December =1000+ GRACES from GOD

It's December!
November marked postings of 1000 Gifts of THANKS to God for His unending GRACE.
We continue this month and into the new year with more notes of daily gratitude.

#1004-1006 Gifts White:: A smattering of SNOW!, Twinkling lights, a fresh tablecloth for the season.

#1007-1009 Gifts Bright:: Purple vestments as we begin Advent; the flame of the first lit advent candle; sun shining through stained glass windows.

#1010-1012 Gifts Shining:: God's light in my heart as I rebook my canceled flight, end up getting on that same plane and change connections due to the long delay; Sun on airplane wings once above the clouds; Tree lights and sunlight as I wait for a connecting flight.

#1013-1015 Gifts Circling:: Pelicans over the water as I take a fifteen minute break to visit the beach across the street.
Crowning:: the glory of God as He guides me through endless details while I take care of dad.
Crafted:: One miracle after another as I see dad sleeping less and responding more.

#1016-1018 Gifts Silver:: An opportunity to help dad for a few days as he recovers from surgery; Dad's long hair as it is cut and shaped; Florida sun sparkling on water.

#1019-1021 Gifts Sweet:: Dad's smile as he begins to come alive again; Realizing dad will become stronger and may live a few more years; knowing the pacemaker is working well on an almost 98 year old father.

Dad visits with friends six days after surgery to
insert a pacemaker.  See his rosy complexion?

#1022-1024 Gifts from my Savior:: Grace; Emotional strength; Perseverance

#1025-1027 Gifts Hung:: A sign in the airport that reminded me of 'home sweet home,'
Held:: memories of a hard but fulfilling week helping dad recover from surgery;
Heard:: Thank You from dad as I woke him early in the morning before I left for my flight home.

#1028-1030 Gifts Ugly Beautiful:: Gray skies sprinkling rain on the second Sunday of Advent; Laundry piled up while I was gone; The desire for much needed sleep that makes way for worship with encouraging friends.

#1031-1033 Gifts of unframed art:: Holly Berries with greens; A handmade table decoration; A well-shaped Rosemary tree.

#1034-1036 Gifts ice cold:: Frosty mornings; Ice chips in cranberry cider; Our noses after singing outside homes in our neighborhood.

#1037-1039  Gifts Berry Red:: Holly Berry Bushes; Bows on wreaths; My favorite room in our house.

#1040-1042  Gifts Stripped:: Candy canes; my favorite shirt; Christ's wounds for our healing.

#1043-1045  Gifts Stamped:: Envelopes with Christmas notes inside; Butter cookies; Thank you notes to friends.

#1046-1048 Gifts Gold:: From a wise man to the Christ Child; Scented:: potpourri of pine cones and evergreens; Bent Low:: My heart as I grieve over 27 lives lost in a senseless rampage yesterday.

#1049-1051 Gifts Bethlehem-unlikely:: My presence there again; Christ's return at the same spot where He was born; another census for the descendants of King David.

#1052-1054 Gifts Frosted:: Ginger cookies; our back meadow in the early morning; Mugs in the freezer ready for cold cider - even in winter.
#1055-1057 Gifts Miraculous:: God's grace; God's gift of His Son for all mankind; Life itself.

#1058-1060 Gifts Manger-small:: A new born babe; Our small rosemary bush blooming inside; A child's coffin like those used for 20 little ones who were killed in Connecticut last Friday.
#1061-1063 Gifts Angelic Song:: Listening to Joy to the World; Hearing children sing in the Christmas pageant; My own raspy voice to God when I am alone.

#1064-1066 Gifts Lit:: Faces of laughing children; Christmas lights; A candle on this darkest day of the year.
#1067-1069  Gifts with Rejoicing:: As we walk together, singing to the homebound; Wonder: Recalling the 'Story' as we prepare for the fourth sunday of Advent;  Praising: With heavy hearts over children in tiny caskets in Newtown, Conn. we give Praise to God for their reception into His glory.

#1070-1072  Gifts Starry:: The first night in weeks without cloud cover where we will be able to see the stars in the sky; Moravian stars on porches and in windows throughout our county; Preparing the church as we transition from Advent to Christmas and remembering how the Magi followed the Star.


#1073-1075 Gifts Humble:: On this Eve of Christmas, as we view our little manger, we are reminded of Jesus' humble beginnings in a feed trough, the manger; I am humbled by the expansive GRACE of God that He gave His only son for me . . .  truly God's Riches At Christ's Expense; Mary's humility as she received God's Word that she would be the 'tabernacle', the 'ark' of God's covenant with us, Jesus, the Christ.

A friend sent this to me.  So true!
This little manger was fit for the King of Kings!

#1076-1078  Gifts in Luke 2:: "... a Savior, who is Christ the Lord ... will be a sign for you." "... and all who heard wondered at the things which were told to them by the shepherds." "... but Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart."

#1079-1080 Gifts in Christ:: Everlasting life with Him; Promise that He will never leave me nor forsake  me; His precious presence 24/7/365 and forever and ever.
#1081-1083 Gifts Found:: God's personal presence in Jesus Christ, Shared:: My story of salvation with God, Saved:: My own life for eternity.

#1084-1086 Gifts Lingering:: Wonder at life that spins about me; Morning devotions that take 'too much time' as I linger a little longer each cold, snowy day; Unanswered questions that can only be answered by God.
#1087-1089 Gifts of Hope:: God in Christ, our forever hope; There is always tomorrow; Dreams can come true even if they change a bit in scope.

#1090-1092 Gifts Remembered:: Family Christmas when I was a child; Graduations; Wedding.
#1093-1095 Gifts Anticipated:: My birthday, today, especially as I age; A new year filled with new discoveries; Expanded ministry.

November JOY DARE

It's amazing how many THANKSGIVINGS I have written over the past several months. And now we reach the month were we celebrate this nation and give THANKS for ALL we have.

#916 - 918:: Gifts Eaten: Apple Chips, Pumpkin pie, God's Word as we study the book of Ruth.
#919-921:: Gifts Worn: My pink sweater, a down vest and, of course, my baseball cap.

#922-924:: Gifts that start within: Forgiveness, Kindness, Trust.
#925-927:: Gifts Gathered: The last tomatoes; Given: Time to a grieving friend;  Good: God's promise to never leave us nor forsake us.

#928-930:: Gifts Acorn-small: A pinch of salt to season sliced tomatoes, Taste Buds, ability to see out of my good eye.

931-933:: Gifts Government: Right to VOTE! FEMA helping NY and NJ after Hurricane Sandy; We the people are the most important part of government.

934-936:: Gifts from my window: A quilt pattern in the fields of greens to browns, clumps of cattails, Amish farms.
937-939:: Gifts Sweet: Home made ginger cookies; Salty: Fresh Auntie Ann's soft pretzel; Sipped: A hot cup of tea when the piercing cold wind whips past our windows.

940-942:: Gifts of Harvest: Clean fields for miles; Fresh corn and apples and tomatoes; A pallet of color.

943-945:: Gifts found in bible reading: Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you for I am your God." Psalm 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."  Hebrews 2:18 "For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted."

946-948:: Gifts of remembrance:: Our Veterans; Stories from WWII and Vietnam; Remember what Pres. Kennedy said: "Ask NOT what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

949-951:: Gifts at noon: Lunch with hubby, warmer weather, tuna sandwiches.
952-954:: Gifts behind a door: A wreath waiting to move to the front of the door in December; A closet full of clothes; A pantry full of food.

955-957:: Gifts silent: Thick Cumulus Clouds billowing in the sky; a slight frost on our rose bushes; Bright red berries peaking out behind dormant bushes.
958-960:: Gifts Golden: Fallen leaves laid carefully on still-green grass; My yellow chairs, still outside; treasured moments of conversation with Christ in the midst.

961-963:: Hard Eucharisteos: Sharing 'dad-care' ideas with numerous family members; Extended quiet time awaiting the revival of a sick hubby; Juggling a schedule to meet family needs.
964-966:: Gifts of Laughter: A hubby-joke; a gaggle of women laughing after bible study; little ones playing together.

967-969:: Gifts Made: Molasses Bread; Shared: A delightful dinner with a couple in their 90s; Passed On: Reminders of our 'worth' as women through my blog: womenofworthmin.com
970-972:: Gifts Autumn: Crisp breezes; golds and reds; shuffling through leaves.

973-975:: Gifts of Traditions: Preparing our cranberry relish ahead of the big dinner; Decorating the door with festive colors; Giving thanks, daily, for our abundance and good health.
976-978:: Gifts Family: Brothers and sisters who are eager to communicate; A 97 year old Father who is determined to overcome a setback; A hubby who daily says, "I Love You."


979:: GIFT GRATEFUL: THANKS GIVING to God for ALL we have.

980-982:: Gifts only in Christ: Salvation, Eternal Life, Holy Living
983-985:: Gifts Humble: Stepping back from leadership; Choosing simplicity; More quiet, alone time.

986-988:: Gifts Ugly-Beautiful:: Tobacco drying in our neighbor's barn; Parched meadow grasses; leafless trees.
989-991:: Gifts Preparing:: Stringing outdoor lights to pierce dark days; Hanging greens to welcome visitors; Baking cookies for company.

992-994::Gifts Handmade: Apple chips; Held: A neighbor's new grandchild; Happy: Moments with hubby.
995-997:: Gifts in Community: Decorating the community entrance; Sipping cider together; Studying God's Word together.

998-1000:: Gifts Red: Patches on my favorite wool pillow; Holly Berries; My little bush that still bears bright red peppers.

1001 - 1003:: Three Gifts Astonishing!
I reached 1000 THANKS! The best time to give thinks is TODAY! Each day has a new JOY of its own.

OCTOBER JOY DARE

I will post this month's JOYs periodically throughout the month: #823 - #915

823-825:: Gifts Orange: tiny pumpkins, setting sun on a sultry day, Maple leaves just beginning to turn vibrant colors

826-828:: Gifts Falling: Leaves, Rain, Apples from full trees.
829-831:: Gifts Caught: Sun's reflection in the birdbath water; Let go: A small fish after it was caught; Mid-Way: Our home between two 'sister' churches.
832-834:: Gifts Reaped: Our farmer neighbor's dried up corn; Soybeans; A bounty of tomatoes and green peppers and herbs from my garden.

835-837:: Gifts Returned: Cuttings from the garden back into the earth; Time to listen, as was given to me when I needed it; A phone call after hearing her message.
838-840:: Gifts Redeemed: My life by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who paid for my sin-filled life; A coupon for a free cup of coffee as a gift from Panara Bread; My preparation time, redeemed by the appreciation of gracious people who listened to my reflections.

841-843:: Gifts Baked: Apples served after the church service;  Stirred: My heart during Eucharist;   Eaten: The Bread of Life . . . God's Word.

844-846:: Gifts Prayed for:: God's hand on several young people stepping into the nether-world; God's healing hand on several with cancer; renewed life in hearts of those who need to come closer to Christ Jesus.

847-849:: Gifts Praised for:: Our gorgeous weather even with the rain; Our health; The bounty we have with the Fall harvest around us.

850-852:: Hard Eucharisteo:: Encouragement for a friend who found out her cancer is back; Thanksgiving for a new life set before me that is not in 'my' plans; A friend who is now 'alone' after being with her husband every day for three years as he was dying of Alzheimer's.

853-855:: Gifts of Change: Maple leaves turning red and gold, Shorter days so dark mornings, Frost and chilly days so lingering time outdoors is changing.

856-858:: Gifts Small: Green Peppers that did not have enough time to grow before the frost, Tiny Green Tomatoes that I picked before the frost, Flower seeds for planting in Spring.

859-861:: Gifts Read: 'One Thousand Gifts' by Ann Voskamp, Selections from 25 Spiritual Classics by Foster; The Path to Life (Renovare).

862-864:: Gifts Said: Please, Thank You, You are Welcome.

865-867:: Gifts Re-Read: The Book of Ruth, Hebrews, Scripture Passages on Women of Worth in the Bible.

868-870:: Gifts Burning: Logs in the fireplace; Smoke House at farm behind us; Gas stove cooking soup.

871-873:: Gifts Ugly-Beautiful: Drying Hydrangeas; piles of leaves; bags of refuse after cleaning the garden of rotted debris.
874-876:: Gifts Shared: A story from scripture to one who is too sick to read; Saved: A fond memory of my aunt's birthday; Surrendered: Time to write so I can visit with one who has not been well for years.

877-879:: Gifts Unexpected: A huge storm that ripped through the county but spared us of any damage;   Clear skies for the moments I needed to be outside; A long wait for the car to be fixed which gave me extra time to catch up on reading.
880-882:: Gifts Unconventional: A little one helping me to cut pies; Odd conversations that were heartwarming; Feeding spaghetti to hundreds so the volunteer fire department could receive extra funds.

883-885:: Gifts Undervalued: The death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for our sins; The millisecond of time we give back to God on Sundays; God's Word that heals the soul.
886-888:: Gifts Silent: morning fog; Gifts Still: early morning hours; Gifts Strong: My Faith

889-891:: Gifts Begun: A new day; Garden cleaning; My hubby's cross stitch he tried 24 years ago as  three letters of his name still sit on the coffee table waiting for his finishing touches.
892-894:: Gifts Accomplished: A difficult blog post lingerlongerwithgail.blogspot.com ; cleaning up the messy shed; good exercise of body and soul.

895-897:: Gifts Enjoying: Early morning fog; A spider's web; Golds and Reds and Rusts of Fall.
898-900:: Gifts Extravagant: God's never ending Grace; My imagination as I linger with my wondering thoughts; Endless promises I read in scripture.


901-903:: Gifts Humbling: Seeing so many of my failures that I still cling to that Jesus already dissolved through grace; Gifts Honoring: Thank-you notes sent to me 'just because'; Gifts Happy: Sun peaking out of vast clouds in morning fog.

904-906:: Gifts in Christ: Resurrected life; JOY through difficult challenges; Promise that He will be with me always, no matter the situation.
907-909:: Gifts in Time: Finite space to use the best I can; Sleep time which enables me to use the rest of the time each day; Parameters: 24-7-365-X years and then eternity in God's 'forever' space and time.

910-912:: Gifts Overjoyed! The results of my herb garden surpassed my expectations for the first year; Big bunches of dried lavender; God's protection in the middle of very severe storms and flooding.
913-915:: Gifts Hallowed: All the Saints who lived and died; The Lord thy God; The awesome works of Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, Evangelists and All who live according to the precepts in Holy Scripture.

SEPTEMBER Joy Dare

I will post the September Joy Dare Gifts of Thanksgiving periodically throughout the month.  #733- 822.
 
#733-735:: Gifts Summer: bare feet, flip flops, profuse blooms.
736-738:: Gifts cut: Zinnias, herbs, grass.

739-741:: Gifts Yellow: Finches, Flowers, French's Classic Mustard.


742-744:: Gifts Cool: Water from the pitcher in the refrigerator; Warm: Summer days; Sun Soaked: My garden, blooming and re-blooming all summer.

745-747:: Gifts Autumn: Green leaves turning slightly red; cooler nights; Sedum, Autumn Joy turning pink.

748-750:: Gifts Growing: Nasturtiums; Grass; my curiosity.
751-753:: Gifts Given: Life at conception; God's Grace; Salvation.

754-756:: Gifts Made: Delicious dinner for hubby; Masked: Frustration when I need to be polite to an impolite neighbor; Marveled: My continued curiosity and love of life.

757-759:: Gifts Framed: Mirror from my friend when we moved away; Botanical arts from my sister; my Cross Stitch work.

760-762:: Gifts Moving: Dragon flies, Pine branches in the breeze, our feet as hubby and I take a walk.

763-765:: Hard Eucharisteos: Thanks to God for having me right where I am; Thanks for being out of work so I have more time for more important things; Thanks for the internet that connects me to dear friends in far away places even though I want to be with them, face to face.

766-768:: Gifts in His Word: "I AM" is always present; God's assurance that His plans are right and true; Encouragement that our triune God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, is alive and active through Word.
769-771:: Gifts Scented: lavender and lemon verbena in the garden; Scrawled:   A wonderful quote I wrote on a paper scrap; Started: each day with the Lord.

772-774:: Gifts Drawn: My sister's botanical art; my own doodles; insights gained when I read God's Word.
775-777:: Gifts Paired: Matching socks! Me and hubby; Peanut butter and jelly.

778-780:: Gifts Shared: A meal at a church we visited; Conversation with friends I have not seen in decades; Too-short moments with cousins.
781-783:: Gifts Ugly-Beautiful: Twisted plants after a huge storm; mounds of dirty laundry we accumulated while on vacation; thoughts of loss turned to hope.
784-786:: Gifts Fixed: Our eyes on tall pines; Folded: clothing packed neatly in the suitcase; Freckled: a little tyke in the row in front of us on the plane.

787-789:: Gifts in Conversation: Sharing memories with my aunt who turned 100 Sept. 15; Sharing life-changes over two decades with my dear friend; Affirming one another as hubby and I explore a place we had not seen in 20+ years.
790-792:: Gifts in Salvation: Firm faith in Christ; Trust in our omnipotent God; Compassion for those who are hard to love.

793-795:: Gifts in Information:: Bible Scripture so that I might enhance my personal relationship with Jesus Christ; Web sites so that I might learn more as I research theological issues; Friends so that I can listen and learn about their lives and 'wander' with them in prayer.

796-798:: Gifts Rattling: My dishes in the china cabinet when I walk by; Receding: Water in our wilderness gully below our house after a huge storm; Reclaiming: Returning wild flowers that got smashed by machines when drainage ditches were added to our wilderness gully.

799-801:: Gifts Quiet: Our home with farms behind us; Early morning hours before many are awake; God's Spirit within me . . . sometimes too quiet to hear well.
802-804:: Gifts Funny: Hubby's story telling; Watching the little ones as they become excited about a new discovery; Comics in the newspaper.

805-807:: Gifts Finished: The sting of death when Jesus died on the Cross; A good breakfast each morning; My Bunad after ten years. . . all wool embroidery is done.  I should had make a blouse but we will see about that.

808-810:: Gifts Flourishing:: My Rose bushes . . .  still, and more to come; Life around us, in us, with us; stink bugs!
811-813:: Gifts Unexpected: Sun and warmth when it's suppose to rain all day;  Uneven: Cobbles on the walking path; Unpopular: the Truth.

814-816:: Gifts Shy: Our friend's two year old; my introverted self; many of my friends.
817-819:: Gifts Shelved: Groceries; the Book I've been writing for years; plans that take second place to saying farewell to a dear friend who just died.
820-822:: Gifts Shining: Sun's rays through clean windows; Clean car; My husband's example of caring for others.

AUGUST JOY DARE

This Joy Dare continues to grow as I give triple-thanks daily.  This month I will be bold enough to publish my responses daily instead of at the end of the month.
 #640- #733   out of 1000.

#640-642:: Three Gifts White: Fluffy clouds, journal pages before I write on them with my purple ink, the purity of One without sin, Jesus Christ.

643-645:: Gifts eaten: fresh vegetables from the garden, my morning yogurt, morsels of God's presence as I chew on His Word.
646-648::Gifts at 10AM: Second breakfast with hubby; 1PM: Studying God's Word   10PM Cheering on Olympic finalists.

649-651::Gifts sitting: Morning prayer, Bible study preparation, Sitting on my garden bench on a beautiful day.
652-654:: Gifts outside: Beautiful days in the garden;  Inside: Worshipping the Lord in Community;  Upside down: God's Word... we must first die to self in order to live freely in Him ... and it works!

Fresh from the garden.

655-657:: Gifts in water: Cut flowers in pretty vases; Birds splashing in the birdbath; fish and frogs in the pond.
658-660:: Gifts in His Word: Our salvation history, The Bread of life, Promise of eternal life for those who believe that Jesus is God.

661-663:: Gifts in Summer: Evenings on the back porch, warm days, a beautiful garden with fresh vegetables.

My most favorite summer place

664-666:: Gifts Hole:dug for the post that will hold the new bird feeder;  Whole: Eating a juicy peach without slicing it;  Half:Uneaten part of watermelon in the fridge.

667-669:: Hard Eucharistios: Saying 'yes' when God asks for a hard journey to feed His flock; giving thanks when I feel like crying; knowing God is carving out a path for me that I do not yet see.
670-672:: Gifts of metal: Our lovely porch chairs; Rose pruners; tooth fillings.
673-675:: Gifts half hidden: My future; the amish farm behind blooming trees; God's presence when I am not seeing clearly.

Just a few of my badges.
I was surprised to find this.

676-678:: Gifts in Green: Thick grass; Autumn Joy Sedem before it turns pink; My Girl Scout badge sash that I found in a box.
679-681:: Gifts in a Ring: A sign of life-commitment between a husband and wife;  in a Curve: my body shape that is what it is, all me; in a Sphere: My influence.  Each of us has a circle of friends and neighbors which might be called a 'sphere of influence.'

Ugly-beautiful AND useful!

682-684:: Gifts Ugly-beautiful: Heirloom tomatoes that have ugly cracks with  blotches but they have a beautiful taste; Bright blue and purple drooping bachelor buttons after a very hard rain; Amish made 'dainties' hanger. It is ugly but does a beautiful job with hand washables.

685-687:: Gifts of family: Hubby and siblings and extended family are pillars of support 24/7/365; church friends; my women's group.
688-690:: Gifts in the morning: Sun melting the dew off the roses; A big orange ball on the horizon; bug, frog and bird noises filling a 'quiet' space.

Cloth 'skin' on doll.
Cloth on paper for clothes.

20 cards for 60 cents!
This box is really old!

 691-693:: Gift Red: An old box filled with a doll and clothes made by my aunt who turns 100 next month;
Gift Read: Ann Voskamp's "A Holy Experience" blog (see sidebar for blog site); Gift Written: My own blog (see sidebar).
694-696:: Gifts in church: A safe place to worship and praise the Lord; A moment to receive the true Bread of life, the holy sacrament of the Eucharist; dear people who have become family to us.

Our little church

697-699:: Gifts of serving: Sharing God's Holy Word as a Bible study leader; Helping others eat better by helping at the food bank; giving daily thanks to the Lord, thy God so that I may be a better servant.
700-702:: Gift Straight: Prov. 3:6 God's path for me as I walk in circles; Gift Turned: My head toward God when I truly want to listen;  Gift Curved: My garden as it winds down the house and curves around the back yard.

703-705:: Gifts in Light: Dancing colors as the sun penetrates our stained glass window at church; My rose bush filled with tissue-thin red blooms; Extra moments to read when the evening darkness comes too soon.

I have installed this in four homes

706-708:: Gifts Old: Most of my furniture, antiques, which I have lugged all over the U.S. with each move; My precious aunt who turns 100 next month; My dad who is 97 and still goes to the office daily.

The roses are translucent.

709-711:: Gifts Moving: The industrial size lawn mower that trims the weeds around the meadow below us; ME after an incredible day stocking shelves at the food bank!  A car instead of the horse and buggy our neighbors use.
712-714:: Gifts Fragile: Glass goblets inherited from my husband's mother; Life - especially if we do not care for our bodies as we should; Rose petals.

715-717:: Gifts Cut: Potatoes from the garden for a dreamy salad;   Sewn: Curtains I made; Buttoned:The "Sunday" shirt my husband wears to church.
718-720:: Gifts New: Re-blooming roses after a July lull; each morning I wake up; fun socks.
721-723:: Gifts Long Awaited: A maturing garden after three years; A new location and more volunteers for our town's food pantry; Cleaned and fixed mail box pods in our small community.

Send bloom.  The roses stopped for a month,
regrouped and bloomed better than ever!

724-726:: Gift One: Blue moon (we've had five this year) ; Gifts Two: Hubby spontaneously dancing with me in the kitchen; Gifts Three (in one): God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

My 'point'n shoot' camera captured this moon
in spite of darkness and cloud cover.

727-729:: Gifts very small: Tiny bees swarming our Sedum, Autumn Joy; Flower seeds I'm saving for next year; ants eating a tomato that fell to the ground.
730-732:: Miracles: My birth in the U.S.A; Life; Living a fruitful life.

JULY JOY DARE

JULY Joy Dare invites us to pass the half-way mark for giving daily thanks.
I continue with daily graces #547 to #639 out of 1000.

547-549:: Gifts Loved: Hubby, The Lord, thy God, Life lived daily.
550-552:: Gifts Read:

553-555:: Gifts in Faith: freely giving my life to God; Family: strong community living miles apart;
Freedom: to worship as I choose.

556-558:: Gifts Red: Blood shed for our freedom to worship; White: Purity of Saints who have gone before me; Blue: The vast expanse above me.
Red, White and Blue: Our Flag that reminds us of this great country, the USA.

559-561:: Gifts of Persistence: in Prayer, in seeking God's best for me, in claiming God's promises for my life . . . daily.
562-564:: Gifts of Enthusiasm: Kids running through the sprinkler, Teens conquering a rope course, my choice of positive gifts of JOY each day.

565-567:: Gifts of Challenge: seeing life beyond difficulties; Conflict: choosing  affirming words;  Change: seeing a fresh start with something different.
568-570:: Gifts of water: digging new wells in Haiti and Africa; rain that quenches persistent fires; a stream trickling through parched land.

571-573:: Gifts of Rhythm: flow of a good day;  Rhyme: writing a poem like "Two Chairs" lingerlongerwithgail.blogspot.com  Reason: Ravi Zacharias' International Ministries.
574-576:: Gifts in weakness: Reliance on God to give me strength; realization that when I am weak, He is strong; affirmation that I am a mere mortal.

577-579:: Gifts in jars: Olives; spices; our stash of oatmeal.
580-582:: Gifts in life: daily challenges; Growth: resilience;  Decline: Realization that when the body is weak the spirit is strong.

583-585:: Gifts Curled: clean hair; toes when squishing sand; dried herbs.
586-588:: Gifts Yellow: Black-eyed Susans, Day Lilies, my favorite t-shirt.

589-591:: Gifts of Stone: statues in big cities, my garden path, the wall that holds back dirt and provides a quiet niche in our yard.
592-594:: Gifts Hanging Down: Flower baskets, drying herbs, porch curtains.

595-597:: Gifts Learned: Contemplative prayer, silence, computer skills.
598-600:: Gifts Musical: Singing hymns, Taize, listening to my husband sing (off key but with gusto).

601-603:: Gifts Baked: Apples, 1-2-3 cakes, Chicken.
604-606:: Gifts in Light: A splendid garden;  Dark: Amazing sounds; Shadow: Paths leading to what is yet to come.

607-609:: Gifts of Story: Wonder, Imagination, Journey away from self.
610-612:: Gifts understated: God's Grace, God's Forgiveness, God's Promises.

613-615:: Gifts High: Flight,  Low: schools of fish;  Far Away: Intriguing Lands.
616-618:: Gifts of Sand: Gulf beach; child's sandbox; desert.


619-621:: Gifts of Endings: quenched thirst; quelled pain; Frustrations overcome.
622-624:: Gifts Fresh: Eggs; Vegetables; Morning dew.

625-627:: Gifts on vacation: no housework;
 at home: my back porch; in relaxation: drinking in God's wondrous beauty.

628-630:: Gifts of Beginnings: Anticipation; Excitement; Wonder.
631-633:: Gifts Together: Holding hands with hubby; enjoying conversation with friends; Worshipping the Lord.

634-636:: Gifts Heard: Laughter, Music, Chirping Birds.
637-639:: Gifts Difficult: Waiting for God's clear voice saying, "Go Girl"; Forgiving humanness; Seeing clearly through a filmy frame of life.

JUNE JOY DARE

JUNE is here!  OH JOY!  Ninety more gifts to share . . .  #457 -  #546

457-459:: Gifts orange - morning sun today; apricots for breakfast; wild poppies swaying in the breeze.

460-462:: Gifts funny - conversation with neighbors at our garage sale event; things for sale that make me giggle; response to hubby as we walked and talked on our city visit.

463-465:: Today's conversation - We chatted with a retired pastor at coffee hour; discussed the endless circle of Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; learned about a visitor's Christ-walk as she shared her journey.

466-468:: Gifts found in Christ - Salvation, eternal life, promise of His advocate, the Holy Spirit, to live in us eternally if we call upon the name of the Lord.
469-471:: Gift of Peace - inner tranquility from contemplative prayer; Hope - Jesus, our only Hope, the I AM;  Love - unconditional from God, always and forever.

472-474:: Gifts 'ugly-beautiful' - Dead flowers repurposed, mud after our first deep soaking rain in ages, raindrops clinging to porch screens.
475-477:: Gifts read - reread One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp; One of 25 Books every Christian should read, selected by Renovare ministries; 1 & 2 Timothy.

478-480:: Gifts empty - water jug, bags of dirt that went into my potted plants, my brain when I sit quietly and empty it  in silence.
481-483:: Gifts that made me smile - conversation with a friend at a conference, walking around a university town, laughing with my husband.

484-486:: A gift at 8am: Visiting a small church;  Noon: Lunch at a tiny restaurant in the mountains;  2pm: Discoveries in small towns as we drive home.

487-489:: Gifts painted: Our anniversary card; design on a flower pot; a fresh coat on my outdoor yellow chairs.

490-492:: Gifts full: our lives as we minister to others; my tummy after a healthy breakfast of yogurt, oatmeal, nuts and banana; my brain when I choose to be creative.

493-495:: Gifts smelled: farm soil as it rains (we are getting use to it); cinnamon as I fill the shaker; a scented geranium I am repotting.

496-498:: Gift unexpected: time to linger with my writing; unwanted: a husband who is too sick to get out of bed; unlikely: a windless day.
499-501:: Gifts in God's Word: Matthew 11:28 . . . "Come onto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.' Prov. 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your Heart"...  and :8 "I will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones."

502-504:: Gifts moving: This list of eucharisteos - thanksgivings- as I am half way to one thousand!  Birds flitting about in the garden; Time that continues to spin forward.
505-507:: Gifts in Dad: Stamina, wisdom, longevity (he's 97 and going strong!)

508-510:: Gifts from my Abba in heaven: Everlasting love, the promise that He will never leave me nor forsake me, eternal trust.
511-513:: Gifts I attained today in serving: servant's heart, humility, great JOY in giving myself to others.

514-516:: Gifts Bent: the sun's rays as they float through beveled glass;
Beautiful: my garden as the blooms exceed all expectation;
Loved: lazy summer days filled with warmth and sweet flower smells.

517-519:: Gifts found in light: ability to read at night, better vision in the dark, sparkles that flicker from beveled glass.
520-522:: Gifts difficult: My walk with God in Christ; seeing JOY in dark days;  sharing God's Word in ways that others remember.

523-525:: Gifts found around a table: family members, crazy conversation, energy!
526-528:: Gifts in Water: hydration on a hot day; Words: encouragement to remain focused on Christ Jesus; White: St. Francis in the garden.

529-531:: Gifts in someone older than me: Wisdom from a long life lived; faith through experience; poise in adversity.
532-534:: Gifts in fabric: The apron I'm wearing; porch curtain flowing in the breeze; fun pillows.

535-537:: Gifts framed in a frame: My sister's botanical arts, our wedding photos; special quotes.
538-540:: Gifts eaten: Nectarines, Apples, home made hummus.


541-543:: Gifts Small: my wedding ring;  Big: my hubby;
Just right: God's grace.

 544-546:: Gifts I gave today: A smile, a servant's heart, time to help another.