Tag: God

The Joy Dare – A Gift On a Paper, In a Person, In a Picture

Things have been a little crazy around here lately, so I haven’t been able to share my daily gifts. This joy dare was from January 31st and I’m just now getting to it–but hey, I’m determined to get caught up, and it’s better late than never! 😉

  1. An Email from the Hubby – The other day my husband sent me a sweet email just to tell me how much he loves me. Now this is not technically “a gift on paper,” but I will most likely print it out for a wonderful keepsake. 🙂 These are the little things that mean so much to me, and totally make my day!
  2. A Time of Celebration with my Grandmother – This past Saturday we had a surprise birthday party for my grandmother. It was such a blessing! Things came together beautifully, and my grandmother really had a nice time. We had food and cake, played a mad-lib game, danced, and enjoyed each other’s company. But most of all, we were able to honor a very special woman who I am so proud to call my Mom Mom!
  3. A “Just Because” Bouquet of Flowers – My husband brought me a beautiful bouquet of roses the other day after he got done work. This meant very much to me! They just looked so amazing and smelled so good! Because I was incredibly blessed by this gesture, we decided to take some pictures to remember this gift. I am so grateful to have such a caring and thoughtful husband! ❤

P.S. Check out my my collage of pics above and let me know what you think! 😀

The Joy Dare – Three Old Things Seen New

Sometimes it’s difficult to change our perspective and to see “old things” through “new eyes.” But that was my dare for yesterday, and God provided three things that I needed to see in a new way!

  1. Perceiving “Small Stuff” for What it Is – I worry about little things. I don’t know why…maybe it’s a part of my perfectionism and OCD. But God showed me (and I’m sure that He will need to continue to show me) that He’s got them under control. If He has the BIG things in His hands – like the operation of the entire universe – I should think that He can take care of a few details in my life. As my wise Grandmom always tells me, “Don’t sweat the small stuff!”
  2. Starting with a Clean Slate – It was another one of those days where I poked my head outside in the early morning and was blessed to see the sunrise in the distance. It reminded me of how my old sins from the previous day had been completely washed away by my Savior. With the new morning came new mercies, and also a new opportunity to rely on God to obey Him.
  3. Being Re-Inspired by a Familiar Verse – 1 Peter 5:7 has always been a favorite Scripture of mine: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (NKJV). But as I was reading a selection from 31 Days of Praise, I encountered a different version of the verse. It read: “You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern” (PHILLIPS). This just clicked with me. I could give the entire weight of my worries to God, because my well-being matters to Him. When someone or something is your personal concern, it means that everything that happens to that person or thing is important to you. So every single situation that concerns me concerns God – and I can trust Him with each one!

One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.

Henry Miller

Photo Credit: Bjorn Simon

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! ❤