The Joy Dare -- Day 6

"Have you never heard?  Have you never understood?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.  He never grows weak or weary.  No one can measure the depths of his understanding.  He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.  Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.  

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint." 

-- Isaiah 40:28-31

What a day.  Even such, continuing on with this dare to live fully.

Today's Joy Dare...

A gift bent

16.  Bent heads in simple prayer at the supper table.

A gift broken

17.  The reminder that this life is temporal, and though we are broken-hearted,

our hope is in You.

A gift beautiful

18.  Sanibel sunsets that sing of His glory.

The Joy Dare - Day 5

Today's Joy Dare is...

Three gifts found

13.  Rocks, coins, and "treasures" found at the bottom of the washing machine from little boy bluejean pockets.

14.  Finding rest at the end of a long, productive day.

15.  Finding a tiny, perfect empty bird's nest as a reminder of God's provison. 

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear.  Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them.  And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

-- Matthew 6:25-27

source

The Joy Dare - Day 4

Today's dare to live fully...

Three gifts hard to give thanks for

10.  Financial struggles -- trusting on God to show out

11.  Challenging relationships that force humility

12.  Health circumstances out of my control -- requiring full reliance on the Great Physician

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way,

consider it an opportunity for great joy.  

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 

So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed,

you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." 

--James 1:2-4



The Joy Dare - Day 3

Today's dare to live fully...

Three gifts wore

7.  Catching a glimpse of Justin's worn and scratched wedding band, the one that's rarely been taken off his finger since the day we said our vows.

8.  My family's basic needs of clothing are met...and then some.

9.  The gift of God's armor that we wear daily... ^"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."  --Ephesians 6:11

H's favorite Armor of God pj's

The Joy Dare - Day 2

Today's Joy Dare is for 3 things green...

4.  Those green chocolate-covered candies that motivate Brig to use the potty.

5.  A lawn of soft, bright green mid-winter rye grass when everything else is dry and gray.

6.  God's provision over us financially.

The Joy Dare

I'm stepping out a limb here and using my little corner of the world wide web to keep me accountable.  As I've written before, Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts" has truly changed my life.  In reading Ann's story -- where she set out to name 1000 gifts/graces/blessings -- the Holy Spirit started to work in me that I needed to do the same. 

So, I'm accepting this dare to live fully with The Joy Dare.  Technically, it started in January, but I'm behind -- imagine that.  BUT, I'm starting today, March 1, day 1.  

If you want to join me, hop over to A Holy Experience and be blessed!  

Today's dare...3 gifts at 3 p.m.  

(It's 2:50 p.m. as I type this and for once I'm on time!)

1.  A quiet house in the early morning.

2.  Hot coffee and the Word -- perfect combo.

3.  Harrison singing along with K-Love radio in the mornings headed to school.