Joy Dare

JOY DARE 2012 (see page for explanation)

January 10
1. Sweets in general--With nursing my baby, I've had such a craving for sweets, and I feel really struck in thinking of something sweet today what a luxury it is to have desserts at all, and I'm thankful for being able to ENJOY food!  Sweets speak to me of "extra," of abundance.
2.  Being able to feed my children healthy food and having plenty of food to feed them.
3.  Comfort Food--As I ate my poached egg and toast, I thought of the many times my mom would make me soft-boiled eggs and toast when I was sick, and I'm thankful to have been loved and nurtured as a child and that certain foods still trigger that feeling for me.

January 11
4.  The color yellow itself gives me joy because it is my son's favorite color, and he gets excited about seeing things in his favorite color.
5.  My boys and this yellow laptop--It has often seemed on its last leg, but this computer is still hanging in there for us, and both boys have always been drawn to play with it.  Seeing my baby stretching over the edge of the couch to reach the laptop or bang with his screaming, grunting delight is a little treat in my day.
6.  Stomp rocket--My parents bought a little rocket launcher for Isaiah that you hit with your foot to launch the foam rockets.  Isaiah has gotten such delight out of it, and when he took it to the playground, it became this sweet vehicle for him to engage other kids in a newly bold way that was very special to him, really fun for them all, and a really treasured moment for me to stand back and watch.

January 12
7.  Deciduous tree leaves--Isaiah recently learned the word "deciduous" from Sesame Street, so it has been drawing his, and therefore my, attention to all the leaves above us in the trees.  I am always struck by the variety in them!  But, with the focus on "deciduous," I am also struck by the amazing process of making all things new, even through paths that seem bare and dead!
8. Our bedroom floor--It is just beautiful to me and feels like such a treat to have been able to put it in.  I'm really enjoying having laminate on most of the floors in our new-ish home, actually.
9.  My son's sweet face inches from mine, joining in singing a bedtime song, "From the Rising of the Sun."

January 13
10.  My baby's laugh--When someone makes a raspberry noise, he just giggles with total delight, and it is most adorable and infectious sound!
11. "Mommy...Mommy...Mommy"--It seems like it comes out of my toddler's mouth several hundred times a day, and sometimes it stretches my patience, but I am remembering how thankful I am to be able to be here, home full-time with him to hear all of those and that he loves and trusts me to call on me all throughout the moments of his day.
12.  The turn of the key when my husband is arriving home from work!

January 14
13.  A visit from a friend I rarely see who is just a treat to be around
14.  Having two boys who eat well and having plenty of good food to feed them.  Also really thankful for experiencing some grace in not always having the "ideal" meals that I'd like to have prepared for them!  I have struggled with being really hard on myself about this, but my husband and my boys flow with my shortcomings in energy in this area during this season really graciously, and it has been a very obvious area of life that I have had to yield and release the weight of my own expectations.  Still struggle often but thankful for experiencing grace here.
15.  As I pass on some baby hand-me-downs to my friend, I am reminded of how generously and graciously we have been provided for in the things we have needed (and way beyond actual needs!) for our boys!

January 15
16.  Hearing "Daddy, I'm doing it!" as my son delighted in helping Daddy with the task of trimming ivy from the patio.  He so delights in pleasing us!
17.  After a discouraging discipline interaction, my son crawled in my lap during bedtime songs.  I am so grateful that God is bigger in my boys' lives than even my greatest strengths of parenting but especially that His strength is made perfect in my weakness!  Learning to connect to this truth!
18. My pajama pants--They are so soft, and they are part of a gift from my sweet mom that represents a tradition passed down for generations.