It is with trepidation....

that I write this first post. I am stepping gingerly and somewhat reluctantly into the blogging world. I have so enjoyed keeping up with family and friends near and far via blogs, but I have shied away from writing a blog myself. However, since I can't comment on several of my dear friends' blogs without having one myself, I am giving it a shot!

I hope blogging will also be an opportunity to share Ebenezer stories. The idea of Ebenezer stories has floated around in my brain for years since the very first Ebenezer night at our church in Massachusetts way back in 1990 or so! We sat around that old sanctuary on wooden pews, Jack and Barb, Jan and Dave, the Bonsignores, Babcocks, and others and shared stories of God's faithfulness...faithfulness that had brought us to where we were that evening. A year or two later we had another Ebenezer night and I remember the Duncan's story and others. I have so often thought back to those stories and many more that I've heard.....and lived since that time.

1Samuel 7:7-12 (read it!) tells the story of a victory of the children of Israel over the Philistines and of the setting up of a memorial stone as a reminder:
"Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, 'Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.'" 1 Samuel 7:12

Stories are like that Ebenezer stone - reminders of God's help. I would not be where I am without Him, but I need reminders. I need stories. I need Ebenezer stories. So, I hope to write a few Ebenezer stories - and whether they are stories of mundane daily events or happenings of great import - I pray that they will be reminders that "hitherto hath the LORD helped me. "