MAY EUCHARISTEOS

Tis the month of May-ing.

Bromeliads bloom abundantly in these tropical environs.

I remember that line from Camelot but know it is been around for centuries.
I don't really know what it means but I think of the May pole and frolicking in green grass and the freedom of wearing fewer layers of clothing.

May Eucharisteos takes me back to the main reason the blog began.
Thousands of us, all over the world, promised ourselves that we would think of three THANK YOU phrases each day.

Eucharisteo = THANKS
So I begin this month of May-ing with fresh eucharisteos.
And what a wonderful beginning of the month!

Lots of lily pads in a quiet pond. Can you see the flying bug?

We are blessed to take our vacation in a sunny, warm place near water.

#3717- 3719:: Grackles are not my favorite bird but I watch mom and little one grazing in the grass.  Little one wants mom to feed it but mom keeps flying away.  Hmmmm, learning how to be self sufficient might be a lesson we all need to teach our little ones?
 I meet with friends on the far end of the 'age' spectrum.  We each realize we are actually at the point where we need to be a little less self reliant.  It's hard to adjust to 'aging' when we feel so young in spirit.  Oh my . . . sigh.
#3720-3722:: Open, close, pull, push . . . unpack one box after another as we fill our southern abode

BLUE! Water trickles up and over the bulb to provide a tranquil setting.

with 'home.'  Packed up since last August, our dishes and extra utensils are now liberated to be used as they should.  What a mess we make as we get organized?

#3723-3725:: This is the day the Lord has made.  We definitely will rejoice and be glad!  We visit a beautiful church and walk the Stations of the Cross.  Heart tugs, soul searching, a sense of knowing we are right where we should be on this Sunday.  The sermon was engaging and fed our souls.

#3726-3728:: Tummy trouble is finally getting better.  Food seems palatable but I still fear eating beyond the basics.  Energy is slowly returning but I wish I could do more.  People to see, family to cherish, so much to enjoy but the body says 'wait.'

I love the wild grass holding the sand in place.
A picture perfect day with cool breeze and clear sky.

#3729-3731:: I was finally able  to repair the little brick path that helps us step from abode to grass.  I love to lay bricks but this little endeavor used up all my energy today.  After a bit of rest, hubby and I enjoyed a jaunt to the hardware store . . .  again.  It's those small, practical needs that we are finally obtaining.  A walk on the beach was refreshing.  Oh JOY!

#3732-3734:: Wednesday!  We have only a few more days to enjoy warmth and sun and balmy days. Lunch, munch, chat, listen as I spend time with various friends throughout the day.  Although tired, it is a nice feeling to be able to take time with those I have not seen in years.  We linger at the beach as the sun sinks below the horizon and casts green light across the sky - the green flash!

This was suppose to be a little path to the grass with
plantings on either side.  Plantings did not happen
so I added bricks and made a patio (below)

#3735-3737:: Another luncheon with two friends.  Hubby and I run errands together and then enjoy dining at home.  Emails and work-related responses are as minimal as possible as I try to remain true to 'vacation.'

#3738-3740::  Early up, complete a few chores, make a smoothie and off to see my friends at prayer group.  So refreshing to dig deep into our souls as we reflect upon the week and share tears over loved ones who have died or are in the process of dying.  It's hitting us all in some way. Dinner with dear friends - Sushi Tai.

The little patio is finally finished.
Now Flax can be planted on both sides.

#3741-3743:: A great adventure to the Botanical Gardens with hubby!  A whole new addition made for a wondrous day.  Bali, old Florida, Italy and a children's garden we did not want to leave.  JOY!

#3744-3746:: A marvelous mother's day that I have forever called "Mothering" day simply because all women tend to 'mother' in some way or another.  Children are a product of God's grace in action but raising them is far more challenging than any CEO job on the planet. Sun and warmth and all good weather!

#3747-3749:: Put, plop, pull, push, as we put our vacation into a tidy little box until next year.  We completed tasks, enjoyed loads of friends and ventured into God's beauty in several places.  NICE!

A wonderful idea for the kids' worn out leaky boots!

#3750-3752:: Final check, focus on details and the long journey home.  A very long day but it is good to be home.  Chill winds and moody skies greet us as along with dear friends who joined us for dinner at a restaurant in a 150 year old bank.  [I am re-reading this blog and I missed a day.  What happened to Wednesday?  Who knows.  It is such a blur if I look back too far.  Each day is a new page of joy and discovery. . . . may missed Wednesdays be part of this blog-journey]

Everyone needs an old pump in their garden,
and it works!

#3753-3755:: Alleluia He is Risen!  This is Ascension Day!  If Jesus Christ did not ascend into heaven, we would never have received the Holy Spirit.  God's Son is with the Father.  We now have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide our every thought and action.  We have power through the Holy Spirit be all the Lord, thy God designed us to be.  GO, TELL, BAPTIZE . . . REPEAT!

#3756-3758:: Cleaned out the shed to give away loads of 'stuff' I have saved for the garden "just in case" . . . ahhhhhh, feels so good.  Dig deep as dandelions try to nestle near roots of my favorite plants.  It's good to be home but good weather makes for much cleaning up and organizing.  By decluttering my surroundings, I declutter my soul.  I am now ready to dig into more scripture study.

#3759-3761:: God is good, life is good, we are good.  The sun rose early but burning away the clouds took a bit of time.  We so need rain but I am enjoying the sparkle of the sun on bright green Hosta.  Today we share our garden gear and plants as we give and take at the local parking lot.  Words spill from my soul as I reflect on the Ascension of the Lord, Jesus Christ for tomorrow.  Brave disciples wait patiently as the Lord ascended into the heavens right before their eyes.  I wonder if they wondered, "How long, Lord, until the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, comes?"

Cracks on basin emulate the sun
leaking through foliage.
Was this planned?

#3762-3764:: Early day, early sun, easy drive to church.  Warm air, open windows, summer is here!  As we reflect on the disciples' time of waiting as they are filled with expectation, we ask ourselves, do we wait for God's answer to prayer with joyous expectation or an anxious heart?  Assurance that all is well after we have been gone for a couple weeks as we visit another in a nursing-care facility.

#3765-3767:: Warm morning sitting on the back porch for the first time becomes breezy.  With the breeze comes that 'smell'  - all too familiar - that makes one want to go inside.  The farmers are busy fertilizing with 'natural' ingredients!  Word spill into my soul as I study God's Word.

#3768-3770:: Hazy and cool after a night of much needed rain.  Perfect for planting those annuals I keep meaning to purchase.  Scriptures from Ezekiel and Hebrews bring profound observations of God's vision for us, given to us, if we quiet ourselves and listen with an open heart.

A sense of beauty pops up as lilies pad show their blooms.

#3771-3773::  Hot, cool, hot, cool . . . skittish weather makes for weird days.  I wonder if our attitudes are the same . . . hot temper . . . cooling off with a hug and assurance that all will be ok?
  In one day I begin wearing many layers but peel them off to as few layers as possible as the day wears on.  Do we hide under thick layers of disdain only to be drawn into the warmth of another's love?
It's the love of Jesus like that?  Before I sit down to meditate on God's Word daily, I may be 'dressed' in layers of frustration or worry or my mind might be too full of 'woulda, coulda, shoulda.'

One tree, many roots,
 exposed, vulnerable, open to the elements.
Meant to grow in soggy pools, swamps or low waters

As I 'rest' in promises of love and eternal salvation and God never leaving me nor forsaking me, I lighten my load and feel as if I am dancing in my thin summer dress.

#3774-3776:: Phone chat, emails, hard decisions.  Hurt heart, breathe deep, pray, wait, move forward
ever so slowly.  Gray sky, cold day, seek three joyous words: Green grass, beautiful garden, great hubby.  God is faithful to lift my spirit when I seek His embrace.

#3777-3779:: Gray, cold, hollow, battered, imploding, silent, cave-like.  Words come into my heart that are not filled with 'eucharisteo' so I comb the Psalms for encouragement from God.  Everlasting, always with me, His righteousness given to me as I continually seek Him  Comfort, solace, tranquility . . . the soul seems to revive a bit.  All in a day, week, year, life . . . good and bad, up and down, in and out, mood swings . . . breathe in  . . . breath out . . .  breathe deep.  Embrace the present for that is all we have for the moment.  Drink in God's whispers.  Act, not by feelings but by faith.  Know that the Lord is God and He will make my paths straight.

#3780-3782::  Flags fly with hopes of warmer

weather.  Freshly mowed grass, annuals planted in tight rows, some are washing cars.  It's Memorial Day weekend - first begun as a day off on May 5 to decorate graves of fallen heroes.  Then it was moved to May 31.  Now it is the 4th Monday of May - which is the 24th.  All for a day off?  Small town parades tell the story with bikes and trikes and children carrying flags and bagpipers and the town fire engine etc.  Red, White and Blue everywhere.  Love it!  We pray for the fallen, breathe deep, shed a tear for one we know who died doing his duty.  I'm glad we take a time-out for our heroes.

#3783-3785:: Pentecost!  Wear red!  The Holy Spirit fell on 3,000 Hebrew people who were on their

way to the temple to give their "Pentecost grain offering" a centuries old tradition.  God knew the best time to send the power from on High to those who believe in the Father through the Son.  " Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.  Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth."  The prayer is longer but these verses are taken from the Psalms.  The power of God in those who believe in God's Son, enables us to use 'explosive power' as God wills so that the message gets out to all - that God is alive and well and with us and we are God's for eternity.

#3786-3788::  Let's go fishing!  Free fishing today so families are down at the lake.  The red-headed twins caught a huge bunch again this year.  These girls are amazing and fun to see each summer when they visit their grandmother.  Flags flying at half mast, memories of war heroes, stories from WWII and Vietnam much lest Iraq and Afghanistan.  A sad sigh as we recall so many wars in our lifetime.
Gorgeous weather makes for a bit of a sunburn but it's always nice to have a little color on the face.

#3789-3791:: Sitting on the back porch studying is what summer is all about!  Lettuce, parsley and basil growing in pots - YUM! Freshly mowed grass smells so good.  Baby birds squeaking for food.

#3792-3794:  Early up for a meeting that goes well.  Off to a long awaited pastoral care visit that turns into a lovely family conversation about the church family and how well we are doing.  Satisfied hearts, prayers, lingering, hugs and off we go to explore some towns further east.  Rain did not descend upon us until just before we were due to attend a dinner meeting.  Evening prayer to give rest to the soul, good food, great discussion, satisfied soul.

#3795-3797:: Up way too early as much needed rain soaks the garden.  Mind racing with great ideas that excite open hearts to draw near to God through His son.  ALPHA course may be a new beginning for Fall.

#3798-3800:: Words from yesterday melt into oblivion as I begin again.  Trinity.  God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit - how to talk about our Triune God with refreshing perspective.  Clean, prep, paint the fireplace glass insert after a winter of constant use as paint-skin flakes off into tiny bits of dust.

#3801-3803:: Fresh veggies from our neighbor farmer - so good!  Peonies burst with blooms as swift wind sends petals, like snow, across the yard.  Organize, pack, prepare for a long tomorrow. A wonderful chat with my brother's wife makes my sad heart feel a bit better as he struggles with his health.

#3804-3806:: A gorgeous morning greeted by fresh air and an easy drive to church.  Trinity Sunday with Healing service a beautiful combination.  Just as St. Patrick brought the 'healing' message of our triune God to pagans in Ireland with the explanation of the Nicene Creed, we, also, can share the fullness of God in Christ the same way.  Home visit was a delight as I listened to stories and we sang old hymns together.  Leaving at 6:30am and arriving home at 5:00pm makes for a long but fulfilling day.