I had a post written up for today and scrapped it because this was so much more important than a silly recipe. Go watch Passion 2012 live! You will be crazy blessed!
Enjoy brothers and sisters!
Blessings!
Archives For eucharisteo
As we begin a new year I always have a desire to purge all the excess. This year we attacked the socks. Years and years of lonely socks. Holy socks. Dirty socks. And would you believe I actually came to tears as I threw them into a trash bag? There is something about children’s socks and shoes that pulls at my heart strings. But alas, we pushed through and filled the bag to overflowing.
And we bought new socks for everyone. Each age got their own style. Matching and folding will be so much easier. I remember growing up with a bag that would hang in the closet and would hold all the ‘lost’ socks. I refuse to do that. I know we’ll find stragglers throughout the next month but instead of searching for its mate it’ll go straight to the trash.
But not all the socks were thrown away. I was talking to my wonderful mother in law this day and she asked if we had any baby and children socks. They don’t normally get so worn and dirty. She makes a trip to Ecuador every autumn and always has a need for little socks for the children there. So I set my girls to work separating all the socks. Ones that could be donated and ones that needed tossed.
Believe it or not, they actually enjoyed themselves. They weren’t attached to the socks and happily got rid of many. But it definitely made this mama’s heart happier knowing other sweet little toes would fill these socks and keep them warm and clean.
One bag filled and ready for Ecuador. A lesson in learning that there are always ways to give to others.
Blessings!
I love New Years!
Love! Love! Love!
My husband used to tease me every year. I’d ask what his resolutions were this year and he’d always answer, “my resolution is to not make any resolutions this year.”
Bah! Nonsense. I think resolving to become better is a beautiful thing! After all, isn’t that the beauty in Christianity? Each day we get to try again.
So I see New Years as a day that marks second chances. A day overflowing with grace. We all get a new slate. Yes, we ate too much over the holidays but this time we’re going to lose. this. weight. Yes, we still have that pile of books we wanted to read last year and never did it. But this year we will! Yes, we still are swimming in debt. But this year we’re gonna buckle down and get rid of it!
For me, I realized Christmas morning what it was that I needed to do this next year. My oldest daughter handed me this letter.
“I wish I could spend more time with you!”
Wow.
I’m home all. day. long.
She wants to spend more time with me?
My heart melted in a puddle before me. I’m here with my children all day but I’m not with them. I’m missing out on a big portion of their lives. I’m choosing Facebook. I’m choosing chores. I’m choosing to chat on the phone. I’m choosing so many other things over my children. Because I have this delusional idea that they’re always here and I can always tend to them. But how much longer before they’re gone? That baby that I brought home is almost double digits. I need a second chance.
So this year there’s going to be some major changes here. Changes that will prayerfully fill this home with life and laughter.
What is it that you need a second chance at? Make that commitment today. Know that you might fail but commit to picking yourself up and to keep on trying despite setbacks. With God all things are possible. Trust Him to help you through.
Blessings!
I remember being a new christian and walking with a friend on our college campus. We were asking each other questions and one that came up was, “what book do you want to read and haven’t yet?” I don’t remember my answer but I remember hers. She said the Bible. And it then struck me that I didn’t really have a Bible {I had a childrens one, that was all} and had never occurred to me that I should read one. And when I say I was a new christian, I’m talking only a couple weeks old. It wasn’t until four months later that I received a Bible as a gift. And it would be eight years later that I would finally finish reading it.
And you know what? There are so many parts I don’t remember reading! So I have to continue reading over and over and over again. Training my heart to hold onto these treasures and to not allow them to slip away.
Tomorrow many people will begin a journey of reading the Bible in one year. To encourage you I’d like to share a download for a Bible reading schedule that helped me incredibly around 2003. We had visited my sister in law and while at her church I saw this little pamphlet. I tucked it into my Bible and though it took me three years it was a wonderful help!
Thankfully it was printed on blue cardstock. Not only did it hold up pretty well but it was very easy to find among all those white papers that easily cover every surface of our house. I’m a checker-offer. I love to make lists and check things off {yes, even adding items I have already done just so I can check them off}. So I loved the action of making an x and the visual accomplishment encouraging me to go on.
For years I have searched the internet to try and find this particular Bible reading guide to no avail. So I’ve created one very similar. I hope it helps you as much as it helped me!
Download Bible in a Year Reading Plan – when you go to print make sure you print double sided and use a colored heavy card stock so it will keep longer and will be easy to locate. Enjoy!
{comments will be open if you’re having any troubles}
Blessings!
This Sunday, along with thousands of others, I’m beginning the Daniel Fast. The Daniel Fast is found in the beginning of the book of Daniel in the Old Testament.
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.{Daniel 1:8-20 ESV}
I have personally never participated in a fast. Mainly because I’ve always been pregnant or nursing. Well, I did try fasting when I was a new Christian to remove meat from my diet during Lent only to find I had accidentally eaten a hamburger {no joke} on a quick lunch break. It didn’t even dawn on me until that evening when I was recounting my meals for that day. So thankful for grace.
But this is the first time I’ve really understood what fasting means and why it is so beneficial to followers of Christ. I give the credit to Susan Gregory, also known as the Daniel Fast Blogger. Her book, The Daniel Fast, is so full of wisdom. She is able to explain fasting in such a beautiful and exciting way. It’s not just about food. It’s about our spirit and our hearts.
If you’re interested in joining I highly encourage you to get this book. Only do not get the Kindle version. I’m so incredibly disappointed that I can’t print out the recipes. It’s making menu planning very difficult. But the book is worth every penny even if it didn’t come with recipes.
So won’t you join in? As New Years approaches we’re so quick to make resolutions for the whole year. This is only for 21 days and the benefits are out of this world – literally. But, of course, check with your doctor first if you have any health concerns.
Prayerfully consider fasting as an act of spiritual obedience. I, for one, and looking forward to drawing closer to God during this next month.
Blessings!
