Joy Dare
Monday, May 7
#348 my son seeming thankful and secure in grace after a very upsetting accident
#349 rest for my boys
#350 letting go and just picking up fast food after a rough morning--grace! :)
Tuesday, May 8
#351 starting the morning with worship songs with my boys, and my son gleefully dancing around
#352 park time to play outside
#353 snuggly story time before nap
#354 parents who listen and pray and love sacrificially, no matter how old I am or how far apart we live
Wednesday, May 9
So, as I'm sitting here at the computer, struggling through knowing how to help the baby with a sick and horribly interrupted night of sleep, I see the prompt for today's Joy Dare in my facebook feed: Three Gifts Found in the Dark. And I'm struggling. I don't feel thankful. I feel weak and helpless and frustrated and angry and a whole mess of emotions. Thankfulness feels out of my reach at the moment.
But, I guess that's the point of it being a Joy "Dare," right? Thankfulness isn't a feeling. It's a choice, a heart posture. Being joyful IN all things, not necessarily FOR all things. It isn't just a matter of putting on rose colored glasses and imagining life to be clean and pretty and shiny or pretending that it is. Sometimes it isn't. But, I need to train my eyes to see the Light that shines even when the darkness seems to block it completely. Gratitude helps me refocus my eyes so that I can SEE God's goodness, His presence there with in the midst of the dark, giving me courage and strength and grace. So, humble my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart to see You in the midst of the dark night.
#355 choosing to be grateful and the grace for the times I so easily lose perspective and have an ungrateful heart
#356 an email from a trusted mentor filled with wisdom and counsel, discovered in the dark of the night
#357 an email from a sweet young friend offering help, also discovered in that darkness
Thursday, May 10
#358 lunch delivered from our friend
#359 my son facing fears and struggles and coming through on the other side with confidence
#360 dinner with a couple who are pastors and mentors and have been a HUGE blessing through the many phases of our journey since being here in this city and having them yet again come alongside and speak into the next phase of our journey ahead
Friday, May 11
#361 bending the naptime rules and having chips and guacamole and giggles with my son on the couch
#362 my husband graciously picking up dinner at the end of a draining week
#363 skyping with my mom
#364 a beautiful gift of vision and excitement for life ahead
#365 jumping back into our "Fort Friday" tradition and reading nap time stories in the fort
Saturday, May 12
#365 making a spontaneous "nest" for my son for nap time, just because he wanted to, and his excitement to rest in his "nest"
#366 seeing the brave explorer come out in my son
#367 my husband going grocery shopping for me
#368 my mom and a small attempt to wrap my words around the endless number of gifts God has given me through her
Sunday, May 13
#369 the single hardest but most deeply beautiful job/calling I could have ever imagined--motherhood!
#370 the beautiful lives that God has entrusted to me to help shape
#371 a slow start to the morning
#372 flowers given to the girl we see every week at the farmer's market stand where we buy tempha--stretching Isaiah to learn to give and not just to expect to get and blessing her socks off!
#373 an extra little rest before dinner
#374 delicious artichokes and a portabello grilled by my husband for dinner
Monday, May 7
#348 my son seeming thankful and secure in grace after a very upsetting accident
#349 rest for my boys
#350 letting go and just picking up fast food after a rough morning--grace! :)
Tuesday, May 8
#351 starting the morning with worship songs with my boys, and my son gleefully dancing around
#352 park time to play outside
#353 snuggly story time before nap
#354 parents who listen and pray and love sacrificially, no matter how old I am or how far apart we live
Wednesday, May 9
So, as I'm sitting here at the computer, struggling through knowing how to help the baby with a sick and horribly interrupted night of sleep, I see the prompt for today's Joy Dare in my facebook feed: Three Gifts Found in the Dark. And I'm struggling. I don't feel thankful. I feel weak and helpless and frustrated and angry and a whole mess of emotions. Thankfulness feels out of my reach at the moment.
But, I guess that's the point of it being a Joy "Dare," right? Thankfulness isn't a feeling. It's a choice, a heart posture. Being joyful IN all things, not necessarily FOR all things. It isn't just a matter of putting on rose colored glasses and imagining life to be clean and pretty and shiny or pretending that it is. Sometimes it isn't. But, I need to train my eyes to see the Light that shines even when the darkness seems to block it completely. Gratitude helps me refocus my eyes so that I can SEE God's goodness, His presence there with in the midst of the dark, giving me courage and strength and grace. So, humble my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart to see You in the midst of the dark night.
#355 choosing to be grateful and the grace for the times I so easily lose perspective and have an ungrateful heart
#356 an email from a trusted mentor filled with wisdom and counsel, discovered in the dark of the night
#357 an email from a sweet young friend offering help, also discovered in that darkness
Thursday, May 10
#358 lunch delivered from our friend
#359 my son facing fears and struggles and coming through on the other side with confidence
#360 dinner with a couple who are pastors and mentors and have been a HUGE blessing through the many phases of our journey since being here in this city and having them yet again come alongside and speak into the next phase of our journey ahead
Friday, May 11
#361 bending the naptime rules and having chips and guacamole and giggles with my son on the couch
#362 my husband graciously picking up dinner at the end of a draining week
#363 skyping with my mom
#364 a beautiful gift of vision and excitement for life ahead
#365 jumping back into our "Fort Friday" tradition and reading nap time stories in the fort
Saturday, May 12
#365 making a spontaneous "nest" for my son for nap time, just because he wanted to, and his excitement to rest in his "nest"
#366 seeing the brave explorer come out in my son
#367 my husband going grocery shopping for me
#368 my mom and a small attempt to wrap my words around the endless number of gifts God has given me through her
Sunday, May 13
#369 the single hardest but most deeply beautiful job/calling I could have ever imagined--motherhood!
#370 the beautiful lives that God has entrusted to me to help shape
#371 a slow start to the morning
#372 flowers given to the girl we see every week at the farmer's market stand where we buy tempha--stretching Isaiah to learn to give and not just to expect to get and blessing her socks off!
#373 an extra little rest before dinner
#374 delicious artichokes and a portabello grilled by my husband for dinner
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