Counting 1000 gifts changed my life, changed the woman I am becoming--and now Ann Voskamp has dared us all to do it again, count another 1000 gifts in 2012. I'm taking the Joy Dare. Will you join me?
1119. Full day of work after all the holiday slow days
1120. Little blue bird perched in a friend's home, a symbol of hope
1121. Amaryllis buds growing tall in January
1122. Unexpected post-Christmas gift of tea
1123. Dutch apple cheese muffins for breakfast
1124. New calendars arriving in the mail - new year finally seeming real
1125. Pictures of children I love from afar coming in the mail
1126. Thank you notes all filled out and ready to whisper blessings
1127. Reminder to do a long-forgotten task before it's too late
1128. Money to pay unexpected bills--always, always this
1129. Late-night reading of Anne of Green Gables
1130. Always going to sleep with a bit of laughter in my heart
1131. Cat racing wild as the household goes to sleep
1132. "Talking tea" over email with a friend
1133. Friend who counts it a privilege to advise on hard questions
1134. Wise words to make hard decisions easier
1135. God who's near when the answers aren't
1136. Baby amaryllis plants poking buds above the soil at long last
1137. First steps towards making peace with the past I've stored in boxes
1138. Dear friend by my side all afternoon
1139. Rows and rows of stitches finally nearing completion
1140. Eager anticipation of giving the handmade gift to a friend
1141. Cat who sleeps on the desktop while I work, just wanting to be near me
1142. Candles burning on cold January days
1143. Flock of birds flying straight across this road I'm on
1144. Glancing at the sky just in time to see them fly by
1145. Winter sunrise over frosted rooftops
1146. Amaryllis buds breaking open while the snow falls
1147. Last stitches in place, gift of beauty finally done
1148. Pumpkin cheesecake baking in the oven on a Saturday afternoon
1149. Courage to try a new skill in the late hours of night
1150. Cat nestling in for bed while I struggle to "cast on"
1151. God waking me early to see fresh snowfall
1152. Road covered in white, unmarred by travelers
1153. Standing at the window in PJs and bare feet, watching snowflakes lit up by street lamps
1154. Going to bed frustrated by the learning curve, waking up ready to try again
1155. Snow falling down all day long
1156. Trip to the yarn store on a snowy day
1157. Hands that can't wait to begin a new project
1158. Snow boots with fuzzy fur tops
1159. Snow flurries against the windshield, roads clear enough to drive
1160. Meeting up with a friend, bag of new projects in hand
1161. Telling stories from the week, laughing so hard the tears run free
1162. Friend who advises on the things I'm still learning
1163. Birds playing in the gutter while new snow falls
1164. Mastering the purl stitch at last
1165. Finally believing I might become a knitter yet
1166. Resigning myself to no more snow, then waking up to the world all white again
1167. Amaryllis blooms the color of summer, open wide right in the middle of winter
1168. World quiet under it's frozen blanket
1169. Dad helping in the kitchen because I'm tired and there are things that need doing
1170. Chai topped with marshmallows to end the day
1171. Standing at the window before bed, trying to memorize the winter's beauty
1172. One lone gull flying overhead while the freezing rain falls.
1173. First Hope Seed of the new year planted deep, Joy Dare undertaken.
1174. Whole list of chores checked off, nothing avoided or saved for later
1175. Three hours of progress in "letting go"
1176. Storage unit a mess but slowly coming together
1177. Knitting mistakes that turns out to be a gift
1178. Everyone noticing that I'm learning a new skill...
1179. ...and encouraging me to keep going
1180. Hours with a friend, hot drink in hand, knitting projects coming along
1181. Plans made for overdue visit with another friend
1182. Brown bag full of happy socks coming home to be loved
1183. Sun making a long appearance after a whole week without
1184. God who listens to prayers when the sleepless hours stretch long
1185. Friend calling me a kindred spirit
1186. Broken amaryllis bud in a vase, still growing
1187. Another friend calling me Gift
1188. Clear skies on a January morning
1189. Steam rising off frozen rooftops
1190. Casting off at last -- half of first knitting project finished
1191. Unpacking boxes of grandmother's glassware, mom recounting stories from the past
1192. Choosing pieces of history to carry into my future
1193. Sun on my face in the middle of winter
1194. Two cats sound asleep in the warm light
1195. Long overdue catch-up session with a dear friend
1196. Handing over the gift made with hands and hours and love
1197. Color of the gift suited perfectly for the one who now wears it
1198. Unexpected good news
1199. Strength to press on in the long, hard task of letting go
1200. God near when the grief brings me to my knees again
1201. Him picking me up and breathing courage when I just want to turn and run
1202. A few forgotten treasures found among the ruins of an old life
1203. Eight gees flying in formation over the freeway
1204. Friend who says Yes to something out of the routine
1205. Smelling endless jars of tea, choosing an armload to bring home
1206. Long walk by the river with a dear companion
1207. Days of angst loosening their grip a bit
1208. God who loves enough to break us
1209. First morning light dappling the housetops
1210. Salve to mend the cracked hands
1211. Happy scent of lavender, rosemary, and eucalyptus
1212. Amaryllis still growing in a vase, petals popping open one by one
1213. Sunlight silhouetting blooms against purple curtain
1214. Navy-blue horizon at day's end
1215. February days of sun
1216. Long-feared task tackled and finished at long last
1217. Strength for letting go--can there be enough "thank you's" for this one thing?
1218. First morning light landing on the Hope Bird
1219. Cat who purrs at the sound of my voice
1220. Twenty seagulls lined up on the grocery store roof
1221. Me sitting in the car laughing as I count all those birds
1222. Two trips to the arboretum in one weekend
1223. February days feeling strangely like spring
1224. Breathing in the scent of witch hazel, daphne, wintersweet, jasmine...
1225. Chasing sun all over a forest
1226. Bending low, stretching high, craning my neck to frame glimpses of His beauty
1227. The way I'm laughing and crying all at the same time because He's near and He's beautiful and I can hardly breathe it all in
1228. Filling up every last page of the very first gratitude journal
1229. Choosing a new book to hold the pieces of His love
1230. Knowing there'll never be enough pages to write down all the Grace
1231. Sitting in the sun all afternoon
1232. Sharing life with a friend, us both stitching away at projects in the making
1233. Kitty snuggling with her catnip mouse
1234. Beading party around the dining room table
1235. Coffeecake baking up beautiful, straight from the freezer
1236. The sound of escaped beads tip-tapping on hardwood floors
1237. Brother eating spaghetti, making a mess of everything, and all of us just laughing
1238. One finished art project inspiring ideas for more
1239. Prayers for strangers
1240. God Who knows us all by name
1241. New friends found, us connecting through words on the screen
1242. Writing poetry that feels unrefined, everyone telling me it's what they needed
1243. The One Who fills the gaping, aching emptiness
1244. Homemade cinnamon rolls baking in the oven
1245. Us eating them all because we can and who wants to let them grow cold?
1246. Staying up late because the book's too near the end
1247. Two cats choosing my lap while three other laps are empty
1248. Heat in the storage unit--getting to work without coat, scarf, ear muffs
1249. Only 6 boxes remaining in the first phase of letting go
1250. Forgotten childhood treasures discovered by accident
1251. Grey-haired couple holding hands while they cross the street
1252. All those flowers overflowing the grocery store, waiting for Valentine's Day
1253. Heart-shaped balloons in the passenger seat of the car parked beside me
1254. One tiny daffodil open wide in February's garden
1255. Me running out to see this glimpse of spring in the middle of winter
1256. Friend who lives many miles from here but never forgets to say I Love You on Valentine's Day
1257. Waking up to "Your Grace Is Enough," singing those words all through the morning routine
1258. Late night prayers for a friend in great need
1259. Buddy cat resting his head in the palm of my hand
1260. Mended pants made wearable again
1261. Mom who does the mending for this sewing-challenged daughter of hers
1262. New winter coats in happy, bright colors
1263. The family bargain hunter who knows all our sizes
1264. Email from a far-away friend, all her words echoing with the sound of His healing
1265. Waking up to the sound of wind and rain
1266. Plans made for a tea party, friends responding with excitement
1267. New music arriving in the mail
1268. Floors freshly swept and vacuumed
1269. The mess of a week put back in place
1270. Last hours of work at the "letting-go place"
1271. Unearthing new books to read, pulling out memories along with them
1272. Flipping through photo albums from a lifetime ago
1273. Laughing through tears over the years that can't be forgotten
1274. Remembering friends, fiascoes, and sweet grace moments from the growing-up years
1275. First phase complete in the long road of "letting go"
1276. Last boxes taped up, labeled, stacked
1277. First knitting project finished
1278. Making plans to wear my handmade leg warmers
1279. The doctor who's ready to take charge of my care
1280. That mark on my arm where the blood's been taken
1281. The only One Who gives strength for the hard road
1282. The hard road. Yes. This one.
1283. Day that begins with rain, turns to sun by lunchtime
1284. Dinner in the crockpot, already cooking away by 9 am
1285. All those happy smells filling the house the whole day through
1286. Date with a friend, even when she forgets and I eat alone
1287. Her walking through the door, me so happy to see her that it doesn't matter how long I've waited
1288. All this laughter, love, life shared right across a table
1289. Strength for all those chores
1290. Money for all those bills
1291. Hanging the birthday banner across fireplace bricks
1292. Cooking dinner for Dad's birthday, all of us gathered around for the meal
1293. That one song lyric we can't get out of our heads
1294. Us laughing every. single. time. someone breaks out in that song
1295. Loading a whole van full of piece of the past.
1296. Letting it all go and finding myself still breathing after all
1297. Hours of clothes shopping with Mom, us trying on every jacket in sight
1298. Coming home with that bag full of needed things
1299. Two days of unexpected sun
1300. Tiniest purple crocuses poking up beside this busy road I'm driving on
1301. Bundled up with hot drinks in hand so we can sit outside in the winter sun.
1302. Him singing to me on the drive home, reminding that Grace is sufficient
1303. Bird's nest in the tree by the highway, silhouetted against evening's sky
1304. Haze around the crescent moon on this cold, cold night
1305. Those two planets gleaming bright beside the moon, just for this brief space in time
1306. God Who fills up all the spaces of time with Himself
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