:: eucharisteo ::

Gratitude bestows reverence,

allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies,

those transcendent moments of awe

that change forever how we experience life and the world.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

This week I've been on a bit of an adventure and discovery of thankfulness. I had already started listing 1000 things I'm thankful for, after being inspired by Ann Voskamp through her blog A Holy Experience. 

But then I received this book in the post from my lovely & very generous friend Rita:

I've had many moments in my life when I've been reading a book and realise that it's exactly what I was needing to read at that particular time. It's almost as though each of those books are answering thoughts and questions I had been pondering up until reading through pages and saying to myself 'Wow! Exactly what I have been thinking about!' I don't reckon it's a coincidence.

So this book was another of those books...

I came across a word I had seen used in other blogs and in Ann's own blog...

:: eucharisteo ::

But I had no idea what it meant or where it came from...

I discovered it is the greek word that was translated into 'gave thanks' when Jesus broke bread on his last night with his disciples, before he died. And within that word are two other words: charis which means grace, and chara, meaning joy.

As Ann read through the accounts of the life of Jesus with new eyes, she realised how often He gave thanks and that, more often than not, that thankfulness preceded miracles. Like the feeding of 5000 people with just a few loaves of bread and fish. 

I think what struck me most is that, when we slow down and take notice of the many, many things big and small around us and realise there is a lot to appreciate and be thankful for, we find that joy begins to overtake the fears, the worries, and the neverending wanting of more...which I can definitely identify with. And the more practice we have at looking for those gifts all around us, the easier it is, it becomes a habit we enjoy, and suddenly a miracle occurs within us as we realise we're in holy territory - even though we're still living ordinary everyday sort of lives - because we're noticing the good, the beautiful, the profound...we're stepping closer to the Creator of all of these things. Like the way the sun shines on the snow making it look like someone has sprinkled glitter across the ground...

I loved this following excerpt from the book...

I know that there is poor and hideous suffering,

and I've seen the guns that go to war.

I have lived pain, and my life can tell:

I only deepen the wound of the world 

when I neglect to give thanks

for the early light dappled though leaves

and the heavy perfume of wild roses in early July

and the song of crickets on humid nights

and the rivers that run

and the stars that rise

and the rain that falls

and all the good things that a good God gives.

Why would the world need more anger, more outrage?

How does it save the world

to reject unabashed joy

when it is joy that saves us?

Rejecting joy to stand in solidarity with the suffering

doesn't rescue the suffering.

The converse does.

The brave who focus on all things good

and all things beautiful

and all things true,

even in the small, 

who give thanks for it

and discover joy even in the here and now,

they are the change agents

who bring fullest Light 

to all the world.

Ann Voskamp

one thousand gifts

page 58  

Here are some things that I'm thankful for this week...

One-on-one times with each girl while the other sleeps or is at home. And they love the one-on-one attention too!

Hearing little voices below the table in the playhouse reading stories. I'll never tire from these story-reading times :)

Our sweet Leesie who had her 5th (or 4th...I've lost count!) endoscopie this past week. She was born with vocal chords that were semi-paralysed and completely paralysed. The doctors have never been able to pinpoint why, which in some ways is a good thing...it's not neurological. So every few months she's had an endoscopie, during which the ENT surgeons look at her vocal chords with a camera and check for development. The latest news is that her right vocal chord works just like normal, which is great! Her left vocal chord is still paralysed. So we can only give her time to grow and see whether or not it will also develop normally, or will rest paralysed. This time they did wonder whether or not, during an operation she had at 12 days old, a nerve that leads to that vocal chord and runs very close to the area she was operated on, may have had damage.  

  
Considering that she was this size at the time of the operation, it wouldn't be surprising! In the meantime I'm incredibly thankful she even has a voice and she uses it to sing every day!

I love snack time when I get the girls to sit down and give them a bowl each. Inevitably Elise has hers traded!

I love that I finally captured the moon as it appeared in the sky the other night. This is as close as my zoom would allow!

Amélie's first attempt at drawing. I put 'buy crayons/pencils for the girls' on the shopping list in hopes that they will also share their mummy's love for art.

I stole the pillows from the bed in our guest-room and put them on our bed. 9 in total. I love beds with lots of pillows and blankets...cosy enough to sink into! I made sure the dishes were cleaned up super fast that day so I could read there while the girls slept :)


And some more moments captured and enjoyed during the week...

And finally, something that made me gasp and giggle lastnight, watching the girls have fun with their daddy, and giving you a good glimpse of their personalities...

I hope you're all having a good weekend. I'm looking forward to this coming week. A 30th birthday, Eti taking the day off, a trip back to the hospital with the girls for their development check up (and a chance to catch up with our beloved neonatal friends!), and birthday celebrating with friends next weekend!

Linking up with PaisleyJade's Things I'm Loving