Tuesday, March 20, 2012

A Plethora

I've been shamefully negligent. I have the hardest time staying focused, both on being watchful for His gifts and on updating when I am crazy busy: extra shifts, youth retreats, and exhaustion.
But, I've been keeping track of some gifts on my phone, so here goes!

3 gifts in Christ:
~Him molding my heart.
~Giving me joy.
~Building my faith, trust and confidence in Him.

One gift that made you laugh: My husband being silly, teasing me.

One gift that made you pray: walking outside and hearing the birds praise the Lord.

One gift that made you quiet: Seeing the moon in the early morning over the fir trees.

3 ways you witnessed happiness today:
~A mother cuddling her baby, so happy to have him.
~Little girl gleefully happy to be out with her father and sister.
~Little girl just bursting with joy.

A gift turned: Ice turned to mud.
A gift folded: homemade enchiladas
A gift hung: Jeans hanging on the rail to dry after much fun.

3 hard gifts:
~Learning that my husbands trip to the specialist was going to be over $1600. Trusting God on a new level. Peace.
~ Seeing my husband in daily pain. He knows what is best for us.
~ Having God reveal sins in my heart in order to make me who He wants me to be.

3 gifts given away:
~Time from the cooks who served our youth this past weekend.
~Time, energy and a heart poured out into the chapel sessions for the youth by our youth pastor this past weekend.
~ Comfort zones given away by the youth during their "walk 'n talk" talking about how to apply what they were learning with someone they did not know well.

3 gifts found in silence:
~Butterfly on the inside door of our cabin.
~The first early moments of a busy day at retreat: birds singing, cooks getting breakfast started.
~The peace of a frozen lake.

  3 gifts round:
~Big homemade chocolate chip cookies!
~Hot bowls of pumpkin soup.

~ The sun setting red as I get home from the weekend.

A gift in wind: wind singing in the trees.
A gift in water: toes squishing in mud.
In white: White board where the truth of the Gospel is shared.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Perspective

3 gifts in the kitchen:
~ A dinner of homemade soup in a friends kitchen.
~Dishwasher full of clean dishes.
~New hand soap that smells of raspberries.

3 ways you glimpsed the startling grace of God:
~Being greeted as I walked into work by a little girl's face lighting up and calling out my name.
~Seeing little girlfriend write her letters. Such glee and joy!
~Getting to have a longer visit than anticipated to enjoy friends, giggling, doll houses and crayon pillows with friends.

One thing you wore:
New warm scarf.

One thing you gave away:
My evening. It's always hard to get myself back out the door after a work day on Friday, but the teens always bless me more than I ever give away.

One thing you shared: laughter with my co-workers throughout the day.

3 gifts carved:
~My cedar chest, handed down through the generations, refinished by my father for my wedding!
~ God helping me carve out time with Him this morning despite being so tired.
~Snow carved into drifts

3 gifts loud: 
~The alarm clock, helping me wake up and start my day.
~ God's grace in the midst of hard times.
~ Our espresso machine being repaired.




Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Ups and Downs

 What a day. Having to struggle to give thanks for it all.
 ~A gift bent: The packaging on my Tribute Blend Coffee.
~A gift broken: my hair. Worst haircut I've ever gotten. I am feeling heartbroken that all my long locks are history. And it has to be fixed to boot. I'm not sure how short it will end up. I've been growing it out for quite a while.
~A gift beautiful: getting to hold a beautiful, precious new little girl at her shower. What a doll.

~Something above you: Warm sunshine. It felt like spring might be trying to peak through.
~Something below you: ice melting.
~Something beside you: a mentor. Having someone in my life who will hold me accountable, challenge me and listen to my heart is one of the greatest gifts.

~3 sounds you hear:
Potatoes boiling cheerfully on the stove.
Birds singing.
Sweet baby girl crying in the other room.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Times nine

A gift that's sour: a sour mint given to me yesterday (I learned I don't know how to eat them, pretty funny!)
A gift that's sweet: brownies tonight at grace group.
A gift that's just right: My new jeans! I put them on and never wanted to take them off. (Made even better by the fact that I bought them on clearance. The better the deal the more pumped I get: I get this from my father.)
3 Yellow things that strike you as a fresh mercy:
~A new comfy shirt.
~ I may have given in to a craving and bought some golden oreos this week. Not having them all the time made them all the sweeter.
~A new coffee (packaging is yellow) that I did not think I would enjoy (growth and change).
3 gifts found:
~New graces through Scripture.
~ Strength to get through my day despite my silliness of drinking coffee late last night (Silly! I have been so tired today.)
~Grace to move past myself and grow trusting my Savior and my husband.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

This 'n that

~A shadow that fell lovely: Shadows of trees across snow clad roads.
~ A gift in your hand: the cups of my friend's drinks that I was marking to create something special for them.
~ A gift you walked by: Food at the store. I am blessed to live with plenty.
~A gift you sat with: my church family during worship.

Todays gifts were 3 hard gifts. Two will stay in my own journal.
~My husbands current "illness" with his jaw.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Tired, busy and blessed

I found the scrap of paper in the pocket of my work pants from yesterday!
3 gifts found at 3 pm:
~Sweet smell of steamed milk.
~Helping a customer find a new favorite drink.
~Mocha powder spilled all over the floor and my co-worker, accompanied by much laughter. 

~Light that caught you: I noticed the sun came out from the snow through our large windows at work; it made me feel more cheerful and awake.
~A reflection that surprised me: my littler French press reflected in my larger one. (Yes, I'm a coffee dork)

3 gifts wore:
~My comfy pajama pants, a gift from a couple Christmases ago (I love PJ pants!).
~A favorite cardigan sweater. I am always wearing one!
~My nose ring. A fun detail that makes me me.


Friday, March 2, 2012

So tired

I'm feeling pretty spent, but really wanted to do this!
                                                  ~A gift dull: My Norwex face clothes!
                             ~A gift shimmering: My wedding and engagement rings.
        ~A gift cleaned: My red fleece blanket. This thing has gone all over the place with me                           (road trips, moved a few times, airplanes). I just re-found and washed it!

3 gifts green: 
~Iced Green tea lemonade.  
~My jewelery today (all off etsy)
~My apron (that usually keeps me "mostly" clean)
3 Graces from people you love:
~A book from my mom at Christmas.
~A mug from my in-laws, one of many they have bought me for my collection.
~My Bible. From my husband. 


I also have 3 gifts from 3 'o clock. But I can't find the scrap of paper I wrote them on. I can clearly remember only two of them at the moment! I will find that paper and add them tomorrow :)






Thursday, March 1, 2012

Refocusing

Earlier in this "dare" I was discussing it with a friend and compared this new habit of thankfulness to building a new muscle. Boy is it.
Parts of this week I have not been lifting my weights. I'm not very good at wanting to go to the gym.
Some evenings I have just been so tired I can not think very straight. Other nights other things were going on. But I notice the difference in my attitude and focus.
So, time to post some  gifts and read what I should be looking for tomorrow. It's time to refocus.

3 gifts from the past-that help you trust the future:
~Four years ago I almost died. I had a pulmonary embolism from a 12 inch blood clot in my leg. God in His Sovereignty kept me alive for His purposes.
~I didn't have any health coverage at the time as I was new to the country. I needed to be flown to have a surgery that may have saved my life. I received coverage backdated to before I went into the hospital in a way that had never been heard of.
~ The reumbursement check we are getting from the university my husband attended ending two years ago-right when we need it.

Something you are reading: The chapter in "1000 gifts" on having an open hand to whatever God gives you.


Something you are making: Some pictures for my home with scriptures that need to become a real part of my life.

Something your seeing: God changing my heart in huge ways that only He can.

One thing in your bag: My water bottle, keeps me drinking what I need each day!
Your fridge: Some home-made soup from my mother-in-law for my husband.
Your heart: Gratefulness for His grace and patience with me.

I find it so neat that I have already been learning to thank God each day for whatever He chooses to give me and then I read the chapter on just that, where my mediation on this subject widens. Thank You for Your great grace!