Category: Joy Dare

The Joy Dare – A Song Heard, A Soft Word, Light Seen

Can I just say, it is so neat how God is opening my eyes to see these “gifts” of His each day? How wonderful it is to be able to focus on the positive things that He provides for me, and to give Him the praise that He deserves!

  1. A Song of Praise – We sang the song “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin last night at our church worship group, and I heard it again today on the radio in my car. 🙂 It’s a beautiful song, giving praise to God as the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. It also ties in the fact that this all-powerful God loves each of us and is deeply involved in our lives.
  2. Words of Truth – Also at our church last night, the worship leader spoke words of God’s truth that encouraged my heart. Our area had just received a covering of snow on the ground. She stated that when snow first falls from heaven and covers the earth, it is very white and beautiful and flawless. But when we trudge through it with our feet, we muck it all up. This is comparable to our lives. When God allows certain situations to unfold for us, they start out beautifully as we receive them by faith and move forward with Him. But when we try to manipulate and change and control, we “muck it all up”! I just thought that this was a good word picture that reminds us to trust our lives into His hands.
  3. A Light in the Distance – After my doctor’s appointment today, I came out of the building to my car so that I could drive home. However, something told me to check my car’s tires. Sure enough, one of them was extremely low. I put air into the tire and the machine read that it was at the correct PSI, but the tire was still almost flat. I had no other way to get home, so I prayed, and drove slowly back to our neighborhood. I was so worried that the tire would go flat and that I would be stuck on the side of the road. However, as our house came into view, it was like seeing a “light in the distance.” I pulled into our driveway with gratefulness that God had guided me safely home.

Praise God for Songs Heard, Soft Words, and Lights Seen! ❤

Photo Credit: Ali Inay

The Joy Dare – Three Graces Found in Friends

Friendship. It’s one of God’s greatest gifts! And the Lord has blessed me with some pretty awesome friends. 🙂

I’d like to preface this entry again by saying that today I am only listing three specific gifts, but there are so, so many, from so many wonderful friends!

  1. Wedding Day Grace – My wedding day was a crazy, wonderful day that I will never forget! And one of the people who helped to make it so special was my best friend and Maid of Honor, Katherine. She was by my side the entire day, assisting me with anything that I needed. She even wrote me a note with Scripture verses that encouraged me to relax, trust in God, and enjoy this special time. The day wouldn’t have been the same without her! 😉
  2. The Grace of a Tasty Meal – My husband and I are blessed to have wonderful friends named Mike and Krystle, who have been such an encouragement to us. One of the ways they have done this is by inviting us over for a home-cooked meal on the nights before we have hand-bell choir practice! These meals have been a special time of sharing and good conversation. We look forward to this time each week!
  3. The Grace of a Faraway Friend – In an earlier blog post, I have mentioned a young girl (actually, she is almost a teenager now!), Perla, who my husband and I support through Compassion International. Perla has been such a blessing to me, as we have gotten to know each other better through letters that bridge the gap of the physical distance between us. Just knowing that she cares about me and prays for me puts a huge smile on my face!

Praise God for Graces Found in Friends! ❤

The Joy Dare – Three Gifts in the Kitchen

Today is the day I begin my Joy Dare! The praise prompt for today is: Three Gifts in the Kitchen.

First, I’d like to say that there are many gifts to be found in our kitchen. Most everything that my husband and I have in our home have been gifts from precious people. So picking only three things was difficult! But below are three gifts that stand out the most.

  1. A Dishwasher – When my husband and I first moved into our home, we did not have a dishwasher. Washing dishes is not one of my favorite things to do, so unfortunately dishes would pile up in the sink until I was able to gather the motivation to wash them. 🙂 About two years after we moved into our home, my husband’s parents were extremely gracious to not only purchase us a dishwasher, but to install it for us! This was such an incredible blessing. Now I have been able to just load, run, and empty the dishwasher instead of having to hand wash the dishes.
  2. A Cupboard – My husband’s parents were also gracious enough to provide us with a cupboard of theirs that we could use to store some of our food items. It fits perfectly into a corner in our kitchen, and it has been very useful for giving us a place to put items that we use regularly.
  3. A Counter-top and a Day of Organization – In order to install the dishwasher that my husband’s parents gave to us, my father-in-law was required to remove a section of our lower cabinets. For a while, the section of cabinet sat in a corner of our kitchen, not fully usable because it did not have a counter-top. My Mom decided to visit me one day and to help me locate and purchase a counter-top that would make the cabinet usable. She also devoted the rest of the day to helping me re-organize the items in our kitchen so that things could be located more easily. This was such a blessing!

I praise God for these Three Gifts in the Kitchen! ❤