Joy Dare 10.22.12

Giving thanks to God in community for His gifts ...



3 gifts of change
Landen driving the boys to school
Ardyn babysitting
Elizabeth staying dry at nap time

a gift small
window of time for me to read
a gift smaller
window of time for me to write
a gift smallest
window of time for me to dream

3 gifts read
Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman
Thanksgiving recipes in Southern Living
"I will praise Thee, O Lord." on Mari Alice's penmanship page.

3 gifts said
"You look so pretty in green!" -PJ
"This was a VERY special day!" - DW
"I'm sorry. I do love you, Mom." -LJ

3 gifts re-read
Landen's History paper
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - times a million
The Book of James - forever until I get it.

3 gifts burning
a scrumptious creme brulee candle indoors
a pile of wooden scraps outdoors
a desire for God's presence - smoldering within

3 gifts ugly-beautiful
the red nose and swollen eyes of an emotional datenite
uneasy vulnerability
healing wounds

a gift shared
a kiss goodbye
a gift saved
a kiss to welcome him home
a gift surrendered
my hurried agenda when the better thing to choose is a kiss

3 gifts unexpected
Landen serving up a plate of food for me when he thought I might miss out
all four girls enjoying a picnic luncheon on the flat bed trailer
several hours of quiet when Philip took everyone but the napper to the deer lease

3 gifts unconventional
Noah's ark out of Lego
scarves and newspaper and dancing in church
Lecrae

3 gifts undervalued
commitment
hard work
marriage

Transformers

Finally, friends,

whatever is true,
I am falling short, but God made me and loves me and hasn't given up on me.

whatever is honorable,
God chose to send His Spirit to live in MY body.

whatever is just,
When I misuse food and neglect my body, there are natural consequences.

whatever is pure,
God designed my body to work hard and be nourished by food.

whatever is lovely,
My identity is in Christ. My soul will always be more important than this body that is wasting away.

whatever is commendable,
It's not too late ... there are changes to be made and work to be done.

if there is any excellence,
God has proven Himself faithful and miraculously merciful in other areas of my life.

if there is anything worthy of praise,
His character compels me to trust Him and praise Him in this too.

think about these things.

"I fail. He never leaves. I have made my own selfish choices in direct rebellion to His loving, wise plan. I am forgiven. I have a future and a hope. He will never leave me and His plans are for my good."

What you have learned
The way I over-eat and under-exercise indicate spiritual and emotional issues as much as they display physical imbalance.

and received
I know how to eat healthfully. I know how to exercise.

and heard
God's Spirit is telling me it's time to get real about this.

and seen in me
God has given me His Word, and has placed friends in plain sight who live this area of life WELL.

—practice these things,

"Today, I will consciously eat for nourishment - not absent-mindedly binge in order to stuff the pain or escape the stress or pacify the boredom. And today, I will go for a nice long walk."

and the God of peace will be with you. - Philippians 4:8-9

Joy Dare 10.15.12

Giving thanks to God in community for His gifts ...




3 gifts orange
pumpkins
clementines
candy corns

3 gifts falling
breezy temperatures
brittle leaves
brand new mercies

a gift caught
crayfish from the ditch

a gift let go
any expectation for my kids to be perfect

a gift mid-way
the importance of others' opinions

3 gifts reaped
mercy from righteousness
joy from tears
benefits of honest relationships

3 gifts returned
the bodies of men in the plane crash
friends to town in order to mourn a loss and celebrate a life
ashes to ashes, dust to dust

3 gifts redeemed
time in Philip's schedule
Landen's grades
Sunny Foote

a gift baked
Luke's cupcakes

a gift stirred
chicken, corn, tomatoes, peppers, and beans

a gift eaten
quesadillas with dessert

3 gifts prayed for
a lost plane
peace for families of victims
my sorrow-filled man as he spoke at the memorial service

3 gifts praised for
a life fully lived
a God who fully knows our suffering
a plan and a purpose beyond what we comprehend

3 gifts of hard eucharisteo
confessing a wrong
healing a breaking heart
trading sin-shame for joy-grace

Simple Woman's Daybook 10.5.12

FOR TODAY Friday, October 5, 2012...

Outside my window...
Sunshine and shadows share the grassy ground.

I am remembering...
my dad. I spend my days with four of his granddaughters who will wait a lifetime to meet him. They see glimpses of his influence through my life, but I'd love for them to personally know his warm humor and happy wit.

I am thankful for...
Skyward: an online calendar & grading report for MISD students. VERY informative and helpful.

I am creating...

Joy Dare 10.01.12

Giving thanks to God in community for His gifts ...




3 gifts finished
the great kids' rooms swap of 2012
the repetitive viewing of "Agenda"
the plate of pumpkin spice cookies

3 gifts flourishing
Mari Alice's cursive writing
Ardyn's beauty
Ashlin's sense for humor

a gift unexpected
an evening spent with a friend

a gift uneven
the number of phone calls I make in contrast to the ones I receive

a gift unpopular
the call to stand firm and speak up for Truth

3 gifts shy
the little boy who simply wanted a smaller MP3 shirt
the little girl who wanted me to know she brought her silver sweater
"only" 54 worshipers in MP3 tonight ... a touch shy of our 69 average. [quite manageable]

3 gifts shelved
organized chapter books in the middle girls' room
organized readers  & board books in the little girls' room
all the girls' shoes in garage for two weeks straight (fellas need to take a hint)

3 gifts shining
Elizabeth's new night light
the tea kettle Ardyn uses several times a day
God's pure Light into the corners of my life ... exposing and expunging. Thank You, Father.