back on a “Jesus-high” as they say; it seems that so many times people are impacted by a week of outreach and missions, but when they return to their own community, the passion dwindles and the spark dies. We wanted this year to be different.

My dear friend Ashley (who is pretty much my identical twin... we’ve discovered we’re nearly the same person and have many of the same quirks and tendencies; I could easily write an entire entry on her and our many adventures, but I’ll save that for another time...) and I spent some time talking about the week, what impacted us the most and how we wanted to apply what we’ve learned to our daily lives. The giving of thanks each morning stood out to both of us, and we felt like that was something simple that could be helpful to continue.

So we made a plan.

We decided to send a text to each other every morning, saying what we were thankful for. As we began this journey, we listed a couple “gifts” we were grateful for each day, whether it was someone’s act of kindness, the sunshine, a good day at work, or a refreshing night’s sleep. As time progressed and we kept up with this habit each day, the lists gradually grew. And grew. And grew. We went from naming a few joy-gifts to typing out paragraphs of simple things that brought us joy throughout our day. These daily treasures weren’t anything huge, extensive, or elaborate.

We named anything from our vehicles to devotionals to God’s grace, specific people in our lives, cereal, cappuccino, tissues, finger nail polish, phone calls, car rides, alone time, understanding, pillows, answered prayers, family, old journal entries, electricity, not being famous, the weather, coworkers, challenges, conviction, cell phones, flowers, patience, blankets, organization, pictures, blow dryers, lists, trying new things, Friday nights, puppies after hair cuts, back scratches, forks and spoons, mints, glasses, deep discussions, sincere compliments, and random opportunities to help others. Sometimes we have repeats, sometimes our texts are silly. One time she quoted the "Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart" Veggie Tales song, and that pretty much made my day.

These are just several examples of the numerous things we choose to be thankful for each day. And it is a choice, really. I’ve come to the conclusion that with every circumstance, whether good or bad, we have the choice to be thankful… either choosing to be thankful for the straight up blessing we’ve received, or choosing to be thankful for a lesson learned or a blessing in disguise.

And not only has it made us more aware of the countless blessings around us, it has strengthened our friendship with each other and our personal relationships with the Lord. The other day we just realized that we’ve been sharing this practice of gratitude every single day for nearly four months now, give or take a few days that we missed here and there. But this has been something we’ve stuck with, and it is incredible the impact it is having on us.

I continue to try my best to choose to have a thankful heart each day. And I don’t always succeed. Many times I find myself complaining or pouting when things don’t go my way, little things set me off, or situations fall short of my expectations. Thankfully, God’s grace is sufficient and His mercies are new every morning. And as He's teaching me the beauty of the little joys in life, to have a thankful heart, and to count my blessings daily, He's teaching me to be content no matter the circumstances.

 ~

 Anna, Ashley and me on the daily route to Louisville (in LSV :).

 My YWAM team leader, Kaylee, and me on our last day in Louisville.

 Our small group missions team (Juanita, Billy, Ashley, Lindsey, Garrett, and me) with our new friends Brian and Amber at Westonia Park.

 Our entire small group missions team that split up during the 

afternoons to lead Bible schools at two different parks near Louisville.

Saying goodbye to Anna, another awesome YWAMer from my missions team, on the last day. I got the opportunity to walk through the streets on a prayer walk with Anna early on in the week, and it was so great getting to know her.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

One Step Closer...

Well, over the past week I've made several conclusions that are bringing some peace to my slightly crazy, busy life... 

I do, in fact, have passions after all.

I have recently told several people that I feel like I have no clue what I want to do with my future, that there are things I enjoy, but nothing I just want to pursue the rest of my life. In short, I literally told them, "there's just nothing I'm passionate about." I quickly realized that is not true, not at all. 

On the final night of our missions conference, the speaker made the statement, "God uses you best when you're doing what you love most where the need is greatest." He asked what makes us happy, then said those are the things through which God will use us the most. He asked us what saddens, angers, and disappoints us, then said places where those things occur are where He will use us the most. 

So that got me to thinking... What brings me joy? What saddens me? What are my dreams, goals, and plans for my future? Where would I like to see myself five, ten, twenty years down the road? I realized that I have been too busy worrying that I haven't actually taken the time to dream. So I took some time, and wrote out several pages on my hopes and dreams for the future. I wrote about college, careers, marriage, adventures, kids, church, family, hobbies, and where I hoped I'd be after so many years. And it was so good to just look at all of these dreams of mine. I definitely realize that, ironically, God's plans often don't align perfectly with mine, but they always seem to surpass anything I could possibly wish or imagine (which is why Isaiah 55:8-9 are two of my all-time favorite verses!). Taking time to realize what brings me joy and what I love doing the most brought me to my next conclusion...

I want to write.

I've come to the conclusion that I love writing too much to dismiss it as a simple hobby. I want to pursue it, do something with it, and be a blessing to people through it. I process my own thoughts best by putting them down onto paper and looking at them in word form. I love taking thoughts and turning them into flowing sentences, picking words to join hands and dance together across a page. It's something I love, something that brings me joy; I thought it would be a waste to not pursue something I enjoy so much. After deciding this, I was told by a close friend that my passion for writing is something that God has given me for a reason, and that He could use it in many ways. This confirmed my recent epiphany and encouraged me to continue mulling over this idea. As I did, I realized...

I am coming closer to making a final decision about college.

I am not entirely sure (of course I'm not, because I am one of the most indecisive people on the planet... ha!), but I am really thinking I would love to go to Bluffton. With my interest in English and writing, they have great options to work with a combination of the two; the flexibility with certain focuses and concentrations would be ideal. Being on campus recently, I could see myself there as a student in the future. It really is a beautiful place, and with the small, Christian atmosphere, I could see myself really growing, enjoying myself, and thriving. For me, I think it's the perfect distance from home, giving me some space and freedom, yet not too far away to come home on occasional visits. It just seemed like the perfect fit for me; I guess we'll see :)

The nice thing is that now I am finally feeling some peace about everything. I have been so crazy stressed the past few months trying to figure out what I want to do with my life after high school, trying to force myself to view all the options and decipher my future right this very moment. I am realizing that I don't have to know everything right now. If I did, one, I wouldn't be relying on God as much, and two, there would be no adventure along the way! And what fun would that be...?

-MM

One Wish, Reunions, and a Little Bit of Everything

Well it's been awhile since I've updated, but life has been crazy, busy, exciting, and definitely worth recording. The past couple of weeks have been filled with worship concerts, road trips, college visits, reunions, coughing, family, friends, calculus, and government mock elections. So hang tight, this is gonna be an organized jumble of thoughts, memories, lessons and wisdom...

First things first, I'll start with the present. Each fall our church has a missions conference, during which time a speaker comes for several days and talks about the importance of missions, and shares practical applications, amazing stories from their lives, and specific ministries to support. This year's speaker is Richard Sharp, an engaging British man with a thick accent and a heart for the Lord. The guy is great to listen to, and can hold your attention for quite some time. 

During the church service on Sunday morning, he presented the One Wish challenge to us, posing the question, If you could wish one thing from God today for you, what would it be? He had us turn to a neighbor and ask each other what our one wish would be, then he had us each say a sentence prayer for the other, for our specific wish. It was super cool and just brought a lot of joy along with it.

Now to cover everything from these crazy past few weeks. 

Ah, the All Sons and Daughters concert. If you've never listened to All Sons and Daughters... you're missing out. They are an incredible modern Christian folk duo, and they came to town a couple weeks ago, performing at Malone's Johnson Center. A group of friends from church piled into a fifteen passenger van and headed up to the concert, and we were blessed by the great night of worship. 

Tim Timmons opened the evening, followed by the main performers, and the night was just a wonderful, Christ-centered night of worship. We had Communion, spent time in prayer, and sung our hearts out to our great God... Which was somewhat challenging for me, because that evening I came down with a bad cold and cough, and spent the night miserably cold, with a sore throat and achy body, and I was just all-around exhausted. 

But God came through and kept presenting me with just the right songs, reminding me that He is in control and bringing me peace amid my sickness and weakness. It was awesome being reminded of how big my God is, and how far too often I let myself get in the way of Him and His glory. My favorite part of the night was the way they ended the concert; with candles giving off the only light in the room and the simple strumming of an acoustic guitar, the chapel was filled with the ringing of voices singing: 

I'm coming back to the heart of worship,

And it's all about You,

It's all about You, Jesus.

I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it,

When it's all about You,

It's all about You, Jesus.

It was powerful, collectively and individually declaring that it's all about Him and not about us, not about me, when so often I reverse the roles and try to make it about me. I was distracted with worries about myself and my own feelings, concerned with my sore throat and swollen glands. When all that really mattered was God. He's still teaching me that it's all about Him and not about me; sometimes it's a struggle to let go of the little things and not get bothered by my wants, desires, and feelings. It's a continuous learning process, and I only pray that I can keep my focus on Him.

~

A weekend or so ago, my family made the trek out to Bluffton to take in a soccer game and visit with my cousins and some friends who attend school at Bluffton. It was fun getting to see them again; it was a gorgeous fall day and the campus is so beautiful. Being on campus got me excited for college, and got me pondering even more questions about my future... wondering where I'll be next year this time, what relationships I'll start with people I haven't even met yet, and what exactly I'll be doing with my nineteenth year of life. It's slightly scary to think about, yet fun and exciting at the same time. 

I feel like I'm jumping around like crazy tonight. But I promise I'm almost done :)

It is so refreshing to be reunited with friends. I cannot say that enough. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I am a believer in the cliche. Of course, I'd rather not be separated from so many important people in my life by physical distance, but since that's the way it is, I couldn't ask for better friends to stay connected with. The weekends my boyfriend comes home from school are some of my favorite times to look forward to, and I always look forward to the exciting memories we make... whether it's being with our families, watching movies on my porch, or spontaneously visiting a pig farm, (because "we like pigs..." :)), it's always an adventure with Noah. I'm so thankful for the time we get to spend together. Then there's my other college friends, who always brighten my day when they come home for visits. This past weekend was so refreshing. Several college buddies from my church were home, so a group of us got together to hang out and enjoy each other's company. We laughed so much, swapped advice, watched a movie, and just enjoyed being together again. As I thought about it this weekend, I realized how truly blessed I am by my church family. If it weren't for my church, I'd be missing out on relationships with so many fantastic people. 

Lastly, as I've continued praying and seeking wisdom about God's plans for my life, I happened upon some verses from Psalm 143 last night that couldn't have been a more perfect replica of my prayers... 

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul. (v. 8)

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God!

Let your good Spirit lead me 

on level ground! (vs. 10)

These verses were perfect, calling out to God for guidance in a path that seems unclear. These words are still very much my prayer today, calling to the God who does not change, but who remains constant and will always come through. 

Be encouraged today, knowing that you are loved by a God who is bigger than the unknown. Be blessed, and be a blessing. 

-MM

The Origin of True North

I am at a point in my life where making decisions and seeking direction has become just another aspect of everyday life. People are constantly asking me about my future plans, goals, dreams, and ambitions. Unfortunately, I too often don’t have a good answer to give in response. My solution? True North.

The purpose of this blog is not to give others the scoop on my life. More so, it is a tool for myself to discover and weigh my passions and interests, document my life experiences and memories, strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I think and clear my head best when I can get my thoughts onto paper (or in this case, a blog entry). Ever since a young age, I have journaled on and off. Not the “Dear Diary, today I have a crush on so-and-so,” journaling, although I had those moments at times (of course, I was a young girl like any other). But I enjoyed journaling as a way of keeping account of memories and typical daily events, things that made me happy, things that ticked me off, things that I was looking forward to, people that meant a lot to me, so on and so forth.

Just over a year ago, I incorporated journaling into my Jesus-time, and made an effort to write at least a small entry every day, just thanking God for what He did that day or bringing before Him any problems, anxieties, or worries that were weighing me down. And that ended up being so helpful. I love going back and rereading entries, reminding myself of His faithfulness, and just reading about memories that make me break out into a smile, cringe, tear up, or burst into a fit of giggles.

You may be wondering where the "True North" comes into play.  It refers to the guiding direction of a compass. A compass serves as a common symbol; pretty much everyone knows that a compass is used as a directional tool to help people find their way. Within the past year, I realized that on the compass app, there are two settings: Magnetic North and True North. True North is the direction from any point toward the North Pole. Magnetic North may vary where Earth's magnetic activity changes, but True North is constant. So as I set out on this journey, seeking God’s plans and direction in my life, True North seemed to be quite the fitting analogy. My God is the constant, never changing One who guides me along life's paths. Thus, I plan to implement my journaling habits into this blog, hoping to seek wisdom and gain direction along the way.

-MM