joy dare 53

Day 53: A gift of tin, of glass, of wood. 

A gift of tin: I can't say that I encounter much tin, so let's go with metal. Mom's Kitchenaid. Having a fantastic stand-up mixer has made making bread and many other things over the course of my life so much easier.

Of glass: Picture frames. But more what they hold: pictures that make me remember people and places.

Of wood: Bookcases! They're wonderful, aren't they? Someday maybe I'll get one that's made out of real wood, instead of particle board, too. ;) 

joy dare 52

Day 42: 3 gifts that changed today.

1. My new haircut! I like it. Other people do too. I've been getting comments on it all day.

2. Bible study. 

3. Lent. I've decided to give up TV for Lent.

joy dare fifty and fifty-one

Day 50: A gift at breakfast, lunch, dinner.

A gift at breakfast: The bad news was: I slept in. The good news: I woke up fully within ten minutes. So good! And the extra sleeping didn't even throw off my day too much. I just kept going and did good. 

A gift at lunch: 100% on a geometry lesson. Good feeling, that :) 

A gift at dinner: Farm fresh eggs. Grampa has a friend who has a farm, and sometimes Gramp gives us the fresh eggs. They're so much better than the supermarket variety! If you've never had one, you need to find a way to try one. 

Day 51: 3 gifts white.

1. My curtains. It's silly, but I love them. They're sheer and beautiful and make my room brighter.

2. Daisies! They're so pretty. So bright and happy.

3. My favorite sundress.

joy dare forty-nine

Day 49: 3 gifts that were "plan B"s. 

1. Missions trip last year was not my first choice. I wanted to go to Moldova. But despite my deep desire to go back, when I prayed and prayed about it, and when missions trip was scheduled during the Moldova trip, I realized that I should go on missions trip instead. I wasn't too happy about it at first, and I was really upset about not going to Moldova. But it worked out for the best. God knew what He was doing. And so I went on missions trip and was blessed. And I'm so looking forward to going again this year!

2. Sara Groves wrote this song called What I Thought I Wanted. It's a good song. It talks about how what we want is not always what's best for us, and often when the moment has past, we see how lucky we are for what we got instead. I don't really want to post it up here, but this day's blessings reminded me of something I thought I wanted, and how what I got instead is such a blessing. 

Once again, I'm going to leave it at less than three gifts tonight.

joy dare forty-seven and forty-eight

Day 48: 3 gifts found in giving/serving.

1. Serving someone can change their life. Take the FBC annual missions trip to Douglas, for example. These kids don't realize how amazing they are. At home, they aren't treated as anything to be valued, so they often don't see their value. And when somebody else comes in and tries to help them see how important they are, it often really changes their life in a way they didn't know it could be changed. And being the one to take time out and try to give something of yourself to those kids, and then seeing the results- that's amazing. That's an incomparable gift. 

2. Giving someone something is a good way to show them that you love them. When one of your friends is sick or just had a baby and can't cook, and you take them a meal- that simplifies things for them and makes them feel better. Little things like that are just a joy all around :) 

3. There's just nothing like making someone else, especially someone you care about, happy. Gifts or acts of service are a great way to do that. That is all. 

Day 48: 3 gifts on paper.

1. The Bible. 

2. Su-do-ku puzzles. It's the little things. 

3. Recipes. Instructions on how to make delicious things. Mhmm.

joy dare forty-five and forty-six

Day 45: A gift in losing something, in finding something, in making something.

In losing something: Jim Elliot said that "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." That kind of stands well by itself, doesn't it?

In finding something: When you lose something and then find it again, you value it more than you did before it was lost. You rediscover its value. 

In making something: I like baking, knitting, sewing, writing... Basically, I like making things. A lot. I think I like it so much because when you put effort into something, you often enjoy it more. When someone compliments me on something or tells me they like something, like a scarf or some rolls, I much prefer to be able to say "Thanks. I made it" than "Thanks. I got it at Target." And making something isn't just fun because other people enjoy it, it's the sense of accomplishment in knowing that you made something that is beautiful or delicious or both, and it's better than it would've been if you'd just bought it somewhere. 

Day 46: 3 gifts in shadows.

1. Cool. You know in the summer, when it's 85 degrees outside and the sun is shining as brightly as it possibly can? When you're outside on those days, it can be such a relief to find a little shade.
Aside from those little peaceful moments, I'm coming up blank on blessing in the shadows today. So I'll leave it at that.

joy dare forty-three and forty-four

Day 43: 3 gifts found behind a door today.

1. Katiee! :) I was walking to work today, and somebody was honking and honking at me. I didn't look up, 'cause that's just my policy, but a second later, somebody pulled up beside me. It was Katie, a girl I work with, and she was on her way to work. Her shift started at the same time mine did. So she gave me a ride the rest of the way. :)

(behind a car door)

2. The sun! I walked outside after band practice early this afternoon, and it was so sunny! It was brighter than it's been for so long. It was so great!

(behind the church door)

3. My family. :) When I got home from work today, I heated up the yummy food Mom made and Zoe, Mom and I watched Top Chef. Good to spend some time with them.

Day 44: 3 ways you feel the love of God.

1. Today, I've just felt encouraged. It's not that anyone else has started encouraging or praising me more than they already do- not like that. It's just that I've been noticing some of the mistakes I often make and asking God to help me do better next time. That's not generally a process that I like very much, but right now, I'm at peace with it. Happy.

2. God is always surprising me with the people around me. The revelations of experiences that gave wisdom, the times I talk to someone and realize just how much they have to say. Sometimes listening can just be the best.

3. A little different from the first two: When Brooke rushes to hug me if she sees me at work, it makes my day. :) Even if I can't hug her because I'm ringing up someone else's order, I love seeing someone who's happy to see me.

fast(er/ish) and hard or slow and poison?

This post started out as a joy dare, but it turned into something else entirely.

I just had a really great prayer time. I feel like God helped me get a grip on some things tonight, things that I had really needed to understand and cling to. I'm not always honest with myself about everything. Sometimes I recognize problems but push them down and don't try to figure them out, which of course I realize just winds up hurting me, but a lot of the time with problems it's a choice between one kind of pain or another. And the kind of pain that comes from fixing things so often seems worse than the pain that comes from compartmentalizing- no, it's not, of course, but the first kind of pain burns harder and faster. The second kind only gets worse if you ignore it, and the only way to get rid of it is to go through the pain of fixing things. But I think humans are kind of self-destructive that way. If this hurts me less in this moment, it's difficult to choose the harder yet easier way. And now I'm babbling and if you were able to follow that, I'd be surprised. But I guess sometimes this is for me as much as anybody else. I know exactly what I said.

I pray a lot for sight. To be able to see things as they are- myself, situations, other people. I feel like I got a little bit of sight into myself and some situations tonight. 

I feel refreshed.

joy dare forty and forty-one

Day 40: 3 times you heard laughter today.

1. At the dinner table. There's always laughter there. 

2. At Bible study. Plenty of laughter tonight :) 

3. On the way home from study. I made Zoe laugh really hard. I love when I can make people laugh really hard. 

Day 41: 3 gifts found in working.

1. The satisfaction of a job well done. I'm tellin' ya, you can't beat that. It's a cliche for a reason... Just like the phrase "it's a cliche for a reason." But really, when you do something well, especially something that was hard and took work but you did it anyway, it's so rewarding to see the results.

2. I like having a job because I like getting out of the house and applying myself to something. When I get a job that has more of a purpose and is less just plainly a necessity, I imagine that will be even better. Involving me in something beyond myself.  I crave that. 

3. Smiles on other people's faces. I think it really makes people happy to see others working hard and enjoying it.

joy dare thirty-nine

Day 39: A gift broken, a gift fixed, a gift thrifted.

A gift broken: I'm going to go figuratively with this one. My Mom has never claimed to be perfect. She's never claimed to be more than human. She makes mistakes. But even though all this is true, she is broken before God. That's a blessing. 

A gift fixed: Dad constantly fixes things for me. I don't remember what exactly the last thing he fixed for me specifically was. But since we moved, he's fixed my bedroom doors. One so that it will open, the other so that it will shut. One of those little things that makes life easier. Thanks, Dad!

A gift thrifted: My jewelry-holder thingy. Technically, I think it's called an armoire. It's so nice for hold all my jewelry and a few other small things. And it was ten dollars at Salvation Army. Success!

joy dare thirty-eight

Day 38: 3 gifts red. 

1. Sunsets.

2. Ruby's hair. It makes us all smile.

3. Tomato sauce. Mhmm. 

Day 39: 3 gifts that were surprises- Unexpected grace!

1. Joe.
2. Liking my job.
3. This gorgeous weather. Bike rides in early February in New Hampshire- that doesn't normally happen. But I'm glad it's happenin' this year!

joy dare thirty-six and thirty-seven

Day 36: One gift stitched, one hammered, one woven.

One gift stitched: I was thinking last night about the little bookmark Sophia made me and mailed to me after she moved. Sophia is the daughter of some dear family friends, she's around 7 years younger than I am, and she was the first kid I babysat. She is a bright, beautiful girl, and whenever I see that bookmark it makes me think of teaching her how to knit during homegroup. 

One hammered: We have a tradition in our family- For our sixteenth birthdays, Mom and Dad have given all of us girls hope chests. Then Mom starts shopping for Fiestaware dishes to put into the hope chest, and all that good stuff. Our hope chests are a little different than the original tradition of hope chests, but I think it's a good, special idea. And my Uncle Jeff made my hope chest, which is beautiful. 

One woven: I can't really think of too many (or any) woven things that have special value to me. But the slew of blankets on my bed are all woven- and keep me warm and comfortable. That's a blessing. 

Day 37: Three gifts found outside. 

1. Maple leaves. I don't really need to say more, do I?

2. Daffodils. They're not my favorite flower, but I so miss picking bouquets of them from the woods near the house in West Virginia. They make a room so much brighter. I didn't find any growing around here last year... I'll have to look again this spring, though. 

3. Wind. A breath of fresh air. 

cruises, schooling, friend dates and grandmother. among other things.

So, things have been not too slow around here.
A couple of weeks ago, Mom and Dad went on a cruise in the Caribbean to celebrate their 30th anniversary. They left on a Saturday morning, and Zoe and I stayed by ourselves that day and night. Aunt Gail came down after church on Sunday, and stayed here until Wednesday. We did what we usually do with Aunt Gail- shopped, made good food, etc. I worked and Zoe and I did school. On Wednesday, we went back to Grampa's with her. We saw Malia, we cleaned the church with Grampa, we looked for beds... On the way there, we stopped at Marden's, and Aunt Gail misplaced her keys. After searching through the store for 40 minutes or so, they were found in her purse- where she, Zoe and I had each checked and double-checked. It was actually pretty funny after we found them, but you probably had to be there.
So we came home on the following Sunday. Mom and Dad had arrived back home the night before. They had a great time, and we had a pretty good one, too.

Over the last week or two, I have arranged to finish school in 12 weeks (11.5 now ;)) and signed up for the SATs. I can finish school that early by doing 7 days of school a week instead of 5. I'm not doing school on the weekends, just evenly dividing the assignments for the next seven days into 5. It looks like it's actually going to be pretty easy to keep up with.
I actually have to study for the SATs. That idea will take some getting used to. Just because of the way our typical tests are- not that they're easy, but it's just different when it's only you taking it- I don't normally spend a lot of time studying for tests. And with the achievement tests every year, it's on the material that you already know, and you just take it. There's not really any way to prepare for it. But this is going to be different. I'm not really too worried about it, but of course I'll prepare.

I've been reading this book, Heaven is For Real, by Todd Burpo. His son, Colton, went to heaven. I don't mean he died; I mean he saw heaven. It's intriguing. I'd recommend it.

Last night, I had a Skype date with Megan. That was pretty great. I hadn't talked to her on Skype since we first moved, and it had been a while since our last phone conversation. Encouragement = awesome.

Mom, Zoe and I are going to Portland this afternoon to see Hannah. I haven't seen her since Christmas, and I'm looking forward to it.

I talked to Mawmaw last night. I love her. :) She was much more talkative then she's been the last couple of times I've talked to her, which to me is a sign that things are going back to normal. I'm so glad of that. It was back to the old pattern of me not really being able to tell her all that I wanted to because she was so talkative. Yay!

joy dare thirty-five

Day 35: 3 gifts found when bent down. 

1. I'm constantly dropping things like earrings and losing them for a while- maybe minutes, maybe hours, maybe days. The other day the top drawer came out of my jewelry stand-thingy and I couldn't find one of Grammy's turquoise earrings (I found in in the drawer days later). And today, I dropped one of my favorite earrings. After checking under my bed a couple times, stripping my bed (it needed to be remade anyway), and checking underneath it again, I finally found it. I was pretty glad to have found it. :) 

2. Have you ever watched ants for a few minutes? I'm not big on bugs- they don't terrify me, I just dislike them for the most part- but I don't really mind ants. As long as they're doing their swarming outside, not in. Anyway, I'm not sure why I like them. Probably because of how busy/industrious they are. Always doing something, building something, obtaining something. Ants have goals. The goals may be miniscule in reality, but I like how they're always working towards something.

3. Fairly often- once every couple of years- either Megan and Katelyn or Zoe and I would find a turtle in our back yard. Box turtles, which were kind of hard to see in the grass, were common in our area for some reason. We loved picking them up and keeping them and feeding them and playing with them for a few hours before we took them out of the cardboard boxes and let them go back to their trip. I remember one in particular, Franklin. It was this one turtle and everything seemed to happen to it. We knew it was the same one every year because it had a chip in its shell, probably from Mr. Hodges running over it with a lawn mower. I think Megan accidentally spray-painted it green once, but I don't remember the details of that. Anyway, we enjoyed playing with those turtles- and each other- quite a bit. I'm glad things like that happened. :)

joy dare thirty-four

Day 34: 3 gifts found in writing. 

1. I've mentioned this before, but I love letters. And the ones from Grammy that I still have are my favorite ones. 

2. I love being able to write. Looking back at old journals from time to time is great. And writing out prayers really helps me focus. 

3. Poems. Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, sometimes Walt Whitman, although he usually makes me a little sad. Most of the time, poems by these authors make me happy or reflective or a combination of the two.

joy dare thirty-three

Day 33: 3 things overheard today, all gifts. 

1. The church singing praise songs together. It's great when an entire congregation actually sings. 

2. A group of women and girls cheering as 4 of the guys at church played pingpong. That was fun. 

3. I'm anticipating this one: lots of good, funny, happy conversation during the Superbowl.

joy dare thirty-two]

Day 32: A gift at 11:30am, a gift at 2:30pm, a gift at 6:30pm.

A gift at 11:30am: At 11:30 today, I was finishing up school. It was great to be done so early- and I've started working ahead, so I can finish school a couple months early if I stick with it. 

A gift at 2:30pm: I was at work. Out doing carts, as a matter of fact. It was cold. But it was sunny and good exercise:) 

A gift at 6:30pm: We were eating dinner together- Mom, Dad, Zoe and I. We enjoyed each other's company. 

joy dare thirty and thirty-one

I've not been feeling great the last couple of days, so I haven't been updating. But I'll catch up in a day or so. 

Day 30: Three old things seen new.

1. Monday was the first full day that Mom, Dad, Zoe and I were back home together after our trips. I had to work that afternoon and evening, but it was still good to be back in our normal together-lives. 

2. Old hymns redone. Casting Crowns does a lot of great redoes of old hymns. Or not even necessarily redone hymns, just hymns. Loretta Lynn Gospel, which I am listening to at the moment, has a lot of great hymns on it.

3. Garlic powder. It really can make a difference. 

Day 31: A gift found on paper, in a person, in a picture. 

A gift found on paper: This one was slightly difficult because of all the electronic/paper free-ness lately. But after some thought, sheet music, because it makes music playable (if you have good technique) even if you've never heard the song before, is great. 

A gift found in a person: Doing band practice today, Joe's attitude of "we can figure this out" was a blessing as we went along. We had a really hard time figuring out a hymn that we haven't done before and aren't very familiar with, but eventually we got it. But he was encouraging to me and probably Zoe as we tried to figure out the chords, and also wound up switched the key back and forth multiple times. 

In a picture: My silly, beautiful, funny nieces love each others' company. That's so great!