Growing in Grace

"God is always good and I am always loved"  (My favorite quote from Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts") Ann Voskamp writes that eucharisteo has made her her truest self, "full of grace". Eucharisteo has made me my truest self, "joyful spirit; song of happiness". The more I count my gifts from the Lord, the more I have to be joyful about regardless of my current circumstances. I"m grateful for the challenge to live fully right where I am. 226.  Mom-in-law home safely from her trip 227. Check engine light diagnosed and fixed simply 228. More curriculum found for less 229. Hug and kiss from my girl after her night away 230. Sunday morning worship and teaching by Donald Perkins 231. First day of school went fairly well 232. Fun with Legos 233. Kids having fun together after some tempers during the day 234. Sweet card from my girl 235. “Best Mom in the Universe” from my Cuddle Bug

"The most fundamental thing is not how we think of God but rather what God thinks of us: 'How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important.'" -C.S. Lewis "Gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness that you are. . . a divine choice." -Henri Nouwen "He chooses His children to fully live! Fully live the fullest life; . . . The discipline of giving thanks, of unwrapping one thousand gifts, unwraps God's heart bare: I choose you. Live!" -AV "Eucharisteo had gently slowed me down, opened my hand to purge me of my hold, my control, on the world. With each gift I had accepted His. . . I empty to become full. Full of grace. . . to fully live. . . Eucharisteo had been exactly this for me, opening my eyes to a way of seeing, to a realization that belief is, in essence, a way of the eyes. The one thousand presents wakes me to the presence of God - but more so, living eucharisteo, living in

John chapter 8 begins with Jesus retreating to the Mount of Olives. At dawn He resumes His place in the temple to teach. He was interrupted by the teachers of the law and the Pharisees who brought a woman they claimed to have been caught in adultery. Their motive in doing so was to trap Jesus so they could accuse Him. In those days, the Romans did not allow the Jews to carry out death sentences. If Jesus had agreed to stone the woman, He would have been in conflict with the Romans. Yet if He said not to stone her, then He would have been guilty of not supporting the Law of Moses. Jesus cannot be “trapped” by any man. He began to write in the dirt with His finger. Then He disarmed the religious leaders with His statement, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” With these words, Jesus upheld the Law. However, because of the qualifications He gave, no one was qualified to do so. As He began to write in the dirt again, the men gradually began to l