Rejoice Jan 1-Mar 10 {Joy Dare}

 OK, so I had gotten very behind at posting my joy dare over at NPMom.com, but I want to have the whole list over here.  So here is a reposting of what I have already posted along with links to the NPMom postings in case you want to see the photos.  Next week I'll get the rest of list posted, hopefully with photos.

January
1st Three Gifts Heard
 1. The Baby starting to babble.
 2. Jujube saying "Thank you, you are my good mommy”.
 3. The noise of a bustling house full of happy kids.

2nd Outside, inside, on a plate
 4. Snow on trees and grass but not streets
 5. Central heating
 6. Strawberry cheesecake

3rd 3 graces overheard
7. Passion 2013
8. Not sick in December
9. FMFParty

4th A gift old new blue
10. A (old) car that works
11. Healthy kids
12. Sun and a blue sky

5th Something you are reading, making, seeing
13. EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey
14. Mimosa soup and homemade yogurt
15. Life slowed down

6th One thing in your bag, your fridge, your heart
16. Coupons
17.  Cultures for health (San Francisco sourdough and Bulgarian yogurt cultures)
18.  Jesus and that he saved me

7th Three Graces From People You Love
19.  Jujube saying grace
20.  Birthday presents from my mom
21.  Mamamama with a toothy grin from baby

8th Dusky Light Surprising Reflection Lovely Shadow
22.  Bedtime routine with Jujube
23.  A walk to the dentist
24.  Marriage = shadow of Jesus and his bride

9th A gift held passed by sat with
25.  The baby
26.  The kitchen
27.  Jujube snuggles and toy room play

10th A gift sour, sweet, just right
28.  A friend couldn’t come to MOPS, but it allowed me to get to know others better
29.  Chick-fil-A sauce on nuggets
30.  Lunch with new friends while littles play

11th 3 yellow gifts of fresh mercy
31.  Safety on the road
32.  Encouragement for courage and bravery
33.  Exercise and Fun at the Zoo
34.  Embracing my “yellow” personality

12^th Something above below beside
35. Hardwood trees
36. A yard
37. My husband

13^th  3 things about yourself you are grateful for
38. Petite
39. Discernment
40. Compassion

14^th 3 startling graces of God
41. He gave up His Son for me
42. I can start new every day
43. I am not too much for Him

15^th A gift worn given away shared
44. Bracelets
45. Time for a friend
46. Necklace, handheld blender, computer, kindle

16^th 3 witnessed blessings
47. Another year of life
48. A child finding friends at church
49. Celebrations large and small

17^th A gift bringing laughter prayer quiet
50. Pillow fight with kids
51. Blogging friends
52. MOPS day out

18^th 3 gifts from God’s word
53. Song of Songs 4:7
54. Proverbs 18:24
55. Matt 5:4

19^th 3 gifts that might never have been
56 Miss Froggie
57 Sister’s hanging out and getting along
58 My sweet boys 

20^th 3 gifts only seen close up
59 Financial challenges
60 Repetition/rhythm
61 God’s plan

21^st A gift in sky, water, memory
62 Sunshine
63 Bath time with little boys
64  Grandparents

22^nd A gift wrinkled, smooth, unfolded
65 Marriage
66 Baby skin
67 Laundry drying on the line

23^rd 3 gifts found in Christ
68 Salvation
69 Purpose
70 Ministry

24^th 3 things blue
71 Sweat pants
72 Sky
73  Eyes

25^th A grace borrowed, found, inherited
74  DD10yo friend spending the night
75  Tax refund
76  China from my Great Grandmother

26^th A grace before dawn, at noon, after dark
77  Snuggling/nursing baby
78 7^th grader taking SATs
79 Faith Five after dinner

27th Three Gifts in the kitchen
80.  San Francisco Sourdough culture
81.  Bulgarian yogurt culture and yogurt maker
82.  Candles

28th 3 Graces found in friends
83.  Encouragement
84.  Motivation
85.  Energy

29th A song heard, a soft word, light seen
86. Hallelujah
87. "I love you  mommy"
88.  Mission Statement hard to write if avoiding God's call

30th 3 old things seen new
89. New Testament in The Message version
90. Eucharist
91. my calling

31st A gift on paper, in person, in a picture
92.  48 days to a job you love
93. Job contact
94.  Granny

February
1st 3 Gifts Red
95.  Red breastfeeding dress
96.  Valentine's Welcome door decoration
97.  Red frosted sugar cookies

2nd 3 Gifts on paper
98. Photographs
99.  Jujube's artwork
100.  Coupons

3rd 3 Gifts in writing
101.  Blogging friends
102.  Scripture memory work
103.  Self discovery

4th 3 Gifts found while bent down
104.  Money in the laundry
105.  Full drawers of baby clothes
106.  Baby crawling

5th A gift stitched, hammered, woven
107. Stitched jeans
108. Bookshelves
109.  Warm blankets

6th 3 Gifts outside
110.  Pure White Snow
111.  Bright Red Cardinal
112.  Bare Trees

7th Gift at 1130, 230, and 630
113.  Lunch with Jujube and Baby
114.  Miss Froggie home from school
115.  Dinner as a family

8th A gift broken, fixed, thifted
116.  Precious Moments figurine
117.  Car
118.  Dresser

9th  3 Surprise gifts- unexpected grace!
119.  State Income Tax return early!
120.  Guest for dinner
121.  Blue sunny sky

10th- 3 times you heard laughter today
122.  Martian Mold
123.  Ellen and Amy "Hello?  Is it me you are looking for?"
124.  Pillow fight

11th 3 Gifts in Working
125.  Avodah my work is also worship
126.  My work is a prayer for me and mine
127.  My work is exercise and allows rest

12th  Hard Eucharistos
128. Friend's baby in the hospital
129. Friends preschooler with brain cancer
130.  Tight finances

13th  Gifts behind a door
131.  Friends
132.  Restaurant kitchens
133.  Ash Wednesday service

14th 3 ways you feel the love of God
134.  Flowers
135. Creation
136.  Music

15th A gift in losing, finding, making something
137.  Losing weight
138.  Friends and sleepovers
139.  Dinner

16th 3 Gifts in shadows
140  Back pain
141  Interrupted sleep
142  Relationship challenges

Feb 17th 3 Gifts found giving/serving
143  Endless housework; prayer time for me and mine
144  "Mom, where can I serve?"
145  "Yum, this is good!"

Feb 18th 3 Gifts on paper
146  Car title
147  Gratitude List
148  Diploma

Feb 19th 3 Gifts that were plan B's
149  Hot running water and a bath
150  Home in Ohio
151  Change in thesis topic
152  Motorcycle/Bus

Feb 20th A Gift at breakfast, lunch, and dinner
153   Oh, honey!
154  Homemade tortillas with butter and lentil dahl.
155  "Wait, you forgot! What was your best part of day, Mommy?"

Feb 21st 3 Gifts white
156  Resume Paper
157  Fluffy clouds
158  Flour
159 Jujube's half birthday!

Feb 22nd 3 Gifts that changed today
160  Job referral
161  9mo Well Baby visit
162  Date night
163 Delayed start on school day off
164 Sleepover with friend
165 Brother's birthday

Feb 23rd A gift of tin, glass, wood
166  St. Patrick's Day door plaque
167  Antique beveled glass powder box from great grandma
 168 Grandmother clock from hubby's grandpa

Feb 24th 3 Gifts before 11am
169  Coupons in the paper
170  Coffee with cream and sugar
171  Good Sermon on respectable sins: Apathy

25th A Gift worn out,new, made do
172 Sofa
173 Bed frame
174 Pots
175 Full Moon, Clear Night
176 Baby giggles and baby smell

26th 3 Gifts reflected
177 Tea light candle in "church
178 Moonlight
179  Son's light in Christians
180 Safe travel

27th 3 Ugly beautiful gifts
181 Kitchen counter
182 My pride, God's grace
183 My toes
184 Dressed when the cable guy arrived early
185 Tax refund

Feb 28th 3 Gifts from the past that help you hope for the future
186  Move to Amarillo
187  How I met hubby
188  Credentialing at Seattle Children's Hospital

March
1st 3 Gifts at 3pm
189  DD10yo friends
190  Netflix
191  Terrible awful no good very bad day

2nd 3 Gifts green
192  Seedlings
193  Leeks reborn
194  Egg frog

3rd 3 Gifts wore
195  Wedding ring
196  Black and white sweater
197 Black T-shirt

4th 3 Gifts hard to give thanks for
198  financial challenges
199  too cold to plant garden
200  Sophie's brain cancer

5th 3 Gifts found
201  refund check
202  clay pot
203  photo of hubby at 4 years old

6th A Gift bent, broken, beautiful
204 iPhone
206 snowy trees
207 SnowDay off from school and work from home

7th 3 Gifts in the kitchen
207 homemade nachos
208 working microwave
209 a box of cookie cutters

8th  3 Gifts loud
210 toy train
211 kids playing
212 helicopter
213 car started

9th 3 Gifts carved
214  wooden trains from grandpa
215  Precious Moments sold on Ebay
216  Stein from Germany

10th 3 Gifts in Christ
217 Sabbath and family day (park and monopoly)
218 John Chapter 1
219 sunlight and SonLight

View {Five Minute Friday}

I so appreciate Lisa Jo Baker and Five Minute Friday.  It is so fun to just write for 5 minutes without over thinking things.  And today's word is: VIEW

GO

View.
Perspective.
It makes all the difference.
Mine has been skewed.
I had my eyes on the world.  Oh. So easy to do.
I have been ungrateful and proud.
I have had expectations in ALL my relationships.
But especially from God.
That view is not so great.  
And change, change is hard.  Especially when its your life view.
But what really do I deserve?
I deserve the punishment for sin, which is death.
But God really is good.  And He really does love me. And He sent His Son to die for me.
I don't deserve such love and grace!
That is the view I want to remember.

STOP

Hello!

I am so glad you are here.  This is my personal blog where you will find stories about my past, my kids, my faith, and my road to joy!  It is a space where I hope God will use my walk to encourage others and my writing to His glory.  I have been writing at NPMom.com and I will continue to do so, but I decided to keep that blog more health and parenting oriented and start this blog for the faith and family things.

10 Things about Me

1.  I asked Jesus to be my Savior when I was 11 at Vacation Bible School.
2.  I have been married to my dear husband for 16+ years.
3.  I have 4 kids. Two girls. Two boys. Ages 12, 10, 3, and 1
4.  I had two blue lacy dogs, but we just had to put one down.  More to come about that.
5.  I have a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner degree
6.  I am a stay at home mom, for now.
7.  I grew up in a Navy home and moved a bit
8.  We have continued to move a bit after we married, but I hope we are settled now.
9.  I ran my first 5k the beginning of May!
10.  The book 1000 Gifts has been life changing.