Category: Joy Dare

Joy Dare- One Thousand Gifts

Posted on by Mary
Joy

Welcome back to the Joy Dare

Hello everyone, Welcome back to my 2021 Joy Dare Challenge. I know that I haven’t been posting the weekly Dare prompts here but you can be sure I have been keeping it going in my daily devotions. As much as I would love to have a record of all of the Dare prompts here I just don’t have the time to catch it all up, so I am just going to have to keep the record of it in my journal!

The Joy Dare has played an internal part in helping keep my perspective in line over the last 8 months. Focusing on what you are most grateful for whether its big things or the smallest of blessings takes your focus off the struggles of this world or our own hardships and places our sight on who it exactly belongs on…..the bestower of all of these blessings…..big and microscopic…….God himself.

So Let’s Jump in.

Joy

August 13th-19th 2021

Day 13- 3 Gifts in Green

  • The grass and trees
  • my bullet journal
  • FROGS!!

Day 14- A gift in a ring, curve, and sphere

  • Ring- the fire ring in our side yard- so many memories
  • A curve- as I a curve ball- it changes everything including our perspective
  • A sphere- the sun- a big bright warm glowing ball in the sky

Day 15- 3 gifts ugly beautiful

  • My petunia plant- all of the green leaves are withered but the flowers are still blooming in all their beauty
  • A room we are working on- it’s like a painting it’s “in the ugly stage” but the progress is beautiful. It reminds me of the state of our lives.- we have very ugly spots according to the way the world looks at us, but when Jesus come in and starts working on the. ugly parts he transforms them into something beautiful.
  • Calloused, scarred hands. Hands that work so hard and take care of many people. those hands are taken for granted and yet they keep serving and loving. Beautiful hands and feet are those that serve God at the expense of their physical beauty!

Day 16- 3 Gifts of family

  • Hubby and oldest child #1 returned home after a hiking weekend way.
  • working together for a common goal
  • laughter, love and craziness

Day 17- 3 gifts in the morning

  • Sweet moments talking with hubby before work.
  • Devotions and Prayer
  • Silence before the day begins

Day 18- A gift red, read and written

  • Red- The deep red of a sunset then mixing into other colors that create a perfect painting given to all who take the time to notice and different for everyone according to the position and perspective.
  • Read- Hello Fears- talk about perspective change- it’s teaching me how to loo at fears differently.
  • Written- blog posts that I’m writing and posting Really setting me free.

Day 19- 3 Gifts in Church

  • Support- building up and encouraging each other
  • Laughter- not superficial or fake- but pure JOY and NOT at other people’s expense
  • Friendships- a closeness that is like no other

How about you? What are you thankful for big or small?

Interested in more of my Joy Dare posts you can click here

To Learn about more about Ann Voskamp’s Book One Thousand Gifts and The Joy Dare Check out her website here.

My 2021 Joy Dare – Week 7

Posted on by Mary
Joy

Welcome everyone to this week’s Joy Dare. I don’t know about you all but I am finding my mind is struggling with this spiritual discipline of being thankful for the little things. I don’t know of it’s just the grayness of winter or the fact that I’m just not feeling well yet so I choose to fight through all of this and stick with the discipline!

As always I cannot recommend Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts enough. It was a life changing book a few years ago when I read it and it continues to impact me today as I continue to be thankful in the little things. You can check out her book here on Amazon -This is NOT an affiliate link

You can check out Ann’s website here

joy

February 12th-18th 2021

February 12th- 3 Hard Euchristeos (hard gratitude)

  • Continuing through health concerns. It’s been 2 1/2 months and they continue- not as hard but still challengingI am so thankful that through all of this I have been able to encourage others including one of my doctors.
  • I am thankful that through various struggles of two of our children, that they have been able to teach people to love differently
  • I am so thankful that through trials with friends I have been taught to trust Jesus on a completely different level, not to worry about what other people think. (This is still a massive wrk in progress)
February 13th- 3 gifts behind a door
  • My craft room- a room of great escape room to soak in gifts and talents
  • The kitchen door to outside holds quite the screen view- a place of quiet enjoyment of nature.
  • a hidden closet full of BOOKS!
February 14th- 3 ways you feel the love of God
  • in sunrises and sunsets paintings just for my eyes.
  • when God answers prayer – helps me to see I matter to God and that he cares for me , my heart and the things that matter to me.
  • when others out of the blue usually when we are hurting- reach out to show us love- they usually have no idea either.
February 15th- A gift in losing, finding, and making something
  • Losing (this one is so hard)- I hate losing, whether it be losing items, people or games. But losing has Taught me how to trust God for his goodness and his mercy.
  • Finding- It’s always a gift because then my brain can rest. When I lose something my brain goes into overdrive until I find itCase in point my Cricut cords.
  • Making something- making something is such a huge gift for me because I am putting a piece of myself into the process and the project. It is a gift of me to the person I am making it for.
February 16th- 3 gifts from the shadows
  • sleeping children completely at rest
  • a dog faithful at my bedside
  • Hubby Taking care of me while I am sick
February 17th- 3 Gifts in giving and serving
  • smiles- what a great blessing it is to make people smile
  • knowing that I am the hands and feet of Jesus in meeting needs
  • knowing that I am able to look beyond myself and my needs and know that God was able to use me despite my shortcomings. I trusted Him and stepped out in faith
February 18th- 3 gifts on paper
  • My journals- because they serve as a reminder as to where I have been. it is a record of my journey
  • Quarter 2 homeschooling reports are accepted!
  • BOOKS!

Now it’s your turn….

What’s been your greatest joy this week?

For more of my joy dare journey check out these other posts.

My 2021 Joy Dare – Week 8

Posted on by Mary
Joy

Good morning everyone. I hope you had a very joy filled week last week! I cannot believe that’s the last full week of February!! This month has flown by so fast!

Remember that this blog series is taken from Ann Voskamp’s Book One Thousand Gifts (You can check it out by visiting AMAZON- this is NOT an affiliate link)

And to get the monthly challenge prompts and other encouraging postsyou can check out Ann Voskamp’s website.

joy

February 19th-25th

February 19th- 3 gifts that were plan B’s
  • SNOW DAYS
  • COVID qarentine
  • Medical issues in Decmber
February 20th- A gift at Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
  • Breakfast- that food tastes Good again (not Covid related)
  • Lunch -Healthier snack options
  • Dinner- Just being able to cook again
February 21st- 3 Gifts white
  • A fresh blanket of snow that is such a sweet picture/ reminder of how our hearts are washed clean of sin
  • A clean sheet of paper-or better yet a brand spanking new notebook or sketchbook
  • My current favorite mug with Gold and pink letters on it!
February 22nd- 3 Gifts that Changed today
  • An ultrasound instead of a regular Monday- making sure my bladder and kidneys are functioning properly
  • a new desk in the craft room- It’s going to change a lot of things
  • a cleared schedule because of the crazy snow
February 23rd- A gift on Tin, Glass, and wood
  • Tin- cute metal baskets- and very helpful;
  • Glass- (CERAMIC) my new mug hubby gave me for Valentines Day
  • Wood- my new craft table
February 2th- 3 gifts before 11 am
  • a GORGEOUS sunrise
  • quiet time with Jesus
  • Devotions with the family
February 25th- A gift worn out, made new, made do
  • worn out- towels that have served their purpose well- given as gifts for our wedding/ bridal shower.
  • made new- old picture frames with a fresh coat of paint.
  • Made do- an old stretched out Ace bandage wrapped around another sprained ankle

How about you? What are you finding JOY in this week.? Share in the comments below!

Want to catch up on all the other Joy Dare posts? Check them out here!

Have a Blessed Day!

My 2021 Joy Dare – Week 6

Posted on by Mary
Joy

Good morning everyone I hope you have had a joy filled week and we will just jump right into this weeks Joy Dare.

joy

You can check out more of the Joy Dare Collection by visiting Ann Voskamp’s website here and you can check out her book One Thousand Gifts on amazon by clicking here. (NOT an affiliate link)

February 5th-11th 2021

February 5th- A Gift stitched, hammered and woven
  • Stitched- curtains made for our home by a friend
  • A jewelry box- made by my hubby, years before meeting me intended for his future wife, given to me on the day of our engagement- it was the “box ” for my engagement ring.
  • Woven- A drawer full of hot pads made by our daughter. one of the first “big girl” projects she cut her crafting teeth on.
February 6th- 3 Gifts outside
  • Beautifully snowy landscapes outside every back window each with it’s own perspective.
  • Birds chirping even though I know spring won’t be here for a while, it still sounds beautiful and brings hope for my heart!
  • peels of laughter from our kids romping in some of the deepest snow and highest snow piles they have seeing some time.
February 7th- A gift at 11:30 am, 2:30 pm, and 6:30 pm
  • 11:30 am- after finishing up church for the week I get to make face to face contact with the younger kids of our church when they come to see me. I get to give them a gift for me super troopers during this time of pandemic and I love seeing the smiles on their faces. I know they can’t wait for more of their kids programming to return but at least they are enjoying this time of flux as well.
  • 2:30 pm- school is winding down for the day and that means a BREAK!
  • 6:30 pm- family time watching the Super Bowl (this is our first year being able twitch it live!)

**I used a middle of the week gift for 2:30 since nothing was happening**

February 8th- A gift broken, fixed and thrifted
  • Broken- Countless mugs :(. Tile floors and mugs don’t mix
  • Fixed- A cross with a beloved verse, it cracked and eventually broke but I was able to glue it back together
  • Thrifted-A set of brown and tan crockery- I have been collecting the set for years from thrift stores only because you can no longer buy them anywhere. My set is now complete!
February 9th- 3 surprise gifts- Unexpected Grace
  • A slot from a friend, it repeats back what I say but in an absolutely adorable voice. This gift came in an absolute perfect time one of great struggle.
  • very single time I received a secret sister gift it was a surprise and a blessing- matter of fact they still bless my socks off today. I can see 15 of them just from where I am sitting right now!
  • A sweet doubled thank you gift after making a purchase from a friend.
February 10th- 3 times you heard laughter today
  • S telling us he had had his hair extensions ready.
  • Nugget’s antics keep us in stitches, she is just so stinking funny
  • LOTS of funny things in the doctors office- all I have t say is “Lip Follicles”
February 11th-3 gifts in working
  • My home is a haven for our family and for all who enter it- safety for all.
  • growing (my own) through my writing.
  • Progress- moving forward, taking the next step

To see the other posts in this series check this out!

How about you? Are you joining me in this Joy Dare? what are your greatest joys from this week?

My 2021 Joy Dare- Week 5

My 2021 Joy Dare- Week 5

Posted on by Mary
Joy

Good evening everyone. I hope you have had a joy filled week! I cannot believe that we are in week of this year’s Joy Dare! This year is already flying by so quickly and I don’t know about you but last month with my theme of Intentional Gratitude I found myself growing leaps and bounds.

This month’s theme is Intentional Love and I will have posts. based on that but for right now let’s just into. what we are thankful for this week.

Joy

January 29- February 4th

January 29th- A Song heard, a soft word, and a light seen
  • A song heard- actually many songs heard- it brings me great joy to see and hear our kids singing their hearts out for Jesus. Such Joy in their hearts. I appreciate the lyrics that are being embedded on their hearts
  • A soft word- early morning conversations with Ron as we get ready for our day
  • A light seen- the ever so faint of a glimmer of morning kissing the oh-so-black sky
January 30th- 3 old things seen new
  • A stack of picture frames ready to be repurposed into new
  • Old jeans ready to be used for new projects, specifically a hanging organizer for the craft room
  • Old wood ready to be repurposed for a room remodel
January 31- A gift on paper, in person and in a picture
  • On Paper- A card sent my a dear friend to encourage and make me laugh
  • In Person- seeing our teens back in Youth Group- it’s such a gift.
  • In pictures- The pictures that pop up in our facebook memories: toothless kiddos, quotes from Faith Giants spurring on from heaven, verses of encouragement, and funny pictures to make us chuckle.
joy
February 1- 3 Gifts Red
  • a Beautifully hand painted Red Cardinal Card from a good friend
  • 2 red Scarves both gifts from friends that keep me cozy on cold winter days
  • two frogs and a sloth gifted to me by my hubby with big red bows on them
February 2nd- 3 Gifts found on Paper
  • An artist print hanging on the wall in the doctors office
  • Get well cards pinned on my inboard written with words of encouragement and love
  • Countless journals of a life lived relying on Jesus
February 3rd- 3 Gifts found in writing
  • God’s Word- all of it
  • Goals written down- reminds me of my purpose.
  • Words found in comments on my blog encouraging me to keep going.
February 4th- 3 Gifts when bent down (I’m going to give you five)
  • Mia
  • Tia
  • Rosie
  • Nugget
  • Daisy

These are our 5 current fur babies which are such a HUGE blessing to our family!

And there you have it another week of the Joy Dare. to learn more about the Joy Dare you Can check out Ann Voskamp’s website here.

And you can also check out Ann’s Book One Thousand Gifts on Amazon. (This is not an affiliate link)