October 2012 ONE THOUSAND GIFTS #JoyDare

OCTOBER 2012

One Thousand Gifts (by Ann Voskamp)

#1000Gifts #JoyDare


Buy book here...      

Buy Kindle edition here...

I've taken the 1,000 Gifts Dare for 2012... and I am already to... 

October 2012

Today I find JOY in...

Mon 10/1

3 gifts orange: 1. leaves on the trees  2. carrots w/dip  3. jack o' lanterns all over

805. biking wipe out on loose gravel not being any worse than it was

806. photo session at MPC & all the way home

 807. Rachel here for dinner & DWTS

Tues 10/2
3 gifts falling:  1. me yesterday on my bike - but only a flesh wound  2. leaves & harvest debris in our pool :/  3. my anxiety - when i look to GOD!
808. my pic was chosen by SerenityMama :)
809. a concrete mixer (Culver's version of a blizzard) w/BFF Heiter
810. leftover pot roast for dinner w/the LOML

Wed 10/3
3 gifts caught, let go, mid-way: 1. a smile from a friend  2. worries for so many of the "what ifs"  3. the WORK that is happening
811. old fruit made new

Protein smoothie from frozen
bananas & apples that were a bit OLD

812. a 1-day rose
813. stealing pictures from my Pastor's Twitter feed :)

                                                     

Thurs 10/4
3 gifts reaped: 1. the last of the tomatoes  2. crops - soybean & corn  3. souls
814. too much smoothie - brain freeze
815. driving my friend's Prius back from the airport & NOT WRECKING IT
816. spending entirely TOO much time to create a button

Fri 10/5 

3 gifts returned: 1. to the scene of the crime (so to speak) for photo shoot  2. prayers for sharing my pain with safe friends  3. familiar Friday activity of the Worship Arts note

817. photo shoot in the rain

818. help from a friend

819. a late start on an assignment with a quick finish :)

Sat 10/6

FIVE gifts redeemed: 1. Lillie  2. Louisa  3. Laverne  4. Lucille  5. Lydia
(because somebody FINALLY layed an egg)

820. finally, the death watch ends!

Crazy Chickens! - 31 DAYS OF CRAZY!

821. AU Homecoming
3 year tradition - I don't go!

822. 1st fire of the season!!!

Sun 10/7

3 gifts baked, stirred, eaten: 1. blueberry scone  2. batter for pumpkin moose  3. more than i should have - but, so yummy

823. demons, ghosts, medians & more at church

824. homemade popcorn & a movie w/my daughter

825. snapping pics out of the sun roof

Mon 10/8

3 gifts prayed for: 1. motivation  2. awesome accountability partner  3. good Christian sister-girlfriends who support me when things get tough

826. Panera salad w/cherries - yummy

827. tomatoes -well before the frost

828.  more redemption for the the "girls" next door

yes, that's 2 eggs - and a golf ball!

Tues 10/9

3 gifts praised for: 1. hidden strength in the Word  2. sister friends 3. tomorrow (cause today was kinda yucky)

829. meeting neighbor for the first time while pranking my husband

830. friendship growing with my neighbor, Ruthanne

831. dryer dying - thankfully on the last day of the warranty (not the day after!!)

MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Wed 10/10

3 gifts hard eucharisteo: 1. beauty from some ashes in our lives lately  2. depression  3. the balance between respect & enabling poor behavior from a loved one

832. morning walk - baby raccoon peering down from a tree

833. birthday joys - cards, flowers, M&M's, boots, ice cream, cupcakes, hugs

834. unexpected evening w/the LOML & the bringer of coffee & butter pecan ice cream

Thurs 10/11
3 gifts of change: 1. leaves along my drive  2. tough changes but not loss of hope  3. bottle found under car seat - Change for Children
835. relatively un-horrible mammogram
836. rooster guarding my car during said mammogram

837. meeting Heather for a birthday lunch

Fri 10/12
3 gifts: small, smaller, smallest: 1. what my problems look like to God  2. fear needed to get through the day  3. how much I've earned my salvation

838. spontaneity
839. great friends from 4 different states

Grace-North Carolina; Tyler-Indiana;
Brent-Pennsylvania; Kelsey-Georgia

840. hotel room... in a less than stellar neighborhood

Sat 10/13
3 gifts read: 1. Bible  2. Devotionals via email  3. Devotional booklet I bought
841. quiet before the LOML woke up
842. Adriatico's for lunch - table for 11?
843. rain that forced the mowing to have to wait

cozy fire on a COLD, RAINY night

Sun 10/14
3 gifts said: 1. This is the DAY!  2. want me to make bacon & eggs for lunch (the LOML said that)  3. I hope you don't blow away (said to the LOML when he went out to mow)
844. relaxing with my true love aka the LOML!
845. looking through birthday cards & smiling

846. laying out in the sun in a WIND STORM!  At least the sun was killer hot 

Mon 10/15
3 gifts re-read: 1. my devotional on Accepting God's Calling  2. 8th chapter of Romans  3. Cards/notes my children wrote when they were little
847. farm fresh eggs, M&M's & ice cream

848. killer sunset!

849. Laughing at the LOML announcing to me what time it is at midnight
I couldn't relax my mind :)

Tues 10/16
3 gifts burning: 1. the frost off the crops  2. autumn colors  3. my love for my children 

850. chomping at the bit to go outside & crunchy leaves

851. energy to HAVE a busy morning
852. the breathing of the LOML as I write this at 12:12am
(he's sleeping so peacefully now)

Wed 10/17
3 gifts ugly beautiful: 1. the prospect vs what I trust God will bring about  2. my scar from the bike spill (makes me thankful I can ride at all)  3. hateful people vs what God sees
853. leftover lunch on the deck
- nice days might be numbered

854. speed walking to beat the rain, thunder & lightning
- not to mention the gale force winds!

855. the calm after the storm

Thurs 10/18
3 gifts shared, saved, surrendered: 1. lunch leftovers in the sun room w/my daughter who came for a quick visit  2. photos, contacts, notes (aka my life for the past 4 years) on my old phone  3. my old phone for one that actually works fast!
856. Crazy Colors!

857. lunch in the sun room
858. NEW PHONE - after 4+ years

Fri 10/19
3 gifts unexpected: 1. the LOML taking a vacation day!  2. phone calls & texts from both kids :)  3. a few more M&M's left from my birthday!!
859. hot pink sunrise in the east
860. Hot Date night... well kinda :) The LOML, black & blue salads for dinner... then a fire, Monk, and a cat ??

861. a Facebook official relationship & looking like we are stalking our son there :D

Sat 10/20
3 gifts unconventional: 1. Dollar Store decorations  2. hand-me-downs for my birthday  3. texts from friends which make me feel like I'm worth at $1million :)
862. first thought of my father who went to be with God 10 years ago today
863. seeing traits of my dad in my son (compassion, gentle kindness, etc.)
864. hard long day with great results inside & outside the house

Sun 10/21
3 gifts undervalued: 1. a local church to attend (worth more value than I give it)  2. quiet moments beside a loved one  3. sunny days & warm breezes (they are numbered)
865. coffee in bed
866. meals that can be made using whatever you find in the pantry
867. wonderful girlfriends who feel like sisters

Mon 10/22
3 gifts silent, still, strong: 1. living in the country  2. the calm before the storm today  3. the WINDS during the storm - thought the shagbark hickory was gonna fall :/ 
868. 1st taste of my birthday Almond Crusted Torte!

869. decorating for autumn

870. our comfy, finished basement when the skies are raging!

Tues 10/23
3 gifts begun: 1. autumn decorating  2. a painting in & of the sun room  3. new hope
871. Christmas music playing in October
872. the sun room taken over once again by my firstborn

873. volunteer work done early enough to have a full evening with the LOML

Wed 10/24
3 gifts accomplished: 1. hair, make-up, dressed & out the door for an early lunch!  2. stopping to see my BFF & making her laugh  3. planning a baby shower
874. lunch on the deck IN THE WARM SUN at Rigo's w/a sister-friend
875. friends who care about my friends that they don't even really know
876. getting a little more mature in how I handle a few things

And, what special meal will YOU
be preparing for YOUR MAN
tonight?

Thurs 10/25
3 gifts enjoying: 1. seeing a new life growing  2. smelling paint from my visiting daughter's wet canvas  3. watching said daughter nap with the cat
877. a baby sucking on her arm - still wrapped in a mother's womb
878. reminders of good times in the past & hope for more in the future
879. the LOML comparing me to Fiona on Burn Notice (smh)

Fri 10/26
3 gifts extravagant: 1. God's love for us  2. The comforts I have in my life  3. A pool (even if almost full of leaves now)
880. music - all kinds - that touches my soul
881. a matching scripture for practically every good quote I read!
882. 3 for dinner & then the matching game in front of the fire

Sat 10/27
3 gifts humbling, honoring, happy: 1. being so broken yet knowing He's using me  2. the praying hands which I gave to my dad as a child & now keep on the book shelf  3. JT - when we took time to go to his restaurant concert - just 'cause we love him :)
883. lunch on the deck before the pool disappeared under a tarp

884. tradition of jumping in the pool on closing day - water temp 48 degrees

885. dinner w/Amber listening to JT sing 

(bad dinner - great company!)

Sun 10/28
3 gifts in Christ: 1. hope  2. peace  3. joy
886. church that feels like home
887. Sunday nap by a fire

888. arguing (playfully) w/the LOML about whose turn it is to pray :)

Mon 10/29
3 gifts on time: 1. find the lyrics to a song (perfect timing)  2. a phone call from a friend  3. a surprise visit for a friend  
889. roast, etc. in the crock pot

890. helping a friend out w/transportation
891. little things that fill me with fond memories wonderful times & places

Tues 10/30
3 gifts overjoyed!  1. a relationship being renewed  2. assurance of faith in the unseen  3. that God helped me not be too angry about the death of my dryer! 
892. a frequent visitor
893. the newness of OLD scriptures
894. dryer DIED again! thankfully w/i 30 days from last time
(crunchy laundry is NO FUN!)

Wed 10/31
3 gifts hallowed: 1. His Name - the name above all names  2. His body - the church  3. His Word - the Word became flesh & dwelt among us!

895. 31st post for October done - wooohoooo :)
896. 1 small neighbor boy for Trick or Treat

897. 1 silly hostess (& her cat) for the 1 small boy

and thus concludes
OCTOBER 2012 #1000Gifts #JoyDare 

 

 

I've taken the 1,000 Gifts Dare for 2012... click on the name of each month below for each one...

January 2012... I find joy

February 2012... I find joy

March 2012... I find joy

April 2012... I find joy

May 2012... I find joy

June 2012... I find joy

July 2012... I find joy
August 2012... I find joy
September 2012... I find joy