Thankful Thursday

Counting blessings with Ann Voskamp today ...

a scavenger hunt for God's glory! 

3 gifts eaten - when "more is more":
whole wheat toast with crunchy peanut butter melting as it is spread
enchiladas with fresh spinach and tons of onions
hand-mixed guacamole - bad breath in a bowl;)

Multitude 9.2.13

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


3 Gifts White ...
Blank paper
New baseballs
Creamy yogurt

A Gift at 10 am, 1 pm, and 10 pm ...
Life Group
Lunch
Laptop

A Gift Outside, Inside, Upside Down ...
Cool rain
Even cooler shelter from the rain
Elizabeth's octopus made by tracing her hand

Multitude 4.29.13

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


A Gift in Sky, Water, Memory...
steamy, dark clouds racing through - leaving cool breezes to follow their tracks
dry, floating assaults of pollen trapped and tranquilized for the day by merciful moisture
the little strawberry dress -worn by many sisters - brought out from storage for more classic cuteness

A Gift Wrinkled, Smoothed, Unfolded...
the printed softball schedule that seems to order our days
the situation where I found just enough courage to be gently honest
this marvelous narrative He's finishing in us

Joy Dare 1.31.13

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


A Gift in Sky, Water, Memory...
a storm front gusts - howling fear and vulnerability - commanding a trust and fear in the Creator
brimming ponds lapping abundance onto banks
the first tornado we shared as a young married couple ... silent and scared, but secure

A Gift Wrinkled, Smoothed, Unfolded...
that middle of my forehead from all the moments of concentration or contemplation
our bedspread for the start of a day
all my kids clothes that lay in their drawers ... "ain't nobody got time f'dat!"

Joy Dare 1.20.13

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


3 Yellow Gifts of Fresh Mercy...
lemon slices in a clear glass of ice water
creamy butter melting in a skillet
kitchen lemon hand soap from b&bw

Something Above, Below, Beside...
bright starry night
freshly vacuumed carpets
Philip's recliner ... right by mine.

3 Things About Yourself for which You are Grateful...
I can plan
I can cook
I am a fun girl

3 Startling Graces of God...
Philip's new work schedule
unexpected time with lovely out-of-town guests
victory - when defeat was hissed and haunted by the deceiver

A Gift Worn, Given Away, Shared...
The awesome Tshirt Philip brought me back from Snowshoe
hopefully my sofa and love seat ... very soon:)
a crock of chili and snicker doodles dipped in coffee

3 Witnessed Blessings...
sweet words from preteens
truth shared among 6-yr-olds
kindness between the man cubs

A Gift Bringing Laughter, Prayer, Quiet...
Banana-grams and Catan with friends
a struggle for peace
arriving half an hour early for the worship service

3 Gifts from God's Word...
Be strong and courageous.
Be of good cheer.
Be not afraid.

3 Gifts that Might Never Have Been...
a Sabbath spent with her dad - if Mari had not had a cough.
Aryn - if our miscarried baby had thrived.
Elizabeth - if we had submitted to the doctor's suggestion.

3 Gifts Only Seen Close Up...
the birthmark in Elizabeth's right iris
brow hairs that beckon to be tweezed
all reading material without my glasses - now that I'm in my 40's :)

Joy Dare 1.10.13

3 Gifts Heard...
60,000 young adults lifting praise at Passion 2013
Philip patiently explaining fraction reduction to the 4th grader
the voice of a sister-friend for more than an hour on a long-needed phone chat

A Gift Outside, Inside, On a Plate...
batting cage
the settling of Catan
Ardyn's famous fried eggs

3 Graces You Overheard...
"Isn't she a sweet child?"
"This is the best."
and from the wee one in the backseat: "Dear God, please help my brother not to say bad words."

A Gift Old, New, Blue...
the rocking chair I was rocked in 40 years ago ... still lulling late evenings away
the ring my daughter chose for me
the toddler swing is a dot of primary color in the backyard expanse of browns and greens

Something You're Reading, Making, Seeing...
the Father Brown Mysteries
a Piano Lesson flier for my mom
the floor of my bedroom ... finally, after a long holiday overflow

One Thing In Your Bag, Your Fridge, Your Heart...
chapstick
clementines
countless choruses

3 Graces from People You Love...
cheek-kiss "good-bye" from Kathy
sweet, humble words from Mom
laughter and giggles from Celina

Dusky Light, Surprising Reflection, Dusty Shadow...
friends circling a fire pit at the lake shore
seeing a grown person's baby pictures and realizing not much as changed
the forsaken corner of the stairwell

A Gift Held, Passed By, Sat With...
cup of crushed ice brought home by the firstborn
another job opportunity - our roots grow deeper
my man and his pizza

A Gift Sour, Sweet, Just Right...
my attitude when the phone woke me up (opportunity to receive grace first thing)
"black and white" chocolate drizzled kettle corn
Ardyn saying, "Do you need a hug? I need a hug."

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

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

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.

Joy Dare 9.10.12

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



3 gifts summer
bright red tomatoes, sliced and sprinkled with pepper
fresh sweet watermelon, consumed in drippy-sticky slurps
longer, less productive days:)

3 gifts cut
stuff from magazines to glue on construction paper
snowflakes from coffee filters
play dough snakes with a blunt plastic knife

Joy Dare 8.20.12

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



3 gifts in family
Aunts and cousins - treasured friendships
My mom who thinks of me often
my home filled with children who keep life VERY interesting:)



3 gifts ugly beautiful
the kitchen cabinets - tattered and worn from consistent, almost constant use
my grocery list scratched hastily in writing from three different "contributors"
sun shining through our front door - original 1979 stained glass

a gift in a ring
this story of redemption that still brings me peace

a gift in a curve
brightly colored, translucent goggles on giggling swimmers

a gift in a sphere
whoppers. tiny spheres of chocolaty, malty goodness:)

Joy Dare 8.13.12

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



3 gifts white
Casie's wedding dress
crisp new notebook paper with blue straight lines of promise
winter fresh gum in the dog days of summer

3 gifts eaten
watermelon
squash
pineapple chicken
 
a gift at 10am
creme brulee coffee and some emails

a gift at 1pm
read-alouds before nap time

a gift at 10pm
"White Collar"on Netflix with my main man

Joy Dare 6.18.12

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



3 gifts full
bowl of fruit
basket of biscuits
bellies of breakfast


3 gifts smelled
tops of bathed heads while reading bedtime books
Philip's clean-shaven morning face as we hug good bye
creme brulee coffee

a gift unexpected   a week with Kate:)
a gift unwanted  my own bed for a night or two
a gift unlikely  early happy bedtimes


3 gifts from His Word  (Proverbs 15)
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.


3 gifts moving
four-wheelers purring around the property
trees dancing in the humid breeze
the trash can magically down to the end of the drive

3 gifts from my dad
a love for words and wisdom
knowing exactly when to punch the line
everlasting laughter and joy

3 gifts from my Heavenly Father
a purpose for His glory
a plan for my good
plenty of promises that help me wait on Him

Joy Dare 6.11.12

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


a gift of peace our little house guest sleeping well, even in a strange place
a gift of hope knowing God knows more and better than we
a gift of love  the son who cooked and cleaned so that we could celebrate his sister

3 gifts ugly-beautiful
bedroom floors blanketed with toys and junk ... happy hours hanging over
the birthday cake that almost came out of the pan all pretty
my flesh colored compression sock ... concealing a healing wound

3 gifts in what I am watching
devoted friendship in "Brian's Song"
genius comedic writing in "Finding Nemo"
love as a choice in "Sarah, Plain and Tall"

3 gifts empty
laundry bins ... proof of a busy day of washing
suitcases laid out ... awaiting a week of wear
hands held out for God's perfect provision

3 gifts that make you really smile
Luke's over-the-fence home run
Landen's full game pitched with only one run allowed
sisters cracking sunflower seeds and spitting with no finesse

a gift at 8  four soapy girls wash away the day
a gift at 12 a warm, handsome husband who is cute even though he is a blanket stealer
a gift at 2  subconscious surrender to the sweet promise that God never sleeps


3 gifts painted
purple butterflies
lots of hollow hearts
one hundred toe and finger nails

Joy Dare 6.4.12

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


a gift at 8am coffee and "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young
at noon  tuna with onion & pickles ... bad breath waiting to happen:)
at 8pm  "Little Britches" by Ralph Moody to a neat and tidy household

3 gifts blue
daily skies in shades of gray
Philip's eyes and all they say
denim spools and swimming pools

3 gifts I gave today
my time
my patience
His love

3 gifts orange
sherbet
juice
the happy publish button on Blogger

3 gifts funny
Tim Hawkins
Anita Renfroe
home spun comedy routines

3 gifts from today's conversations
"I just wanted to hear your voice."
"I'll be happy to do whatever is needed."
"That's a good plan."

3 gifts found in Christ
perfect plan
perfect timing
perfect peace

Joy Dare 5.28.12

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

3 gifts that made you laugh
the debate over love languages
our thanksgiving memory
grown brothers and sisters in one room...loud love and laughter
3 gifts found in community
rides and lunch provided
texts of concern and hopeful prayers
even a week of medical crisis can be a very good week
gift in a plate    grilled pineapple with pork chops and onions
in a pot    mashed potatoes with bacon and cheese and garlic
in a package    creme brulee coffee with family and friends

3 hard thanksgivings
painful infections
bondage to bed rest
the disintegration of MY plan for this week
a gift worn    pants one size smaller
a gift white    Greek yogurt
a gift whispered    "Daddy's asleep but I need to say to him Happy Birthday Daddy!"

3 gifts found in church
organ and piano duets
new songs of praise
Spirit and Truth
3 gifts in today's work
the laptop and downloads and all my messy files
a household of children who help with [mostly] a smile
the husband called out to work on a holiday & his birthday ... answered with a glad heart.

Joy Dare 5.21.12

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

3 gifts about me
I place a high premium on truth
singing under my breath happens involuntarily
I'm learning the beauty of prompt apologies

3 gifts found in His Word (Proverbs 21)
"All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart."
"To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."
"Better to live in the desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife."

Joy Dare 5.14.12

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



3 gifts found in the dark
fear to dispel
dreams to explore
peace & rest

a gift outside
wooden rockers on the patio

inside
creme brulee candle

upside down
body wash, lotion, ketchup...they're designed that way...let's let'em roll, people!

3 gifts from my parents
music appreciation
hunger for the Word
brown eyes ;)

3 gifts held in hand today
paperwork (hard thanks)
hand written mother's day wishes
my kindle with it's purple case

3 gifts found in my children
repetitive forgiveness
re-occurring challenges
real love

a gift picked up
milk from the dairy

a gift put away
canisters of cereal - at capacity

a gift put back
clean dish towels ready to wipe up another day

3 gifts inside a closet
new flip flops
the story of my keys
CR tee shirt to wear every Monday

Joy Dare 5.7.12

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

3 gifts tasted

biscuits with butter and honey
crisp green salad with a rainbow of chopped veggies
salty rich pistachios

3 gifts flat

Mari's very first softball pictures
Discover statement with a zero balance
love notes - red hearts and swirls from little girls

3 gifts found in difficult people

graphic reflection of how I am at times
opportunity for me to choose gentle compassion
space to be slow to speak

3 gifts before 9am

two quick miles of sunshine and shade
text messages touch base with a ":)"
tidy rooms and completed chores

a gift in a sign
"Construction Ahead: Expect Delay" -story of my Kingdom life

in a smile
my handsome husband, with polarized shades perched on his shiny head,
blue eyes look straight into me

in a snack
green apple slices and walnuts (does it get better than that?)

3 gifts found in Christ
forgiveness
fellowship
freedom to offer such to others

3 gifts about my home
safe and set apart
oscillating volume level from library to parade
the place where their story begins

Joy Dare 4.23.12

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

I thank God for things woven together:

preschool place mats
lattice fencing
the stories of our lives
Gifts inherited: